Candice McMahon
Special to The Morning Star
Known throughout the Okanagan Valley for performing at the finest night clubs, hotels, wineries, golf clubs, festivals and theatres, Major Mambo will be serving up smouldering hot songs, showcasing the rhythmic grooves of salsa, mambo, cha-cha-chá, bolero, bossa nova, samba and Latin jazz.
Maggie Ponzo Cotton takes the lead on vocals and also plays percussion. Her passionate delivery of these hot Latin songs equally enchants those who become enthralled with her singing and those who just can’t sit still.
Stephen Buck will serve up the bass and backup vocals. Buck, a world-renowned professional musician, has been living and performing in the Okanagan since 2010. Known for his talent on clarinet, saxophone, and flute, this versatile musician plays the double bass regularly along with his sons Simon and Alex, and it will be a treat for Vernon Jazz Club patrons to hear him strumming these lively Latin rhythms.
Inciting the keys is Kelowna pianist, Tricia Dalgleish, who was born and raised in the Okanagan and has been performing professionally on the piano and with various ensembles for more than twenty years. Dagleish even performed on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, which has added a colourful dimension to her approach to music.
Pulsating the drums will be Trevor Salloum, who leads three musical ensembles (jazz, Latin, and Middle Eastern) in Kelowna, including Major Mambo. Salloum is well-known internationally as both a music educator and a performer. He has taught drumming at universities, colleges and high schools for more than 30 years and is a best-selling author, who has produced numerous books, CDs, DVDs and videos on drumming technique.
Bob Rogers from Revelstoke will be sliding along his trombone. Rogers earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in trombone performance through Humber College, University of British Columbia, and Northwestern University in Chicago. He worked in Vancouver for several years as an in-demand session and freelance musician before relocating to Revelstoke. Currently, Rogers plays in three symphony orchestras, as well as remaining active as a jazz musician.
Major Mambo will be onstage at the Vernon Jazz Club (3000-31 Street) April 21 at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:15 p.m. Cash only bar on site. Tickets $20 online at vernonjazz.com and at Expressions of Time (2901-30 Ave), with a $5 rebate at the gig for VJS members.
Capilano University A Band and Nitecap Choir
Last spring, people poured into the Vernon Jazz Club off the streets, as our downtown was filled with the glorious big band sound of Capilano University “A” Band and “Nitecap” Choir.
Immediately after these hot musicians performed at the club, to absolutely outstanding reviews, our bookings director begged them for a repeat performance hoping they wouldn’t mind making the long trek back.
Not only did they not mind making the journey, Dennis Esson, jazz studies coordinator and instructor, remarked that our heritage venue and awesome room acoustics made our club unique. As well, the Capilano University students adored our venue, spending their off-stage time examining all the jazz paraphernalia and old photos.
“There’s no club like the Vernon Jazz Club in Vancouver,” Esson told VJS volunteers.
Capilano University, located in North Vancouver, offers a premiere four-year bachelor of music and jazz studies degree, as well as a two-year diploma program, and is recognized nationwide as one of Canada’s top jazz training institutions. Focusing on jazz performance and composition, the degree program sets extremely high standards of musicianship and draws from amongst the strongest music students in Western Canada.
The world-renowned instructors accompanying these young jazz musicians are tremendously exciting to experience.
Brad Turner leads the big band instrumentation. His phenomenal talents as a trumpeter, pianist, drummer, and composer make him one of Canada’s most sought after and highly esteemed musicians. Turner’s groups have opened for McCoy Tyner, Roy Haynes, Wayne Shorter, Clark Terry, Diana Krall and Tony Bennett.
Steve Kaldestad has become one of the most in-demand saxophonists on the scene. His musical career has taken him from the Canadian prairies to Montreal, obtaining his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, to London, England, for eight fantastic years playing and recording, and finally to the B.C. coast, where he is extremely busy teaching, playing and recording.
Jared Burrows, guitarist extraordinaire, is a dynamic force on the Vancouver scene as a performer, composer and community organizer. He works in a huge variety of ensembles in jazz, new music, and world music settings and leads the Jared Burrows Quartet and Sextet and the Vancouver Improvisers Orchestra.
Esson has recorded numerous CBC sessions as a featured soloist. He is also the lead trombonist with groups such as the Vancouver Ensemble of Improvisation (VEJI), Orquesta Goma Dura, Jill Townsend Big Band, Hard Rubber Orchestra, and the Fred Stride Jazz Orchestra.
Rejean Marois, CAPP’s Jazz Studies choral director, has published original works for jazz band, choir, jazz choir, and concert band. For more than 15 years, he has been in demand throughout North America as a clinician, adjudicator, conductor, music advisor and arranger.
Capilano University “A” Band & “Nitecap” Choir will be onstage at the Vernon Jazz Club (3000-31 Street) April 24 at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:15 p.m. Cash only bar on site. Tickets $20 online at vernonjazz.com and at Expressions of Time (2901-30 Ave).
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