The Syd Lawrence Orchestra - Sentimental Journey

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2011
Time: 55:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 128,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:05) 1. Adios
(2:56) 2. April In Paris
(3:24) 3. At The Woodchopper's Ball
(3:09) 4. Begin The Beguine
(2:35) 5. Caribbean Clipper
(4:49) 6. I Can't Get Started
(3:34) 7. In The Mood
(2:58) 8. Memories Of You
(3:03) 9. Opus One
(3:30) 10. Sentimental Journey
(3:53) 11. Serenade In Blue
(4:23) 12. Sing Sing Sing
(4:30) 13. Skyliner
(3:38) 14. St. Louis Blues
(2:34) 15. Sun Valley Jump
(3:16) 16. Take The A Train

Founded in 1967 by trumpeter and arranger Syd Lawrence, The fabulous Syd Lawrence Orchestra has been thrilling audiences in Concert Halls, Theatres, TV Shows and Music Festivals all over Great Britain and Continental Europe for over 50 years.

Renowned for it’s exciting blend of high octane Big Band Swing and Classic Dance Music, the Orchestra’s repertoire ranges from the wartime million sellers of the legendary Glenn Miller through the era of the great Count Basie Orchestra to the hit songs of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Count Basie himself described the Syd Lawrence Orchestra as “So good it should be BANNED!”.

The Orchestra, directed since Syd’s retirement in 1996 by Chris Dean, has a repertoire of over 2,000 classic Big Band arrangements including; Glenn Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade” and “In the Mood”, Tommy Dorsey’s “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You” and “Opus One”, Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing”, Artie Shaw’s “Begin The Beguine”, Woody Herman’s “Blues on Parade”, Ray Anthony’s “Mr Anthony’s Boogie” , Duke Ellington’s “Satin Doll”, Bert Ambrose’s “Night Ride”, Count Basie’s “April in Paris” and “Splanky”, Charlie Barnet’s “Skyliner”, Stan Kenton’s “Peanut Vendor”, the “Trumpet Blues” of Harry James, “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm” of Les Brown, the hits of Billy May and Ted Heath’s “Hot Toddy”. More......https://syd-lawrence-orchestra.com/about/

Sentimental Journey

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Syd Lawrence Orchestra - Salute To Glenn Miller

Styles: Big Band
Year: 2009
Time: 68:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 159,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:25) 1. A String of Pearls
(2:50) 2. Sun Valley Jump
(2:59) 3. Somewhere Over the Rainbow
(4:34) 4. The St Louis Blues March
(4:58) 5. Stardust
(2:03) 6. Cherokee
(4:40) 7. Swing Low Sweet Chariot
(3:12) 8. Adios
(6:18) 9. Holiday for Strings
(3:55) 10. American Patrol
(3:27) 11. If I Had You
(2:43) 12. Caribbean Clipper
(2:19) 13. Embraceable You
(3:52) 14. Jeep Jockey Jump
(3:59) 15. Tuxedo Junction
(3:01) 16. Three Coins in the Fountain
(2:13) 17. Anchors Aweigh
(3:51) 18. Moonlight Serenade
(3:55) 19. In The Mood

The Syd Lawrence Orchestra brings you 19 essential Glenn Miller instrumental classics. As well as stunning re-recordings of the staples of the Miller repertoire such as In the Mood, Moonlight Serenade, Tuxedo Junction and A String of Pearls, there are recreations of some of the rarely heard repertoire of Major Miller's AEF Orchestra.

The AEF Orchestra was Glenn's wartime services orchestra and therefore never recorded commercially. Here for the first time, lovingly transcribed from scratchy V disc recordings, and recreated in the studio by the Syd Lawrence Orchestra we have the AEF versions of Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Cherokee and Holiday for Strings.

Salute to Glenn Miller' brings the monochrome memories of the war years back to life in glorious digital stereo, revitalising the classics of Glenn s repertoire and reintroducing some of the AEF's lost gems! A 'Must Have' for any lover of the music of Glenn Miller.By Editorial Reviews
https://www.amazon.com/Salute-Glenn-Miller-Syd-Lawrence/dp/B002RXK79W

Salute To Glenn Miller

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Syd Lawrence Orchestra - Strictly Big Band

Styles: Big Band
Year: 2008
Time: 59:06
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 137,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:04) 1. Lover
(3:37) 2. Basin St Blues March
(3:33) 3. Autumn In New York
(4:12) 4. Before The Parade Passes By
(2:54) 5. My Hero
(3:11) 6. Bill Bailey Won’t You Please Come Home
(3:31) 7. Maybe September
(3:00) 8. Cherokee
(3:35) 9. Girl Talk
(4:23) 10. Lullaby Of Broadway
(3:57) 11. Just In Time
(3:03) 12. Under A Blanket Of Blue
(2:50) 13. This Could Be The Start Of Something Big
(2:36) 14. Hallelujah
(2:36) 15. I Dream Of Jeannie
(2:23) 16. One
(6:34) 17. Slaughter On Tenth Avenue

Do you like dates I know I do. One of my favourite dates was 22 September 1958, when Stan Kenton recorded all twelve titles for his terrific Stage Door Swings album. How did they manage to do that And now, another favourite date is 4 March 2008, when Chris Dean's Syd Lawrence Orchestra recorded all seventeen titles for this album. How did they manage to do that Well, for starters, you have to have a band which is on a roll', a band which is disciplined, confident, tackling some fresh material, stuffed with talent and keen to strut its stuff.

The Syd Lawrence Orchestra is on such a roll....The Orchestra's latest album Stricly Big Band features 17 tuneful and swinging numbers unique to the Syd Lawrence Orchestra. Nobody else plays 'em! There are Syd's original charts the perfect tempo and loose swing of Basin Street Blues March, Girl Talk written and played as if it came straight off Count Basie's Atomic Mr. Basie album (which it didn't, of course), the high-kicking writing for the whole band on One from A Chorus Line, the adapted transcriptions of Glenn Miller's I Dream Of Jeannie which he never recorded commercially, of Ralph Flanagan's Miller-styled My Hero, and of Frank Comstock's dynamic arrangement of Slaughter On Tenth Avenue for Les Brown.

Then there's Roland Shaw's take on Cherokee (Ray Noble wrote it, Charlie Barnet had a hit with it, but Roland updates it and throws in a touch of Miller-ish voicings for the saxes), an up-tempo Lover and a swinging Hallelujah where the chart has Syd's pencilled scribbles all over it but to my ears the overall voicings suggest Roland's hand. NDO arranger Alan Roper is represented by Autumn In New York and Lullaby Of Broadway an intricate and fascinating arrangement he wrote originally for Geraldo. Then there are a couple of little gems. First, the late Ronnie Hazlehurst is represented by Bill B.By Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Strictly-Big-Band-Lawrence-Orchestra/dp/B001J662W4

The Syd Lawrence Orchestra - Remember Glenn Miller

Styles: Big Band
Year: 1989
Time: 65:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 152,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:00) 1. Moonlight Serenade
(3:03) 2. Little Brown Jug
(3:19) 3. String Of Pearls
(4:25) 4. At Last
(4:14) 5. I Ve Got A Gal In Kalamazoo
(3:39) 6. American Patrol
(3:34) 7. Perfidia
(2:53) 8. Elmer S Tune
(3:59) 9. St. Louis Blues
(3:34) 10. In The Mood
(3:42) 11. Stardust
(4:50) 12. Serenade In Blues
(2:50) 13. Pennsylvania -65000
(2:40) 14. Caribbean Clipper
(4:26) 15. Tuxedo Juntion
(3:43) 16. Chattanooga Choo Choo
(3:42) 17. Frenesi
(3:13) 18. Adios

In 1967 Syd Lawrence, an established trumpet player with the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra realised that he was not alone amongst his colleagues in being disillusioned with having to play uninteresting arrangements of hit songs from the sixties pop scene. Syd had served his musical apprenticeship working with such bands leaders as Geraldo, Teddy Foster, Nat Temple, Sidney Lipton and Cyril Stapleton and had come to believe that audiences were being denied the live sound of the music they loved and had grown up with. He also believed that the music and songs of the swing era would become, in time, the classic music of the 20th century and continue to appeal to people of all ages.

Keen to revive the music that had inspired him and others of his generation he took it upon himself to establish a rehearsal band of like minded musicians to get together once a week for their own pleasure and play the kind of music they really enjoyed – Big Band Swing!


This gathering began in an upstairs room of the Wellington Hotel in Didsbury Manchester, where after a few short weeks the numbers attending the rehearsal sessions had swollen from just the musicians to the wives, families, friends and locals. So great was the support that the band had to move to larger premises three times in eighteen months. In 1969, Syd decided to take the music to which he was so dedicated to a wider audience. He severed his connections with the BBC and took the Syd Lawrence Orchestra on the road.

The first public concert in Sheffield was a sell out and was closely followed by appearances on Granada and Yorkshire T.V. This in turn led to the first recording session for Philips at Strawberry Studios from which an album of Miller classics was produced which quickly hit the 100,000 sales mark. In January 1970 they released “More Miller and Other Big Band Magic”. Soon after these albums were released, Alan Dell, the BBC’s own ‘Mr Big Band’, played the “American Patrol” track on national radio and demand for the Syd Lawrence Orchestra to perform in every major venue across the kingdom hit fever pitch. Within months the orchestra had visited every corner of the U.K. and performed in all London’s major venues, The Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, and a Royal command performance at The London Palladium

In 1996 Syd retired, having spent 30 years continually touring with his band, and handed the responsibility of leading the orchestra over to his former lead trombonist Chris Dean.

Syd passed away on 5th May 1998, but in the music library he created for the Syd Lawrence Orchestra he left behind a legacy which continues to benefit future generations of young musicians and music lovers alike.https://syd-lawrence-orchestra.com/syd-lawrence/

Remember Glenn Miller

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Syd Lawrence And His Orchestra - Syd Lawrence And His Orchestra

Styles: Big Band
Year: 1971
Time: 43:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 98,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:32) 1. At Last
(4:32) 2. Tuxedo Junction
(2:58) 3. Begin The Beguine
(3:15) 4. Skyliner
(3:43) 5. Leave Us Leap
(3:21) 6. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(2:54) 7. Pennsylvania 6-5000
(3:30) 8. Nice 'N' Easy
(4:22) 9. At The Woodchopper's Ball
(2:50) 10. What Is This Thing Called Love
(4:19) 11. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
(2:48) 12. Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me)

Syd Lawrence (1923-1998), was a British bandleader from Chester, England who became famous in the UK for his orchestra's Big Band Sound which drew on the 1940's style of music of Glenn Miller and Count Basie amongst others.

Syd had been a talented trumpet player during the Second World War. He had written and arranged music and his early talent was recognised in those fields as well. He was based in Cairo during the war years, playing and arranging for the RAF service bands. After he left the forces, he played with some of the leading British dance bands of the 1940's, finally being invited to join the BBC's Northern Dance Orchestra in 1953. He stayed with this band for 16 years playing alongside fellow trumpet player Stan Hibbert.

In 1967 Syd teamed up with several of his colleagues at the Northern Dance Orchestra to play the music that he was most enthusiastic about, that of Glenn Miller. Early concerts at the Mersey Hotel in Manchester were a great success, and larger venues were found to play in as the reputation of his band grew.

Yorkshire Television gave The Syd Lawrence Orchestra a regular spot on the comedy show Sez Les. As the music became more popular, Syd and his band started touring around the UK, which they did with great success for many years. Several records were made along with radio and television appearances on variety shows.

Syd retired from touring in 1994 and died of an aneurism in 1998. Following his death, the Syd Lawrence Band continued on and still tours. The orchestra has been led by Brian Pendleton, and presently by Chris Dean
https://www.last.fm/music/The+Syd+Lawrence+Orchestra/+wiki

Syd Lawrence And His Orchestra

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Syd Lawrence And His Orchestra - The Big Sound Of Syd Lawrence

Styles: Big Band
Year: 1989
Time: 69:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 158,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:03) 1. My Favourite Things
(3:03) 2. Days of Wine And Roses
(3:23) 3. Deep Purple
(3:26) 4. One O'Clock Jump
(3:40) 5. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
(3:06) 6. Alfie
(2:57) 7. April in Paris
(3:17) 8. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(3:45) 9. Jumpin' At The Woodside
(3:13) 10. As Time Goes By
(2:59) 11. By The Time I Get To Phoenix
(4:36) 12. The Very Thought Of You
(2:35) 13. Spanish Eyes
(3:26) 14. Moog Indigo
(3:17) 15. I'll Be Seeing You
(3:07) 16. There, I've Said It Again
(2:47) 17. Georgia On My Mind
(4:21) 18. At The Woodchoppers Ball
(3:19) 19. The One I Love (Belongs To Somebody Else)
(3:09) 20. All My Loving
(2:33) 21. How Soon

Syd Lawrence (1923-1998), was a British bandleader from Chester, England who became famous in the UK for his orchestra's Big Band Sound which drew on the 1940's style of music of Glenn Miller and Count Basie amongst others.

Syd had been a talented trumpet player during the Second World War. He had written and arranged music and his early talent was recognised in those fields as well. He was based in Cairo during the war years, playing and arranging for the RAF service bands. After he left the forces, he played with some of the leading British dance bands of the 1940's, finally being invited to join the BBC's Northern Dance Orchestra in 1953. He stayed with this band for 16 years playing alongside fellow trumpet player Stan Hibbert.

In 1967 Syd teamed up with several of his colleagues at the Northern Dance Orchestra to play the music that he was most enthusiastic about, that of Glenn Miller. Early concerts at the Mersey Hotel in Manchester were a great success, and larger venues were found to play in as the reputation of his band grew.

Yorkshire Television gave The Syd Lawrence Orchestra a regular spot on the comedy show Sez Les. As the music became more popular, Syd and his band started touring around the UK, which they did with great success for many years. Several records were made along with radio and television appearances on variety shows.

Syd retired from touring in 1994 and died of an aneurism in 1998. Following his death, the Syd Lawrence Band continued on and still tours. The orchestra has been led by Brian Pendleton, and presently by Chris Dean
https://www.last.fm/music/The+Syd+Lawrence+Orchestra/+wiki

The Big Sound Of Syd Lawrence

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Syd Lawrence - Syd Lawrence with the Glenn Miller Sound

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1969
Time: 36:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 83,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:25) 1. Chattanooga Choo Choo
(4:01) 2. St. Louis Blues
(4:01) 3. Perfidia
(3:23) 4. American Patrol
(3:24) 5. In the Mood
(2:52) 6. Pennsylvania 6-5000
(4:07) 7. Tuxedo Junction
(3:18) 8. Adios
(4:28) 9. At Last
(3:22) 10. String of Pearls

Born in Wilmslow, Cheshire, England, in 1923, Lawrence was a talented trumpet player during World War II. He wrote and arranged music. He was based in Cairo during the war years, playing and arranging for the RAF service bands. After he left the armed forces, he played with some of the leading British dance bands of the 1940s, finally being invited to join the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra in 1953. He stayed with this band for sixteen years playing alongside fellow trumpet player Stan Hibbert.

In 1967, Lawrence teamed up with several of his colleagues at the Northern Dance Orchestra to play the music that he was most enthusiastic about, that of Glenn Miller. Early concerts at the Mersey Hotel in Manchester were a success, and larger venues were found to play in as the reputation of his band grew.

Respected comedian Les Dawson discovered the Syd Lawrence Orchestra playing in a bar. He liked them so much, that he wanted them to play backing music for his show Sez Les. He begged Yorkshire Television to give them a chance and they did. And so the Syd Lawrence Orchestra was given their first real break on TV and a regular spot on the comedy show. As the music became more popular, Lawrence and his band started touring around the UK, which they did with great success for many years.

In 1969 he signed with Philips Records and the band's first release was on the low-price Contour label (catalogue no. 6870 550), selling at 10/6d. Titled "Syd Lawrence with the Glenn Miller Sound", and credited to The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, it was recorded at Strawberry Studios on 23 and 25 September 1969. It had ten tracks, all being songs or tunes previously recorded by Miller between 1939 and 1942; some being slightly extended or rearranged. The Orchestra went on to record about fifteen long playing albums, usually at the Strawberry Recording Studios in Manchester along with radio and television appearances on variety shows. He appeared with his band on 3-2-1 and also occasionally was a vocalist.

Lawrence retired from touring in 1994 and died of an aneurysm in 1998. Following his death, the Syd Lawrence Band continued on and still tours. The orchestra was led by Bryan Pendleton, and is currently led by Chris Dean. In 2011 it was voted the Best Big Band in the Land for the 11th consecutive year.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syd_Lawrence

Syd Lawrence with the Glenn Miller Sound

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Syd Lawrence - Miller Magic

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1970
Time: 34:37
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 79,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:02) 1. Moonlight Serenade
(3:06) 2. Little Brown Jug
(2:55) 3. Elmer's Tune
(4:52) 4. Serenade in Blue
(3:10) 5. Flying Home
(4:15) 6. I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo
(3:45) 7. Stardust
(3:31) 8. Story of a Starry Night
(2:15) 9. Jersey Bounce
(2:43) 10. Caribbean Clipper

Syd Lawrence (1923-1998), was a British bandleader from Chester, England who became famous in the UK for his orchestra's Big Band Sound which drew on the 1940's style of music of Glenn Miller and Count Basie amongst others.

Syd had been a talented trumpet player during the Second World War. He had written and arranged music and his early talent was recognised in those fields as well. He was based in Cairo during the war years, playing and arranging for the RAF service bands. After he left the forces, he played with some of the leading British dance bands of the 1940's, finally being invited to join the BBC's Northern Dance Orchestra in 1953. He stayed with this band for 16 years playing alongside fellow trumpet player Stan Hibbert.

In 1967 Syd teamed up with several of his colleagues at the Northern Dance Orchestra to play the music that he was most enthusiastic about, that of Glenn Miller. Early concerts at the Mersey Hotel in Manchester were a great success, and larger venues were found to play in as the reputation of his band grew.

Yorkshire Television gave The Syd Lawrence Orchestra a regular spot on the comedy show Sez Les. As the music became more popular, Syd and his band started touring around the UK, which they did with great success for many years. Several records were made along with radio and television appearances on variety shows.

Syd retired from touring in 1994 and died of an aneurism in 1998. Following his death, the Syd Lawrence Band continued on and still tours. The orchestra has been led by Brian Pendleton, and presently by Chris Dean. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.
https://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/artist/syd-lawrence

Miller Magic

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The Syd Lawrence Orchestra - Live In Dublin

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:55
Size: 148,6 MB
Art: Front

(1:47) 1. Evening Serenade
(3:48) 2. Strike Up the Band
(4:19) 3. Splanky
(3:21) 4. My Kind of Town
(3:57) 5. You're Driving Me Crazy
(2:31) 6. Bye Bye Blues
(2:57) 7. Holiday for Trombones
(4:29) 8. On the Sunny Side of the Street
(5:14) 9. Sing, Sing, Sing
(3:17) 10. Skyliner
(6:14) 11. Phil the Fluter's Ball / Molly Malone / Galway Bay / The Rose of Tralee / The Rakes of Mallow (Piper's Patrol) / When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
(3:52) 12. Elmer's Tune
(6:35) 13. Too Little Time
(3:06) 14. Trumpet Blues and Cantabile
(4:42) 15. Moonlight Serenade
(1:49) 16. In the Mood
(1:48) 17. Irish National Anthem

Born 26 June 1923, Shotton, Flintshire, Wales, died 5 May 1998, Wilmslow, Cheshire, England. As a child Lawrence studied violin but began playing cornet with a brass band. In 1941, he became a professional musician, playing dance music but then entered the Royal Air Force. During his military service he became a member of the RAF Middle East Command Dance Orchestra. After the war, he played with, among others, Ken Mackintosh and Geraldo. In 1953, he joined the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra, where he remained for 15 years. Towards the end of his stint with the orchestra Lawrence formed a rehearsal band, playing the kind of dance music and swing popularized in the late 30s and 40s by American bands, especially that led by Glenn Miller. Over the next few months Lawrence found that his rehearsal band was attracting a growing audience which was especially appreciative of the Miller music he had transcribed from records. In 1969, he made the decision to form a full-time professional band. Although in its original concept the band played highly derivative music, it was done with such spirit and enthusiasm that he successfully retained an audience for concerts and records. https://www.oldies.com/artist-biography/Syd-Lawrence.html

Live In Dublin

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The Syd Lawrence Orchestra - Serenade In Blue

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:52
Size: 153,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:34)  1. Perfidia
(4:00)  2. Moonlight Serenade
(2:50)  3. Pennysylvania-6500
(3:13)  4. Adios
(3:42)  5. Stardust
(2:52)  6. Elmer's Tune
(2:40)  7. Caribbean Clipper
(4:26)  8. Tuxedo Junction
(4:14)  9. I've Got A Gal In Kalamazoo
(3:39) 10. American Patrol
(3:42) 11. Frenesi
(3:19) 12. String Of Pearls
(4:50) 13. Serenade In Blue
(3:02) 14. Little Brown Jug
(3:43) 15. Chattanooga Choo Choo
(3:34) 16. In The Mood
(4:25) 17. At Last
(3:59) 18. St. Louis Blues

Founded in 1967 by trumpeter and arranger Syd Lawrence, The fabulous SYD LAWRENCE ORCHESTRA has been thrilling audiences in Concert Halls, Theatres, TV Shows and Music Festivals all over Great Britain and Continental Europe for over 40 years. Renowned for it’s exciting blend of high octane Big Band Swing and Classic Dance Music, the Orchestra’s repertoire ranges from the wartime million sellers of the legendary Glenn Miller through the era of the great Count Basie Orchestra to the hit songs of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Count Basie himself described the Syd Lawrence Orchestra as “So good it should be BANNED!” and it has recently been voted “Best Big Band in the Land” for the eighth consecutive year. The Orchestra, directed since Syd’s retirement in 1996 by Chris Dean, has a repertoire of  over 1,200 classic Big Band titles including Glenn Miller´s “Moonlight Serenade” and “In the Mood”, Tommy Dorsey´s “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You” and “Opus One”, Benny Goodman´s “Sing, Sing, Sing”, Artie Shaw´s “Begin The Beguine”, Woody Herman’s “Blues on Parade”, Ray Anthony’s “Mr Anthony’s Boogie” , Duke Ellington’s “Satin Doll”, Bert Ambrose’s “Night Ride”, Count Basie´s “April in Paris” and “Splanky”, Charlie Barnet´s “Skyliner”, Stan Kenton´s “Peanut Vendor”, the “Trumpet Blues” of Harry James, “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm” of Les Brown, the hits of Billy May and Ted Heath’s “Hot Toddy”.

Hits from the Great American Songbooks of George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin and singers Frank Sinatra, Nat ‘King’ Cole, Sammy Davis Jr, Bing Crosby, Tony Bennett, Matt Monro, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Barbara Streisand etc are also featured in the programme.Chris Dean believes in leading the Orchestra with pace and good humour, performing the classics of the swing era in a way that entertains the audience. “The music is what people want to hear” says Chris, “information they can get in books, they come to a concert to be entertained, not to hear a lecture”. Chris’s aim has been to increase the number of young musicians playing Big Band Swing. Recent changes in personnel of the Orchestra have proved the worth of this ambition. The “new blood” of some of today’s finest young jazz musicians has brought a new fire and drive to the Orchestra’s performances which has been reflected in rave reviews and numerous Sold Out concerts.In Concert in addition to roaring Big Band numbers and Suites and Overtures no longer performed by any other orchestra, there are vocals from Bandleader Chris Dean and from Star guest vocalists. Also featured within the show is the wonderful close harmony singing of The Serenaders recreating the sound of vocal groups such as The Modernaires, The Pied Pipers and The Sentimentalists. A further attraction is the “Band within a Band” showcasing the jazz talents of soloists within the orchestra and adding yet another dimension to the performances. All concerts have to have a “big finish” and the Syd Lawrence Orchestra is no exception invariably finishing in traditional big band style with a spectacular Solo from star Drummer Dave Tandy.When playing for Dances the orchestra’s huge repertoire really comes into it’s own. The music of the Big Bands was originally written as dance music and its life and soul stems from its origin in dance. The Syd Lawrence Orchestra playing for dancing revives the romance, style and poetry of a bygone era, returning these beautifully constructed tunes to their original purpose. All these elements combine to make the Syd Lawrence Orchestra the most enduringly popular Big Band in Britain today. http://www.syd-lawrence-orchestra.com/index.php/about-us

Serenade In Blue

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Syd Lawrence & His Orchestra - Great Hits Of The 1930's

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:02
Size: 103,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:36)  1. The Very Though Of You
(3:15)  2. When I Take My Sugar To Tea
(3:42)  3. Moonlight Serenade
(2:48)  4. I Don't Know Why
(3:36)  5. Sweet And Lovely
(3:41)  6. Just One More Chance
(3:22)  7. Darn That Dream
(3:32)  8. Little White Lies
(5:00)  9. Once In A While
(3:16) 10. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(4:19) 11. Music Maestro Please
(2:51) 12. I'm Confessin'

Syd Lawrence (26 June 1923 – 5 May 1998), was a British bandleader from Chester, England, who became famous in the UK for his orchestra's Big Band sound, which drew on the 1940s style of music of Glenn Miller and Count Basie amongst others. Born in Wilmslow in 1923, Lawrence was a talented trumpet player during World War II. He wrote and arranged music. He was based in Cairo during the war years, playing and arranging for the RAF service bands. After he left the armed forces, he played with some of the leading British dance bands of the 1940s, finally being invited to join the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra in 1953. He stayed with this band for sixteen years playing alongside fellow trumpet player Stan Hibbert. In 1967, Lawrence teamed up with several of his colleagues at the Northern Dance Orchestra to play the music that he was most enthusiastic about, that of Glenn Miller. Early concerts at the Mersey Hotel in Manchester were a success, and larger venues were found to play i as the reputation of his band grew. 

Yorkshire Television gave the Syd Lawrence Orchestra a regular spot on the comedy show Sez Les. As the music became more popular, Lawrence and his band started touring around the UK, which they did with great success for many years. Several records were made along with radio and television appearances on variety shows. He appeared with his band on 3-2-1 and also occasionally was a vocalist. Lawrence retired from touring in 1994 and died of an aneurysm in 1998. Following his death, the Syd Lawrence Band continued on and still tours. The orchestra has been led by Brian Pendleton, and presently by Chris Dean. In 2011 it had been voted the Best Big Band in the Land for the 11th consecutive year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syd_Lawrence

 

Thank you Dave!

Great Hits Of The 1930's

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Syd Lawrence Orchestra - Plays The Music Of Glenn Miller

Styles: Jazz, Big Band 
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:12
Size: 177,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:01)  1. Moonlight Serenade
(3:05)  2. Little Brown Jug
(3:21)  3. String Of Pearls
(4:27)  4. At Last
(4:16)  5. I've Got A Gal In Kalamazoo
(3:41)  6. American Patrol
(3:35)  7. Perfidia
(2:36)  8. Slumber Song
(2:12)  9. Anchors Away
(2:55) 10. Elmer's Tune
(4:02) 11. St.Louis Blues
(3:35) 12. In The Mood
(3:33) 13. Story Of A Stary Night
(3:51) 14. I Dreamt I Dwelt In Harlem
(3:29) 15. Falling Leaves
(2:52) 16. Pennsylvania 6-5000
(2:43) 17. Caribbean Clipper
(4:25) 18. Tuxedo Junction
(3:43) 19. Stardust
(3:45) 20. Chattanooga Choo Choo
(3:42) 21. Frenesi
(3:14) 22. Adios

Vocalion proudly presents the first ever CD reissue of The Syd Lawrence Orchestra's fabulous 1970s album '... Plays the Music of Glenn Miller in super stereo'. Led by trumpeter Syd Lawrence, his orchestra enjoyed huge commercial success in the late 1960s and throughout the '70s, and, next to the Ted Heath Orchestra, was one of the greatest big bands ever to have come from Britain. Listening to this superb album will qualify that point. Syd and his men, aided and abetted on a few numbers by vocalists Kevin Kent and the Skylarks, swing their through a selection of legendary bandleader Glenn Miller's greatest hits, Titles include perennial favourites such as Moonlight Serenade, Little Brown Jug, Pennsylvania 6-5000, Tuxedo Junction, American Patrol, String of Pearls, In the Mood, I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo and many more. All of which makes this a must-have release for big band aficionados and popular music-lovers alike. Remastered from the original analogue stereo tapes. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lawrence-Orchestra-Plays-Miller-stereo/dp/B0035FQ4CU

Plays The Music Of Glenn Miller  Mirror

Plays The Music Of Glenn Miller  Zippy

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Syd Lawrence Orchestra - Big Band Spectacular

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:16
Size: 69,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. Sing Sing Sing
(3:42)  2. Moonlight Serenade
(3:10)  3. Begin the Beguine
(3:59)  4. American Patrol
(3:38)  5. In the Mood
(3:14)  6. String of Pearls
(4:03)  7. Little Brown Jug
(3:38)  8. Anvil Chorus

The UK's leading big band, The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, were chosen by producer Mike Valentine for his exploration into the sound differences between direct cut vinyl and a multi-track analogue tape recording and mix done of exactly the same event. The album had to be recorded live so he had to choose a selection of music which would be of the perfect length. Valentine chose a recording studio which not only had a superb sounding space, but also an engineer versed in the black art of cutting live vinyl. Ultimately, he chose Air Studios with engineers Jake Jackson and John Webber. The Syd Lawrence Orchestra led by Chris Dean perform music consisting of eight pieces from the big band era, the creations of Glen Miller, Artie Shaw, and Benny Goodman played live at Air Studios. That recording is now available on CD - enjoy! ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Big-Band-Spectacular-Lawrence-Orchestra/dp/B01JCUQIA4

Big Band Spectacular

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