The orchestra has been critically acclaimed by prominent periodicals such as the Berliner Tagesspiegel, Märkische Allgemeine, Jazzpodium, All About Jazz and Jazzthetik.

The group was formed in part as a reaction to the financial problems and elimination of the RIAS Big Band.

[5] In 2014 Secara hired arranger and conductor Jack Cooper to collaborate on the new Songs of Berlin BJO project and CD recording.

[7][8] The BJO features studio musicians in the Berlin and Northern Germany region and has performed numerous concerts to include artistic collaborations with the New York Voices, Patti Austin, Manfred Krug, Joja Wendt, Jocelyn B. Smith, Uschi Brüning and Pe Werner.

[9] The group is also featured on the soundtrack for the 2009 Warner Bros. movie release Mord ist mein Geschäft, Liebling.