The band originally started as an offshoot of Steve’s school orchestra, and from these early beginnings as a youth band, the passage of time has, after almost fifty years turned the Steve King Big Band into one of the Midlands leading exponents of big band music. The current line-up is an eclectic mix of seasoned pros and semi-pros including some of the brightest sparks in the jazz scene today which helps keep the band at the forefront of the burgeoning big band movement. Since winning a talent competition with a major brewery in the early days, it has gone from strength to strength, appearing at every major venue in the West Midlands playing for concert and dance engagements including several sell out appearances at Ronnie Scott’s. It was amongst the prize winners at the annual Musicians’ Union Big Band Contest an unprecedented nine times, winning outright on two occasions. It has released six bestselling albums including its latest CD, “60 NOT OUT”.
A typical concert will encompass anything from Goodman to Goodwin. With a woodwind section that doubles twenty-six instruments between them and a tuba player and tuned percussionist as part of the regular line-up, this band tackles many charts other bands cannot reach! The demanding concert programme features the best big band music of the last 60 years. Vocals are in the very capable hands of Lynn Dawes who hails from the USA. Lynn has appeared on four of the band’s albums and has proved a big hit with audiences throughout the UK.