B Sharp

B Sharp, written B#, takes the stage as a full 17-piece big band, the size most of its arrangements were written for. That's five saxophones, four trumpets and four trombones, with guitar, double bass, piano and drums, all in matching suits behind custom art deco music stands. The book leans on Basie, Ellington, Goodman and Miller, while guest vocalists take on songs linked to Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Anita O'Day, Bobby Darin and Peggy Lee. A few arrangements are ones that rarely get played in Australia. Founder and director Henry Kovacevic launched the band at Melbourne's Forum Theatre in 2003. It has since opened the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, backed Wayne Bergeron, Wycliffe Gordon and Lorna Luft, played live to air on ABC radio and shared the stage with James Morrison. Ballroom dinners and galas suit it best, and Crown Palladium, Hamer Hall and the Plaza Ballroom are among past venues.