The first ever Prince Albert Big Band Festival is coming to Vincent Massey School on March 28.
The festival was organized by Prince Albert Youth Jazz Band director Scott Roos. He explained that as the director of the Youth Jazz Band and another band coming to the Festival, he is always trying to find opportunities for performances.
“I think this just stems from the fact that when I’m directing bands, if performance opportunities and requests aren’t coming at me in a period of time then I’ll try to just create them, which is how we ended up doing things like the open house performances and things like that,” Roos said.
Roos said that the idea also came from something from his youth. Roos explained when he was growing up in Chilliwack, British Columbia there was a Chilliwack Dixieland Jazz Band Festival.
“And basically what that was exactly what it says. They would invite Dixieland jazz bands from like around the lower mainland and in some cases like internationally, one year they brought in a Dixieland jazz band from Australia. And they had a specific venue or two venues, three venues that they would have different bands performing in at different times, just sort of in that genre,” Roos said.
Roos plays with the Saskatoon-based Toon Town Big Band and directs the Lakeland Junction Big Band and Prince Albert Youth Jazz Band and knows Ecole St. Mary High School Jazz Band director Shannon Fehr he could put together a day of a Big Band Festival.
“We originally wanted to bring Carlton in, but unfortunately, there was a scheduling conflict,” Roos said.
So on March 28 beginning at 4 p.m. there will be those four bands playing on the Vincent Massey stage.
“And I’m pretty excited about it. I’m hoping this can become a yearly event and potentially snowball and maybe get as big as the Dixieland Jazz Festival was way back in the day,” Roos said.
Roos is also the Band Teacher at Vincent Massey so the venue was a natural choice. Roos said the Prince Albert Youth Jazz Band and Lakeland Junction are each familiar with the venue. He explained that the Lakeland Junction Big Band each practice at the school. The Lakeland Junction Big Band is composed of people from around the region and can practice in Tisdale, Melfort and Kinistino along with Vincent Massey.
“So it’s just a nice little tie-in of three bands in particular that I’m directly involved with.
“And then of course, you know, there’s a couple of students that from St. Mary’s that play in the Prince Albert Youth Jazz Band as well, so there’s that tie in. So, yeah, I’m excited,” Roos said.
Doors open for the event at 3:30 p.m. and bands will start at 4 p.m. and run into the evening until around 8:30 p.m. Roos also said that he hopes to have a bake sale or some type of refreshments.
“The four bands are each very different musically. Toontown has picked some songs where they can make use of their two vocalists, Toontown has a male vocalist and a female vocalist,” Roos said.
He said that they are also hoping to incorporate a dance floor in front of the stage at Vincent Massey by placing lights directly in front of the stage.
“And Lakeland Junction and Toontown have prepped some songs that would be like if people are into like swing dancing or Latin style dancing, that can definitely take place,” Roos said.
“And as a matter of fact, people that are looking to gain experience dancing to swing or Latin jazz style stuff in a live band setting, I would definitely encourage them to come out,” Roos said.
Roos said that Lakeland and the Prince Albert Youth Jazz Band are both looking forward to performing on March 28.
“I think it’s going to be a great afternoon and partly into the evening of music and entertainment. And I think each one of the bands brings something different to the table,” Roos said.
Roos said that the Youth Jazz Band would bring their large variety of music, Toontown brings more traditional swing with some child-friendly music.
“Lakeland’s doing a nice little smattering of music, but we’re also picking some really traditional swing stuff, like we’re doing a couple of Glenn Miller tunes, for instance, it’s going to be good. It’s going to be fun,” Roos said.
