Melanie Macpherson
Special to the Herald
On Sunday afternoon, the Prince Albert Youth Jazz Band (PAYJB) took to the stage at the Broadway Theatre in Saskatoon as part of the Building Bridges with Music event. This event was a highlight of a weekend filled with musical exploration, including a workshop Saturday afternoon at the University of Saskatchewan and a Saturday evening performance of Women of Jazz by the Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra.
The concert featured an all female jazz band comprising many award winning musicians including Prince Albert music teacher Shannon Fehr, who has four students in the PAYJB.
Led by Scott Roos, a music teacher in Prince Albert, the band consists of students ranging from grade 6 to grade 12, as well as an older member Roos met through the Prince Albert Concert Band. Despite being a relatively new group, the band’s dedication and hard work were on full display.
The band’s performance was the product of months of hard work and collaboration, and it was clear that the students were not only gaining technical proficiency but also the confidence to showcase their individual talents.
“I was really proud of the band members that played solos—Bryce, Tati, Cobain, Gabby, Kasen, Noah, and Nathan,” Roos said. “They were sounding very confident. A few of those guys did a two-session seminar with me on the theory of how to construct an ad-lib jazz solo last month, and it was cool to see that training in action.”
One of the standout moments in the performance came during their rendition of “Willo’wisp,” a jazz/rock ballad that Roos described as sublime in its execution.
“When the band plays the harmonies of the song, with the full jazz band instrumentation, it’s absolutely sublime to be standing in front of them directing. Their sense of balance, their phrasing, their dynamics—it’s simply amazing,” Roos said.
The band’s ability to play with such precision and emotion was one of the highlights of the afternoon.
Another moment that stood out was their performance of a song that the band had worked on during their Saturday afternoon workshop with Nick Fanner, the director of the Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra (SYJO).
“I was also really happy with how well they played the swing tune ‘Maynard and Waynard’. They had worked on that tune with Nick Fanner on Saturday afternoon, and a lot of the sections that they were tentative on before that, they were playing a lot more confidently,” Roos said.
The band’s performance concluded with a rousing rendition of “Hey Elephant,” a high-energy funk tune that has become their signature piece. Roos added a false ending for extra flair, and it was this dramatic moment that helped earn them a well-deserved standing ovation. The energy in the room was palpable as the crowd showed their appreciation for the band’s hard work and success.
The band was warmly cheered on by members of the SYJO, who were not only supportive but also served as a source of inspiration for the younger musicians.
“I was really impressed with the professionalism of SYJO,” Roos noted. “They clapped and cheered for us and were very encouraging. It was great that my band, which has kids as young as grade six, could see a band made up of older, more established musicians in action. SYJO was inspiring.”
The event not only marked a major milestone for the band but also illustrated the vital role that music education plays in fostering talent and confidence in young musicians. With their eyes set on the future, the Prince Albert Youth Jazz Band is sure to continue building on this success and inspiring the next generation of jazz musicians.
