Famed jazz and big band concert of all time will kick off the 2013 Ludlow Arts festival. Most people firmly believe that Pete Long’s (Ronnie Scott’s Big Band and ex-sax star of Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra) all-star Goodmen Orchestra has no competitor when it recreates Benny Goodman’s classic Canargie Hall Concert 1938 and the performance on the 21 June is guaranteed to provide all the passion and excitement of the original concert.  

The festival director Chris Davis said “I feel very honoured that Pete Long’s all-star Goodmen Orchestra should be opening the festival with a matchless recreation of one of the greatest concerts in jazz history. If you love big bands this show is a must for you.  The unique repertoire is as refreshing today as it was 75 years ago, and this Orchestra bring it alive with outstanding musicianship and excitement.  The concert sold out London’s Cadogan Hall earlier this year and I’m quite sure we’ll do the  same here in the Ludlow Arts Festival Big Top.”

Benny Goodman’s original line-up included stars such as trumpeters Harry James and Ziggy Elman, drummer Gene Krupa and pianist Jess Stacey. It was the first time ever that black and white jazz musicians shared the same stage in a famous venue in the USA with Lionel Hampton on vibes, Teddy Wilson on piano and stars of the Duke Ellington and Count Basie Orchestras making guest appearances. At the original concert, the musicians played without amplification and this performance will also be 100% acoustic. There is further authenticity for Pete Long uses Benny Goodman’s favoured clarinet reeds, and drummer Richard Pite will play an exact replica of Gene Krupa’s drum kit and has even acquired Gene’s actual cymbals and brushes which will be used throughout the show.  Pete and his band will be joined in Ludlow by the very popular singer Joan Viskant.

The entire unique repertoire from the 1938 concert will be featured, including  Don’t be That Way,  One O’Clock Jump, China Boy, 20 Years of Jazz, Life Goes to a Party, Bei Mir Bist du Shoan, Blue Room, Loch Lomand, I Got Rhythm, If Dreams Come True, Dizzy Spells, Big John Special,  Springtime in the Rockies and of course the popular Sing, Sing, Sing, which recently featured in the TV series Mr Selfridge.

Ludlow Arts Festival 2013 at Ludlow Castle, Castle Square, Ludlow Town, Shropshire, between Fri 21st to Sun 30th June 2013 Tickets on sale here