The Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches next concert is an 'all swing' program. Our first concert is 4 weeks from now and already sold out. Since there are a number of seniors here in S. Florida they're always interested if we're playing any Glenn Miller or Benny Goodman charts – and we are. We're having a special guest to join us. CWO2 Stephen Giove - who directed the Marine Band at Paris Island for a number of years. He's a good director and excellent on drum set. I know we're playing "Saint Louis Blues March" and "Sing, Sing, Sing" and several others. I suspect he'll be directing us from the drum set on some of these. Looking forward to this.
There's one number we're playing that I'm not thrilled about. It's a 'swing' version of "Stars and Stripes Forever" (J.P. Sousa) arranged by Toshio Mashima. Our MD is a director of Bravo Music so he gets a number of arrangements from Japan. Many of them are excellent and challenging.
If interested, you can listen to the swing version of Stars and Stripes here by Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra
Please let me know your opinion on this arrangement.