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 Student-formed ensemble, the UQ BIG BAND are on a mission to bring swing jazz to audiences under 40. TOPHER HEALY investigates their plans with the band’s manager PETER FREEMAN.
TOPHER HEALY: So how many players are currently in the band?
PETER FREEMAN: Over 30 ... it’s a BIG band. There’s about 10 saxophones, five trombones, six trumpets, three piano players, a percussionist, a drummer, three singers, two guitarists, a bass and a partridge in a pear tree.
TH: Since forming in 2007, has the band maintained a regular line-up, or is membership more flexible depending on what students are available to play?
PF: Most of the musicians who started with the band in 2007 are still with it, and some have even graduated and are still with the band, so I guess we’re doing something right. The band has really grown since then to the point that if someone can’t play it’s usually not a major problem.
TH: How does the band go about selecting pieces to play?
PF: Our Musical Director Clint Allen chooses the pieces. He’s got a great sense of what will appeal to audiences and the musicians in the band. He’s found some really funky numbers that sound fabulous.
TH: Is there a particular favourite to perform at the moment?
PF: Depends who the audience is, but all the numbers have their own individual appeal. Mr Zoot Suit is definitely a favourite.
TH: Does the band ever work on original compositions, or is it strictly standards and unusual covers?
PF: One of our guitarists, Nathan Warfe, writes originals for the band, as well as doing his own arrangements of some of the better-known standards. Nathan loves it, having his own band to try out stuff on. He’s played a lot in public and now teaches about popular music songwriting at UQ, so he knows what works and what doesn’t.
TH: Getting younger audiences into big band jazz – how much of a challenge is it, and what sorts of misconceptions do you have to overcome?
PF: The UQ Big Band seems to attract a younger audience anyway. It’s really energetic music and needs to be played by energetic musicians to an energetic audience. That usually means young. Big band style has come a long way from the swing era of the ‘40s and ‘50s. Performers such as Michael Bublé, Robbie Williams, Brian Setzer, Amy Winehouse and Christina Aguleira have really changed the sound of big band music and haven’t been afraid to use whatever works musically. We still play the classics, but there’s so much more to play these days as well.
TH: What recent song do you think could really benefit from a big band treatment?
Duffy’s Mercy (actually no ... that’s good enough as it is). Beyonce’s Single Ladies – that’d work!
The UQ BIG BAND play their first Brisbane Jazz Club show of 2009 at the Kangaroo Point venue on Sunday Jun 28, 6pm-9pm. $15/$10 from www.brisbanejazzclub.com.au. www.myspace.com/uqbigband
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