Arnie’s appreciation of the giant Charles Mingus is played out tonight, promising to bring pleasure, joy and melancholy to the evening by featuring the music of the master bass player and composer. The compositions are the real star of the show but let’s not overlook the outstanding musicians Arnie has booked for this tribute. All big fans of the music, we’re looking forward to a great night of special tunes.

Join the Herts Big Band for a varied night of jazz and plenty of festive cheer with some excellent jazz arrangements of Christmas songs and carols.

As part of a two day tour (the previous night they’re in Newcastle!), we present the suite that made Stan Tracey famous in the UK, Under Milk Wood. With narrated extracts by his grandson Ben Tracey, the quartet reproduces this magical milestone of British jazz in the second half of the evening. The first half will be a performance of A Child’s Christmas, also by Dylan Thomas, composed by Stan in his later years as a follow up.

A wonderful trumpet player with an easy and fluent style, Byron is widely recognised as a seminal figure in British jazz. A creative force in the UK since the early 90s, Byron’s early career included work with Courtney Pine, Jean Toussaint and Cleveland Watkiss. As his career progressed, he could be heard with artists such as Ronnie Laws, Chaka Khan, David Murray, Andrew Hill, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard and George Benson. As a composer Byron’s output has been equally eclectic, with his soaring Jazz trumpet featured on a series of self-penned albums including the MOBO nominated “Earth Roots” through film music to dance and commissions for the South Bank.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas at a festive Baby Broadway concert this December! An interactive Christmas performance suitable for all ages. The whole family can sing and dance along to seasonal showtunes from hit musicals and well-known songs from Christmas films, all performed by our West End singers. Enjoy well-known numbers from Elf, White Christmas, Mary Poppins, The Snowman, Frozen and many more. Festive fancy dress is encouraged and - as well as singing, clapping and dancing along - you can expect bubbles, bells, flying babies and puppetry! Open to all ages from new-borns to school age to grandparents, concert lasts approximately 45 minutes, doors open 15 minutes before start time.

Everyone in music knows Alan Barnes as one of our greatest jazz musicians, winning many awards, playing clarinet, alto & baritone saxophones, both in smaller intimate jazz clubs and on larger concert hall stages with equal creativity, all with charismatic, engaging humour. He is also an outstanding music writer and arranger, with two previous brilliant jazz suites, evoking the wonders of Dickens’ “Christmas Carol” and Conan Doyle’s “Sherlock Holmes”, playing to packed houses in the EFG London Jazz Festival at St James and at Dean Street.