Bold Big Band at The Globe – 24th March 2024

After recently performing at the Great North Big Band Jazz Festival, Bold Big Band refuse to take a break and will be at The Globe on Sunday 24th March.

Featuring some of the music you may have heard at the festival, this evening will expand further on the musical whimsies and talents of the band. From your classic Kenton’s to your Goodwin goodies, look forward to what’s in store!

Review

A band well-named. Bold as brass is an old saying meaning, among other definitions, ‘audacious’ and they are all of that and more. From the opening Barnburner they hit the deck running. The power of the brass overwhelming, the precision of the sax section awesome. Crissi on tenor, Pippa on alto and Sam on trumpet had the solo spots on this one. The whole shebang driven along by Dan Arenstein, Joe Sharples, Ben Davies and Alex Ngeyu.

After a piano intro from Alex there was more tenor from Crissi on Sandunga with Billy Bradshaw hitting the screamers. Ifede Osiyemi played bass guitar and sang back in the band’s early days and he returned to sing Straighten up and Fly Right as well as taking over on bass for the second set. Lucy took the tenor solo on the King Cole classic.

Another member of the band multi-taxing was Conor Polley who, when not playing bass trombone sang Just One of Those Things (complete with scat chorus), Bare Necessities (à la Harry Connick Jr.) and Brazil (à la Frank). 

Guitarist Ben Davies, riding high on his recent Adjudicators’ Award at the GNBBJF, demonstrated just why he’d caught the judges’ eyes and ears with solos on The  Incredibles and, at length, on Friday Night at the Cadillac Club.

Read the full review here

Lineup

Vocals: Ifede Osiyemi, Conor Polley
Saxes: Pippa Morgan, Max Storey, Crissi Booth, Lucy McCartan, Brian Wicks
Trumpets: Billy Bradshaw, Sam Armstrong, James Bateman, Andrew Marshall
Trombones: Alex Utting, Bertie Marks, Fiona Duxbury, Conor Polley
Guitar: Ben Davies
Keys: Alex Ngeyu
Bass: Joe Sharples, Ifede Osiyemi
Drums: Dan Arenstein

Setlist

Barnburner
Sandunga
Straighten Up and Fly Right (v)
Just One of Those Things (v)
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
Dream of the Return
The Incredibles
Friday Night at the Cadillac Club
Beulah Witch
Toccata and Fudge
The Party’s Over
Giddyup!
Bare Necessities (v)
Brazil (v)
Minuano (Six Eight)