Parks offers tuneful recreation for your ears
Fans of band music -- both marching bands and 1940s-era dance bands -- will have a good week as two popular park district bands entertain in Des Plaines and Palatine.
The 43-member Des Plaines Park District Community Concert Band, under the direction of Lawrence J. Carle, will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday at Prairie Lakes Theatre in Des Plaines.
"Strike Up the Band!" is the theme for the concert which will feature such popular pieces as Tchaikovsky's "Coronation March," Claudio Grafulla's "Washington Grays March," Clifton Williams' "Symphonic Suite" and Gershwin's "Strike Up the Band," among others.
Two days later, at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, the "Switch Time Jazz Band" from the Elk Grove Park District will perform in a special concert aimed at seniors at Cutting Hall, 150 E. Wood St., Palatine.
Switch Time Jazz is a full 17-piece big band featuring vocalist Carol Bennett and specializing in the big band classics of Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Buddy Rich and Stan Kenton. Bass trombonist Howard Gorecki of Elk Grove is its leader.
"The music was written for a full 17-piece band so that's how we like to perform it," Gorecki explained.
"The ages of our members range from 18 to 62," Gorecki added. "Most of our members are graduates of Elk Grove High School's jazz band. I, myself, graduated from Elk Grove and its jazz band in 1977."
Sponsored by the Elk Grove Park District, the band has been in existence for over eight years, performing primarily at outdoor summer events for park districts all over the area. This will be one of their few indoor performances.
The band got its name, Gorecki said, from the Count Basie piece, "Switch in Time," which the band almost always includes in its concerts. Other popular pieces on the play list will include "String of Pearls," "In the Mood" and "Pennsylvania Six Five Thousand."
If you go
"Strike Up the Band!"
What: Concert by the Des Plaines Park District Community Concert Band
When: 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: Prairie Lakes Theatre, 515 E. Thacker St., Des Plaines
Cost: $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and students, $12 for family
Call: (847) 391-5711 or desplainesparks.org
Switch Time Jazz band concert
When: 2 p.m., Tuesday, April 8
Where: Cutting Hall, 150 E. Wood St., Palatine
Cost: $4 per person
Shuttle: Will take patrons from the Community Center on Wood Street and Family Aquatic Center on Palatine Road to Cutting Hall
Call: (847) 202-5222 or www.palatineparks.org