About the band

We are an exciting 20 piece big band based near Gatwick. Formed in April 2001, the band was set up by a trombone and saxophone playing husband and wife team, with the aim of gathering talented musicians from a wide area to play a challenging and varied repertoire of Big Band music. Musicians of the band come from all over the South East, including London, Sussex, Kent and Hampshire. A number of players are professional musicians or music teachers while for others music is a (sometimes all-consuming) hobby.

The big band line up - 5 trumpets, 5 trombones, 5 saxophones, piano, bass, guitar, drums and a vocalist, helps to produce the band's exciting sound. Our MD, the dynamic Mr. Jon Brown, leads the band and generally keeps us all in order! We play a variety of music including pieces written for the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band and the bands of Buddy Rich, Stan Kenton, Count Basie and Bob Curnow's LA Big Band. Our repertoire also includes music by arrangers such as Marty Paich, Oliver Nelson, Frank Mantooth and Chris Smith.

The band performs both at concerts and jazz festivals and for functions such as weddings and parties.