You really have no excuse to miss the Valley Winds Music Association's upcoming Shall We Dance fundraiser – they're even providing dapper dance partners if you show up stag. The spring fundraiser takes place Saturday, April 4, from 8 p.m.
You really have no excuse to miss the Valley Winds Music Association's upcoming Shall We Dance fundraiser – they're even providing dapper dance partners if you show up stag.
The spring fundraiser takes place Saturday, April 4, from 8 p.m. to midnight at Canmore's Coast Hotel, with dance tickets $35 in advance and $40 at the door.
The night will feature the Valley Winds Big Band and Calgary's Midnight Blue Jazz Band, and is brought to the community by Valley Winds Music Association and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.
“These events really help with our association,” said Valley Winds founder and band member Bob Aishford. “We only have 40 per cent of our membership fees covering expenses, but we have directors, we have school rentals and new music is another big expense, so it goes to our general coffers.”
The association holds two dances a year, with Shall We Dance being the first for 2015 to help bring in spring fever with a variety of music. “We want to make it an annual event and it's nice to put on a semi-formal event,” Aishford said. “We're not saying suits and ties, but dress up a little bit, like they used to do in Canmore when they called it Putting on the Ritz.
The Valley Wind Big Band really is a “big band” that plays numbers from charts across the 20th century.
“Both of our bands have at least 18 members in them, so we have the full orchestra of saxophones, trombones, trumpets, plus we play newer types of songs and a variety of salsas, a variety of big band and a couple of rock numbers – the dance floor is definitely filled no matter which band is playing,” Aishdord said.
Midnight Blue Jazz Band has a large following in Calgary and both bands have a large range of followers. “I've seen kids there in their early 20s and I just turned 70 and there's people there older than myself that come out,” Aishford said on the timeless quality offered from a big band orchestra.
When asked if he was going to be able to cut a rug, Aishford says he's going to have his hands full for at least half the night. “I play in the saxophone section, so I'll be busy for two of the four sets, I'm a tenor sax player and I actually founded the group back in 1994.
“I always liked music, I was our Canmore Rotary president that year and I thought a great legacy project would be to give something back, so I started the music association and it's just grown and now we're up to 120 members in the association this year.”
He says it feels wonderful to be able to see his vision come to fruition, with the band being able to add new music and equipment.
“We wanted to have the Lawrence Welk bandstands, and two years ago we were able to get them and we put lights on them with us all dressed in black, so we're very professional and we've come a long way and we have some really great players and directors,” Aishford said.
When asked what it is about the big band appeal that has made it stand the test of time, Aishford chalks it up to our need for variety. “Music is such an international language and we have quite an eclectic population here in the Bow Valley – if we only played one type of music that would probably affect us, but when you play a variety and fun ones and more complicated big band numbers, then everyone gets to hear something they like.”
Appy-hour runs 7-8 p.m., with complimentary appetizers and cash bar.
Tickets are available at O'Canada Soapworks (633 Main St. Canmore), online at www.valleywindsmusic.org and from Valley Winds members.
