Young and old came together to bond over swing jazz at the West Stettler Park on Wednesday, June 24, as Jazz Guys kicked off the annual Entertainment in the Park series of concerts, organized by Stettler Parks and Leisure.
Serenading the audience with popular swing numbers, the West Stettler Park came alive for one-and-a-half hours of soulful music.
Having played together for almost 14 years, performing on the stage as a team is second nature to Jazz Guys, said Eric Rahn, one of the band members. Rahn plays the keyboard, and is also the band teacher at Stettler Middle and Elementary schools.
A love for instruments and jazz is what brought the eight guys to jam together. Coming from different backgrounds as varied as accountant and steam train operator, the band members have stuck together over the years and evolved into the band it is today, comprising Alan Willis, Bob Willis, Eric Rahn, Ted Nibourg, John Ireland, Scott Pfeiffer, Marvin Harris, Eric Peterson.
“I missed playing jazz piano, so this group has saved me,” said Rahn,
Every Tuesday, the members meet at the school and rehearse, while nurturing their love for music. That’s their weekly get together, said Alan Willis. The band also performs at other community events, similar to Entertainment in the Park. Willis is on percussion and has been playing for some years now.
Although the only sponsor so far has been the Alberta Prairie Steam Tours Ltd., providing them with T-shirts for the evening, the band is on the look out for community partners who can support their music.