Black Swan’s classic jazz kicks off ‘Sunday Afternoon Live’ series

Published 3:35 am Thursday, November 4, 2004

RAYMOND, Wash. – “Sunday Afternoon Live” opens its 2004-05 concert season at the Raymond Theatre Sunday, Nov. 7 with a rocking appearance by the Black Swan Classic Jazz Band at 3 p.m.

Formed in 1989 by a group of mostly Oregon musicians from the Willamette Valley, Black Swan is an eight-piece ensemble “dedicated to the preservation and acoustic performance of traditional jazz, Dixieland and ragtime music.” A versatile mix, Black Swan educates as well as entertains its audiences with authentic renditions of the music of such early jazz greats as Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington and Scott Joplin. This fun, artistic group of musicians also specializes in old-time gospel tunes and features the sizzling sounds of talented vocalist Marilyn Keller. John Bennett powers the “88,” Ernie Carbajal toots the trumpet, Ron Leach beats the drums, and Steve Matthew “out-Fountains” the great Pete! Allen Phillips is great on the banjo, and his vocals complement those of Keller. Tuba player Kit Johnson leads the band, and South Bend’s own Lew Chapman adds the mellow tones of his swinging trombone.

Tickets will cost $5 ($6 at the door) and are now on sale at Jensen’s Furniture in Raymond and Flowering Hills in South Bend. A community dinner-auction will be held in conjunction with the concert at the Raymond Elks Lodge from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Proceeds of the dinner will help with medical expenses for Jodi Keeton McCoy, who has been diagnosed with the rare and life-changing disease, idiopathic gastroparesis, a nutritional disorder which paralyzes the stomach muscles and has precipitated a dramatic weight loss in McCoy. Additional information regarding the dinner and/or auction may be obtained by calling Erin Van Bronckhort at (360) 942-3916.

Local sponsors for Black Swan’s performance are Davis Insurance & Real Estate Agency Inc. of South Bend and an “anonymous friend” of Sunday Afternoon Live. The second SAL concert, scheduled for Jan. 2 at the Pacific County Courthouse, will feature Kim Angelis and Josef Gault of Astoria and is sponsored by the Pacific County Title Company.