MOSES LAKE - Nick Hilscher has always enjoyed music made before he was born.

Raised on rock 'n' roll icons like Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, Hilscher was first introduced to big band music at the age of 11, when he caught Jimmy Stewart's portrayal of big band icon Glenn Miller on TV. Artists like Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra became Hilscher's primary musical inspiration.

Now, Hilscher, 34 is leading a quintessential group of musicians from the glory days of big band music.

Hilscher rolls into Moses Lake with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Oct. 18 as part of Columbia Basin Allied Arts' 2011 season.

But it's not the first time Hilscher's had the opportunity to work with musical legends.

While attending Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., Hilscher took a year off to tour with the Glenn Miller Orchestra before returning to school to receive a bachelor's degree in piano performance. It was his first professional gig outside of school performances and he ended up working with the orchestra for six years.

"Getting to do that style at that level, it's a dream come true," says Hilscher.

Hilscher left the Glenn Miller Orchestra in 2005 to get married. Within six months he was asked to fill in for the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra as a vocalist. His gigs with the band grew more frequent.

Tommy Dorsey formed his orchestra in 1935. Dorsey, an accomplished trombonist, was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" for the sentimental moods he produced with his mood. Frank Sinatra sang with the band early in his career.

Buddy Morrow, who first played with the orchestra in 1938, became the band's leader in 1976, 20 years after Dorsey's death.

Morrow led the band until his death Sept. 27 of last year at the age of 91.

"Right before he passed away, I went to his house and he said, 'I'd like for you to take over my job.' So that's kind of where it started for me, in regards to fronting the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra," says Hilscher.

Not much has changed since he took over the reins, he says.

"The new leader comes in, he tries to do something brand new," he says. "But the thing about Buddy Morrow is that everybody loves him. Everybody loved working with him, and we really haven't wanted to do a lot of changing from what he did. I like to keep it as close to the way that he had it, honestly ... The order of songs is different, just to give that kind of a change up, but for the most part, we like it the way that it was so we're keeping it pretty true to that."

Big band music is nowhere near as popular as it was in its heyday, but people will be impressed by the experience regardless of their familiarity with the genre, says Hilscher.

"Sixteen live musicians on stage is pretty cool," he says. "We have five saxophone players, three trombone players, four trumpet players, piano bass and drums ... There's just not a lot of bands going around with this kind of instrumentation anymore ... I've always loved it. The music has a different feel. It's centered and based in jazz music and each one of our musicians is very talented."

The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra plays 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, at Big Bend Community College's Wallenstien Theater, 6989 College Parkway NE in Moses Lake.

Tickets are $30 reserved, $25 general and $10 for students. A family pack of four tickets is $50.

To order tickets call 509-793-2059 or email basinarts@bigbend.edu.