Getting you back In The Mood at Farifield Halls in Croydon (From This Is Local London)

Getting you back In The Mood at Farifield Halls in Croydon

11:11am Wednesday 1st September 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

Given the weather last week and the apparent end of summer and decent into gloomy winter, I think we all need a pick me up and I have just the thing.

Feel-good show In The Mood is to make a matinee performance at Fairfield Halls on Wednesday, featuring multi-instrumentalists and singers taking on all the songs from the stars of swing such as Frank Sinatra and Glenn Miller through to Jools Holland.

The show, which formed part of Dame Vera Lynn's Charity Ball earlier this year, stars husband and wife team Simone and Chris Smith.

"I've been brought up with this style of music as my father, Chris Smith Senior, played trombone for Frank Sinatra on his European tours," says Chris, who himself used to be the composer for the band of Herb Miller, brother to Glenn.

"It's great that there's a strong resurgence in jazz and swing music enjoyed by all generations.

"We were very pleased to perform for BBC TV's Children In Need and the runners up of ITV's Strictly Dance Fever and now we are looking forward to bringing the show back to town."

Band leader Chris takes on a variety of roles in the show, singing, playing trumpet and playing piano, and is well known in the jazz world for his arrangements and compositions which are frequently played on Jazz FM and BBC Radio Two.

His varied career includes performances on Top of the Pops, Breakfast TV with Herb Miller and a solo performance on the Michael Cain film, Silver Bears.

Simone is a former Ivy Benson musician who sings and plays lead alto saxophone in the band.

She has also played with prestigious artists such as Paul Weller and John Williams and performed a saxophone solo on the Paul Merton TV show.

In The Mood, Fairfield Halls, Park Lane, September 8, 2.30pm, £10. Call 020 8688 9291 or visit fairfield.co.uk.