Big Band Sound returns May 11 for Friday Night Dance program at Community Center
For The Vista
The 21-piece Big Band Sound will play its only Friday night dance of the 2012 schedule at Fairfield Glade on May 11 at the Community and Conference Center. The event is scheduled from 7 to 10 P.M.
Normally the band performs on Saturday nights.
It comes on a major event weekend in Fairfield Glade. It is Mother’s Day weekend, and also the community’s annual Member-Guest golf tournament.
“The band sees this as an opportunity to play for more visitors to the Glade, especially those on time share. Time share weeks begin and end on Sunday, and visitors are usually packing up to leave on Saturday nights, so dancing is not high on their list,” said Bill Schneider, band director.
“We think Friday will give the visitors, who love big band music, an opportunity to see and hear our performance, and dance to our music,” he said.
The Big Band Sound dance events have been a regular event in Fairfield Glade for more than 15 years.
Schneider, a retired Continental Airline pilot plays baritone and tenor saxophone besides being the band’s director. He has played with numerous big bands and founded the Black Tie Big Band in 1999. The group is now called the Swing City Big Band of Cleveland, Ohio. He was with the group until 2004, when he moved to Sparta and began playing with the Big Band Sound.
The Big Band Sound includes high school band directors from middle and east Tennessee and talented music students from Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville. Others are musicians who play at Nashville recording studios or are retired musicians.
Wanda Hepburn of Crossville and Lloyd Holt of Algood are featured vocal soloists.
Instrumental soloists on May 11 include Phil Barham on alto saxophone, Brant Poindexter on tenor saxophone, Jeff White on trumpet and Kurt Snider on drums.
Barham is a world-renowned saxophone player and is professor of saxophone at Tennessee Technology University at Cookeville. Poindexter is a student of Barham at Tennessee Tech and performs in several university music groups. White is a long-time member of the band who resides in Crossville. He is a Web page and graphic designer for TAP Publishing in Crossville. Snider had an extensive music career in the Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg area of Florida before moving to Cookeville.
Tickets for the event are $13.75, including tax, per person and are available at the Community Center. Reservations can be made, and tickets paid for, prior to the event in person at the Community Center. Reservations by phone may be charged to a credit card. The telephone number is 931-484-3722. Cancellations made two days before the dance will be given full refunds.
Early reservations are important because seating is limited to approximately 140. Tables seat eight persons and may be reserved. The Community Club will provide beverages for purchase. Snacks may be brought into the facility by those attending.