Yankee Gumbo Little Big Band (archival project)

Yankee Gumbo was an artist-led “little big band” active from 2009–2013, created as a platform for original large-ensemble writing that balanced the intimacy of a combo with the sonic force of a full jazz orchestra. Though no longer an active performing ensemble, the project remains an important chapter in Earl MacDonald’s compositional development and large-ensemble work.

The ensemble performed original compositions and contemporary arrangements that foregrounded individual improvisational voices while maintaining a strong collective identity. Its legacy is preserved primarily through its debut recording, Open Borders, and a series of performances, collaborations, and educational engagements.

About the Name

The name “Yankee Gumbo” reflected the ensemble’s northeastern roots and MacDonald’s long-standing interest in stylistic cross-pollination. Like its culinary namesake, the group blended varied musical backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences into a cohesive artistic voice. The emphasis was not on novelty, but on integration—bringing difference into dialogue rather than flattening it.

Little Big Band Instrumentation

Yankee Gumbo’s instrumentation consisted of two trumpets, one trombone, one French horn, three saxophones (alto, tenor, baritone), piano, bass, and drums. The inclusion of French horn expanded the ensemble’s color palette, bridging brass and woodwinds while opening additional orchestration possibilities. Unlike MacDonald’s 17-piece jazz orchestra, woodwind doubles were intentionally excluded for clarity, flexibility, and logistical practicality.

Style and Influences

MacDonald’s compositional approach for Yankee Gumbo drew from the lineage of Thad Jones, Bob Brookmeyer, Bill Holman, Slide Hampton, Jim McNeely, Gerry Mulligan, and Rob McConnell, while maintaining a clearly contemporary voice.

Hartford Courant critic Owen McNally described the ensemble as “fresh-sounding,” noting that it generated “contemporary band music that lives in the present, independent, cliché-free and untethered to conventional big band nostalgia” (01/20/2011).

The Ensemble’s Origins

The ensemble originated in 2009 through a proposal to the Hartford Jazz Society to form a performing group that would embody organizational vitality and artistic direction. Initially known as the Hartford Jazz Society’s New Directions Ensemble, the group debuted on August 2, 2010 at Bushnell Park’s Monday Night Jazz series before an audience of over 5,000.

Subsequent performances followed in clubs, concert halls, and academic settings. In 2011, readers of the Hartford Advocate selected the ensemble as Hartford’s Best Jazz Group in the Grand Band Slam readers’ poll.

After several years of activity, MacDonald chose to continue independently of institutional affiliation, shifting focus toward recording and project-based work rather than maintaining the ensemble as an ongoing performing unit.

Debut Recording: Open Borders

Open Borders was released in November 2017 and stands as the primary artistic document of the Yankee Gumbo project. The recording features:

Kris Allen (alto sax), Wayne Escoffery (tenor sax), Lauren Sevian (baritone sax), Jeffrey Holmes (trumpet), Josh Evans (trumpet), Alex Gertner (French horn), Sara Jacovino (trombone), Henry Lugo (bass), and Ben Bilello (drums).

Vocalist Atla DeChamplain and percussionist Ricardo Monzon appear as guests on individual tracks. MacDonald provided all compositions and arrangements and performs throughout on piano and Rhodes.

For Open Borders, MacDonald was named Jazz Producer of the Year at the 2019 Independent Music Awards.