Akron's wildly popular big band returns for a swingin' return to the BLU Jazz+ stage with special guest vocalist, Britni Tozzi!
The Dave Banks Big Band is a powerhouse, 17 piece, swingin’ big band based out of Akron, Ohio and is in its 20th year of making music. The band includes some of Ohio’s top jazz musicians and is led by Ohio native and 20 year Las Vegas veteran trumpet artist, Dave Banks. They have performed across the Midwest, including The Palace Theatre, Kent Stage, The Bop Stop in Cleveland, BLU Jazz+ in Akron, The Tangier Cabaret, The Carousel Dinner Theatre in Akron, Packard Music Hall in Warren, as well as many jazz clubs and major conventions in Northeast Ohio. Their vast library of music ranges from standard big band swing, to contemporary big bands, Sinatra to Buble, and even Big Band rock and soul. Dave fronts the band with his soaring trumpet, reminding audiences of the sounds of Doc Severinsen, Maynard Ferguson and Harry James. They also feature compositions by several arrangers that are associated with the band including Don Turoso, Chas Baker, Paul Ferguson, Jeremey Poparad and Dave Banks.
While they have been busy backing entertainers such as Las Vegas Rat Pack Shows, The Temptations, Michael Sonata, and The FlyGals in themed shows, they are also at home presenting programs that pay tribute to the top big band arrangers from both yesterday and today. The band’s ongoing mission is to provide the audience an exciting, uplifting dose of big band music, which challenges our musicians, yet keeps our audience tuned in and turned on!