The Almost Big Band was a 13 piece jazz band formed by Ernie Wilkins in 1980 after his permanent move to Copenhagen, Denmark. Members included expatriate American such as Kenny Drew and Ed Thigpen as well as prominent Danish jazz musicians such as Jesper Thilo and Bent Jaedig.
Mainly an arranger, Wilkins created the band so he could write for a band of his own formation. In America the band remained underrated and overlooked. [1]