PREVIEW
Here Come the ’70s – Stevie Wonder and More!
River City Big Band
Special guest Bernard Quilala
Wednesday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Capitol Theatre
Fort Edmonton Park
Tickets: $27.50. Call 780-420-1757 or at www.tixonthesquare.ca
As River City Big Band prepares to take a summer break, it closes the season with a trip back to the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The 18-piece introduces Here Come the ’70s – Stevie Wonder and More! on Wednesday, May 22 at Fort Edmonton’s Capitol Theatre.
One of the band's strengths is their dynamic blend of jazz, swing, funk and fusion that keep show-starved jazz lovers coming back.
In this concert, band leader Ray Baril jazzes up the popular rock music of the day. He explains that the ’60s and ’70s saw a merging of jazz and rock into some of the most influential grooves of the era.
“When you fused them together, they were called jazz fusion or jazz rock. It was a combination between the instruments of rock but with an emphasis on improvisation so important to jazz,” said Baril.
The added use of a brass section to rock became prominent in evoking different emotions, sensitivity and power. The extra horns contributed to the massive success of bands such as Blood, Sweat and Tears; Chicago; Tower of Power; Average White Band; and Earth, Wind and Fire.
“There were so many iconic pieces. Spinning Wheel. Superstition. You Are the Sunshine of My Life. They were all Top 10 hits. They had such great grooves. It was dance music, but with something special – great lyrics and a great melodic vibe.”
Baril also points out that the musicians' extensive schooling played a large part in the songs’ successes.
“They were all trained musicians. They came through universities and colleges with degrees. They had a great skill set as improvisers and they had great musicianship.”
During the first set, River City puts their stamp on the horn-based rock band's chart-topping hits. The second set, however, is a special nod to the legendary Stevie Wonder.
“He is one of the great songwriters. He brought a whole new element of jazz harmony to music that continues to be popular today ... He was such a great innovator in terms of harmony and it lends itself so well to a big band.”
St. Albert’s John Dymianiw will have the opportunity to showcase his chops soloing a couple of Wonder’s charts.
Former Season 2 Canadian Idol competitor Bernard Quilala is River’s City’s special guest. Quilala is an active vocalist who performs soulful charts of North America’s musical royalty.
“He’s got tremendous range. He’s got a high range that really suits the music of Stevie Wonder. Stevie is a high tenor and Bernie is like that. He has great flexibility and pulls the improvisation thing together.”
In closing Baril said, “It’s an opportunity to experience a theatre you may not have been in before, and this music is as iconic to that period as Fort Edmonton is iconic to Edmonton’s history.
“This should be a fun evening of well-crafted music, great solos and it's very accessible.”
