The first big show of the second annual Lethbridge Jazz Festival was a hit, June 15 at the Sterndale Bennett Theatre thanks to the Contemporary Jazz Work’s Orchestra featuring all of the highlights of the weekend festival including the affable trumpet player Marvin Stamm, Vern Dorge playing a home town show before his own show on Saturday, and special guest saxophonist Pat Belliveau.
There was a lot of brass on stage. The bass was hidden behind a grand piano played by Evan Schaaf, who made his debut with the Contemporary Jazz Works Orchestra.
Everybody got to solo through a set of many different types of jazz including slower pieces, a few ballads and some exotic pieces.
Vern Dorge stepped up to solo during a Herbie Hancock piece and Anna Vanderheide stepped up to sing a big, beautiful solo on “Rain or Shine.”
One of many highlights as watching Marv Stamm, who has played with everybody from Quincy Jones, Frank Sinatra, Benny Goodman and even Paul McCartney, which was somewhat ironic as the Beatlemania tribute was going strong next door in the Yates.
Marvin Stamm slouched on stage and for the first part his first song, sat back and listened to the orchestra.
Vern Dorge was lost in concentration in the first row, while one of the other saxophonist sat next to him, her mouth opened in awe as Stamm began to conduct Duke Ellington’s “Caravan,” to start the second set.
The entire band stopped and watched as he blew ear-piercing high notes at the end of it.
“I’m sorry about that. I have to blow those high notes sometimes just to prove I still can,” he chuckled to the crowd as he tore into Cole Porter’s ballad “I Love You,” and Roger Ramirez’s “Loverman.”
“He ended the set with a Caribbean “Samba de los gatos,” and when the band stopped again to listen to him, he joked “ that’s a downbeat.”
He invited Pat Belliveau, Vern Dorge and Ryan Hesseltine to stand up and solo in front of the band on a couple numbers.