High-energy music of the big band “swing” era that characterized popular culture of the 1930s, giving birth to the jitterbug as it combined harmonic sophistication, improvisational brilliance and danceable music, comes alive Thursday, July 15, as  Lake Effect Jazz Big Band plays the Beckwith Park Summer Concert Series in downtown Dowagiac.

For the third consecutive season, Huntington Bank has underwritten the 12-week concert series, which is co-hosted by the Dowagiac Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce.

The free concerts open at 7:30 p.m. at Beckwith Park, located at the corner of Front and Beeson streets, which features lawn-chair seating.

By the late-1920s as musicians modified Dixieland jazz, one of the greatest eras in music was born.

For students of music history, the swing era is said to represent a pinnacle of American music form, combining harmonic sophistication, improvisational brilliance, and danceable songs.

Swing bands typically used an upright or double bass instead of the tuba, which had often characterized Dixieland, and played repeated “riffs” to give the music its propulsive rhythmic force.  In the hands of brilliant arrangers like Fletcher Henderson, swing combined harmonic sophistication with danceable rhythms and compelling individual improvisations.

Swing bands ranged from “Kansas City”-style groups like Count Basie’s, which emphasized a very bluesy, intensely riff oriented style, to New York based bands like Duke Ellington’s or Glenn Miller’s, which experimented with a more orchestral range of colors.

According to Vickie Phillipson, program director of the Dowagiac DDA, who coordinates the summer fine arts series, Lake Effect Jazz Big Band is an 18-piece jazz band that was formed for the express purpose of performing mainstream and contemporary jazz big band music and preserving this music genre as a significant part of America’s heritage and music history.

Based in southwestern Michigan, Lake Effect was created in 2000 by Tom Weidle, a Herald-Palladium reporter, and Vito Tenerelli, a St. Joseph band instructor, who wanted to create an artistic jazz ensemble that would read only the most state-of-the-art arrangements, and perform strictly as a concert jazz ensemble.

Tenerelli, who served as its first music director, brought the dream to fruition in January 2001, recruiting 20 of the area’s finest jazz musicians to play within its ranks.

Co-directing today’s band is Thomas Crowner, director of bands for Edwardsburg Public Schools, and Aaron Engleman, director of band for St. Joseph Public Schools.
Performing on saxophone will be Chris Keech, Rob Funk, Andrea Gentry, Anne Jensen and Rich Bressler.

Cheryl Thomas performs on trombone, along with Michael Ostrander, Tom Farrand and Brad Jensen.

Performing on trumpet are Steve Bizoe, Kevin Renfro, Aaron Engleman and Tom Crowner, with Kim McCavit, Joe Trojan, Doug Wegscheid and Jim Kahl on rhythm.
Most of the musicians reside in Berrien County and are highly accomplished.  All are professional musicians, music educators, or advanced music avocationists.

Huntington Bank and the DDA are also pleased this season to present the electric blues of The Skeletones that combines urban jazz and powerful soul on July 22.   During Dowagiac’s “Summer in the City” Festival, fine arts enthusiasts will celebrate Huntington Night on Thursday, July 29, honoring the underwriter of the 2010 concert season.  Phillipson said music that evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with the Kalamazoo Avenue Band that will present a special two-hour rock, rhythm and blues revue, featuring music by Chicago, The Beatles, The Blues Brothers and more.  On festival Friday, July 30, Wildfire returns to Dowagiac.

Nominated for Detroit Music Award’s best Country band and best Country recording artist, Wildfire will present an afternoon performance at the festival from 11 to 5 p.m., with a special two-hour encore performance that evening, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Rounding out the summer concert season will be the dynamic bass-popping blues of Out of Favor Boys, which is blended with funky boogaloo and soul on Aug. 5; and Michiana’s premier barbershop chorus and multi-year winner of Michigan’s Best Small Chorus Award, The Lighthouse Chorus, on Aug. 12.

In case of inclement weather for any of the performances, a scheduled raindate is slated for Aug. 19.

To receive a concert brochure, call the Chamber of Commerce and DDA at (269) 782-8212.  The public can also access the concert schedule on-line at www.DowagiacChamber.com.