It was fitting that Cariboo Gold Dance Band ended its concert Saturday, Oct. 21 with its rendition of What a Wonderful World featuring West Coast saxophonist Ryan Oliver.
As Oliver stood to play a solo on his 60-year-old saxophone made in Paris, it was the icing on the cake of a great evening of music.
Oliver is originally from Williams Lake, having graduated from Columneetza in 1996.
After living and working in Toronto for about 20 years as a musician he moved to Victoria six years ago where he performs and teaches private lessons. Before the pandemic he was teaching at North Island College in the jazz program.
“It was a lot of fun to come home and have an opportunity to play with lots of musicians I had not seen in a long time, but knew when I was growing up here,” he said after the concert. “To play with such a great ensemble was great.”
He said he was glad Cariboo Gold Dance Band had invited him to Williams Lake and brought him in for the concert.
Earlier in the afternoon he practiced with the band and said he had not seen the music before then.
“As a saxophone player I play a lot of different kinds of music and often with smaller groups playing jazz, but I can play a lot of big band stuff, I play rock music, funk music and all kinds of different things. I am usually in a small jazz ensemble. I’ve got my own quartet and small groups like that.”
Oliver has returned to play in Williams Lake with different bands of his own over the years, but this was his first time performing with the Cariboo Gold Dance Band.
Being a jazz musician gives him the ability to fit into situations quickly and figure things out, he said of how he was able to fit right in.
“We use our ears a lot and we find ways around things so it’s a handy skill sometimes. Luckily I new that tune,” he said of What a Wonderful World.
During both sets, Kirsten Lyons sang a couple of the numbers, including a rendition of Don’t Know Why, also recorded by Norah Jones, that sent shivers up the spine.
Murray Hoffman, trumpet player with Cariboo Gold Band, said the band will turn 40 in 2024.
As the MC, Hoffman shared a wealth of information throughout the night, with something to say about every single number.
The concert drew about 120 people and also featured a canteen run by secondary school band students.
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