MacEwan bands ready to rock

The Grant MacEwan University Showcase Band Concert is one event that a lot of music aficionados mark their calendar as a must-see.

Taking place Friday, Jan. 13 at the Centre for the Arts and Communications, the next generation of musicians present an exhibition of wide-ranging talent in a sparkling, often electric show of contemporary music.

The two bands, led by MacEwan instructors Allan Gilliland and Bill Richards, play a range of tunes that span the decades.

Added highlights are the harmonizing influence of six vocalists, including St. Albert’s own Jess Smith. As part of the Richards-directed 13-piece band, the alto with the raspy voice will be belting out Alicia Keys’ Butterflyz, Led Zeppelin’s Ramble On and Beyonce’s Crazy in Love.

“With these songs, I have the ability to be tender, but I can rock out and have fun,” says Smith, a Sturgeon Composite High grad.

With three vocalists, six winds and a rhythm section, Richards likes to shape a dramatic set.

“I open with the big action stuff. Then we move to the intimate stuff. We punch it up a little and end with a big climax. And at the end, we have one big instrumental, Chick Corea’s Armando’s Rumba,” Richards says.

He anticipates the big hits will be Ramble On, a Gilliland rework for six winds that includes a blues harp, and a blend of two Green Day arrangements – 21 Guns and American Idiot.

Gilliland’s showcase band, which opens the show, is comprised of three singers, a rhythm section and a five-piece horn section.

A trumpet player in his own right, Gilliland introduces the jazzy Herbie Hancock’s When Love Comes to Town and Corinne Bailey Rae’s crossover jazz/funk I’d Like To.

The students have selected all the songs in this set and they’ve brought to the table rocking numbers such as Kings of Leon’s Use Somebody and the Rolling Stones’ Painted Black.

In one way or another, all the charts have an original twist. When one of the students brought in Dave Matthews’ Rapunzel, Gilliland spent a day transcribing it to involve horns.

“We want to cover as many styles recorded from different eras. We cover a wide variety of popular music and it’s a great training ground for students,” explains Gilliland.

“They are very well-rehearsed and one of the most prestigious ensembles around. We get the best of the best.”