Starry Night Octet Jazz Band from Muskegon, MI

I would like to introduce you to our jazz group, the Starry Night Jazz Combo. Our instrumentation allows us to match our sound to the Dave Pell octet, from the 1950's. If you are not familiar with the Dave Pell Octet sound, it consisted of a trumpet, tenor sax, baritone sax, trombone, jazz guitar, piano, bass, and drums. The jazz guitar in this group plays more like a horn part, instead of the rhythm section. The arrangers doubled the guitar with the lead horn line, to give the band a richer sound, closer to that of a big band. Here is an excerpt from Dave Pell's website: "... Pell started as a working musician in the heyday of the big bands. He joined Tony Pastor's band in 1944, spent two years working with Bob Crosby's Bobcats, then moved to Los Angeles and joined Les Brown's new "Band of Renown" group in 1947. As a tenor sax player, Pell became one of the stars of the Brown band, and he remained with them until 1955. He then formed his own group, the Dave Pell Octet, along with trumpeter Don Fagerquist, and adopted a lighter style, very much in the spirit of the West Coast jazz movement. Pell hired some of the best arranging talents available, including Marty Paich, Shorty Rogers, Jerry Fielding, and Bill Holman, and the group's albums sold well." These songs are arranged in a very happy, upbeat, toe-tapping feel, with a lot of variety. We purchased over 140 of the actual arrangements (used by the Dave Pell Octet), from Dave Pell himself (he is 89 this year). These arrangements are well-crafted, and sound fantastic. They basically took songs from "The Great American Songbook" of tunes by composers Burke and Van Heusen, Rodgers and Hart, Irving Berlin, among others. We even have several of his jazzed up arrangements of famous college songs. Our group also has a wonderful library of "little big band" tunes. These are arrangements of famous big band tunes, such as Mack the Knife, Green Eyes, Dancing on the Ceiling, Perfidia and dozens of others. Also, for an extra fee (and depending on her availability), we have many arrangements for Ms. Ginny Dusseau, a wonderful jazz vocalist from Grand Rapids. Overall, our large music library gives us great flexibility, and allows us to adjust our performance to appeal to a wide variety of listeners. Our musicians are some of the best jazz players in West Michigan. Many are regulars in the well-known big band, the Truth In Jazz Orchestra. We hope you will take a look at our website: We have some photos, and several sample songs of our group. If you are seriously interested in quality jazz, we want you to know that we are available and interested in performing at your venue. I am sure our exceptional jazz group would be an distinctive addition to your well-known series of concerts. I hope to hear from you soon.

• A Foggy Day | George Gershwin
• Adios Muchachos | Julio C'sar Sanders
• After The Lovin | Engelbert Humperdinck
• All the Things You Are | Glenn Miller
• All The Way | Frank Sinatra
• American Pie | Don McLean
• Avalon | Al Jolson
• Bad Bad Leroy Brown | Jim Croce
• Beer Barrel Polka | Glenn Miller Orchestra
• Beginnings | Chicago
• Bluer Than Blue | Michael Johnson
• Brazil | Ary Barroso
• Breaking Up Is Hard To Do | Neil Sedaka
• Bye Bye Blackbird | Ella Fitzgerald
• C Jam Blues | Count Basie
• Canadian Sunset | Dean Martin
• Cantina Band | John Williams
• Caravan | Duke Ellington
• Charlie's Angels | TV Theme
• Chattanooga Choo-Choo | Glenn Miller
• Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White | Perez Prado
• Close To You | Carpenters
• Colour My World | Chicago
• Dancing On the Ceiling | Frank Sinatra
• Deep Purple | Artie Shaw
• Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me | Ella Fitzgerald
• Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? | Chicago
• Don't Get Around Much Anymore | Duke Ellington
• Embraceable You | Duke Ellington
• Emily | Johnny Mandel
• Evergreen | Barbra Streisand
• Feelings | Morris Albert
• Frenesi | Artie Shaw
• Girl Talk | Neal Hefti
• Glenn Miller Medley | Glenn Miller
• Green Eyes | Ray Anthony
• Harlem Nocturne | Earle Hagen
• Hot Seats | Dave Wolpe
• How Long Has This Been Going On? | George Gershwin
• Hustle | Van McCoy
• I Cried For You | Bunny Berigan
• I Got It Bad | Duke Ellington
• I Heard It Through the Grapevine | Marvin Gaye
• I Saw Her Standing There | Beatles
• I Write the Songs | Barry Manilow
• Ida | Sweet As Apple Cider
• If You Don't Know Me By Now | Harold Melvin
• I'll Never Fall In Love Again | Tom Jones
• I'm Easy | Keith Carradine
• In A Mellow Tone | Duke Ellington
• In The Mood | Glenn Miller
• Isn't It Romantic? | Mel Torme
• It's d'j' vu | Dave Brubeck
• Johnson Rag | Glenn Miller
• Killing Me Softly | Roberta Flack
• Lady In Red | In Caliente
• Look of Love | Dusty Springfield
• Love Is Here To Stay | Frank Sinatra
• Love Will Keep Us Together | Neil Sedaka
• Lullaby of Broadway | Ella Fitzgerald
• Mack the Knife | Louie Armstrong
• Make Me Smile | Chicago
• Mambo Jambo | Perez Prado
• Misty | Erroll Garner
• Moody | James Moody
• Moonglow | Benny Goodman
• Moonlight In Vermont | Frank Sinatra
• Morning Dance | Spirogyra
• My Funny Valentine | Frank Sinatra
• My Funny Valentine | Rodgers & Hart
• New York | New York
• Nice Work If You Can Get It | Frank Sinatra
• Night and Day | Cole Porter
• Not So Loud | Please!
• Ode To Joy | Ludwig Beethoven
• Oh | You Beautiful Doll
• Old Time Rock and Roll | Bob Segar
• Peanuts Polka | Tijuana Brass
• Peg O' My Heart | Andy Williams
• Perfidia | Perez Prado
• Peter Gunn | Henry Mancini
• Pink Panther | Henry Mancini
• Poor Butterfly | Benny Goodman
• Proud Mary | Creedence Clearwater Revival
• Red Roses For A Blue Lady | Bert Kaempfert
• Rock Around The Clock | Bill Haley & His Comets
• Rock This Town | Brian Setzer Orchestra
• Santa Claus Is Coming To Town | Perry Como
• Satin Doll | Duke Ellington
• Shadow of Your Smile | Tony Bennett
• Shaker Song | Spirogyra
• Sir Duke | Stevie Wonder
• Something | Beatles
• Sophisticated Lady | Duke Ellington
• Splish Splash | Bobby Darin
• Star Wars Medley | John Williams
• Stumbling | Bennie Krueger Orchestra
• Summertime | George Gershwin
• T.S.O.P. | MSFB
• Take the "A" Train | Duke Ellington
• Tequila | Champs
• The Glory Of Love | Benny Goodman
• The Joint Is Jumpin' | Fats Waller
• The Lady Is A Tramp | Frank Sinatra
• The Man I Love | George Gershwin
• Theme from Police Woman | TV Theme
• Theme from S.W.A.T. | TV Theme
• This Guy's In Love With You | Herb Alpert
• Three Times A Lady | Commodores
• Tico Tico | Carmen Miranda
• Tie A Yellow Ribbon | Tony Orlando
• Traces | Classics IV
• Tuxedo Junction | Glenn Miller
• Two O'Clock Jump | Count Basie
• Until I Met You (Corner Pocket) | Count Basie
• Waltz Medley | Various Bands
• Watermelon Man | Herbie Hancock
• Way We Were | Barbara Streisand
• What I Did For Love | A Chorus Line
• When the Saints Go Marching In | Louie Armstrong
• Whiffenpoof Song | Yale University
• Winter Wonderland | Perry Como
• Won't You Take A Look At Yourself | Dave Wolpe
• You and the Night and the Music | Arthur Schwartz
• You Are the Sunshine of My Life | Stevie Wonder
• You Do Something To Me | Cole Porter
• You Light Up My Life | Debby Boone