BIG BAND: For his Warriors of the Wonderful Sound ensemble, Bobby Zankel took a cue from a character in the Lotus Sutra "leading people to enlightenment through sound" using a hundred thousand types of instruments.

Altoist Bobby Zankel, a practicing Buddhist for over 30 years, described the impact of that image, the Bodhisattva "leading people to enlightenment through sound," as profoundly powerful, an ideal to strive toward. Besides, he added, "I thought it was sort of catchy."

Zankel's Warriors of the Wonderful Sound was formed in August 2001 for the Collective Voices festival, in order to showcase some of the composer's large band charts. A veteran of Cecil Taylor's big bands, which could range anywhere from six to 25 pieces, Zankel became entranced by the sonic possibilities of combining different instruments. But he insists that the most gratifying aspect of writing for large ensembles is "the human aspect. Having many people functioning together in a collective in that way is really a beautiful thing."

The band is celebrating the release of its first CD, Ceremonies of Forgiveness (Dreambox Media), with two shows, their usual first-Thursday-of-the-month gig at Tritone followed by the official release party at Chris' Jazz Cafe on Friday. A recent rehearsal at the composer's West Philly home hosted eight members justifying the "Warriors" tag by battling with Zankel's complex charts. Despite being familiar enough with the music that he could co-lead the rehearsal and help break in new drummer Webb Thomas, pianist Tom Lawton merely laughed when someone asked if he had one of the pieces memorized. "It kicks my butt every time," he admitted, claiming that even if they did get the song perfect, Zankel would simply add more to it.

Those intricate charts, according to their author, is the sign of a maturing compositional sensibility. In the past, Zankel describes, "I always said, man, I got a lot of nice notes and some interesting ideas, but I really hadn't got to a sound yet. I think it's coming."

Zankel's music surrounds his soloists, creating an environment as much as an arrangement. The combination of sounds and influences is both exotic and tantalizingly familiar, blending a melange of sources with a playful sense of humor. (At rehearsal, when Zankel described the urgent beat of one piece as "feeling Spanish, sketches of Spain," saxophonist Dan Scofield added, "Or '80s TV cop show.") Trying to explain his style, Zankel says, "Creating all that activity around the soloists—maybe I'm a control freak, and maybe it gives the music more of a total identity. My ideas really allow people to feed off the colors and the sound, and we can create a more unified thing."

As for the influence of his spiritual beliefs on his music, Zankel sees it as pervasive but indirect. "You know, there's no such particular thing as Buddhist music. Herbie Hancock is a Buddhist, and maybe my music is a little like his. Tina Turner is a Buddhist; my music is nothing like Tina Turner's. It really informs, really motivates my life. So it comes out in the music, I'm sure. I hope."

More importantly, his beliefs direct the way he uses his talents. For 20 years, Zankel has been involved with a program to teach and perform music in area prisons—a program which is now in a state of limbo. After a 2002 VH1 program aired footage of inmates at Graterford Prison, the outcry from victims' advocacy groups resulted in "a really horrible, draconian, knee-jerk reaction" to end the programs.

Zankel sympathizes with the victims' groups, but sees the music program as crucial to the prisoners' rehabilitation. "It's terrible pressure, and most of the [staff] in the prison system are just people that are trying to finish their careers unscathed and get their pensions. So nobody wants to go to city hall and stand up for music, which is like standing up for grass or the sunshine. Music is good for people, everyone knows that. But time will tell. Music will win, I'm sure."

Bobby Zankel & the Warriors of the Wonderful Sound, Thu., May 4, 9:30 p.m., $7, Tritone, 1508 South St., 215-545-0475; Fri., May 5, 9 p.m., $12, Chris' Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom St., 215-568-3131, www.chrisjazzcafe.com.