About Us
Our History
Early Days
Crown Phoenix Big Band was originally conceived by Peter Burkes. He advertised in Worcestershire newspapers for “Musicians wanted, all standards for the start of a Big band”. He hired a school hall at Shawley for rehearsals before the band moved to the Crown Public House. Reg Reid took over as Musical Director when Peter decided to retire. We now perform under the direction of Nigel Beer, our superb Musical Director. Our repertoire comprises a wide variety of Jazz and Swing classics from the 1930s to the present day. There’s something for all tastes, including well-known favourites from legends Glenn Miller and Count Basie. Our vocalist Julie Knight brings to life the magic of the era. We have rehearsed at various locations and are now settled at Winterfold School near Hartlebury, where we rehearse twice a month on a Tuesday
And now, 20 Years on
Events
The band is still bookable for parties, fund raisers, celebrations, corporate events and social dance evenings – just as we were 20 years ago with a huge selection of music
We have played at many types of venues and events, most recently the Rose Theatre in Kidderminster. We look forward to playing for you
Recruitment
We aim to always have a full band, but players move on. We are currently looking to fill the following seats
–Drummer
–Guitar
–Trombones
–Trumpets
We also would like to hear from you if you could “dep” for us occasionally