After his acclaimed 2020 collaboration with the WDR Big Band, composer and arranger Florian Ross returns with another inspired meeting of minds. This new release continues his exploration of what the modern jazz orchestra can be — expansive in color, rich in detail, and deeply human in expression.

Over the past few years, Ross has steadily shaped a musical voice that is unmistakably his own: intricate yet lyrical, rhythmically alive yet full of space. The ten pieces gathered here — some newly written, others rediscovered from as far back as 1992 — reveal the scope of his imagination and his enduring partnership with the extraordinary musicians of the WDR Big Band.

The music moves effortlessly between worlds: from sweeping cinematic landscapes to grooves with a fusion edge, from exuberant swing to moments of quiet, European-inflected harmony. Each track is built around the personalities within the band — written not just for instruments, but for people, their sounds, and their stories. What emerges is both a continuation and a renewal. Ross’s writing remains as sophisticated and warm as ever, but there’s a new sense of openness here, a willingness to let melody and emotion take the lead. It’s music that rewards attention, yet it also welcomes you in from the first note — a celebration of what happens when vision meets virtuosity.

Recorded Jan 09-18, 2025 at STUDIO 4, WDR Funkhaus Wallrafplatz, Cologne, Germany. Producer: Florian Ross (TPR) - Exec. Producer: Arnd Richter (WDR)