BY JAN SWOOPE
For area fans of live big band music, opportunities come few and far between. That makes Saturday, Feb. 4, a date to remember. Orchestra leader Gill Harris and The Big Band Theory will present a concert and dance at Trotter Convention Center in downtown Columbus.
The 8 p.m. event features vocalist Denise Reid of Columbus, with an orchestra of national-caliber musicians.
“These are musicians who are playing in Las Vegas, Chicago, Biloxi and all over the place,” said Harris, of Columbus. Golden Triangle members of the Big Band Theory include award-winning bass player Dr. Rick Montalto and trumpeter Skip Burkhart.
Harris worked diligently to put together the talented group which will converge in Columbus to perform.
“It takes a lot of networking to put together these musicians,” Harris said. “But our goal is to bring good music to the community.
Dance the night away
The lush, supple sounds made so popular by bandleaders like Count Basie, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey and Benny Goodman are ideal for dancing.
Freida and Stephen Burt are among avid dance enthusiasts looking forward to taking the floor at Trotter.
“It’s one of our highlights. It’s a pretty rare caliber of musicians that Gill has; I would put them up against any big band we’ve ever heard,” remarked Freida Burt. Friends from dance groups in Tupelo and Tuscaloosa, Ala., also enjoy coming to Columbus for the live big band experience, said Burt.
The concert will showcase some “fresh tunes,” such as “Fever” and “Let’s Fall in Love,” Harris noted, adding that Roger Burlingame of Columbus will be a guest singer.
“The orchestra’s going to play some wonderful dance music, but it’s also wonderful listening music,” Freida Burt emphasized
For Harris, a professional engineer who has been in or orchestras since he was a teenager, doing his part to continue big band’s legacy is a mission with meaning.
“I hate to compare it to what we’re hearing on the radio, but the main ingredients for popular music have been stripped out one by one over the years,” said the orchestra leader, who often listens to XM’s Big Band channel and Real Jazz channel. “We’re trying to put that back in. We’re putting back in lyrics, harmony, chord progression, sound textures, rhythms and interesting sounds that go with this music.”
Harris has always been inspired by the bandleaders he’s come to know during his many years in music.
“They did such a wonderful job when they were around. I really miss them and hope we can revive some of the things they did so well,” he stated.
How to go
Tickets to the concert and dance are $25 and include table seating. Or, reserve a table for up to 10 people for $200.
Soft drinks and set-ups will be available.
The event is made possible in part by CableOne, Ceco Building Systems and Trustmark Bank.
Tickets can be purchased at the Rosenzweig Arts Center, 501 Main St., Columbus. Or call the arts center at 662-328-2787.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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