Randers Big Band was founded in 1980, by Palle Hundborg, a local Randrusianer music visionary. The band has since been on a musical journey towards being a highly reputed Big Band among Danish Big Bands as well as a breeding ground for young aspiring Danish jazz musicians. The band's musical director and conductor was until 2011 Ole Koch Sørensen. He contributed with tenacious and motivating commitment to Randers Big Band becoming among Denmark´s best playing big bands, especially in the field of traditional swing music.
Trumpeter and arranger Jesper Riis took over the management after Ole. From 2011 to 2012 he diversified the Randers Big Band´s repertoire to include more contemporary styles of jazz.
In 2012 Nikolai Bøgelund became the conductor of Randers Big Band. Nikolai Bøgelund, a master trombone player, has toured the world with famous popstar Lukas Graham with his “Rusty Trombones” horn section. He serves as musical mind behind major musical TV productions and, among other things, as the conductor of Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra (DRJO) and Aarhus Jazz Orchestra. Being an energetic force he has realized a myriad of different projects, including recording of Randers Big Band's latest album "Live Live" with prize winning Norwegian jazz singer Live Foyn Friis.
Timeline
1980 Founded by Palle Hundborg
1988 Directed by Ole Koch Sørensen
2009 Tour to Florida and Louisiana, US
2010 Swinging Saxonia – Battle of the Bands nr. 3
2011 Second place, Big Band Battle
2011 Directed by Jesper Riis
2012 Tour to Brügge, Belgium
2012 Directed by Nikolai Bøgelund
2013 Tour to Rio, Brazil
2015 Tour to Vancouver, Canada
2017 Directed by Peter Brem
2017 Tour to London, England
2021 Directed by Nikolai Bøgelund
2022 Tour to Hameln and Berlin, Germany
In 2017, Peter Brem, composer and musician, took over the conductor’s role. In the autumn of the same year, the orchestra went on tour to London and among other places played at London’s most renowned Jazz venue “Ronnie Scotts”. Peter contributed to challenging the orchestra with yet new styles, which resulted in, among other things, several latin jazz concerts with award winning Estonian singer and composer Karmen men Rõivassepp. These concerts include events at Aarhus Jazz Festival in the summer of 2018 and in the summer 2019, the latter featuring famous Kjeld Lauritsen on Hammond organ.
In October 2020, Randers Big Band played its 40th anniversary concert with a multitude of solo musicians with connections to Randers Big Band over the years. Some of these musicians were “fostered” in the band, others attached through various musical encounters. The anniversary concert developed into both a big bang of a concert and a happy reunion with old friends and big names of the Danish and international jazz scene.
In 2021, Nikolai Bøgelund again took over the conductor’s role after Peter Brem, and most recently the band was on tour to Berlin, Germany. The tour culminated in a memorable concert at the jazz club B-flat in Berlin.
Gennem årene har Randers Big Band deltaget ved mange festivaler i både ind- og udland og rejst på koncertturnéer i blandt andet Sverige, Finland, Polen, Tjekkiet, Tyskland, Schweiz, USA, Brasilien, Canada og London. Udover de mere almindelige big band-koncerter til f.eks. frokostjazz-arrangementer, fødselsdage, festivaler, dans, receptioner, firmafester eller den traditionsrige nytårskoncert den 1. januar på Værket i Randers, har bandet arrangeret en række workshops og koncerter med mange kendte både danske og udenlandske solister.
Randers Big Band is supported by Randers Municipality.