The Olney Big Band is a traditional jazz big band, comprised of professional and talented musicians from the Washington DC area. The Band specializes in performance of classic swing, dance and jazz music from the Big Band Era of the ‘30s and ‘40s in addition to arrangements from the '50s to present day. Its mission is to bring the sounds of big band music into the mainstream for current and future generations to enjoy.. Now in its 21st year, the Band is available for all types of events. Thinking about hiring us for your event? Click here for a free price quote.
HISTORY
The Band was formed in 2002 and incorporated in the state of Maryland in 2004 as The Olney Jazz Troupe, Inc. and trades as The Olney Big Band. Under the musical leadership of David Cannon, the Band provides an opportunity for both its instrumentalists and vocalists to participate in a well-organized music ensemble.
WHAT DO WE PLAY?
The Olney Big Band plays many of the songs and original arrangements made famous by such band leaders as Ellington, Goodman, Dorsey, Shaw, Miller, Basie, Rich, Severinsen, Gordon Goodwin and the like. Arrangements by Sammy Nestico, Dave Wolpe, Quincy Jones, Bill Potts and many more comprise a large part of the Band’s repertoire. Here is some of the music that we play.
WHERE HAVE WE PLAYED?
The Olney Big Band has performed at a wide array of events and venues, including Blues Alley, the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, Strathmore, BlackRock Center for the Arts, Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park, Olney Theatre Center, Washington DC Mormon Temple Visitors’ Center, occasional weddings, and numerous community festivals, high school dances and concerts, and retirement community events. Our CDs have been featured on In the Mood Big Band with Ken Jackson (WYPR 88.1) and continues to be played on radio stations here and in Europe.
CONCERT REVIEW:
"The Olney Big Band at The Washington D.C. Temple Festival of Lights"
Posted By: Dr. Mark Dreisonstok on:
December 31, 2022
The Olney Big Band is a Maryland jazz orchestra which plays in many venues in the Maryland suburbs around Washington, D.C. We had an opportunity to see them on the lawn of the Potomac campus of the Washington Hebrew Congregation on Father’s Day of this year. They performed recreations of swing band classics, including Stan Kenton’s lush treatment of Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns” and Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing” with an extended klezmer segment, ideal for the venue.
"…this talented ensemble…performs and renews the vital American art form of big band jazz"
More recently, we caught up with the Olney Big Band at the “Festival of Lights,” a holiday festival with a variety of nightly shows at the Visitors Center of the LDS Temple in Kensington (and a multitude of dazzling, electric Christmas lights on the trees outside).