Bands & Shows

Pete leads many of the top bands around. Here is a brief look at the main players. You can get more details from the drop-down list under ‘Bands & Shows’ on the menu above.

The Jazz Planets
Featuring ‘Echoes of Ellington’ with hand-picked musicians, Pete’s latest project blending Gustav Holst’s masterpiece with the magical sound of Duke Ellington

Echoes of Ellington
Award-winning reparatory orchestra, with a long-standing international profile.

The Jazz Scurriers
Who better to emulate the Jazz Couriers than Simon Spillett and Peter Long! The Couriers were fronted by Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott. Simon Spillett was described by the late Humphrey Lyttelton as “formidable”. He is a British jazz saxophonist who leads his own quartet and big band. He has won several awards, including the tenor saxophone category of the British Jazz Awards (2011), Jazz Journal magazine’s Critic’s Choice CD of the Year (2009) Rising Star in the BBC Jazz Awards (2007) and Services to British Jazz in the 2016 British Jazz Awards.

Jazz @ The Phil
The hottest thing since the very invention of heat itself! Quite simply, the best of the best jazz musicians around getting together for a grand jam session.

Lindy Hop Swing Bands
Pocket Basie
This is our small band offering as we swing away to the familiar hits of the Count Basie Orchestra. A big sound for the price of a small one!
Benny Goodman Radio Hits
Stacked full of those familiar recordings that you all dance to, but played LIVE! Unbeatable.

Gillespiana
The hottest latino bebop big band on the planet today!

Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra
Directing the house band in full swing

Peggy, Duke and Benny
Georgina Jackson – vocals/trumpet, Pete Long – clarinet, Nick Dawson – piano, Anthony Kerr – vibes, Dave Chamberlain – bass, Richard Pite – drums.
I’d always fancied the idea doing a dedicated Benny Goodman small band show, and as Peggy’s first job was with Benny in the 1940’s, there was a link there to easily include Georgina. As one of my great heroes is Duke Ellington, it felt natural to include his big songs in the set and so the show was born. All good things come in threes!
All we needed was a good man on Vibes. While Georgina was working at the BBC, she struck up a friendship there with the great Anthony Kerr, and so the band was born!