Dave Whitney Big Band
at the Sherborn Inn, May 24, 2011
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Trumpets: |
Joe Musumeci |
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Mel Deveau |
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Jeff Hughes |
| Trombones: |
Scott Hills |
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Jay Keyser |
| Saxes: |
Sil D'Urbano |
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Bob Drukman |
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Blair Bettencourt |
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John Clark |
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Kathleen Howland |
| Piano: |
Steve Dale |
| Bass: |
Dave LeBleu |
| Drums: |
Reid Jorgensen |
| Vocals: |
Sophia Stevens |
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Dave Whitney brought his fabulous 15-piece big band for our
listening and dancing pleasure at the on-going Tuesday Night Jazz &
Swing session at the Sherborn Inn. He also brought along original
arrangements from Bobby Troup, Count Basie, Juan Tizol, Wayne King, Benny Goodman, and of course, Chris Powers.
They set the mood with Dave's theme, When Somebody Thinks You're
Wonderful, with Dave Whitney on drums - yes, drums. Drummer
Reid Jorgensen was stuck in traffic, as often happens during
rush hour at this intersection of routes 16 and 27. Dave
kept a nice beat - but once was enough for him. He returned to his
trumpet while Mel Deveau took
over the drum for The Man I Love. Reid arrived in time to
back Joe Mesumece on the complete New Orleans version of Darkness on the Delta.
Veteran
Sil Durbano, on alto sax, total control of the horn, was featured on Sunny Side of the
Street, originally done by Johnny Hodges with the Duke.
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John Clark, tenor sax, and Jeff Hughes trumpet, were featured on Eddy Howard's My Adobe Hacienda.
Jeff also had a fine solo on Basie's Moten Swing.
Next was one of Dave's personal favorites, the classic Erskine Hawkins, Tuxedo Junction.
Powerful, energetic trumpet section added a bit of bebop into Honeysuckle Rose. A combustible combination,
both Dave Whitney and Jeff Hughes on
trumpet resulted in a WILD Washington and Lee Swing!
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Jay Keyser trombone, behind Kathleen Howland, bari sax, playing her
favorite song, Gerry Mulligan's How High The Moon. Welcome back, Kathleen! |
Some members of the band, and many of the fans (including me) go back to the
days of Bob Connor's Yankee Rhythm Kings. Blair Bettencourt's free flowing
solo on Benny Goodman's Gotta Be This of That, was punctuated with Reid's
dynamic Gene Krupa drumming.
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Vocalist Sophia
Stevens took the mike for the Dorsey Orchestra's Tangerine.
They moved to the Chris Powers arrangement of After
The Loving.
Both Dave and Sophia came from the Chris Powers
Orchestra.
Dave joined her for the crowd pleaser, Daddy,
by Sammy Kaye and Bobby Troupe.
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| Steve Dale is the intellect behind the band, providing many
fine arrangements of his own, such as the Hoagie Carmichael
tune, Nearness of You.
Especially for the dancers, they slowed it down for
a nice piano arrangement of How Deep is the Ocean. |
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Reid Jorgensen was featured with his own remarkable version of Juan Tizol's Caravan, buoyed by LeBleu's solid bass.
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LeBleu's bass introduced Georgia On My Mind, with Dave on muted trumpet.
Sweet.
Skirts was one of the songs the
band often played at Angelica's. |
Whitney continued with a poignant Concerto for Cootie.
Just beautiful!
| They closed with a four-clarinet reed section with Claude Thornhill's Where or When. |
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Dave Whitney's fabulous 15-piece big band is always a listening and
dancing pleasure. Wish we could hear them more often!! July
12th, they will be in the Gazebo
(or auditorium if it rains) at Southgate, 30 Julio Drive, Shrewsbury, MA - (508) 842-8331.
And it's FREE! Bring a chair.
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| By Marce,
Updated June 29, 2011
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