The history of The Big Band is that of Bob Hughes. While making his career in business, Bob has harbored a love of big band music which has accompanied him throughout his working life. From school days with "The Rhythm Heirs" to more recent adventures with "The Greenwich Retreads", Atlanta's "Sentimental Journey Orchestra" Houston's "Chuck Nolen Orchestra", and on the west coast, Marty Conley's "Big Band Express", Bob has never stopped playing his Saxophone and Clarinet. Sometimes on Alto, sometimes Tenor and more recently on Baritone, if there was an opportunity to make big band music Bob was there. Upon his return to Connecticut, Bob noted that while there were bands he could play in, there was nothing like the bands he had performed with in other states. He decided that Connecticut deserved a band to be proud of and one where his veteran's experience in a lifetime of performing with bands could be put to good use. The result is "The Big Band'. Here is Bob's statement on "What I would like "The Big Band" to be": "I'd like to pattern this band after Conley's "Big Band Express". We rehearsed every Wednesday in a park's recreation building. We'd draw a weekly crowd of anywhere between 25 to 100. People would dance or just listen. Word got around fast and we were considered San Diego's top society band. We played at all the country clubs and yacht clubs and hotels." We traveled to Los Angeles half a dozen times a year to play. The band was fun. Nobody would think of missing rehearsal. We all liked one another and cheered when we heard somebody play a great solo. The band got to be so popular we were playing as many as three times a week plus rehearsal. Too much, but it sure satisfied the "ham" in us." "I want to have the saxes blend, the brass crisp, the rhythm precise and an overall product that not only we can be proud of, but that our clients will know is really special. Big Band music played well can set an event apart like nothing else. If there is a mission statement for "The Big Band", it is to be a top flight professional dance orchestra, capable of holding its own with any of the traveling "estate" bands or the best of the New York Bands. Since we are "local" to most of the Connecticut coast all the way to the center of the state, we will be able to deliver a superior performance to these areas without having to charge New York prices. We have been at it a couple of years now and the band has really come together. " THE MUSICIANS | OUR MUSIC | BOOK THE BAND! FIND THE REHEARSAL | CONTACT US | EVENT PLANNING | SCHEDULE| LINKS HOME