Mount Baker Secondary School’s Music Program director Evan Bueckert leads the Symphony of the Kootenays when early 20th Century music returns to Cranbrook this Saturday evening.

The symphony takes a turn to the cool, presenting a Classical Jazz program that combines symphonic music written with jazz in mind and orchestral translations of early jazz standards.

In the early 20th Century, a new wind was blowing in the world of music. A fusion of new world and old was occurring that would turn music of the day on its ear.

American artists such as George Gershwin traveled to Europe to soak up influences of Paris.  At the same time, European composers of the day, such as Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, came to North America where they were strongly influenced by sounds from African American traditions and dance crazes like Ragtime. A genre that was being called “jazz”.

The era is the same as depicted in the recent run of the hit musical Chicago that played earlier this month at Key City Theatre in Cranbrook. Its musical stylings are what influenced composers of the day and that music will again be front and centre at the Key City Theatre. Another link between Chicago and this weekend is Cranbrook’s own Evan Bueckert.

Mr. Bueckert was the bandleader “B-Train” for Chicago, a nice little warm-up to this Saturday’s performance. Well-known locally for his piano stylings in The littlejazz Orchestra as well as mentoring thousands of high school students, he now takes up the baton to direct the symphony.

Conducting Symphony of the Kootenays is a longtime dream of Mr. Bueckert. Raised in the Columbia Valley in a very musical family, the opportunity to conduct a full orchestra was something he couldn’t pass up. A jazz-oriented program was right in his wheelhouse and the show promises to be spectacular.

Much of the music in Saturday’s program came out of the composers’ experiences in new lands. Gershwin’s French postcard An American in Paris and Darius Milhaud’s ballet The Creation of the World drew heavily on their respective experiences in new lands and cultures.

New instruments showed up as well. In his Creation piece, Milhaud replaces the lush viola sound with a new instrument that was becoming a standard jazz – the saxophone. A rare instrument in symphony orchestras, SOTK is proud to welcome home Cranbrook native Rick Lingard, now of Nelson, who joins the orchestra on sax.

Other pieces you’ll hear include St. Louis Blues, Gershwin’s Fascinating Rhythm, Tango master Astor Piazolla’s Oblivion and a taste of Latin with Chuck Mangione’s Children of Sanchez. Warm up a winter’s night with hot sounds from cool musicians.

The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 2 at Key City Theatre.

Tickets are $32.50 for adults and a very affordable $10 for youth aged 18 and under, thanks to sponsorship from Alpine Toyota.

Tickets are available at the Key City box office in Cranbrook or online via links at www.sotk.ca.

Lead image: Evan Bueckert conducts during Chicago earlier this month. Photos submitted

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