The Orillia Big Band had a dance at St. Paul’s Centre Saturday night. This was different. Aside from the tropical temperatures (Friday night too), it was like stepping back in time, or maybe watching an old movie. There were about 150 people on hand, seated at tables around the perimeter of the main room. This provided a large dance floor and boy was it full at times.
The band has 20 members and they played a wide range of danceable tunes. I had a program, which must have been printed on some great paper because I left it in my jacket pocket and the maid washed the jacket. There was no trace of it left, and all I remember was they played a Glenn Miller Tune (Moonlight Serenade) and The Girl from Ipanema. They also have a very good woman singing, but her name also went down the drain
The one thing different about this gig was the sound. With virtually the whole floor available to act as a reflector, the sound was a bit muddy. I was speaking with one of the trumpet players during the break and we were talking about the sound of the band and the room. I said, “you’re probably not ever going to hear me say this again, but the trumpets could be a little louder to compensate.’ I did notice during the second half they were playing a bit louder and the sound of the band became a little clearer and cleaner.
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