I began to detect the invigorating sound of The New Vintage Big Band from over half a block away as I walked toward the Brooksider Bar & Grill last Wednesday. The sound of a big band thrills me so much that it took all of my willpower to avoid the urge to accost passerby on the sidewalk who were ignoring the music.
"Where are you going?" I wanted to ask. "How can you possibly discount that sound?"
Once seated inside the Brooksider, I spotted about 30 people who shared my enthusiasm. Even with multiple large-screen televisions airing a Royals game and an NHL playoff match, these dedicated listeners remained mesmerized by the band. A few of the sports bar's other patrons managed to ignore the band in spite of its volume.
The current edition of New Vintage is a nice mix of established veterans (including Jeff Hamer and Rob Whitsitt), young up-and-comers (including Brett Jackson and Dominique Sanders) and several guys unfamiliar to me. A powerful solo by saxophonist David Freeland on "A Night In Tunisia" was very impressive.
The band used to play on the first Wednesday of each month at BB's Lawnside BBQ. I assume that it occupies the same slot at the Brookside establishment. I'm counting on someone from the band to confirm my hunch in the comment section of this post.
The New Vintage Big Band was last featured at Plastic Sax in 2009. The ensemble's Always and Forever album is available at Spotify.
(Original image by Plastic Sax.)
