🎉 Celebrating our 50^th year! 🎉

Bringing the Big Band era to life!

The Fairfield Counts is a 19-member orchestra that plays the best of the classic Big Band music for all occasions. Located in Fairfield County, CT the Counts entertain audiences all throughout the tri-state area of Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.
The Counts play at all types of occasions, from country clubs and civic organization affairs to private events such as weddings, dinner/dances and holiday parties. Every summer, the group can be heard at outdoor concerts, festivals and get-togethers.
Founded in 1976, the Fairfield Counts has consistently attracted top caliber musicians whose passion is recreating the unique sounds of the Big Band era. Considered one of the premier big bands on the East Coast and boasting seventeen musicians, a musical director and a superb female vocalist, the Counts have been the featured entertainment at such exclusive venues as Windows On The World, The Supper Club, Red Blazer Too, The Yale Club, The Hotel Pierre and aboard the Intrepid Aircraft Carrier in New York Harbor.

Enjoy this sampling of some of the Counts' most frequently requested tunes!

From his founding of the band in 1976 through his retirement in 2025, Harvey Tuckman brought top notch talent and leadership to the Fairfield Counts. The blend of the high-energy, lush sound and rhythmic power of the traditional American Big Band with the evolution of the Great American Songbook has been at the heart of the Fairfield Counts' vitality and longevity.Here are the talented and dedicated artists that make today’s Fairfield Counts both swing for the fences and move your hearts as only great music can.

Our Members

Vocalist - Michele Grace

Born into a family of musicians and spending time in her parents' music stores, Michele Grace was exposed to a variety of musical influences. She has years of professional performance credits to her name and as a teacher, she has a large following of devoted students - many of whom are professionals themselves. Michele loves singing Big Band music with the Fairfield Counts, as it gives her the opportunity to breathe new life into the classics of the Great American Songbook.
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Vocalist - Frank Mastrone

A life long singer, Frank Mastrone's love of the Great American Songbook and Big Band music came from listening to his parents playing the records of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Barbara Streisand, Judy Garland, Eydie Gorme and so many more. Frank has sung at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall and the Royal Albert Hall, and is no stranger to the Broadway stage, having appeared in shows like Cats, Les Misérables, and as a member of the original Broadway cast of The Phantom of the Opera. Frank is thrilled to help carry on the tradition of the "Big Band Sound" with the fabulous Fairfield Counts.
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Music Director - Fred Mariano

As music director, Fred Mariano brings a lifetime of knowledge and experience about big band music and performance to the Fairfield Counts. Since earning his degree in Music Education from the University of Bridgeport, Fred has performed with all manner of big bands and small groups (often as a featured trumpet soloist) and even brought his extensive musical history knowledge to bear as the host of his own long-running radio program. In addition to performing in numerous theater orchestras and recording studios, Fred’s expertise directing musical groups makes him a perfect fit to conduct the Fairfield Counts.

Venues

Based in Fairfield County CT, The Fairfield Counts entertain audiences all over the tri-state area of Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. The band plays all types of occasions, including country club socials, civic organization affairs and private events such as weddings, dinner/dances and holiday parties. Every summer the group can be heard at outdoor concerts, festivals and get-togethers. Here's a partial list of the venues where they have appeared in the past: