Music / Jazz
The Big Swing
Bristol International Jazz & Blues Festival, Colston Hall, Friday March 6
If there’s one thing that can bring the Colston Hall’s big space to life it’s a cracking big swing band and a floor full of dancers. Last year’s festival opening event attracted vintage-clad enthusiasts from all over and you might have thought it was VE day all over again. The good news is there’s twice the fun this year, starting with the mighty showmanship of UK ‘Godfather of Swing’ Ray Gelato and The Giants. Ray’s impeccable stage persona and authentic band sound are a blast from a past when the crooners gave way to the Rat Pack. Their set is followed by the return of the Bruce/Ilett Big Band, an all-star Bristol outfit featuring Andy Sheppard’s sax and driven by trumpeter Jonny Bruce’s enthusiasm for dance band legend Harry James (among others).
Festival programmer Denny Ilett says: If anyone’s forgotten that jazz was always great dance music then this’ll remind them
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