NICK ROSS ORCHESTRA CD COVER
Sounds of the Glenn Miller Era
I mentioned in my previous Glenn Miller articles how popular his sound still is around the world. I have personal experience about his place in the big band world in Great Britain. When I lived in London (1993-94) I attended a military concert at the Royal Albert Hall which included a 30 minute salute to Glenn Miller, and when visiting in Cheltonham came upon a poster promoting an appearance of the latest version of "The Glenn Miller Orchestra."
In the past few weeks, I was made aware of an English based big band, "The Nick Ross Orchestra." The NRO library features hits from Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Ted Heath, Artie Shaw, Woody Herman, Les Brown, Benny Goodman, Ray Noble, and Stan Kenton among others.... and the songbooks of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Nick uses a line-up of saxophones, trumpets, trombones, a rhythm section and singers, to recreate the classic Big Band sound of the 1940s.
Nick Ross is a young man. He was born in 1961 in Suffolk and started to study piano and music at a very early age. In the late '70s he joined a local dance band, and by the early '80s, he led his own band on various summer season, hotel, and cruise line contracts. By the summer of 1985, he started putting together the classic Big Band line-up of saxes, trumpets, trombones, rhythm section and singers, which became the 'NRO'. In the early '90s, Nick began broadcasting a weekly radio program called "From the Bandstand with Nick Ross" on BBC Radio. The NRO has toured both in the UK and Internationally, even venturing as far as the Middle and Far East.
How did this big band interest start, Nick? "I am often asked what kindled my interest in the Big Band sound? - the obvious answer would be the wonderful music of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, Ted Heath et al, but given that I wasn't around in the '40s, the first Big Band that I ever heard live was the Syd Lawrence Orchestra, by my early teens, I had already become a dedicated fan." .
Here are the notes on Amazon.com for the NRO's latest cd: "English bandleader Nick Ross releases his long awaited CD My Favourite Things. An increasing diary of dates in the U.K. and excellent live reviews have enhanced the bands reputation and now you can hear the quality in this recording. Sixteen popular tunes are featured including My Favourite Things, My Hero, A String Of Pearls, Begin The Beguine, The Way We Were, Alfie and Cherokee. Solos are played by Terry Reaney, Alan Ladds, Norman Brown, Derek Southcott, Mark White and James Stretton. Gary Evans drives the band on Skin Deep, Matthew Ford sings A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square and Alice Coulam sings Blue Moon. This CD captures the sound of a bygone era. Featuring the unforgettable music of Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Ray Noble and Ted Heath."
The NRO will be playing in the very prestigious "Her Majesty's Theatre" in Haymarket, London on Sunday, October 18th.
Visit the NRO website by clicking here.
Comments