HURRY, hurry. The Blamey Street Big Band, the “best band in our local land”,  will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its founding with a “sparkling and exciting” gala concert at the “Top of the Cross” in the Canberra Southern Cross Club Woden, tomorrow, Thursday, June 21 at 8.30pm.

This hugely popular band, we are not ashamed to say, is led by “CityNews” reviewer Ian McLean, also long time music director of the Royal Military College Band, CEO of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and director of Music for the Australian Army.

The 22 piece band, which performs in the classic big band mode, features an astonishing line up of many of Canberra’s finest jazz musicians including Derrick “Noddy” Brassington (drums), Mark Du Rieu (trumpet), Olivia Henderson (piano) and Rouslan Babajanov (alto sax).

Heading the band for this birthday concert will be resident vocalist Leisa Keen and other regular Blamey Street guests – Annette Sloane (Annie and the Armadillos), Rachel Thorne and Tony Haley.

All four of them also feature on the CD just recorded by the band, which will be officially launched during the show.

For tickets at $15, phone 6283 7200.