Florida big band

The Ted Knight Big Band is a Florida-based ensemble that plays for dances, weddings, concerts and parties.

The mix includes big band classics like Glenn Miller's "String of Pearls" and Frank Sinatra's "The Way You Look Tonight." Pop, rock, Latin music, and R&B are available for variety. The song list ranges from Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman to Van Morrison, the Drifters and Billy Joel. Click any image to enlarge. See more photos.

Instruments and vocalists

The group varies from fourteen to twenty pieces, starting with three trumpets, three trombones, four saxes, piano, bass, drums, and Ted as leader and vocalist.

Additional vocalists who can be added include Evelyn Russell, Tom Willis, Kevin Campfield and Kenny Seabrook. Other options include guitar, fourth trumpet, fourth trombone, fifth saxophone, and vibes and percussion. The group is self-contained, with a high-quality sound system, and stage lighting is available when needed. Hear online demos.

The band used 19 pieces for a November 2007 wedding at Saddlebrook Resort near Tampa. See The Knightly News to learn more. Ted's big band has also played for weddings at the Breakers in Palm Beach and at the Boca Raton Resort. At left, the band plays for the March of Dimes Glitz at the Palm Beach Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

Knight Music is available throughout the southeastern United States.

More highlights

The Ted Knight Big Band played for a September 2007 concert at Olympic Heights Theater in Boca Raton, pictured at top.

Ted's big band plays for a pancake breakfast held each year at Lantana Airport. The annual event is a family-friendly tradition, with a program that includes big band classics like Glenn Miller's "American Patrol" and "In the Mood" as well as jazz numbers like "Satin Doll" and Count Basie's "Sweet Georgia Brown." This year's even is scheduled for Sunday, January 27, 2008.

Ted's big band has played for dances at Delray Dunes Country Club and the Ocean Club in Ocean Ridge. Close attention to volume means people can enjoy dinner conversation over smooth sounds, as well as dancing to upbeat music later on. Hear "Watch What Happens" and "Flying Home," both recorded during a dinner dance at Delray Dunes, to get the idea.

Pictured at left, the band plays for a 1940s-style dance held at Ragtops, a luxury convertible dealership in West Palm Beach. The event benefited Seagull Industries for the Disabled in Riviera Beach.

Flexible arrangements

Space or budget considerations may suggest the Ted Knight Orchestra instead of the full big band. The group plays the same songs but uses arrangements adapted for just four horns.

At right, the orchestra plays for 350 guests at the Country Club of Florida in the Village of Golf.

A living legacy

Ted's late father, Vic Knight, was a well-respected band leader, proud to see his son follow in his footsteps. Read more about the Knight family.

Vic is pictured leading his band in a memorial to his friend, trombonist Tom Webb, at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.

Both Vic and Patty, Ted's mother, loved dancing to their son's trio on Friday nights at the old Erny's Restaurant in Delray Beach. Their favorites included "Sentimental Journey" and "Chattanooga Choo Choo," but they would always ask him to sing "Wind Beneath My Wings." Now when Ted performs the song, he dedicates it to their memory.