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“With a treasure trove of vivid, well-crafted arrangements and a veteran cast of players who know how to tell a rousing story in eight bars, the Junius Courtney Big Band is an invaluable Bay Area institution...Look out!" - Andy Gilbert, Jazz Journalist

The Junius Courtney Big Band with Denise Perrier  returns to Yoshi’s in a special concert, “It Might As Well Be Swing: Basie’s In The House.”   Nat Courtney, the band leader and drummer, takes his 19-piece ensemble out for a spin around Count Basie’s hard-swinging territory, featuring the unique Courtney band interpretation and plenty of in-house originals along the way.  Internationally acclaimed Denise Perrier on vocals adds the “slam, bang. tang” of Sinatra-inflected Basie collaborations on tunes like “Come Fly with Me” and ”The Best is Yet to Come.”  The Junius Courtney Big Band appeared twice last year at Yoshi’s and sold out both shows:  advance tickets are highly recommended.

    The “veteran cast of players who know how to tell a rousing story in eight bars” that jazz critic Andy Gilbert describes gives the Junius Courtney Big Band incredible swing and the heft and hue of a great jazz engine.   June 8th’s Yoshi’s program, featuring the iconic tunes from Basie and Sinatra’s collaborations and the arrangements of Quincy Jones and Nelson Riddle adds another layer to the Courtney band’s specialized repertoire.  Basie’s tunes and driving arrangements of material that draw upon Basie’s blues-drenched influence will showcase the band’s roots and pay homage to the jazz master.