We coordinated with the Louisville Film Society (Louisville, KY) and played Live with 4 silent films back-to-back (two Buster Keaton & two Charlie Chaplin movies).  We muted the original soundtracks, and had our drummer (Joe Dunn) compose original music to accompany the films.  The music encompassed a vast amount of styles from within (Swing, Funk, Fusion, Avant Garde, Ect...)  Each movie lasted from 17 to up to 26 minutes bringing the total run-time of each show to approximately 1 hr 45 min (with overture and closing song).

This particular recording is currently the only known recording in existence.  One of the musicians brought their portable recorder and set it in the far corner of the theater.  A professional recording of all music will be recorded in the studio in the near future and will also be synced to the original films providing a unique combination of the creative arts.

The newly-composed excerpts correspond with the following films:

1.  Neighbors - Buster Keaton (1920)
2.  Cops - Buster Keaton (1922)
3.  The Bank - Charlie Chaplin (1915)
4.  Easy Street - Charlie Chaplin (1917)
5.  Easy Street - Charlie Chaplin (1917), Finale with additional excerpt of  "Pedal Up"

Buster vs. Charlie (Sampler) - Live at the Dreamland Theater

Short Demo - Live at the Nachbar & Haymarket

he origin of Your Friendly Neighborhood Big Band (YFNBB) is somewhat of a mystery. It could have been Jesse McBee or Graeme Gardiner who first mentioned the idea, but somehow, a bunch of past and present UofL students converged on a random Tuesday night in November of 2010 to play some big band music. Russel Zimmer's substantial jazz library sustained the bulk of the book. But Joe Dunn would inevitably take on the roll of “driving force” of the band, both as drummer, conductor and composer.

As weeks grew into semesters and shows grew into experiences, YFNBB took on a life of its own. University students would leave after graduation as military personnel would mysteriously show up with trumpets in tow. Some days the band swung, other days it rocked and even “funked up the joint.” Whichever step the band took, YFNBB has always been happy to pull its audience on to the dance floor to make the fun happen.

Right now, YFNBB is working on a handful of recording projects including a music video, a cd release and the recording and live show of Buster V. Charlie, a multi-media presentation in association with the Louisville Film Society. You can still find the big band at the twice-monthly show at the Nachbar in Germantown. With local heavies like Drew Miller, Allison Cross, Joey Thiemann, Kendall Carter and so many others, Your Friendly Neighborhood Big Band is a show worth watching!

Friendly Much?