Strictly Smokin' Big Band, Pete Long

His cutting edge originality still sounds fresh today and his partnership with the great arranger Billy Strayhorn is unsurpassed within the genre since.

We’re thrilled not only to present an evening of the Duke’s music, but also to be hosting Ellington aficionado Pete Long to perform with us in Sage Two at Sage Gateshead.

Along with a range of Ellington’s other music, we’re also very excited to be performing a rare Northern outing of Pete’s Jazz Planets based on the work of Gustav Holst on The Planet Suite’s 100th birthday.

Pete Long is the musical director of the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra, and for the last thirty years has been researching and re-creating the music of Duke Ellington. His band has received awards, toured Europe and has been one of a handful of large British jazz ensembles to tour the U.S.

Michael Lamb’s Strictly Smokin’ Big Band will feature Alice Grace, along with the band’s usual array of top draw musicians many of whom will take solo roll’s in Pete’s Jazz Planet’s.