Experience the dynamic energy of 17 musicians playing an exclusive repertoire of songs inspired by your favourite Disney and Pixar movies with big band energy when The Happiest Big Band on Earth comes to Chilliwack.
On Nov. 10, Vancouver’s top improvisational pianist Matt Grinke will take the songs you’ve come to know and love, and take them to a whole new level in an evening that will have you wanting to sing along.
What originally started as an assignment in university grew into what is quickly becoming one of the hottest big bands in Vancouver. The Happiest Big Band on Earth was a project born of Grinke’s love for the big band sound and him not wanting to rehash the old jazz standards. He wanted to create new arrangements of songs that were not part of the standard. The only thing that made sense to use was the one thing that matched his love for big bands, which was his love of Disney.
Over several months, Grinke arranged the music for a 17-piece big band, creating pieces that were new, yet familiar at the same time. Arranging the music was only part of the bands creation though. Selecting the players was also a very important part of the bands creation. Each musician had to meet Grinke’s two criteria: they had to be outstanding musicians and they needed to be Disney fans.
The Happiest Big Band’s first show was at Friday Night Live in North Vancouver, where the building was packed to capacity. Three weeks later, they played two more shows to full audiences, where they received multiple standing ovations. They only continued to grow, performing to sold out houses throughout Vancouver and becoming a staple in the West Coast Music Scene.
The energy that they’ve been spreading through Vancouver is about to land at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre, making for a night that you won’t soon forget.
The Happiest Big Band on Earth is coming to the Chilliwack Cultural Centre on Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 for adults, $32 for seniors and $30 for youth and can be purchased at the Centre Box Office, online at www.chilliwackculturalcentre.ca, or by calling 604-391-SHOW(7469).
