Swing Street brings big band sound to Bonners Ferry

BONNERS FERRY — You don’t have to know the Charleston or the Lindy Hop to enjoy a night of big band music at the Becker Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22. Featuring classic artists like Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman to more modern composers like Billy Joel and Brian Setzer, area musicians of Swing Street will be in Bonners Ferry for the latest Educational Concert Series program presented by and supporting the BCSD bands. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for students and can be purchased from any band student, at Mountain Mike’s, Bonners Books or at the door. The Educational Concert Series program seeks to promote music education by bringing musicians from around the area, country and world to work with music students during the day, followed by an evening concert for the Bonners Ferry community. “Our students don’t have a chance to experience a lot of musical variety,” says BCSD director of bands Jessica Hanna. “This program seeks to broaden their horizons, while also providing the community with musical acts they may never get to see otherwise.” The BFHS jazz band, more than 20 members strong this year will join Swing Street for a combo number at the concert. Based in Sandpoint, Swing Street Big Band was formed in the mid-’90s by Tom Walton, band director at Sandpoint Middle School and Ed Brown, a musician and manufacturer of custom percussion instruments. According to the band’s website, www.swingstreetbigband.com, Tom and Eds' extensive knowledge of local musicians in the area helped them to form the first group of musicians that would be the Swing Street Big Band. Over the years many musicians have come and gone, they say, and today only a few people remain from that original group. Today the band is comprised of a very diverse group of people from many backgrounds. From this vast array of backgrounds one common interest links them all — a love for playing and performing music.