Featured Release
astral RIDDIMS — The Big Band Theory
Album Overview
The big-band tradition has always been shaped by the relationship between composition, improvisation and collective sound. On The Big Band Theory, Toronto’s astral RIDDIMS approaches those ideas through a different ensemble model, bringing together thirteen musicians under the direction of saxophonist, composer and arranger Dennis Passley.
The group’s instrumentation extends beyond the familiar brass and reed sections of a conventional jazz orchestra. Saxophones, trombone, trumpet and flute share the musical space with guitar, keyboards, bass, percussion and, elsewhere on the album, strings and additional woodwinds. The result is a flexible orchestral language informed by spiritual jazz, jazz-funk, soul and global rhythmic traditions.
Passley’s approach begins with compositional sketches that leave space for interpretation. Musicians contribute their individual perspectives, and subsequent recording sessions respond to material already developed. In this way, arranging and improvisation become part of an ongoing collaborative process rather than separate stages of performance.
The album also carries a personal dimension. “Shel Of Moor,” a two-part composition dedicated to Passley’s late Pocket Dwellers bandmate Sheldon Moore, connects musical expression with remembrance. Its two movements, “Tamusni” and “Tayri,” represent wisdom and love, qualities Passley associates with Moore’s life and creative influence.
Across The Big Band Theory, astral RIDDIMS explores how a contemporary large ensemble can retain the collective principles of big-band jazz while developing its own instrumental identity and methods of creation.
From the album…
“The Arena” provides an introduction to astral RIDDIMS’ approach to large-ensemble writing. The track brings together Dennis Passley’s saxophone with trombone, trumpet, clarinet, flute and voice, supported by guitar, keyboards, electric bass, drums and percussion.
Rather than relying on the conventional sectional arrangement of a big band, the instrumentation reflects the group’s more flexible approach to orchestration. Individual instrumental colors become part of a collective setting in which written material and musician interpretation help define the ensemble’s identity.
Within the broader album, “The Arena” represents one of the ways astral RIDDIMS connects the language of jazz orchestration with the collaborative possibilities of a contemporary Toronto collective.
Listen to the album
Recommended listening: Start with “The Arena” to become familiar with the group’s instrumental palette and ensemble identity. Then explore “Shel Of Moor,” where Dennis Passley connects the collective’s musical language with a personal tribute to Sheldon Moore.
Album Details
Artist: astral RIDDIMS
Album: The Big Band Theory
Label: Self-Released / astral RIDDIMS
Release Date: September 30, 2026
Total Tracks: 7
Album Duration: 32:21
Featured Track: The Arena (4:34)
Personnel
Album personnel compiled from published track credits and artist press materials. Instrumentation and participation vary by track.
- Dennis Passley — saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet, mellotron; composition, arrangement and production
- Ernesto Barahona — trombone
- Tom Moffett — trumpet
- Yvonne Moir — saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet
- Anh Phung — flute, vocals
- Karen Ng — flute, saxophone
- Tom Juhas — guitar
- Dave Leitao — keyboards
- Martino Lozej — keyboards
- Josh Daignault — bass guitar
- Dave Gouveia — percussion
- Jon Hyde — drums
- Maddie Skilos — violin
- Brendan Rogers — cello
- Lala Noel — vocals
Featured Track Personnel — “The Arena”
- Dennis Passley — saxophone; composer, arranger, producer
- Ernesto Barahona — trombone
- Tom Moffett — trumpet
- Yvonne Moir — clarinet, saxophone
- Anh Phung — flute, vocals
- Tom Juhas — guitar
- Dave Leitao — keyboards
- Josh Daignault — bass guitar
- Dave Gouveia — percussion
- Jon Hyde — drums
Recording and Production
Album Production
- Dennis Passley — composer, arranger, producer
- Dave Plowman — recording engineer; mixing on selected tracks
- Steve Chahley — mixing on selected tracks
- Kevin McPhee — mastering
- Keessa Lynch — album artwork
- Nehal El-Hadi — liner notes
Featured Track — “The Arena”
- Dennis Passley — composition, arrangement, production
- Dave Plowman — recording engineering
- Steve Chahley — mixing
- Kevin McPhee — mastering
Track Listing
- Like Charles — 3:54
- Dogon Spaceforce — 4:19
- Metu Neter — 4:45
- Shel Of Moor — 4:35
- The Arena — 4:34
- Design Flaw — 4:01
- Aya — 6:13
Total Running Time: 32:21
No Comments