The Australian Cotton Club Orchestra was formed in early 1986 by Tim Harding in association with Adrian Daff. Between them, Tim and Adrian have a large collection of big band charts, most of which were originally published in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. They have also written their own charts in a similar style.
To bring to life these musically demanding arrangements, Tim and Adrian selected a careful blend of strong sight-readers and jazz soloists. After a few months of painstaking rehearsals, the first public performance of the Cotton Club Orchestra was to standing ovations at the Malvern Town Hall on 23 May 1986.
After full-house appearances before enthusiastic audiences at the Victorian, Geelong and Peninsula Jazz Clubs, long-term residencies at the Emerald Hotel in South Melbourne and the Bridge Hotel in Richmond soon followed.
The Cotton Club Orchestra has appeared mainly at private, corporate and charity functions at the Victorian Arts Centre and Melbourne's top international hotels such as the Regent, the Hyatt, the Hilton and the Windsor.
The band has also shared billings with leading celebrities such as Rhonda Burchmore, Barry Humphries, Peter Allen, Geraldine Turner, Daryl Somers, Dame Kiri te Kanawa and various other stars of the VSO.
TRAVELS FROM: Melbourne, VIC
STYLE: Big Band, Orchestra, Jazz, Swing
