It’s not often a band gets a standing ovation in the middle of a performance, but when it happens, you know they did something right. And that’s what Spirit ‘20, a six member band dedicated to 1920s style music got when they played their soulful, fun tunes at the Bonnington Arts Centre last Tuesday, March 15.
The band consists of five men and one woman. Each of the men wore white suit jackets with black dress shirts, black suit pants and a pair of shiny black shoes. There was one hat, deemed the “talking hat” that was white with a black band.
In case you didn’t guess, whoever wore the hat was able to speak. The others had to sit in silence as their compadre spoke to the packed house.
As Marilyn Massey put it, these members were truly a collection of great artists.
The leader of this “gang of music nerds” is Guy Few, who was trumpeter for the night.
James Campbell, who has been on five television specials, participated in more than 40 recordings, Juno award winning and even recipient of the Order of Canada, was the clarinetist for the night.
Mark Fewer who is currently artistic director of the Sweet Water Music Festival and professor at Schulich School of Music at McGill University played the violin that night.
James McKay brought his bassoonist sound, and Chloe Dominguez brought her cello out to add to this eclectic mix. The two are equally impressive in their background, and none of them missed a beat.
Finally, pianist John Novak brought his intense New York-raised sound, literally standing off his seat as he played his songs, masterfully hitting each note with an almost mathematical accuracy.
The music they played included classics such as Rhapsody in Blue and Revue de Cuisine.
Each song swung through ups and downs like a roller-coaster of melody. One moment you could imagine a cartoon cat stalking Tweety bird, and the next it felt like an old classy pub with hats drawn down and smoke rising up to the ceiling.
No moment felt boring, as the show was unpredictable in its sound.
The musicians also didn’t outshine one another. Rather than having one ego, each of their sounds blended in nicely to create a beautiful set.
It was a great night for anyone in attendance, and the group received a warm reception after each song.
