After the sell out success of their “Bond for Big Band” concert in October last year the Blamey Street Big Band returns to the Harmonie –German Club stage for “Ella Fitzgerald meets Count Basie” on Saturday 20 May.

Described by a concert reviewer as “electrifying” and noting how the “tight, swinging Blamey Street machine kept the crowd wonderfully entertained throughout the whole night”, the upcoming concert will highlight hits from Count Basie and Quincy Jones, interestingly mostly written by Sammy Nestico.

Nestico, who recently passed away, was the famed composer/ arranger who orchestrated for all of the major film studios and recorded his music with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Barbra Streisand, Natalie Cole and Paul Anka.

He also wrote for Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan so Leisa Keen will join Blamey Street to sing some of their best and most loved tunes including “Ain’t Misbehavin’ and ‘Perdido’.

From the Count Basie/Quincy Jones libraries will be classics including ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’, ‘Satin Doll’, ‘Strike Up the Band’, ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ and ‘Moon River’ as well as lesser known, but dynamic tunes like “88 Basie Street’ and ‘Charlie the Whale’.

The recent review also made mention of how “expert dynamics made this window into the golden age of swing a very special musical treat” so don’t miss “Ella Fitzgerald meets Count Basie” with the Blamey Street Big Band. Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah on Saturday 20 May at 7.30pm.