A night of big band fun at the Truro Legion June 9
TRURO - An eclectic array of jazz, funk, swing and more is part of the set the Back Alley Big Band plans to bring to the Truro Legion on June 9.
Retired music educator Paul Barrett has been the "driving force" of the 17-piece ensemble for the last 15 years or so.
He's not only organized gigs but the ever-changing lineup of musicians, as well.
"It's very similar to herding cats, getting people together," joked Barrett.
Perhaps the most fascinating piece of the band is special guest vocalist and congas player Augusto Enriquez, a Cuban native who Barrett was introduced to by fellow musician and member of the Back Alley Big Band, Jeff Goodspeed.
"He's a Cuban singing sensation," Barrett described. "He's quite up there. He has sung with (Luciano) Pavarotti, with Sting."
"He got involved because we played Latin music, and he loved the swing music," said Goodspeed. "We have a lot of musicians in our band with experience in Latin music."
Some may recognize Goodspeed, alongside other Trurobased musicians, Nicholas Fisher and Kenny Mackay - all of which Barrett spoke highly of.
"Nick Fisher teaches at the Truro Junior High School. Before he decided to settle down, he was a professional.
"Kenny is close to my age, I guess, but he's a great player. (He) has a group called the Swell Guys, a group called the Aviators, and plays with Asia Nu Gruv, a band out of Halifax.
"Second tenor is Jeff Goodspeed, and Jeff has played with ... oh, he's had quite the career."
The band itself, with its several local musicians, has travelled far. In 2015, they played at the Karl Marx Theatre in Havana, Cuba. This show also featured Enriquez and consisted primarily of songs from Frank Sinatra and Benny Moré - a performance that was broadcasted over Cuban television. Following that performance, they heard from the Cuban ambassador to Canada.
"He saw it from Ottawa, and said, 'Wow, this is a great band. Why don't you come up to Ottawa and play for the House of Commons?'
"We all ended up in Ottawa and performed for Parliament. Interesting gig," said Barrett.
"Since then, Augusto will join the band every once in a while," said Goodspeed. "And that's what this one is all about."
When asked how it felt to have two nation-spanning opportunities one after the other, Barrett voiced his appreciation for the band.
"It felt great," replied Barrett. "I feel very privileged to be in front of these guys."
THE MAN BEHIND THE BAND
A retired music teacher who taught at Cobequid Educational Centre (CEC) for many years, Barrett has quite a storied history in the musical arts himself. Before attending the Nova Scotia Teacher's College, Barrett began his musical journey playing with the Truro-based jazz fusion rock band Horse, alongside fellow musicians Doug Mackay, Wayne Nicholson, Layne Francis, Abbey Aucoin, Gregg Fancy and Kenny Mackay.
After Horse's break up, Barrett became an educator, teaching students music while also putting on several musicals at CEC over his tenure. This was alongside work outside of his day job, which included musical performances with a number of big bands, and his work with Goodspeed's Los Primos project, which helps support young musicians in Cuba through instrument donations, as well as cultural exchange trips.
Barrett's tenure as an educator has helped him in his current business running the Back Alley Big Band, as several of his former students are either on the main line-up or are on his list of substitutes.
"A lot of these guys are former students of mine. I'm the old guy in the band," Barrett laughed.
For Barrett, the band is a way to keep himself playing something he hopes to do for another 20 years.
"I'm still playing lead trombone. It gives me a reason to keep my chops up and take my horn out of the case."
Tickets for the Back Alley Big Band's performance can be purchased online at Eventbrite. A full lineup of musicians can be found at backalleybb.ca.