Artist: Skelton Skinner Big Band

Date of Release: 21/06/2011

Catalogue no: DDRCD015

Label: Diving Duck Recordings

Price: £10

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Track Listing

This band is a lifelong dream come true for co-bandleaders Matt Skelton and Colin Skinner - and fittingly their first album is a tribute to the Terry Gibbs Dreamband, with Anthony Kerr taking the honours as vibraphonist-supreme in the Gibbs role. Most of the band's repertoire is arrangements by the American greats such as Bill Holman, Manny Albam, and Lennie Niehaus amongst other luminaries, including great British talent Colin Skinner!

"This band cooks, and is a pure joy to sing with. The energy is terrific and their passion for this music is palpable! World-class!"
CLAIRE MARTIN

"It's a rare thing indeed to hear a band THIS good. The Skelton-Skinner All-Stars has everything; fabulous ensemble playing, terrific jazz soloists, knockout time. The arrangements are inventive and swing like hell. And - get this - the recorded sound is nigh-on perfect. Please buy this CD in bulk."
JOHN WILSON

"The Skelton Skinner Big Band are one of the best new bands I've heard in many years. They remind me so much of my original Dreamband."
TERRY GIBBS

"The best of British playing the best of American - a joyous, swinging romp from start to finish."
MARK NIGHTINGALE

PERSONNEL:

Matt Skelton - Drums
Colin Skinner - Lead Alto
Anthony Kerr - Vibraphone
Graham Harvey - Piano
Colin Oxley - Guitar
Jeremy Brown - Bass
Mark Crooks - Alto Sax
Luke Annesley - Tenor Sax
Olly Wilby - Tenor Sax
Gemma Moore - Baritone Sax
Mike Lovatt - Lead Trumpet
Danny Marsden - Trumpet
Craig Wild - Trumpet
Steve Fishwick - Trumpet
Gordon Campbell - Lead Trombone
Andy Wood - Trombone
Richard Wigley - Trombone
Pete North - Bass Trombone

Reviews

01/09/0011 JazzUK Magazine

From Review of CD launch concert (JazzUK100)
"Launching their debut Diving Duck CD at the Forge in Camden with Anthony Kerr’s vibes front and centre, they took the Terry Gibbs Dream Band as their starting point, presenting Bill Holman’s charts for that great band and blowing the socks off them. Every man (and one woman) worth their place, that time-honoured wall of sound at its best, Kerr’s vibes in fluent array, soloists like Mark Nightingale, Steve Fishwick, Danny Marsden, Luke Annesley and Skinner himself in resplendent form, with drummer Matt Skelton like a coiled spring. Call this big band Heaven, and you'd be right."