SWAMPSCOTT — The Blue Big Band, Swampscott’s community jazz orchestra, will perform Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s Far East Suite this Sunday, April 12, at 2 p.m. at Swampscott Auditorium, 200 Essex St. Admission is $10 but free for seniors and youth, and there are no reservations required.
Timo Shanko, a resident of Swampscott and a world class jazz musician, is the musical director and conductor. Shanko has focused the band on Ellington and Strayhorn’s work to give the band members and audiences an appreciation for these American jazz masters. Timo stated, “Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn wrote this Suite in 1965. Of all the great suites they wrote… this is the musician’s choice and favorite. The Far East Suite has been considered the pinnacle of Ellington’s incredible and voluminous output.”
The band is organized and managed by JoE Douillette, a Swampscott resident and teacher at the high school.
“People still confuse us with the Big Blue Band. And although there are a few wonderful students in our group, most of the musicians are adults, some of whom were alive when Duke Ellington was still performing!” Douillette said.
The Blue Big Band musicians for this performance are Aria Balliro, Owen Begin, Mariel Cataldi, JoE Douillette, Deb Eames, Sara Ewing, Andrew Fogliano, Clark Hubeny, Mathew Jensen, Arnie Krakowsky, Joe Krell, Caylan Laundrie, Erik Lawless, Terry Lorber, Chris Mancini, Michael McClung, Don McElroy, Charlie O’Neil, Jessica Sapp, Valerie Sweeney, and Michael Walsh. Band membership is open to anyone with a connection to Swampscott, through residency, work, or education, with three of the members being current SHS seniors. This group also includes a few professional musicians with ties to Shanko.
Sunday’s event will open with a performance by Aria Pace Balliro, a Swampscott High School graduating senior who will be studying Jazz Voice at McGill University in the fall.
“It’s exciting to be able to bring my music to life and experience that communication with musicians that have the same love for the songs that I do,” Balliro said. “I think jazz in a live setting is so unique because of the different ways that every piece can be expressed depending on the interpretations of different musicians.”
The Blue Big Band is a program of the Swampscott Senior Center whose members can participate free of charge as instrumentalists in the band or attendees at rehearsals and concerts. Heidi Whear, the Senior Center director, said, “The Blue Big Band project provides senior citizens a cross-generational social event with music from their generation. We have several members who never miss a concert.”
The Swampscott Cultural Council, a program of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, is supporting the band this year, providing funds to assist with promotion and marketing. The band members also make financial contributions to ensure the success of the band. Those funds, the cultural council grant and ticket sales, allow the band to hire Shanko and manage the concerts.
Shanko added, “This score and rendition has been given the utmost care and devotion to bring to you the most authentic read possible of this masterful score. Please join us!”
For more information, visit www.bluebigband.com or contact [email protected].
