Yes, the Free Trade Hall in Manchester was very keen on big bands in that era. It was there that I saw Ellington, Basie, Lionel Hampton and Woody Herman, not to mention more modern outfits like Gil Evans, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis and Clarke Boland.
Although Eldridge was a star, along with Anita O'Day, in the Gene Krupa Orchestra in the 40s and was still working for Norman Granz in the 70s, my favourite Eldridge period is the 50s when he can be heard in a variety of contexts, for example: