Jazz Band performed tribute to The Rat Pack

The Georgia College & State University community had an opportunity to sink their teeth into “A Night with The Rat Pack.”
On Thursday, April 8 and Friday, April 9 the GC&SU Jazz Band paid tribute to the legendary trio.
If you went to the concert expecting these young men to look or sound like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin or Sammy Davis Jr., then you were disappointed. However, if you went to the concert with the intentions of listening to an excellent jazz band, then you got what you paid for and then some.
The program was divided into two parts. The first part was the GC&SU Jazz Band playing well-known jazz arrangements. The Count Basie arrangements were executed especially well, due in large part to pianist Allen Hoffmeyer.
I don’t ever recall being blown away by a solo performance in a concert, either jazz or classical. That was until I heard Marshall Coats on bass guitar. I’ve heard Coats play before in a pep band for the GC&SU Bobcats Basketball games. His performance during “Norwegian Wood” left me awestruck.
Another welcome surprise were the sultry voices of the women who took the stage for vocal performances. April Felton and Anna Schanche sang “The Look of Love” and “Route 66,” respectively.
After the intermission, the tribute to The Rat Pack began. Brad Bergeron played the part of Dean Martin. Bergeron could not duplicate the aged, experienced voice of Martin, but between Sinatra and Davis, Bergeron really impressed me by staying in character.

You could find Bergeron out in the crowd or on stage with a drink an hour and a half before the show. He looked and acted like he just stepped out of the Sand’s Hotel bar.
Also during his song, “I Love ‘Vegas,’” he was wonderfully off-key and offbeat. Typical Dean Martin.
Herby Agnew did his homework on the mannerisms of Sammy Davis Jr., and he did a wonderful job acting like Davis. Agnew sounded remarkably like Davis when he sang “The Lady Is A Tramp.”
John Mason played the incomparable Frank Sinatra. Mason was able to adapt Sinatra’s nonchalant manner.
One of my favorite performances would have to be Mason and Hoffmeyer’s two-man rendition of “One For The Road.”
All in all, it was a pretty good show. If you wanted to relive the days of The Rat Pack with perfect voices and looks then maybe this program was lost on you, but if you are ever in the mood for good music, then look no further than GC&SU’s Jazz Band for future events.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 16 2004. Filed under Other. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry