Swing Unlimited

Swing Unlimited is a community based Big Band, and is unique in British Jazz in that it is totally self-funding, receiving no grant of any kind, making it a true community band that is being run by the community. The band is led very much in the style of Loose Tubes, rehearsing in the round where any member of the band can direct at any one time. The Musical Director function is shared between members of the band to allow their individual skills to improve the standard. Currently, Julian Whitehead, James Stead and Patrick Peiro predominately share the duty. Regularly performing at Highcliffe Castle^[1] as well as at Swing Unlimited Jazz Club (Riviera Hotel, Burnaby Road, Alum Chine, Bournemouth, BH4 8JF).

Formation of the Band

Swing Unlimited Big Band was formed in late 2001 by various musicians including David Wilkinson. Both wanted to play upbeat and interesting big band music- with maybe a hint of nostalgia^[2] but felt the opportunities to do so in Dorset were somewhat limited.

Current Line-up

Saxophones: Karen Pitt, Nick Studdert-Kennedy, Magnus MacKie, Penny Bishop, Nicola Whitmarsh, John Wesley-Barker

Trumpets: Kevin Courage, Chris Dawe, Pat Peiro, Jonathan Payne, Stephen Bradshaw

Trombones: Julian Whitehead, Richard Curren, Helen Kinder, Colin Williams, Kate Alexander

Rhythm Section: James Stead (Keys), Andy Pitt (Bass), Chris Panaretou (Guitar), Tim Sharp and Alan Elliot (drums and percussion)

Discography

Swing Unlimited Big Band (album), (SUBB Records, December 2009)

SUBB carried out a recording project in conjunction with music students of Lytchett Minster School.^[3]

"A Message From The Home Front" (SUBB Records, November 2010)

Live recording from SUBB's annual Remembrance Sunday performance at the Regent Centre, Christchurch

"SUBB Actually" (SUBB Records, April, 2013)
"SUBB Christmas" (SUBB Records, April, 2013)

Recordings made at Ferndown Upper School, (currently in post-production at A Room With A View Studios, http://www.roomwithaviewstudio.co.uk/) (NB Scheduled for release before December 2013!)

Education and Outreach

One of the aims of SUBB as a community band is to not only provide outreach to the community in terms of charity events for organizations like the Soroptimist International and local charities such as the Rotary Club, but to get into local schools, providing workshops and joint events that help young people to see that keeping music live is very important. One of the aims of SUBB is to get out into local schools about three times a year.^[4]

The Swing Unlimited Community Big Band was formed soon after the original SUBB, providing opportunities for amateur musicians of all ages (youngest currently is 12 years old, oldest is 80) to enjoy rehearsing, performing and enjoying participating in great big band jazz music. "SU2" rehearses regularly on Monday evenings at the St. Leonard's Hotel in Ringwood (185 Ringwood Road St. Leonards, Ringwood, Dorset BH24 2NP), and is open to all players of big band instruments, nominally at a grade 5 standard or above.

In 2010, the organisation started the "Swing Unlimited Jazz Club" based at Centre Stage in Westbourne, Bournemouth (Queen's Road, BH2 6BE). Running every Wednesday evening (doors open 7.30pm), SUJC was another key development for the group - its own venue to provide opportunities not only for its own bands & players to perform, but also to support live jazz in the community by booking other jazz artists from the local area, the South region as well as nationally and internationally recognised stars of the jazz world such as Liane Carroll, Tina May, Mark Nightingale, Edana Minghella, Nigel Price, Gary Smulyan, Alan Barnes, Derek Nash and Alec & Emily Dankworth.

References

↑ "Swing Unlimited Concert", Wave 105, July 9, 2006
↑ "Step Back in Time with MGS", Bournemouth Daily Echo, August 4, 2006
↑ Music Technology Department at Lytchett Minster School (March 2008)in Dorset Live Recording
↑ Ferndown Upper School December Newsletter page 4

External links

Jazz

General topics	Outline of jazz "Jazz" Jazz band Big band Improvisation Jam session Scat singing Swing performance Jazz bass Jazz drumming Jazz guitar Jazz piano Jazz violin Vocal jazz Women in jazz

Genres	Acid jazz Asian-American jazz Avant-garde jazz Azerbaijani jazz Bebop Bossa nova Cape jazz Chamber jazz Cool jazz Crossover jazz Dixieland Folk jazz Free jazz Gypsy jazz Hard bop Indo jazz Jazz blues Jazz-funk Jazz fusion Jazz rap Kansas City jazz Latin jazz M-Base Mainstream jazz Modal jazz Neo-bop jazz Nu jazz Orchestral jazz Organ trio Post-bop Punk jazz Ska jazz Smooth jazz Soul jazz Stride Swing Trad jazz West Coast jazz Yass

Musicians	Bassists Clarinetists Drummers Guitarists Organists Percussionists Pianists Saxophonists Trombonists Trumpeters Violinists Vocalists Vibraphonists

Musicians by genre	Bebop Chamber jazz Cool jazz & West Coast jazz Hard bop Jazz blues Jazz fusion Scat Smooth jazz Soul jazz Swing

Standards	Pre-1920 1920s 1930s 1940s post-1950

Discographies	Bethlehem Blue Note BYG Actuel Cobblestone Contemporary CTI ECM ESP-Disk Flying Dutchman Freedom Groove Merchant Impulse! India Navigation JMT Landmark Mainstream Milestone MPS Muse Prestige Riverside Strata-East Winter & Winter Verve

Festivals	Beaches (Toronto) Cape Town Copenhagen Jakarta Monterey Montreal Montreux Newport New Orleans North Sea Saint Lucia

Culture	Clubs Contrafacts Institutions & organizations Jazz poetry Jazz royalty Rare groove

History	Bibliography of jazz Pre-1920 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, January 30, 2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.