The Melbourne Tramways Big Band is a vibrant and collaborative community band that has a history of entertaining for over 50 years. The tradition has been followed on with many young enthusiastic musicians now joining the band under the musical direction of Gordon Gunn, a seasoned big band bassist and trumpet section performer with a passion for new innovative big band sound. It has been performing in many places in and around Melbourne in 2025. It draws a wide talent with progressive players involved who are either past students or current big band students from places such as Melbourne and Monash University. The band also performs and commissions works of Australian original big band music composers performing music also Australia’s biggest mainstream Big Band composers.
However, the band identifies its roots and groundings in history still maintaining big band tradition often intertwining old and new with composers such as Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Maynard Ferguson, Bill Chase, Don Sebesky, Chicago and take great delight in performing music Latin, Swing, New and Contemporary in the Big Band style that has captivated the intense dancing of today’s Ballroom and Latin dancers.
The MTBB has a history of incredible leaders and band members who have been at the forefront of the music industry and music education in Australia. As well as entertaining, a featured tradition of the band is to mentor and bring on young players, which in turn has inspired music teachers and musicians, supporting and developing inspiring school programs. This has encouraged leadership skills and growth in both our professional and community orchestra endeavour as an semi-professional big band throughout the state to further share the joy of “live” music and the part we play in Australia’s music industry.
Band Leader Gordon says, ‘Our performance today is about musical choices: one that focuses on each others’ individual skills and techniques, building on immense combinations of talents we have here today. As a band collective we focus and deliver new ideas, new skills, new musics. By doing this it is our aim to Make A Difference which opens our team to deliver, share and experience that thrilling Big Band sound we all enjoy!’