About

First formed in 2010, a band with far too many Richards than is healthy (hence Big R Big Band), discovered a shared love of playing classic Big Band music, in particular the swing music of the 30's and 40's. Now well established across the country as one of the best swing dance big bands you can hear the music of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, and many many more.

Current Members

Ben Haslam	Trumpet
Rich Colquhoun	Trumpet
Matt Bird	Trumpet
Jake Bulmer	Trumpet
Sav Pacini	Trombone
Pete Campion-Spall	Trombone
Alex Mclean	Trombone
Will Holley	Bass Trombone

Lisa Tolfree	Alto Sax, Clarinet
Rich Tolfree	Alto Sax, Clarinet
Claire Schollick	Tenor Sax
Kevin Figes	Tenor Sax
Gus Savy	Baritone Sax, Clarinet
Matt Daley	Piano
Adam Newton	String Bass
Richie Paradise	Drums

Previous Gigs

01/02/25	Bristol Stomp Festival
06/12/24	Swinging Christmas Dance, Just Jive Dursley
21/07/24	Bristol Harbourside festival, The Louisiana
12/07/24	Just Jive, Dursley
06/07/24	Jazz in the Paddock, Winscombe
15/06/24	Battle of the Big Bands, Oxford Lindy Exchange
18/05/24	Cogges Farm, Whitney, Oxfordshire
27/04/24	Southwest Lindyhoppers, Exeter
27/01/24	Bristol Stomp Festival, The Folk House
29/12/23	Bristol NY Swing Festival, Malcolm X Centre
17/12/23	Swingout Swindon
17/11/23	Riviera Swing, Torquay
10/11/23	Just Jive, Dursley
13/10/23	Meticulous Ink 13th birthday party, Bath
13/08/23	Retro Festival, Newbury
16/07/23	Bristol Harbourside, outside The Louisiana
01/07/23	Jazz in the Paddock, Winscombe
10/06/23	Dig For Victory show, Bristol
30/04/23	Big Band Bash, Bournemouth
24/03/23	March Fling, Just Jive, Dursley
25/02/23	Oxford Swing Festival
28/01/23	Bristol Stomp Festival
02/07/22	Jazz in the Paddock, Winscombe
24/06/22	1940s event, Pittville Pump House, Cheltenham
06/02/22	The Canteen, Bristol
29/01/22	SW Lindy Hoppers, Exeter
16/01/22	Swingout Swindon, Swindon Meca
30/01/21	SW Lindy Hoppers, Exeter
20/12/20	Swingout Swindon, Swindon Meca
28/11/20	Tetbury Goods Shed
02/10/20	Just Jive, Dursley - CANCELLED
19/09/20	Bristol Swing Exchange - POSTPONED TILL 2021
04/07/20	Jazz in the Paddock, Winscombe CANCELLED
20/06/20	Tetbury Goods Shed - MOVED TO NOVEMBER
13/06/20	Dig For Victory, Ashton Court Bristol - CANCELLED
30/05/20	SW Lindy Hoppers, Exeter - CANCELLED
16/01/20	Montpelier Swing, Bristol
11/01/20	Oxford Swing festival
22/12/19	Swingout Swindon
23/11/19	SW Lindy Hoppers Exeter
04/10/19	1940's Dance, Dursley
28/09/19	Swingdicate, Chepstow
17/08/19	Tetbury Goods Shed
21/07/19	Harbourside Festival, The Louisiana 5pm
06/07/19	Jazz in the Paddock 5 Winscombe
23/06/19	Oxford Lindy Exchange
08/06/19	Leicester Leaps In, Leicester
25/05/19	Jumpin' at The Woodside 2, Glos
21/04/19	Bristol Circus & Swing Festival
01/04/19	Bristol Swing Festival
13/02/19	The Canteen, Bristol
29/12/18	New Year Swing Celebration
16/12/18	Swindown Swingout
15/09/18	Bristol Swing Exchange
07/07/18	Jazz in the Paddock 4, Winscombe
17/06/18	The Gaiety Bar, Southsea
02/06/18	Vintage Nostalgia Festival, Wiltshire
20/05/18	Southbank Club, Bristol
07/04/18	Oxford, the Roaring 20's
27/01/18	Exeter
17/12/17	MECA, Swindon
05/10/17	The Canteen
09/09/17	Bristol Swing Exchange 'Battle of the Big Bands'
23/07/17	Bristol Harbourside Festival
08/07/17	Jazz in the Paddock 3, Winscombe
04/06/17	Vintage Nostalgia Festival
16/04/17	Bristol Swing Festival
19/02/17	Sunday Swingout Social Dance
05/02/17	The Big R Big Band & Silk Stockings
28/01/17	The Big Winter Swing Time Ball
21/01/17	The Big R Big Band (FREE) - at Slapstick Festival
23/09/16	Bristol Swing Exchange 2016 at The Folk House
17/07/16	Bristol Harbourside Festival, The Lousiana (outside)
02/07/16	Jazz in the Paddock 2, Winscombe
17/06/16	Big R Big Band Somerset Tor at Glastonbury Bocabar
17/04/16	Sunday Swingout Social, Swindon
26/03/16	Bristol Swing Festival, Trinity Centre
02/01/16	Swing Dance Bristol new year swing and blues festival
05/12/15	Big R Big Band Easton Invasion at All Hallows' Hall, BS5 0HH
20/09/15	Clevedon Tides Festival
19/07/15	Harbourside Swing Swing
17/05/15	Sunday Southbank Swinging Sun
26/02/15	Big R Big Band + WHIPLASH at The Cube
31/01/15	Private event
23/01/15	Big R Big Band at Slapstick Festival
20/07/14	Bristol Harbourside Festival, at 5pm outside The Louisiana
28/06/14	Winscombe Festival - "Jazz in the Paddock" at Winscombe Church, BS25 1DE
17/11/13	The Big R Big Band return to Front Room, Totterdown
12/09/13	Swing Dance Bristol presents the Big R Big Band at Southbank Club, Southville
03/07/13	"The Jazz Age and on.." + The Great Gatsby at the Cube Microplex
02/03/13	Bristol International Jazz & Blues Festival - Colston Hall
29/11/12	The Big R Big Band return to the Cube
08/09/12	Paul & Zoe's Wedding, Mell, Wiltshire
18/03/12	Big R Big Band Homage to "The Artist" at the Cube Microplex
19/12/11	East Bristol Jazz Club Xmas Jam @ The Greenbank, Easton, Bristol
27/11/11	North Bristol Arts Trail @ St Barts Church, St Andrews, Bristol
19/11/11	John Hegley & Friends @ The Thunderbolt, Totterdown, Bristol
10/07/11	Park Arts 11 Festival @ St Andrews Park, Bristol
24/03/11	Return of the BRBB + Take Away Orchestra @ Cube Microplex, Bristol
28/11/10	North Bristol Arts Trail @ St Barts Church, St Andrews, Bristol
14/10/10	Debut @ Cube Microplex, Bristol