BBC Big Band History
The band’s origins lie in the earliest days of the BBC when the original BBC Dance Orchestra was formed in 1928 under the leadership of Jack Payne before Henry Hall took over in 1932. This ‘golden’ period of the 1930’s saw not only the BBC Dance Orchestra, but many other bands including those of Billy Cotton, Geraldo, Joe Loss and Oscar Rabin become national celebrities due to the massive reach of the new medium of radio.
As musical fashions changed, dance and big bands evolved and remained at the heart of the BBC’s musical output throughout the Second World War and beyond. In the 1950’s the BBC Dance Orchestra became known as the BBC Showband under the leadership of Cyril Stapleton. The band began to be used widely in the new medium of television in the company of homegrown talent including a then unknown Matt Monro and with international stars such as Frank Sinatra and Nat ‘King’ Cole.
By the 1960’s the band was known as the Radio Big Band and functioned as part of the larger BBC Radio Orchestra. In 1979 a significant development took place on Radio 2 which led to the band re-establishing its identity as Big Band Special took to the airwaves. Originally commissioned as a series of six shows, such was the impact made by the BBC Big Band under the direction of Barry Forgie that the run was extended; extended so much that almost 30 years later, Big Band Special remains an important part of Monday night listening on BBC Radio 2.
Broadcast weekly, Big Band Special is able to draw on a heritage of eighty years of great music. From the earliest days of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey right up to the music of the present day the possibilities are endless.
Over the past decade there have been many highlights. Concerts with great stars including Ray Charles, George Benson, Tony Bennett and George Shearing and performances all over Europe with artists such as the Manhattan Transfer and Lalo Schifrin have taken the BBC Big Band to new levels of popular and critical recognition.
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