Mike Westbrook's Uncommon Orchestra: On Duke’s Birthday

Mike Westbrook

THE UNCOMMON ORCHESTRA

On Duke’s Birthday

Mike Westbrook, “Britain’s most innovative Big Band leader” the Wire, and The UNCOMMON ORCHESTRA return to the club with one of Mike’s best known and most loved works On Duke’s Birthday dedicated to the memory of Duke Ellington. This is the first time that the full-scale version of the piece will be performed in London.

Compositions for Jazz Orchestra have been a thread running through Mike Westbrook’s career since the 1960s. Regarded as Classics, works like Marching Song, Metropolis, Citadel/ Room 315 and The Cortège were widely performed at Festivals throughout Europe and the UK. His Big Band Rossini was the first jazz work ever to be performed in the BBC Proms. A three-day festival in Catania, Sicily in 1992 devoted to Mike’s work for the Orchestra, is commemorated in his recent album Catania.

The Uncommon Orchestra “ambitious, unapologetic and uncategorisable” Jazz Wise is a West Country-based big band formed ten years ago. The band is now established internationally through its performances, including Ronnie Scotts in 2019, a triumphant tour in Italy and the release of the acclaimed album A Bigger Show.

“A roaring ensemble, orchestrated by a master of the Art” Listomania

The Uncommon Orchestra

Roz Harding  Chris Biscoe  Pete Whyman  Sarah Dean  Alan Wakeman  Ian Wellens  saxophones

Graham Russell   Robin Pengilley   Andy Hague   Sam Massey   trumpets

Joe Carnell   Sam Chamberlain-Keen   Stewart Stunell   Ashley Nayler  trombones

Billie Bottle  piano    Jesse Molins  guitar  Matthew North  guitar

Dominique Pifarely  violin   Marcus Vergette  bass   Coach York  drums  

Kate Westbrook  voice  Phil Minton  voice

musical direction

Mike Westbrook  Matthew Bourne  

Peter Conway Management

www.westbrookjazz.co.uk