"Claude at some time or other, had to have hung out with the wrong people to get the right feeling of soul interpreted in his version, or should I say this version of Black, Brown and Beige. You’ll fin the occasions rare where this work is performed in its entirety. Yeah, even Duke Ellington only performed it completely twice in the course of his life. (…) Thank goodness he [Bolling] helps to keep the genius of Duke Ellington alive. And one further word: it takes a genius to know a genius." (Mercer ELLINGTON)

"Your playing is something I’ll always remember" (Louis ARMSTRONG)

"It was the kind of thing you hardly expected to happen, but there it was : 16 French musicians bringing American arrangements to life with more richness, exuberance and finesse than most American bands you're apt to encounter." (JAZZ TIMES)

"Here were French musicians serving us American music with more gusto and polish than almost all American bands." (THE NEW YORK POST)

"The audience delighted in the rich sounds of a band that one knowledgeable local describes as the best big band of the world." (SUN VALLEY JOURNAL)

"Was it classical music ? Was it jazz ? The performers were demanded back on stage with four standing ovations." (THE NEWS TRIBUNE)

"Unlike the scattered and novelty-ridden attemps to integrate the jazz and classical idioms, Mr. Bolling has seriously endeavored to marry the two." (THE WASHINGTON TIMES)

"Bolling tears down musical walls in marathon concert .... You might not expect 16 talented French musicians palying American arrangements of big band jazz to equate to magic, but magic it was Tuesday night when the Claude Bolling big band played ...." (RECORD EAGLE)

"Bolling fantastique ... Bolling and his band recreate the big band sound of the 40's and 50's, but in an up-to-date, timeless kind of way ....." (THE OTHER PAPER)


" There is much to appreciate about Claude Bolling's music, and there's much to enjoy about this Big Band. Last night's concert was a true delight for classical, crossover, jazz and big band fans alike. Whatever the preference for musical genre, we all left saying, "Vive le Bolling !" (DESUK NEWSLETTER)