Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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2010 Jan 3
TROC BAND LEADER DECLARES WAR ON DULL AND LOUD NYE CELEBRATION
2009 Jun 27
2008 July 24
2008 June 19
2007 Jan 2
2006 Jan 11
2005 Sep 17
2005 Feb 13
2005 Jan 1
2004 Jul 6
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2003 Sep 15
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2002 NOV 11
2002 SEP 27
2002 MAY 6
2002 APR 20
2002 FEB 17
2002 JAN 26
2002 JAN 2
2001 Dec 25
2001 Nov 10
2001 Nov 3
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| Trumpeter, Phil McComb |
FALL DINNER & DANCE A GREAT SUCCESS
2001 Nov 3
In tribute to the great city of New York, the TROCADERO ORCHESTRA opened the evening with a rousing version of NEW YORK, NEW YORK. From the opening note, the 180 fans of the big band era were on their feet.
Everyone had fun - especially the "Granny's Table" of Ginny, Phylis, Dallas, Rean and Mary Clair. Great gals and food friends of the Orchestra! (They needed a single man with great dancin' shoes at ether table, though!) As usual, our guests raved about the Coast's buffet dinner, and the background jazz standards provided by the Troc's rhythm section added to this classy event.
We had many new couples with us, and we hope you enjoyed the evening. May of you heard about the gig from our good friend (and Troc M.C.), John Worthington, on his weekly CKUA RADIO's OLD-DISC JOCKEY show, Sunday afternoons. Give it a listen! You'll love the history lesson John adds to the old standards. Also, thanks go out to John's partner,Bill Coull, who gives us great P.R., and hosts a variety of JAZZ programs on CKUA.
TWO VALENTINES' DAY DATES!
2001 Nov 10
Wow! Join us on Fri Feb. 15 at The Coast, or Sat Feb. 16 in CAMROSE!
Treat your valentine to a great night out, and don't forget your dancin' shoes! The Troc's home, the COAST TERRACE INN will be the place to be on Friday Night, as we take you on a Moonlight Serenade. The Coasts' fabulous buffet, plus a great evening of dancing is all your sweetheart will need.The very next night, the band goes on a road trip! THE GREAT CITY OF CAMROSE will be the place to be on Saturday night, as we chase away the mid-winter blues in a celebration event for the staff, students and supporters of AUGUSTANA COLLEGE!
CONTACT DETAILS, TIMES, AND PRICES are coming soon! Watch this web site, or make sure you SIGN UP to be on our SPAM LIST!
THE "SITE"S AND SOUNDS OF THE TROC ARE NOW ONLINE!
2001 Dec 25
The Nineteen 50's meet the year 2002, thanks to a little magic from one of the newest members of the band, George Carmichael. George, a young pup who only knew of the Trocadero Ballroom from old newspaper clippings, has been given a history lesson from an old veteran of the Troc -- George Lake has provided the new trumpeter with a stack of old photos and clippings, and spun a few yarns about the days of the Troc, it's predecessor (The EMPIRE THEATRE), and its successor, Troc 59. The result is this web site.It is hoped that we will be able to continually add to this web site, encouraging our loyal supporters to return regularly to see updated pictures of the group, music clips, and some nostalgic history of the City of Edmonton.
Feel free to email feedback to the band members about this web site -- we will take all suggestions into account as the Internet evolves.
For interests sake, this web site was developed using Macromind Dreamweaver, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator, on a Macintosh. It makes use of FRAMES, LAYERS, STYLES, and Javascript.
If you've noticed something goofy going on with the way your browser works with this site, or you'd like to know more about the web site and its development, feel free to email George at trumpet@trocadero.ca
OVER 300 REVELERS CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR WITH THE TROC
2002 Jan 2
Over 330 Big Band Fans joined host John Worthington to issue in the new year with a little help from the Trocadero Orchestra!Troc vocalist, Shelley Jones and the band "made good" on their promise to "stack the book" with all of the favourites -- vocal charts like Nat Cole's Unforgettable and Orange Colored Sky, and favourite Nelson Riddle-style arrangements of the Sinatra classics like Fly Me To The Moon.
Of course, what would the most nostalgic day of the year without a few of the Miller classics? In the Mood, Little Brown Jug, an Chattanooga Choo Choo (complete with Train Whistle!), and Pennsylvania 6-5000! Our Lead Trombone, Pete, was in great form on the Dorsey classic Song of India, and we heard solid feature work by several of the players (Chris's alto on My One and Only Love, and Doug's flugel on Misty were masterfully performed ballads).
With perfect timing, the band left mere moments between dance numbers as the hour approached -- With 30 seconds left, John was launching the countdown! Midnight was counted down, the room was filled with whistles and cheers (and a few kisses!), balloons floating down from the ceiling, and Auld Lang Syne rang out! Then, the band kept the crowd hopping as it quickly released a packed set of its best "up-tempo" tunes, like the Bandstand Boogie!
A special welcome to the members of the "Les Amis" dance club -- great looking dancers, and we hope they enjoyed their first outing with the Trocadero Orchestra (may there be many more to come!)
Thanks go out to our volunteers, who ran the reception table, and greeted all of the guests -- Mary, Evelyn, Armand, Teri, Mara and Pat!
Although a few people left early into the new year, the floor stayed packed until 1:30am! A great night to remember.
Our thanks and appreciation to all who came to enjoy the music we like best, and we were honoured to be a part of your evening!
THREE NEW DATES CONFIRMED FOR 2002
2002 Jan 26We haven't made it through the first month of 2002, and we're already booked for EIGHT GIGS!
Along with the previously announced gigs in February, we have now confirmed dates for FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 27, and SATURDAY NOVEMBER 9. These dates are added to our current lineup (April 20th, and a couple of private functions).
Of course, these will be back at our regular haunt, the COAST TERRACE INN!
AND... because of the success of New Year's Eve, the COAST had already given the Trocadero Orchestra "first right" to NEW YEARS EVE 2002 -- very flattering, indeed! We'll certainly take them up on that offer, and will work to making NYE 2002 the best party in the city! If you have any suggestions on how to improve our annual celebration, make sure you send us a message!
FEB Back-to-Back Gigs!
2002 Feb 16A huge crowd enjoyed a mid-winter pick-me-up, as the Troc serenaded about 150 enthusiastic dancers on Friday Feb 15th at our Coast Terrace Home. This was a special event for the band -- we had a sound man recording the band, so we could get a few sample cuts to pop up on the web site (the haven't been mixed yet, but watch the web site -- they'll be there eventually!)
Two new additions in the rhythm section were well received by the audience (and the band) -- LARRY SCHRUM, our drummer, has had an accomplished career as a band teacher in the city, but hasn't had the opportunity to sit on the drummer's throne for a long time! We were glad to have him aboard! Also, GRAHAM KIDD laid down a very solid beat for us on Bass. Graham and Larry, as well as our lead Trumpeter, Doug Zimmerman, and our Bari Player, Dennis Rusinak, all also play regularly with the high-energy Jazz Band, the River City Big Band. Another RCBB regular, J.F. Pickard, has been playing up a storm for the Troc -- it's great to have such talented musicians in the city to draw upon.
The next night, the band were ON THE ROAD! "Band Bus Road Tours" are always worth a story or two -- the big one for us was our bus driver taking us to the wrong venue -- Our charity gig, to help out the Augustana College Choirs, was at the Camrose Seniors' Centre -- not according to our bus driver! We ended up at the Augustana College in pitch dark - not a single car around! If it weren't for a very nice couple we met at a gas station (who escorted us directly to the Centre's doors), we might STILL be wandering the streets of Camrose!
The Camrose College kids gave the band the royal treatment -- first class warm-up rooms, and FOOD! Band guys LOVE food!! A great crowd for that gig, culminating in a silent auction that raised over $3000 toward the Choirs' tours this year. That night saw a couple of other unique events -- we had two singers: our veteran vocalist, SHELLEY JONES (who absolutely captivated the audience with her high-energy and soulful voice), and a special gust singer, MARK HAFSO -- the Augustana Choirs' accomplished director! Of course, the crowd went wild when Mark got up to sing, and be the MC for the night! (Mark is our piano player GORD HAFSO's son -- Gordon should be proud that his son has followed in his dad's footsteps -- from a long career as a Choir director, to bringing the house down as a Big Band Performer!
The Troc even made the Camrose Newspaper from the event! And, it looks like Camrose may want us back!
APRIL 2002 GIG CELEBRATED BY 160 DANCERS
2002 Apr 26Spring was in the air (even though snow was on the ground), and once again, the Troc was honoured by an enthusiastic crowd during our annual Spring Swing!
A highlight of the evening's show was the return of our M.C., John Worthington, who missed the February gigs because he was basking in the Hawaiian sunshine for his annual vacation. Always appreciated by the crowd, John kept the evening rolling along. To the band, it felt like he was using a stop watch to ensure that the promised "15 minute breaks" didn't run into twenty!
At the April dance, we were finally able to introduce GLEN ACORN, who has been sitting in with the Troc band during rehearsals, but never committed to commit to a gig, because (so his buddies say), 'he needs his "beauty rest" every night'... Glen was at the top of his game, playing his ol' reliable instrument, the tenor sax. It was the tenor sax that was Glen's "first love", back when he played the original Trocadero Ballroom (back in the early 1950's). He said that he really loves to play solos on the tenor, and it showed! It was great to have another TRUE Trocadero Alumni back in the band!
We were also privileged to have Edmonton favourite CHARLIE AUSTIN on piano this night... When the band let him loose on a few pieces (like Sweet Georgia Brown, and Who's Sorry Now) the band almost wanted to join the dance floor, and leave the whole tune to the master! Charlie's a veteran combo performer, and his back-up treatment for our talented vocalist, RHONDA WITHNELL, on tunes like Unforgettable and Misty were , err, "unforgettable", and made us "misty"!
We've got a few private gigs lined up for the next few months, and we're always looking to add more dates, so make sure you stay in touch!
Troc Piano Player Retires
2002 May 6This week, our regular piano player, Gord Hafso, announced that after around eight years as the regular Troc piano player, he was retiring from the band.
After a lifetime as a choir director, Gordon retired. "That's when I got to live a boyhood dream -- of playing in a big band, and I thank all of you for the wonderful opportunity"
Gord joined the Troc around 1994, and after around 30 performances with the group, he's now ready to live out a couple more promises -- he wants to write a book, and also compose music, inspired by poetry of the Canadian prairies -- he's been collecting these poems for a long time, and he figures "it would be a good time to start working on this old promise".
We'll miss him, but chances are -- he'll be back! Once you've got the big band swing in your blood, you've always got it!
Best of luck Gord -- stay in touch!
Summer's Over, and the Troc's ready to Swing!
2002 Sep 27After taking a couple of months off, the gang is back at it, with plenty of gigs lined up. The biggie will be our commitment to perform at next year's Alberta Summer Games in Ft. McMurray! The Troc's last out-of-towner was a Day trip to CAMROSE, and it was great fun! For those Games, we've been asked to host a big band ballroom dance, and we might get a chance to play at the closing ceremonies!
A few new additions to the band -- CHARLIE AUSTIN has become a regular for our gigs. The legendary Jazz pianist has also agreed to provide the "mood music" during the dining hours! This is a great treat for us all -- Charlie's solo piano stylings are masterful, and to have Charlie play during the buffet is a real bonus!
KEN HOFFMAN, one of the premier Edmonton Sax players, has joined us as a regular! At the September 27th dance, Ken wowed the crowd by playing both beautiful ballads, and spirited renditions of lead sax and clarinet for those good 'ol Glenn Miller tunes
The 7-in-a-row mini-tribute to Glenn Miller went fabulously at the Sept gig! We're looking to "pay tribute" in this manner to other band leaders in future gigs -- BASIE and ELLINGTON are two that come to mind...
Our Bass Player gave us a scare over the summer -- Graham Kidd went into surgery a couple of weeks ago, but he's back in action now! Good to have you back, pal!
For the September gig, we got a chance to show off our NEW SOUND SYSTEM!! "Very Crisp" was one of the comments from the crowd! It certainly seemed to perform admirably for the solo work. As far as the sound for the vocalist -- well, SHELLEY JONES makes every sound system sound great! Her performance at the gig was as spectacular as always -- rave reviews from the audience!
Best Dancers at two gigs this fall
2002 Nov 11On October 26, the Trocadero Orchestra was invited to be the feature event of the Edmonton School of Ballet's 35th Anniversary Celebration.
This was a very special event for the kids of the school and their parents, faculty, and supporters -- the different classes presented meticulously choreographed dances to several standard big band tunes, featuring styles "lyrical", "character ballet", "jazz", "pointe", "tap", "modern", and a finale of (what else), full jive to the big band swing anthem, Glenn Miller's In The Mood.
A well deserved standing ovation for the teachers and students -- the performances were great, and we're looking forward to seeing these dancers compete in the spring at the Jubilee Auditorium!
The evening continued with a not-so traditional big band ballroom dance -- all of the kids suck around to dance and mingle with their parents -- they all loved to dance the ol' swing tunes, and when guest drummer Stephen Foster joined the band for Sing Sing Sing, the ballroom exploded!
Another first for that night -- Alex Witte, a recent graduate from the Grant MacEwan College, sat in on drums in his first ever professional gig! He did a great job, and his biggest comment was: "Wow my first ever paid gig, and I was playing alongside Charlie Austin!" Not a bad start to a long career, buddy.
It must have been carma, but the great dancing from the October gig spilled over to the November 9th gig -- this was the most elegant group of dancers the Coast Terrace Inn has seen in years! The floor was busy the entire night, and at midnight, when the band was playing their signature closing number "Dream" -- then dance floor was still full! Great to see!
A special welcome to several newcomers to the Troc gig that night -- some of them were youngsters from the UofA Dance Club -- and they showed their stuff, certainly keeping up with the veterans of the Troc scene. Chris and Tiffany, the youngest of the new crowd were happy to see that there was a "dance-only" ticket -- making for an affordable delightful evening for these newlyweds!
The web site is starting to pay off -- there was a historian/writer who is about to embark on a project to chronicle the old Trocadero Ballroom, and will be using the Troc's web site as a starting point for history!
There's already great interest in the New Year's Eve gig! Looks like we're going to have a big crowd! Make sure you reserve your tickets early!
Troc gets two hours of "air time" on TV, and a RADIO deal!
2002 Dec 28After a successful gig in early December for the Investors' Club, at the Hotel Mac, all efforts have been focused on the New Years' Eve gig...
At 9am on Friday, band coordinator, Doug Zimmerman emailed a couple of the guys and said, "hey, we've been asked to perform at a 'location shoot' for Seanna Collins and the Global TV gang tomorrow morning! Do you think we can get a band together on that short notice?
Three hours later, and a bunch of furious telephone and email exchanges between the guys, and we were in business! Live, from the Coast Terrace Inn, the Global TV's Saturday Morning News featured the Trocadero Orchestra from 8am to 10am -- virtually every commercial break was sent back to the live location at the Coast, where the Troc "played out to commercial". It was great advertising for the band, and Seanna did a fine job interviewing veteran trumpeter Phil McComb, and Bari Sax player, Dennis Rusinak!
As a bonus, the boys in the band got to enjoy the leftovers from Seanna's cooking guests! Good way to handle a Saturday morning!
It was also good news to most in the band that we were going to be featured live on the air, with John Worthington, on the CKUA radio network for a two-hour show on New Years' Eve! The band is looking forward to a full house at the Coast, and for the thousands of friends, fans, and family, who will be 'with us' in spirit - over the airwaves, or over the Internet for a swingin' New Years' Eve!
Troc plays to the WORLD for 2003
2003 Jan 1Not only did the Trocadero Orchestra play to a packed house at the Jubilee Ballroom of the Coast Terrace Inn -- we were joined by the entire province of Alberta, and the world, thanks to a live broadcast by the community radio network, CKUA
All of the tried and true favourites were played for the tireless dancers, highlighted by terrific solo performances by several of the band members, such as Jerrold Dubyk on Tenor, Ken Hoffman on Alto, Doug Zimmerman on trumpet, Art Rowe and Pete Stevenson on trombone.
Along with regular trumpeters, Doug, Wally, George, and Phil, we decided to "load up" the trumpet section for the occasion, and brought back Neil Corlett to help out -- between Doug and Neil, there were plenty of high notes to go around!
A special thanks to our guest piano player (and vocalist!) for the evening, Mellissa Watts. Some very nice work on several favourite tunes, such as Sweet Georgia Brown and "I'm Going to Sit Right Down and Write myself a Letter" -- the audience enjoyed every minute! Thanks for joining us, Mel! Good Job!
With a successful New Years' Eve Gig wrapped up, the Troc is gearing up for the VALENTINES' DAY DANCE! The Coast is already preparing the menu for that event, and the band's looking forward to seeing familiar faces on the dance floor once again.
Don Walmsley in a milestone performance
2003 Jan 4Don Walmsley celebrated his 80th birthday in style this week, much as he did 50 years ago, as a saxophone player for the Trocadero Orchestra.
Don sat in with the band at the annual Edmonton Shriner's Winter Ball, where he could also claim 40 years as a Shriner, and celebrating his 60th wedding anniversary. As one of the very original musicians to grace the stage of the old Trocadero Ballroom, Don played with the Bob Lyon band -- the "original" Trocadero Orchestra. 50 years later, his playing is still sharp, and his obvious affection for the "classics", such as Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade, rang loud and clear, just as it must have back in the 1950's (when the tune was just a "new-age dance chart"). Congratulations, Don.
Over 300 dancers pack the Dance Floor for Valentine's Day
2003 Feb 15Another special night for the Trocadero Orchestra -- over 300 dancers graced the dance floor for Friday Night's Cupid's Capers!
As special guests for the evening, we had the members of the Edmonton School of Ballet present their competition suite of dances, accompanied by the Troc Orchestra -- this was very well received by the audience, who gave the 20 minute performance the night's only standing ovation!
We also introduced a new piano player for the evening... BOB HUSBAND has been an award winning big band jazz piano player since his high school stage band days in the 1970's -- his dad, Fred, has also played in the Troc band (in the trombone section), so this was a real treat for some of us long time friends of the Husbands!
Shelley Jones treated us to all the songs about love .. and we liked it - yes, we liked it! And, we heard some great solo work this evening from Don Berner on lead Alto Sax, as well as some huge roars of approval for Dennis Rusinak on Bari (his "High Heeled Sneakers" solo always brings the house down!)
Now, what do we do for our next gig? The Coast Terrace Inn is a very busy place -- we've been informed that Saturday Nights are "booked up well in to next year", as are most Fridays. Our "admin guys" (Doug, Wally, and Al) are trying to figure something out, but it might take a few weeks to set up our performance schedule for the next few months.
Summer in the Oil Belt
2003 Sep 15The Troc did a road trip this summer ... The Alberta Seniors Games, in Fort McMurray, was the site of a 2000-person celebration, featuring the Trocadero Orchestra.
A wind up dinner/dance by the volunteers and competitors was catered by a group who could easily handle the hungry athletes -- the group usually caters for the entire Syncrude work force!
For the musicians, we had a great road trip -- a few of us went on a tour of the plants, others just "hung out", waiting for our evening gig. The mid-summer heat was amplified in the dinner/dance venue (the city's curling rink) Not a great decision to wear full tuxes, but the show went on!
Some of the competitors were really happy to hear music that they hadn't heard in years -- a few remarked that they had danced regularly at the old Edmonton Trocadero Ballroom.
MS Society Christmas Party a ton of fun!
2003 Dec 6The Trocadero was honoured to be a part of the Multiple Sclerosis Society's annual Christmas Party last week -- families affected by MS were offered a great meal, and entertainment by the band, and special guest (Santa!!). A great mix of standard big band tunes and some hot renditions of Christmas classics had the kids hopping, and their parents enjoying the concert!
Guest bassist Mike Malone made hist first appearance with the Troc that night -- great job, Mike!
It was great to be a part of this celebration, and thank you to all of the organizers who helped to make the lives of these families a little brighter for the holidays!
New Years' Eve LIVE ON CKUA again!
2003 Dec 31"Let's Dance!" was John Worthington's invitation to the 350 guests at the Coast Terrace Inn's Ballroom, and to the listeners across the world on the radio and the Internet! The Trocadero Orchestra, once again, was privileged to be invited to perform live to the airwaves for two hours at the annual New Years' Eve dinner and dance, and no one was disappointed! The band was on the top of their game, and with guest vocalist Shelley Jones, the band was able to offer a wonderful mix of waltzes, ballads, up-tempo swing tunes, and popular favourites for everyone's dancing tastes.
The broadcast has some very interesting moments, though -- a couple of times, the power went out in the ballroom! This was supposed to happen in the year 2000 -- not four years later! Just before our first break on the air, Shelley was singing a great pop tune "More Today than Yesterday", and just as the band was building to the last refrain, the hotel's power panel tripped! Pitch black in the ballroom -- too bad the band didn't have the tune memorized -- the lights went out, and so did the music!
Quick thinking Doug Zimmerman to the rescue! He drops his trumpet, and makes a dash off the stage, within about 15 seconds, CLICK! -- lights back on! It happened again right after the stroke of midnight, as the dance floor was hopping to Benny Goodman's SING SING SING! That time, though, we got really lucky... the lights went out right in the middle of a drum solo -- drummer Larry Schrum just kept on playing -- the beat stayed on, and the dancers kept right on going! Great effect -- the timing couldn't have been better if we had planned it!
Some other memorable moments from the gig: During one of the intermissions, the ballroom was treated to a bunch of the band members putting on a DIXIELAND performance! For that event, we were honoured to have one of our old pals sit in on the honky tonk piano, Gord Hafso! It was great to see him playing with the band again, after a couple of years of retirement! Also, many of the guys in the "Troca-DIXIE" were on secondary instruments -- George Lake, our guitar player, kept rhythm on his Banjo, Dennis Rusinak shelved his Bari-Sax in favour of a clarinet, Doug Zimmerman switched from his usual trumpet for a more traditional New Orleans instrument (the cornet), and the best treat for the pals from the band watching their bass player, Mike Malone, return to his primary instrument -- the TUBA -- completing the authentic voicing for the dixie group. Pete Stevenson, Phil McComb and Larry Schrum rounded out the group! Good show, guys! There's already been requests for an encore at future events!
2003 was a very busy and successful year for the Orchestra, with several highlights, including our trip to Fort MacMurray in the summer, the introduction of some new players to the group, some of the guys being interviewed for historical projects, and a growing support by loyal followers of Big Band Music! Here's hoping that 2004 will be just as successful!
Casualty of being a Roadie
2004 Jan 3rdSetting up for gigs requires a lot of work by the guys -- there's the sound sytem, the risers, the music stands, a lot of electrical gear, microphones and mic stands, and for special occasions (such as New Year's), we have to decorate tables and fill balloons.
Everyone chips in if they can -- we usually get around 8 guys helping with the setup.
During the setup at the Mayfield (for the Jan 3rd Shriner's Potentate's Ball), we heard that GEORGE LAKE was severly wounded during the last setup -- the day before the New Years' Eve gig at the Coast. During that setup, George was helping adjust the Coast Terrace Inn's grand piano, and the lid shut on his wrist! We saw it happen -- it looked painful! But, George just put ice on it and kept on working on the setup. The NEXT NIGHT, George played guitar and Banjo for the New Years' gig with a swollen wrist. The next day, he went to the hospital, got X-rays, and discovered he had broken two bones in his wrist! The guy had been a roadie for four hours on Tuesday, played a 5-hour gig on Wednesday with a broken hand!
Now, that's dedication! He's now got a cast as a souvenir of a New Year's Eve he'll never forget!
This is not the first time George has sacrificed his body for the band -- a fews years back, he took a tumble off the stage during set up, and ended up with a huge gash on his forehead -- headache and a goose egg didn't stop George from the performance THAT night, either!!
Good thing one of the band members is in the insurance business, and another is an orthopedic surgeon!
A Night To Be Remembered -- and a Night Fondly Remembered
2004 Feb 13A very special night for two couples attending the annual Cupid's Capers dinner and dance!
A small commotion at table 18 -- right after the dinner... JOSH STARK got down on one knee, and presented a ring to long-time girlfriend BRADY WEBSTER... of course, the obvious question -- did she accept? Of course! The table of family and friends errupted in cheers and applause, which spilled over to neighbouring tables!
At the first intermission, George Carmichael and John Worthington went back to get the details, and offer the Trocadero Orchestra's congratulations. At that point, Brandy pointed out that they were not the only ones with an engagement story to be shared with the 240 dancers in the room -- at a table close by, BILL and AGNES SOUTHERLAND shared the exact same moment -- 52 years ago -- in the original Trocadero Ballroom in downtown Edmonton, dancing to some of the very same musicians and music they were listening to five decades later!
To the Southerlands, we congratulate you on your long life together, and we are honoured to part of your history. To Josh and Brandy -- we offer you our sincerest best wishes, and hope that we can be part of your 50+ anniversary celebrations in 2054!
Summer Summary 2004
2004 Jul 6Troc members GONE FISHIN'
Time for a well deserved holiday for the Troc members... We've played to over 2000 people this year, in dances that included several private parties, such as weddings and corporate events. A milestone in the Troc's lives -- we've moved our rehearsals from the Lion's Centre on 111th, to the new Shriner's Hall on 140th Ave. One of our fondest memories of the past season will be our Christmas "thank you" performances for our loyal friends at the Lion's.
This year has seen several changes to the band -- new faces, such as Mike Malone as our regular bass player, and letting a few of our daytime rehearsal regulars get the opportunity to wear the tux and show their stuff at gigs: Bill, Aidan, Don and Lisa stepped up to the challenge; the band sounds fantastic!
There's also been some behind-the-scenes changes. After many years as the rehearsal leader of the band, Wally Might has "passed the baton" to George Carmichael. Peter Stevenson is now taking the lead role in handling our bookings, and we're actively looking to find venues that have a great dance floor, but might not offer as elaborate a dining experience (to keep the cost down).The fall is shaping up -- we've got another Wedding gig, and we're starting work on our Thanksgiving gig and New Years' event. In 2005, we've already been contracted for several major events, including a gig at the Convention Centre for around 600 people!
And, as the arts magazine LEGACY wrote about us...
The TROC ROCKS ON...
Happy New Year, 2005
Thanks, Wally, Phil and John
2005 Jan 1Happy 2005!
Once again, our Coast Terrace Inn New Years' Eve gig was a huge success! Over 400 big band enthusiasts gathered to celebrate the new year in style. And, our friends at CKUA radio treated the world to two hours of live music for the third year in a row! The crowd was having a great time, as the newest member of the band, vocalist Don Aubin, belted out the richest renditions of Sinatra classics the city has ever been witness to! It was also great to have Larry Schrum back in the drummers' chair after his health scare earlier in the year.
The final moments of 2004 were saluted with the Troc's rendition of "Bye Bye Blackbird", and as the band joined the world in the countdown to 2005, a few of the band members looked over to our pals John Worthington, Wally Might, and Phil McComb, who were playing their last gig with the band.
Wally and Phil have been with the band for most of the eleven years that the Troc has been around. Phil and Wally have both taken their time as rehearsal leaders of the group, and have constantly proven their musicianship and dedication to the big band classics. It is the committment of these two guys that has kept the group together, and without their tireless effort, the Trocadero Orchestra would have never become the premier dance band in the City of Edmonton.
It's hard to stay away from the band. Gord Hafso, for example, retired over two years ago. But, there he was -- working the room once again, providing dinner music to the crowd, and sitting on piano for the DixieLand segment of the broadcast. Wally promises to be a "sub" when called upon, and Phil is still sponsoring our rehearsal space at the Shriner's Hall, and has offerred to sit in on the occasional rehearsal. He's also promised to keep brow-beating his brother-in-law, Don Millar, to continue helping the band out (Don does all of the printing for the band, and also had the very important duty of dropping the balloons at Midnight). You just can't keep good musicians down.
And, our dear friend and long-time supporter, JOHN WORTHINGTON, has retired his white Tuxedo -- he bid a fond farewll to the dancers, claiming that this was his final appearance as the host/emcee of the Trocadero Orchestra. We'll see about that... he has already hinted that the night was so much fun, he might be convinced to come out of retirement for the 2005/6 New Years' Eve Party! Once a big band lover, always a big band lover. He vows, "You will still be able to hear me weekly on Sunday afternoon - I'm NEVER quitting my radio broadcast -- they'll have to drag my body out of the chair for that to happen!"
Thanks, Phil, Wally and John -- you made the group what it is today, and your enthusiasm and dedication will live on in the many band members you have inspired.
Valentine's With the Troc
2005 Feb 14Another Successful Event
Along with our contracted gig in mid-January (for the Shriner's Annual Potentate's Ball), our Saturday Feb 12th Cupid's Capers has kept the Trocadero Orchestra very busy!
It's been an interesting transition for the band -- we are now rehearsing on alternate Fridays and Saturdays to accomodate some of the newer players we have in the band that actually have "day jobs". Also, some of our regular members have migrated South for some sunshine. This has given the band an opportunity to allow some new faces to play with the group. Over the past couple of months, we've had guests such as Cam Wild, Dave Gerlinski, and John Dymianiw on trumpet. We've had the pleasure of having Mike Malone's pal, Kevin Andrews sit in a couple of times on drums, and our old friend Aidan McGarrigle has rehearsed with us on Tenor sax, as well as handling the vocal charts. On trombone, Fred Husband has been filling in a few times, and we've had George's daughter, Lindsay Carmichael, help out on vocals. With the great talent in our city, we're sure to have a great future in the Trocadero Orchestra
The Santa Maria Goretti hosted the festivities on Feb 12th this year -- 200 loyal Big Band fans celebrated Valentine's Day with us -- and they were treated to great performances by some of our featured soloists -- Lisa Anderson, our lead Alto Sax for the evening, did a beautiful job on a lovely ballad, My One and Only Love. We brought out that crowd favourite, Sing Sing Sing for our drummer, Larry Schrum to show off his stuff! And, Aidan McGarrigle sang a few great numbers for the evening, including Blue Moon, and (of course) My Funny Valentine.
The trumpet section had a great night, mostly because of the solid lead trumpet playing of Neil Corlett, who has been a premiere trumpeter in the city for years, and a long-time alumnus of the Tommy Banks Orchestra. Also, one of Larry Schrum's old students made his debut with the Troc -- John Dymianiw blew some impressive improvised solos throughout the night. Also, because of a last minute illness, Art Rowe took Pete Stevenson's position as lead trombone for the evening -- Art did a stellar job, anchoring the trombone section!
It was a tough night for the band members -- two of our long-time friends are in failing health right now, and we hope that our pals Pete Stevenson and Harlan Green will make quick recoveries, and be able to rejoin our group in the near future. For now, Pete and Harlan, rest and recover -- we'll be thinking about you!
During the evening, George Carmichael reminded the dancers to fill out a survey form -- the Troc is looking to add a few more dates for dances over the year. We are considering adding a couple of Sunday Afternoon dances. We hope that by adding a couple of less expensive gigs to our year, we will encourage more people to come out an listen and dance to the music we love! As we compile the results of the survey, we will be announcing our newest gigs: Sunday Afternoon Swing with the Trocadero Orchestra!
NYE 2005-2006 was a blast!
2006 Jan 11Another great crowd for New Year's Eve at the Coast Terrace Inn!
On the performance side of things, most people thought "everything was just right, don't change a thing". We even had a few "this is the best the band has sounded, ever!" Thank you for the flattering vote of confidence!
We also got to show off the talents of a couple of new players in the band -- Martin Walters played a huge number of the trumpet solos, and Bruce Wiwchar and Ken Burns were fine additions to the trombone section. We also welcomed three of our regulars to their first NYE gigs: Don Carmichael, Lisa Anderson, and Bill Krisch have been journeymen for the Troc for years, and finally were given the chance to shine at our premiere event!
Big thanks also need to be extended to Chris Allen, who substituted for John Worthington as our on-air announcer (CKUA Radio), Jamie Kidd, a terrific sound engineer for CKUA, and to our hosts at the Coast Terrace Inn, who not only threw one heck of a party, but also provided very impressive door prizes for the evening: An executive suite and dinner for two, a brunch for two, and a dinner for two.
Based on feedback from the previous year, the Coast Terrace Inn tried a new approach to handing out champagne for a midnight toast -- guests were given tickets at the door to trade for a glass of champagne that they could pick up at one of several stations around the ballroom. That seemed to work very well in ensuring that everyone had their champagne in time.
Seating arrangements are always an important area to address. While we try to honour every request, sometimes when we do our best, we still come up a little short. We appreciate your understanding and patience - juggling 46 tables is a tough thing to do. We are considering other methods to handle seating, such as only reserving tables when a party of 6 or 10 order their tickets on one order, or having no reserved tables at all. Sonja Carmichael, Mary Lake, and Pat Stevenson (three of the "band widows") did the tour of duty working the reception for the evening -- thanks, ladies!
MORE RETIREES
We would like to thank the long-time effort and dedication provided by ART ROWE and AL BOYD -- these two trombone players have been anchors to our band for a long time. Thanks, Art and Al -- you can now sleep in on Saturday mornings!
NYE 2006: John Worthington Returns to the Band Stand
2007 Jan 2New Year's Eve - on the air with CKUA
After a year sabbatical, it was great to see our old pal, John Worthington, back in front of the band announcing the tunes on our CKUA broadcast!
We can also welcome and thank a few new musicians making their debut with the Troc - Dave Gerlinsky, a trumpeter who's been around town for a few years, playing with the Mill Creek Collery band, the Grant MacEwan Band, and several other prominent bands in the city.
Also, a real treat - Cam Grier, a young pup subbing in for Mike Malone on bass this year, is only a second year MacEwan student, but you fit in perfectly with the group. Lots of praise form the the seasoned professionals in the band
The night before, the Troc did a road trip back to Camrose - a wedding for a couple who saw the band five years ago, and was determined to use the Troc to highlight their celebrations - congratulations to Danni and Josh!
Subbing for Glen Acorn on tenor that night, was Lara Craig - a very talented recent music grad from F.X. (Nova Scotia's F.X University is one of Canada's best Jazz schools).
Congratulations to Damein and Patty
2009 June 27Our second Zakordonski wedding was just as much fun as the first!
Two years ago, we were invited to be the feature band at Taras' wedding, and on June 27th, the youngest brother, Damein, celebrated a huge wedding, with 450 guests, a fabulous buffet, and non-stop dancing with the Trocadero, and a group of friends that performed very fast polka and Ukranian tunes throughout the evening!
A memorable night, for sure -- watching all of the families showing off their Ukranian dance heritage, the guests of this wedding were treated to a dazzling display of dancing, courtesy of several Cheremosh, and Shumka dance veterans -- doing all the flashy moves in tuxedos and long evening gowns!
It was also special for the members of the Troc, as they said their thanks and best wishes to JF Picard, a long-time player with the band, who is moving back East. JF came to town about ten years ago with the Royal Canadian Artilery Band, and the city's jazz scene immediately accepted him as one of our own, and one of the strongest saxophonists in the country - also an all-around nice guy! JF was part of many bands, and was also a faculty member with MacEwan. Good luck, JF!
Also, a young up-and-coming trumpeter, Matt Michielin, subbed in with our band for the first time, and shared the lead and solo trumpet duties with George Carmichael -- Matt graduated from MacEwan a couple of years ago, and he's going East this year (Nova Scotia's F.X University), and he'll undoubtedly return in a couple of years as a trumpet force to be reckoned with! Thanks for subbing in, Matt!
WHERE HAVE WE BEEN????
2005 Sep 17GREETINGS, MUSIC LOVERS! Did you miss us? We missed you!
Itís been quite a while since our last big band dance for our fans - Valentineís day, actually! Where have we been?! Where has the time gone?
Well, itís a long story, with many ups and downs. Some of our regular musicians have had some very serious health problems ñ thankfully, everyone is recovering! With some of our regular members under the weather, we slowed down. But, we have had the opportunity to call upon some of the best musicians in Edmonton to help out for some of our private gigs. This city has a virtually unlimited supply of musical talent, and you will be seeing some of those new faces in our band over the coming years, as some of our veterans retire.
OUR VENUES AND TIMES
We are grateful for the feedback we frequently receive from you.
Some have expressed concern about our choice of venues. In such a vibrant city, it is often difficult to reserve a large enough ballroom on a Saturday night - the Coast Terrace Inn (our ìhomeî for the past few years) is very busy, catering to weddings and conventions. The same can be said of our previous performance base (the Mayfield Inn was our home in earlier years). Both of these hotels have been strong supporters of us, and we will continue to consider these hotels for our premier events, such as Valentineís and New Yearsí Eve.
We would like to expand our opportunity for performance dates. To do that, we need to consider other locations (and times!). They say that variety is the spice of life -- letís give it a try...
Weíll be working in the new year to honour our commitment to offer a Sunday Afternoon ìTea Danceî. Many of you have said that you love the idea ñ it will give you an opportunity to bring your kids and friends out to hear our band in a less formal (and less expensive) setting. When we finish working out the details, weíll let you know.