Strictly Smokin' Big Band to hit the road.

Back in the day, American big bands such as Basie, Ellington, Kenton and Herman, along with British bands such as Dankworth, Heath, Parnell and Delaney would tour the length and breadth of the land.

Rock and roll, the pundits would tell you, did away with all that. Four teenagers and a row of Marshall stacks could provide ten times the volume at half the price, at least initially. Nowadays the volume and the price are on a par.

Nevertheless, despite the economic fluctuations of this fair(ish) isle big bands have never truly vanished.

In the north east, over the years, we have had award winning bands such as the Newcastle Big Band, the Ray Chester Big Band, the Customs House Big Band, Musicians Unlimited and the Strictly Smokin' Big Band.

All have kept the flag flying with, needless to say, several of the top men featuring in most of them.

However, to get back to my original theme, big bands do still venture further afield and while SSBB's upcoming chance to spread their wings isn't (we assume) going to be via the greasy spoon caffs and the sleazy b & b stop overs their predecessors had to endure to give us the music we love but is, instead, an experience both they and their audience will love.

As the graphic depicts, the music is based around the band's tribute to that legendary Art Kane photo A Great Day in Harlem. Well, here's to A Great Day in Halifax. Lance