The Mike Sloan Big Band has been entertaining in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1992. The band consists of the cream of big band musicians from the San Jose metropolitan area and is well known as "THE" premier swing band throughout the Bay Area. In 1993, a scant year after its San Jose debut, The Mike Sloan Big Band received its first commendation from the USO of Northern California for its contribution to the Hail and Farewell celebration for the U.S. Navy Moffett Field, and that was just the beginning. Since then, the band has played for countless Swing Dances, Weddings, Concert Shows, Festivals, Nostalgia Days, Living History Days, Charity Fund Raisers and High School proms. The band is most proud, however, of its recent 69 consecutive week run at San Jose's Bay 101.  Now that's packing them in! The orchestra is also unique in that many of the 600-odd arrangements in its library are duplicates of the original charts recorded by Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman during the 'Hey Day' of the Big Band Era. Even better, many of the musicians in The Mike Sloan Big Band have actually played with those great bands so when you hear 'In the Mood' you're hearing the same arrangement the Glenn Miller Band performed on countless occasions.

What makes The Mike Sloan Big Band cook? The answer is simple: Mike's "been there and done that" for almost 45 years. Mike's Big Band experience includes performances over the years with the bands of Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, the ghost orchestras of Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey and, on both coasts, too many local big bands to mention. Concert backup performance work with such notables as Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, Helen Reddy, Mel Torme, Bette Midler, Brenda Lee, Julie London, Aretha Franklin, Roy Clark, Urbie Green, Pete Fountain, Doc Sevrensen, and Al Hirt taught Mike the secrets of showmanship and how to entertain an audience.

Carolyn Tidwell is a seasoned veteran of musical theater with 20 years of performance credits on both coasts. Currently, she is the Featured Vocalist for THE MIKE SLOAN BIG BAND in San Jose. She has performed with Swings & Slides, the Harold Jones Big Band, the Starduster Orchestra, College of Marin Jazz Band, the Scott Harris Big Band, the Judy Hall Quartet, and Klein Trio. Carolyn is a consummate entertainer with an exciting seasoned theatrical presence. When she steps in front of the microphone, she folds her arms around her audience and pulls them into the lyric with a lifetime joy of making music. She has been chosen to work with nationally renowned jazz vocalist Rebecca Parris.

mikesloanbigband@comcast.net