Nuées d’orage is antipodal to Django Reinhardt’s Nuages. All the aspects of Nuages are tossed around. Tempo, chordquality, style, mood, … I changed it into a nasty thunderstorm.
When I wrote it, I put in a lot of stress and anger. That works better than therapy and it’s cheaper. Maybe it’s beneficial for your peace of mind too.
We recorded it with Brussels Jazz Orchestra in 2001 on the double CD ‘Brussels Jazz Orchestra – The Music of Bert Joris’. I play the second solo, after the piano. Here, however, it’s written according to my original idea: the lead alto is being asked for soloing and vamping at the end.