Arranging means to give a melody a new dress. That can be achieved by finding new chords, another orchestration or a new form; in each case it has to sound fresh. In order to get the best result the arranger has to know beforehand for whom he arranges and what the conditions at the rehearsal and for the performance will be. A band can only play with enthusiasm, when the musicians don’t have to struggle with the notes. And only a happy band can inspire the audience. Sammy Nestico and Bob Mintzer are big idols for me, when it comes to arrange effectively in this sense. When dense harmony is required I like to refer to Bob Brookmeyer and Maria Schneider. From all this I have created my own hand writing, which is received gratefully by musicians and audiences all over.
All my arrangements for bigband and for smaller ensembles as well as the CD album of the DIETRICH KOCH BIG BAND are available at the shop.
The interviews from sonic and jazzpodium magazines also give you an insight into my arranging philosophy.