According to the limited information on the University website, Manchester University Big Band was formed in 2004 "to give students the opportunity to play large ensemble jazz to a very high standard".
High standard is right – I was quite amazed by how talented this 17 piece band are.
I wasn't entirely sure what to expect as the venue is part of the University campus and the majority of the audience were students – all of whom seemed to be in a St Patrick's Day fuelled state of excitement and gave the band a very enthusiastic welcome when they appeared on stage.
The band members took to the stage with no introduction and went straight into their first number. In between each piece, various members of the band took to the microphone to say a few words and introduce the next piece. Unfortunately, it was quite difficult to hear the details of the music they were introducing, partly due to the fact that some of them spoke rather quietly and partly due to the fact that they were being cheered on by the audience. So I'm afraid I don't know the titles of the pieces of music they played. Mind you, I didn't know any of the music either! (Maybe a playlist for future concerts would be worth thinking about?) 
At the outset, I have to say that I wasn't very keen on the music choice for most of the (three) sets that they played. I know very little about jazz so I'm sure someone with more knowledge about it than me may have recognised some of it.
There was one particular number: the second piece in the second set which I think was misplaced. They did say that they had shied away from playing it at their last concert as it was so difficult. It was an awful dirge in parts – it did start to win me over at one point as it was quite sinister but then I lost it again. It was overly long and just sounded like a prolonged tuning up. The band was possibly in danger of losing the audience with this number but then some raucous blasts from the brass section assaulted our ears and we were back in the room so it was effective from that point of view!
I'm not sure what type of audience they are aiming at but obviously, they are not at The Bridgewater Hall and aren't aiming to please a large and wide ranging audience. From what I saw tonight, the audience appears to be made up of fellow students, friends and some family members so they don't really need to play crowd pleasers to draw their audience in. However, it would have been quite enjoyable for me to have heard a few!
That aside, I have to say that every piece was performed excellently. The level of talent and ability was outstanding. The music is clearly loved and well known by all of them as they were able to play it with ease (or at least that's how it looked) and enjoyment. There didn't appear to be any trace of nerves.
The band is predominantly male and I did like the fact that some of them were wearing jackets (I even spotted a bow tie). Although they clearly have a casual approach in their style and appearance, this belies just how professional they are as musicians.
Special mention should be given to the trumpet section who came into their own during the final lengthy Ska number with a little bit of performance art which I loved.
On the one hand, I feel that they could possibly be a little more disciplined and formal in their performance (I've never seen any of the Hallé swigging from a beer bottle between numbers!) but then again, this would not be true to them and their audience. For the venue and their style, tonight's performance was absolutely fine. It was actually quite nice to be in an orchestral-type environment which was more relaxed than usual and with a very enthusiastic audience. There was a really good atmosphere. The band themselves play the music with gusto and enthusiasm – some of it is quite an assault on the eardrums as they really belt it out in parts!
The music tonight was not to my taste but I cannot fault the skill and enthusiasm of every single musician.
To summarise: if you go to see the MUBB and you are a jazz enthusiast, then they will be right up your street. If you go along expecting some Glenn Miller or Benny Goodman, it's probably not for you...!
Reviewed on: 17th March 2016
Reviewed by: Nicky Lambert
