Graham Dalby & The Grahamophones

Graham Dalby was still a student at Trinity College of Music in 1985 when he was asked to form a swing band to play at a London charity ball to celebrate the VE Day 40th Anniversary. 2005 therefore, marked the 20th year that the band has been playing wonderful music around the world.The Grahamophones are a Jazz Age Swing Orchestra of international repute who are considered leading exponents in the re-creation and re-interpretation of original arrangements of popular dance music. This spans the period from 1911 to the early 1960’s, when electric instruments began to take popular music down a very different road. The band is bonded as a musical family and many of the players have remained with the band since the 1980’s. All of the players in the band have studied music at a top London music conservatory or at The Royal Marines School of Music. Jazz musicians without classical training are not able to play these difficult arrangements and likewise classical musicians without an in-depth jazz feel are found wanting!The musical repertoire of the band is varied and concert programmes contrast with music for dancing. The band adds to its repertoire about once a month to keep pace with popular demand. From the 1920’s the band plays society Charlestons and Black Bottoms a la Gatsby alongside the more underworld Harlem-style music of Duke Ellington and The Cotton Club. The 1930’s grace of Cole Porter, Gershwin and Irving Berlin see the styles change to the more swing based music of Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller. For the 1940’s the band have all the Hits of the Blitz both from the English dance bands and the more big-band style of the Americans. Recently, the popular resurgence of 50’s swing has had the band performing a whole programme of Sinatra, Bobby Darrin, Nat King Cole and even Andy Williams and Tony Bennet.The Grahamophones have a gilt-edged C.V. drawn from thousands of wonderful events spanning twenty years. Here are a few varied highlights: The Kongesshalle – We had a ball by The Wall in Berlin 1986 Chatsworth House – Music to grace his Grace the Duke of Devonshire’s Ball. Buckingham Palace – Four Royal Birthdays led by HM The Queen Mother.1990 The Hong Kong Arts Festival – included Andre Previn & The Vienna Philharmonic. Cliveden House – Thomas Cook’s 150th Anniversary with Princess Diana. The Royal Albert Hall – for the Countryside Alliance with Roger Waters & the RPO. Chichester Cathedral – for the Chichester Festivities. The Henley Festival – six years running! The Molde Jazz Festival – with Miles Davis & Manhattan Transfer among the Fjords. Hong Kong – We played during the Handover as the Union Jack came down. The Peace Hotel, Shanghai – The last colonial gasp! Windsor Castle – HM The Queen Mother’s 100th Birthday. Cebu, The Philippines – in a Spanish fort built by Magellan in 1570. Amman, Jordan – A sumptuous royal wedding in 2005. HMS Warrior – Trafalgar celebrations amid the gundecks! 2005 JCB World Centre – a concert to celebrate their 60th before 28,000 people. Salisbury with The Cathedral Girl Choristers in Andrews Sisters mode in 2006 in2008 Kensington Palace, Claridges, Mandarin, Mayfair Hotel, Grosvenor House, Imperial War Museum etc. etc. in 2009 Gstaad, Hong Kong and who knows???