During the time of Big Band and swing the Ivy Benson Big Band was a force to be reckoned with.

Touring Europe during the war and beyond and playing sell out venues across the UK, Ivy Benson’s band of 80 female musicians was known for talent which rivalled and, in some cases, exceeded that of their male counterparts.

Now one of the members, Peldon resident and career drummer Crissy Lee, has reunited her own big band to pay tribute to the woman who brought big band music to thousands.

Crissy Lee’s Big Band will performwith about 18 women aged from 23 to 75, including a few from the original Ivy Benson Band, at Felsted School and the MICA Centre in Mersea on October 16 and 17.

Crissy, 72, says: “Spice Girl Mel C recently did a radio documentary about Ivy Benson and interviewed me about my time in the band. She said to me, it seems the Spice Girls were not the first girl band – Ivy Benson’s band was. She’s right.

“There have been a lot of programmes about Ivy Benson recently - everyone is in awe of her now. Strictly Come Dancing has done a lot for big band so the time is right to pay tribute to Ivy.”

Crissy, who started playing the drums aged four in the Salvation Army band, played with Ivy Benson’s band for seven years in the Sixties. Aged just 17 when she joined, she admits she was a bit nervous.

Born and brought up in Lexden, Colchester, she had led a sheltered life with loving and supportive parents who encouraged Crissy’s love of drumming. Her dad travelled with her to London when she auditioned for work.

“Dad’s belief in me was amazing,” says Crissy. “You didn’t get girls playing drums back then. All the men in the family were saying to him, what are you doing?Why are you investing your time and money on encouraging her to play when she will get married and have babies. But he totally ignored them,” says Crissy.

It was Crissy’s dad who did all the research about the Ivy Benson band and sent his daughter off to Liverpool to join the band.

“From LIverpool I got a boat to the Isle of Man and it was very daunting. I was a little Salvation Army girl who didn’t swear, didn’t drink or smoke and I was seeing all these women flashing everything, drinking, swearing,” explains Crissy.

“So many times I wanted to go home, but my dad said if I wanted to be in this business I would have to learn how to cope, and I did.”

Crissy stayed with Ivy, who was 47 at the time, and her mum and was taught how to read music. Then one night she took Crissy for a night out with all the girls.

Crissy says: “Ivy was very strict, she scared the life out of me so I did what she said.”

But as time went on Crissy found her way.

When she left Ivy’s band Crissy set up her own band, the Beat Chics, and it was then she launched herself into the mainstream.

She worked with the Beatles, Dinah Washington, Al Jarreau, Maynard Ferguson, Kathy Stobart and Don Lushe. More recently she was a Skinnerette on the Frank Skinner Show.

Crissy recalls: “The Beat Chics supported the Beatles on their first tour of Spain,”

says Crissy, who teaches at Felsted School.

“I remember sitting opposite Ringo and George while Paul and John would sit on their own writing songs. Ringo and George would just talk about getting home to see their wives and families.”

But playing in mixed sex bands, which Crissy went on to do in the 1970s and beyond, didn’t come easy, says Crissy.

“Female musicians always had to prove their talent. People would look at me and say, haha, nowwhere’s the real drummer?

Now it’s not about men and women, it’s about a drummer,”

she says.

The tribute concerts, which Crissy has organised, will include original Ivy band member and Claudia Colmer- Lang, 75, who played double bass in Ivy’s band.

With members coming from all over the world, Crissy, who played a tribute concert to mark what would hav ebeen Ivy’s 100th birthday two years ago, admits “it’s taken a long time to get the right girls together,”

says Crissy.

The shows take place at the Barbara Karan Auditorium, Felsted School, Felsted on Friday 16th October 2015 and at the MICA Jazz Club, Mersea Island, Colchester, Essex on Saturday 17th October 2015.

Tickets for both events are £20.

Tickets for the MICA Centre concert are already on sale from the box office on 01206- 384656 and also online at www.the merseacentre.

ticketsource.co.uk