Harlem was founded in 1981 for the creative interpretation of the big band sounds of the 1920s and 30s.
It has regularly featured in festivals, clubs, dancehalls and theatres throughout Europe, including a long run of performances at London's Barbican Centre, often in the company of distinguished guest vocalists and instrumentalists. An exciting development in recent years has been our association with the
Jiving Lindy Hoppers dance company.
The band's musical starting point is transcriptions of the recorded performances of the great classic bands like those of Duke Ellington, Benny Carter, Fletcher Henderson, Luis Russell, etc. Increasingly, though, our own original compositions and arrangements have become a performance feature.
