Jazz - Brighton and Hove Big Band

Last year the Brighton and Hove Big Band played the Montreux Jazz Festival to some acclaim: no mean feat considering the performers are all between the ages of 15-19. The band, run by the Brighton and Hove Council, are the pick of the city’s young brass players, who have to achieve al least a grade six in their instrument at school and pass a tricky audition to join. By all accounts they are pretty good: they were invited to Montreux on the back of a fine gig at the Komedia in Brighton, and play in the Brighton Festival every summer. “Even though they are a youth group,” says organiser Marylin Thomas, “you don’t have to make allowances for their youth.”

So what can you expect from the evening? “We’re starting with a 40’s number, ‘Big Noise from Wynnetka,’” says conductor Pete Chivers, “and moving onto some 50’s swing numbers and a blues number from that era. Then we’re going a bit more modern, with ‘Respect’ (as recorded by Aretha Franklin), the Starsky and Hutch theme, and The Chicken, a funky number. So we’ll be going through the ages, basically.” The hall will be set out in a ‘cabaret style’ with chairs and tables enabling everybody to wander to the bar in the foyer during performances. “It’ll be informal. You won’t have to worry about sneezing during the performance,” says Marylin. “Though don’t expect to be able to chat much: they make quite a sound.” AG