Battle of the Big Bands: Henry Godfrey Jazz Orchestra & Kira Daglio Fine Big Band

A lively evening featuring two jazz big bands playing back to back, performing original music and arrangements written by members of the bands. Both bands are led by fiery ASCAP award-winning composers, based in your backyard of the Somerville-Boston area.

The Henry Godfrey Jazz Orchestra is a Somerville based big band, led by drummer composer Henry Godfrey. The HGJO will be performing music from sophomore release Attitude & Gratitude (2022), which received rave reviews and includes the award-winning track “We’ll Get There.” Reviewer Raul da Gama proclaims “Godfrey’s brand of hyper-Romanticism holds nothing back… an orchestral recording to remember.” Also, you’ll hear Godfrey’s arrangements of tunes written by rising star guitarist Pritesh Walia, a member of the HGJO who will be performing with the band, as well as a world premiere of a new piece by Godfrey.

Under Kira’s direction, the KDF Big Band (formerly the Young Lions Jazz Orchestra) is a 16-piece jazz ensemble comprised of some of the best young emerging artists in the Northeast. The original project stemmed from her student-led big band at Columbia University— upon graduating, Kira began to pursue ways of engaging her peers professionally and performing in venues across the city. She established the Young Lions Jazz Orchestra as a means to develop her unique musical voice; the group balances convention and novelty by placing an emphasis on original compositions and arrangements. Kira has now established this second edition ensemble to bring her music back to audiences in the Boston area and beyond. The KDF Big Band offers a fresh and exciting approach to the big band style. Their repertoire draws heavily from the swing tradition and Kira’s Latina heritage, as well as a wide selection of influences— from Ellington to D’Angelo to Jorge Drexler and beyond.