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Company B Jazz Band, a Vancouver-based six-piece group in the style of the Andrews and Boswell Sisters, rouses crowds for smiles and dancing with their cheerful renditions of classic repertoire from the 1920s through 1940s (with a little bit of the ‘10s and a little bit of the ‘50s in there too!). Loaded with personality, the harmonies of the female vocal trio are well-complemented by top-notch instrumentalists. The band makes it their mission to capture the style and the spirit of the music of the first half of the 20th century, but there is also an undeniable youth and freshness to their sound and their stage presence.
The members of Company B Jazz Band met in the Jazz Studies program at Capilano University, honing their skills studying modern jazz. Interested in learning more about what came before, the friends happened upon recordings of the Andrews Sisters and the Boswell Sisters. It was love at first listen, and their mission became to recreate the sound and spirit of this wonderful era of swinging jazz, while adding their own musical personalities to the mix.
Company B Jazz Band is one of Vancouver’s foremost jazz ensembles, featuring a harmonizing female vocal trio in vintage style. In their 10-plus years as a band, this talented group of musicians has delighted audiences from coast to coast to coast. Their creative arrangements, sharp image, and charming wit never fail to get toes tapping and faces smiling. They have graced the stages of such renowned jazz and music festivals as the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival (Canada), the Jiangsu Jazz & World Music Festival (China), the New Orleans’ Boswell Sisters Review (US), the Sacramento Jazz Festival (US), the Pender Harbour Jazz Festival (Canada), as well as the Tiny Lights and Arts on the Fly folk music festivals (Canada). The group enjoys frequent airplay on Canada’s internationally broadcast CBC Radio 1 and 2, having been featured on such popular programs as Hot Air, and in live broadcasts on The Early Edition. Company B has been featured on CBC Radio Two’s Canada Live series, seen on CBC Television and on CFJC’s Midday Show (Kamloops, BC), and they have been featured guests several times on CiTR’s Sweet and Hot radio program. Their self-titled debut CD has received rave reviews from people all over Canada and the US.
Company B Jazz Band will be performing Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the Osoyoos Community Theatre (at Osoyoos Secondary School). Tickets are available at the Osoyoos Times office on Main Street (cash only) and at Sundance Video in Oliver. Ticket prices are: $25 for adults and $15 for students.
