The St. Albert Community Concert Band never fails to wow its audience. Under music director Dr. Angela Schroeder, it boasts some of the city’s best musicians.
Celebrating its 44th anniversary, the 82-member concert band teams up with Saint City Big Band for its traditional Spring Concert tonight at the Arden Theatre.
The concert band’s repertoire takes a trip across Canada that varies from the East Coast’s Banks of Newfoundland to the francophone Suite for Canadian Folk Songs.
One of its big highlights is Drums of the Saamis that opens with pounding tribal drums followed by a haunting melody.
The concert’s second half features the Saint City Big Band under Jean-Francois Picard, affectionately known throughout the music community as J-F.
Throughout the 45-minute set, the 18-piece jazz band plays seven charts capturing different music styles from Latin countries. They include salsa, merengue, rumba and tango as well as more mainstream Latin pop, rock and jazz.
“The winter was long. Summer is here and Latin music makes you think of sunny vacations. It sends the audience on a different note and allows the band to learn about Latin music,” says Picard.
“There’s a definite groove that is different from straight up jazz. With Latin you want to get up and dance. There’s lots of syncopation and clave (rhythm) in the music.”
Picard is presenting his arrangement of Tequila/Oye Como Va, music written by Latin jazz and mambo musician Tito Puentes. It starts with a bari sax playing the groove and when it reaches the bridge it shifts into a swing before the grand buildup.
For bootie shakers in the crowd, Picard has included Victor Lopez’s The Puffy Taco.
“The style is samba-salsa. You really want to dance. And it’s challenging for the band with all its different rhythms and high energy.”
And then there’s El Chupacabra, a salute to the mythical creature first sighted in Puerto Rico. The spiny bear-like creature is reported to attack and drink the blood of goats.
Picard also introduces Armando’s Rumba, a favourite Chick Corea tune and ends the concert with Manteca made famous by jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.
“I’m going out with a bang. People like lots of energy.”
The concert band performs its next concert at the St. Albert Farmers’ Market on Saturday, June 13 at 9:30 a.m.
Preview
Spring Concert<br />St. Albert Community Concert Band and Saint City Big Band<br />with a presentation from Memorial Composite High School<br />Wednesday, June 3 at 7 p.m.<br />Arden Theatre<br />5 St. Anne Street<br />Tickets: $12/adults; $8/students, seniors with I.D., available at box office
