Big Band Alumni

Active since: 2000

The Big Band Alumni is a 17-piece big band that features some musicians that are graduates of the greatest big bands of all time like Benny Goodman, Harry James, Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Jimmy & Tommy Dorsey, and many others from the Big Band Era.

The Big Band Alumni is in its 25th year of existence. The band was created by musicians who were members of the big bands (largely) of the 1940’s who were responsible for the swing era. Over the 21 years there have been replacements. Like many big bands of the 40’s we also have vocalists who have always been younger than the original band members.

Desi Arnaz

Born: March 2, 1917

Billy Cotton

Born: May 6, 1899

Billy Cotton (born William Edward Cotton on May 6, 1899) was an English bandleader and entertainer, best known for his popular BBC radio and television show the Billy Cotton Band Show, which ran from 1949 to 1968. Beginning his career as a drummer, Cotton formed his first orchestra in 1924. With his trademark catchphrase "Wakey! Wakey!" and a lively mix of jazz music and comedy, Cotton became a household name in British entertainment.

Carroll Gibbons

Born: January 4, 1903

Carroll Gibbons was a distinguished American-born pianist, bandleader and composer who became a defining figure in British Dance Band music during the 1930s and '40s. Best known for his elegant work with the Savoy Hotel Orpheans, Gibbons brought a refined jazz sensibility to popular music, blending American influences with a uniquely British charm. His smooth arrangements, stylish piano playing, and keen ear for melody earned him acclaim both in the UK and abroad. Gibbons also composed several enduring tunes, including “A Garden in the Rain”, leaving a lasting legacy in the world of light jazz and popular standards.

Tommy Tucker

Born: May 18, 1903

Tommy Tucker was a popular swing-era bandleader, pianist, accordionist and trombonist who led one of the most refined "sweet" bands of the 1930s and '40s. Born Gerald L. Duppler on May 18, 1903, in Souris, North Dakota, Tucker adopted his stage name during his rise in the Midwest dance band circuit. His orchestra gained national attention through novelty recordings for labels such as Columbia and Vocalion, and also by maintaining a polished, danceable style that contrasted with the hotter swing bands of the time. Though not a jazz innovator in the same way as Duke Ellington or Earl "Fatha" Hines, Tucker’s ensemble featured skilled sidemen and occasional jazz soloists, and his music remains a perfect example of the elegant ballroom tradition

Will Bradley

Born: July 12, 1912

Wilbur Schwichtenberg, born on July 12, 1912, was a popular American trombonist and bandleader who rose to fame in World War II, at the height of the swing era. After playing trombone in New York for various dance orchestras during the 1930s, in 1939 he changed his name to Will Bradley and co-founded his own big band with drummer and singer Ray McKinley. Their orchestra became renowned for popularising African-American boogie woogie rhythms and incorporating them into hits like "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" and  "Scrub Me Mama, with a Boogie Beat." Despite his personal preference for ballads, Bradley's collaborations with McKinley and pianist Freddie Slack helped his band briefly become known as one of the most distinctive hard-swinging outifts in the country

Freddy Martin

Born: December 9, 1906

Freddy Martin (December 9, 1906 - September 30, 1983) was an American tenor saxophonist and bandleader best known for his smooth, danceable arrangements and his adaptations of classical melodies for modern swing music lovers. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Martin began his musical career as a saxophonist and formed his own band in the early 1930s. He gained national attention with his orchestra during the big band era, performing at prestigious hotel ballrooms and being featured on widely-heard radio broadcasts.

Martin's band was known for its sweet style, appealing to audiences who favoured melodic arrangements over the harder "hot" sounds that were also popular at the time. In 1941, he had a major hit with "Tonight We Love," a song based on Tchaikovsky’s "Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat." This piece helped define his orchestra's unique classical-pop-jazz fusion approach and naturally became his theme tune. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Martin's band continued to tour and record and featured prominent vocalists such as Clyde Rogers and Merv Griffin.

Jack Hylton

Born: July 2, 1892

Jack Hylton was a British pianist, bandleader, composer and impresario who played a key role in the development of popular dance music in the early 20th century. Born in Great Lever, Lancashire, on July 2, 1892, he began his career as a pianist and singer in his father's pub before working as a musical director for theater productions during World War I. In the 1920s and 1930s, Hylton's orchestra gained international recognition, recording extensively and touring across Europe. Hylton also introduced jazz and blues influences into British dance music, becoming known as the "British King of Jazz" and helping to popularize the genres in the UK

Johnny Long (2)

Born: September 12, 1914

Johnny Long (1914–1972) was an American bandleader and violinist known for his sweet dance band style during the big band era. Born in Newell, North Carolina, he formed his own orchestra while attending Duke University, gaining popularity in the 1930s and 1940s. His band was distinguished by its smooth sound and emphasis on melody, producing hits like In a Shanty In Old Shanty Town, which became his signature song. Long’s group remained active for several decades, entertaining audiences with a mix of swing and traditional pop before his retirement.

Gemma Sherry

Subtle, precise, engrossing and delightful, accomplished Australian vocalist, Gemma Sherry pours her heart and soul into her music. Her interpretation of jazz standards is unique and refreshing. Since moving to the U.S. eight years ago to study music in NYC, this soul-jazz singer, songwriter & saxophonist has released a number of house music records on various European record labels and has now released 4 studio albums. Her debut album was "Songs I Love" which she recorded in England with the exquisite pianist Billy Woodman. This was followed by the released of her short play EP "Sings Bossa Nova" which got her a following in Brazil