The Lakeside’s Barking Parrot will host the Penticton Thursday Night Jazz Band on Thursday, February 21 at 7:00 pm. The eighteen member big band is made up of musicians who got their start in school bands and next week’s concert is their chance to pass on the joy. The show is a benefit concert for the McNicoll Park Middle School Band. Students have been selling $10 tickets to raise money for the band trip that is planned for the spring.
Made up of four trumpets, four trombones, five saxophones, guitar, piano, bass and drums, the jazz band plays a wide variety of styles. The first set is filled with swing tunes from greats such as Duke Ellington and Sammy Nestico. In the second set, the feel changes and you will hear tunes from Chicago, Earth Wind and Fire, Tower of Power and Steely Dan. Will Schlakl, the guitar player, who is also the band teacher at Skaha Lake Middle School will add some vocals as will Debi Johnson.
The Penticton Thursday Night Jazz Band has been around for 22 years and although the personnel do change over the years, the underlying reason for the band’s existence does not. People just want a chance to play their instruments. Dave Brunelle, principal of Skaha Lake Middle School, is one of the original members and the current director. From his seat in the front row of the band where he plays tenor saxophone, he leads the band through the music.
The McNicoll Park Middle School Grade 8 Band is planning a tour through the Okanagan where they will be playing four concerts of their own and the proceeds from Thursday’s concert will go directly towards the cost of that trip. Paula Baker, the band teacher at MPMS is one of the trumpet players in the Thursday Night Jazz Band. Tickets are just $10 and are available at the Penticton Lakeside Resort Front Desk or contact pbaker@summer.com or call McNicoll Park at 250-770-7683.