A feast of big band music from dynamic 17-piece Syd Lawrence Orchestra
Review
Syd Lawrence Orchestra, The Apex, Wednesday, March 20
From Miller to Basie and Goodman to Dorsey there was a feast of foot-tapping music on display.
And the full house audience lapped up what was on offer from the dynamic 17-piece outfit.
A full two hours of infectious tunes from the greats of the big band era and beyond held those lucky to have a ticket in awe.
Led and directed by trombonist and vocalist Chris Dean nearly all the musicians had their time in the spotlight which included a thrilling drum solo by Dave Tandy in “The Anvil Chorus” and a sweet and tender rendition of “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” by pianist Trevor Brown.
There was also a tribute to Dame Vera Lynn who celebrated her 102ndbirthday on the same day of the concert with her well known Second World War tune “We’ll Meet Again” and Miranda Wilford added a touch of glamour to the gig with a selection of songs including a mesmerizing version of Barbra Streisand’s “Don’t Rain on My Parade”.
But the audience were particularly thrilled to the Glenn Miller arrangements of “String of Pearls”, “Moonlight Serenade”, “Little Brown Jug” and “Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree With Anyone Else But Me.”
And there were amazing video clips which the orchestra linked up with featuring Artie Shaw and “Begin the Beguine” and Miller’s “In The Mood”.
It was an evening full of great music from a wonderful tight-knit set of musicians.
Russell Cook