Big Band of the Week

— by Bob Jacobson — In October, 2017 the Dave Tucker-John Blount Big Band suffered a huge loss with the death of its co-leader, trumpeter John Blount. The band’s determination to continue is reflected in its new name, Dave Tucker & the Roaring Big Band. | Read more>> Read More

Dale Corn is a 37-year-old vocalist and railroad engineer, which explains the alternate name for his big band: The Capitol Limited Orchestra. Corn started the band twelve years ago. It is not an ongoing ensemble; rather, Corn assembles it as he books performances, working with a core rhythm section and section leaders. | Read more>> Read More

Founded in 1981 by baritone saxophonist Mike Mileski, Crabtowne Big Band has been led since 2012 by sax and clarinet player Bill Yakaitis, the only member left from the band’s inception. That’s not the only tribute to Yakaitis’s staying power: he also taught elementary band in Anne Arundel County for 47 years! | Read more>> Read More

Visit the bustling website of the Columbia Jazz Band (thejazzband.com) and you’ll get a feel for the fast-paced, globetrotting lifestyle of this swinging 22-piece ensemble. There are video clips from the band’s international tours and audio tracks from its two CDs, with the music ranging from Swing Era classics such as “Tuxedo Junction” and “Jumpin’ at the Woodside” to Latin-infused bebop standards like “A Night in Tunisia,” bluesy 1960s tunes like “Watermelon Man,” and cool bossa novas such as “Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars.” | Read more>> Read More

In 2015 many members of the Columbia Concert Band wanted to play jazz, but Columbia Jazz Band was full, so they created Columbia Big Band and affiliated it with the aforementioned concert band. Columbia Big Band has since been directed by Robert Miller and managed by Tom Drake. | Read more>> Read More