An Anchorage Weekend



Anchorage

As mentioned in the previous entry, singer Mike Shotton and several members of Jeans 'n Classics were in Anchorage Alaska last weekend for two shows with the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra.
Mike was joined in Anchorage by singers Andrea Koziol and Stephanie Martin, as well as guitarist Adam Martin, bassist Kevin Muir, drummer Dale Anne Brendon and keyboardist Duncan Grant.

The group was performing the Music of Queen. Mike, Duncan and Kevin headed up to Alaska three days before the shows, as they had to rehearse with the choir that was accompanying J'nC and the orchestra on those big numbers such as Bohemian Rhapsody and Somebody To Love.

Given that they were able to spend five days in Anchorage, they did their share sightseeing and adventure seeking. The weather last week in Anchorage was uncharacteristically mild, and some members of the band took the opportunity to go snowshoeing as well as dogsledding.

This was our second visit to Anchorage, as we performed their in late August 2010, doing the Music of Elton John. It is hoped that there is another visit to the far north sometime in the future.

This great letter arrived in the mail this week...


Last Saturday, I had the privilege of being a guest at the above concert with the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra. It was a delight from start to finish. Michael Shotton kept an amazingly good attitude while having problems with his mic throughout the evening. While it certainly wasn't his fault, he handled it with aplomb and didn't make the audio guy look bad. That's a pro.

It was an enjoyable night, and everyone I talked to felt the same.
Keep up the great work,


Keri S

North, South and West

Last weekend put Jeans 'n Classics in the US south, the far north and western Canada. Jean Meilleur took a band to Jackson Mississippi for a performance of the Music of Elton John with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. In Anchorage Alaska, Mike Shotton and a full choir gave two brilliant performances of the Music of Queen with the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra. And in Winnipeg Manitoba, Gavin Hope joined with the Winipeg Symphony Orchestra for performances of the Music of Michael Jackson.

Almost 20 J'nC singers and musicians were involved on the weekend, bringing music to 10000 patrons. How fortunate we are!

For my part, I got to head to Jackson with Jean, Paul deLong and Darryl Stacey. While Jackson was experiencing an uncharacteristic cold snap, with temperatures around the freezing mark (oddly, Saturday's temperature for the band in Anchorage, Alaska was about eight degrees warmer than Jackson's), the people of Jackson gave us an incredibly warm reception. Led by maestro Crafton Beck, a friend of Jeans 'n Classics, the MSO was more than up to the task and embraced the rock-symphony concept with enthusiasm. It was a great evening, and I'd go back to Jackson in a heartbeat!

Hi John,



I wanted to thank all of you for coming to do "Your Song" with the MSO in Jackson on Saturday night. Jan and I had a great time! The performance was excellent. Very professional and entertaining, and also from the third row, we could clearly see how all of you truly love what you are doing and it wasn't just a gig with the MSO. I was a little concerned about Paul. He is the most laid-back drummer/musician I have ever seen. There were times I thought "If he gets any more relaxed, he's going to fall off his stool", but he never missed a beat. Does he play poker? He would be deadly.


I enjoyed all of the songs, and there were several that really stood out, but my favorite was ya'lls version of "Rocketman". I liked your vocals and also the way Jean sang the rest of the song.


Sorry about the cold weather. I don't like it either. I hate ya'll didn't have warmer weather so you could look around. I think the solution is for MSO to invite Jean and you back to do Billy Joel during a warmer part of the year. I'll send an email to Captain Crafton Beck to suggest that. Along with 1 ping, 1 ping only!


Thanks again. Take care. God Bless!

Jan and Bruce R.


John
I saw your show last night in Jackson and just wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed you guys. Thanks, Ashley

Jeans 'n Classics Goes East

Classic Pink Floyd soars in hands of SNS musicians
February 5, 2012 - 4:34am
By STEPHEN PEDERSEN

Concert Review

Pink Floyd’s 1973 concept album The Dark Side of the Moon is full of extraordinarily sad music.

Jeans ’n’ Classics performed the entire album Friday at the Cohn during the second half of their show — part of Symphony Nova Scotia’s Retro Pops series — titled The Music of Pink Floyd: The Darker Side of the Moon.
The sadness comes from songs written out of Pink Floyd’s musings on conflict, greed, the passage of time and mental illness. It cycles all the way down from Speak to Me-Breathe in the Air at the beginning to the darkness of Brain Damage-Eclipse at the end.
The English progressive rock band’s most famous album wrestled with the pain of watching the slow descent into mental illness of Pink Floyd’s lead guitarist Syd Barrett.

The Jeans ’n’ Classics band, inspired by musician-composer Peter Brennan, has captured the market for marrying rock classics to symphony orchestras. They have helped to ease one of the biggest problems symphony orchestra marketers have — an effective way of greening the audience.
But with a rock band like Pink Floyd that began in 1967, the fans are older. Their music and style, like Mozart and Mendelssohn, has become classical.
Brennan’s arrangements are extremely good. The band, lead vocalist-acoustic guitarist Jean Meilleur, Katalin Kiss and Leah Salomaa on vocals, Donald Paulton on keyboards, Dave Dunlop on guitars, Mitch Tyler on bass and Jeff Christmas on drums, know how to tweak them in live performance to keep things interesting.
Dunlop’s guitar solos on electric guitar were reminders that Pink Floyd was a pioneer of the acid-rock style, wildly elaborated, bitterly loud, full of feedback at times. To this, Halifax tenor sax man Chris Mitchell contributed his own free-blowing, free-ranging, wide-open and marvellously vocal style of playing.
Paulton added a note of authenticity to the recreation of the Pink Floyd sound, by way of an ancient Moog analogue synthesizer from the early ’70s. The rich, acoustic timbre of this early synthesizer strikes the ear with clarity and a broader spectrum of tone than the modern digital synthesizers that dominate bands today. They are less sophisticated than the digitals but more colourful in their ability to sample sounds and create new hybrids.


All of this added considerable authenticity to the Pink Floyd program. Lead singer Meilleur has edited the rambling intros from previous appearances with the symphony. His voice and style suited the repertoire, giving presence to the band and something for the fine soloists in the band, and Mitchell, to play with and against.
But thinking of the concert as a whole, the sadness of that concept album, one of the most famous in rock recording history, still selling well today according to reports, is what remains in the memory.
Conductor Martin MacDonald led the orchestra, subbing for his successor, the symphony’s resident conductor Shalom Bard who is currently on compassionate leave from the orchestra.

The symphony’s flutist and principal piccolo player Christine Feierabend played first chair flute. Her warm, round, rich, low-register sound gave substance to her playing of the Jethro Tull solo from Living In The Past during the first half of the concert.

The orchestral strings, brass, winds and percussion sounded as authentic as if they had been moonlighting rock and roll between symphony gigs.

The first half repertoire was an eclectic mix of hits like Supertramp’s Crime of the Century, David Bowie’s Space Oddity, Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights (passionately sung by Salomaa) and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer’s Lucky Man.

They ended the half with Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here (a reference to Syd Barrett) and Another Brick in the Wall, thus setting up the second half Dark of the Moon album performance.

Hi John

Just a quick note to let you know I really enjoyed your group’s Pink Floyd performance at the Cohn on Friday.

I particularly LOVED Donald Paulton’s LIVE Synthesizer performance of ELP! That is not an easy feat. It was great to see the authentic monophonic synth’s of that decade in use, as well as the sequencer.
Best Regards,
Rob


To Leah Salomaa
Leah, I just wanted to thank you for your outstanding performance on Sat night with Symphony Nova Scotia. I almost leapt out of my seat when Jean announced Wuthering Heights as the next song... I have been a Kate Bush fan and have passionately loved this song from the first time I heard it so many years ago..to the point I had tears streaming down my face as you sang...you nailed it...
I've never been able to see Kate live so this was absolutely the next best thing! Warmest hugs for a fantastic evening...and oh yah, I'm a Pink Floyd junkie as well so the evening was pretty much the best it could have possibly been..

Jennifer S.


Hey, I just saw your show last night with SNS. Absolutely loved it! What a solid performance. Those arrangements constitute a wonderful reinterpretation. However, I do happen to be one of those Floyd purists you were afraid of, and I'm curious as to why you left off "Any Colour You Like". It's the best track on the album!



Anyway, keep on rockin'. I hope I get to see you guys perform again!


Ricky C.

Here is Peter Brennan's response to Ricky's question...

Hi Ricky
Thank you for your very kind note and really pleased you were happy with the concert.



A very good question re:' Any Colour You Like'.


Had to wrestle with that one to be sure.


I too think it's absolutely superb. We didn't include it because in all honesty I threw out a tester orchestration as I wasn't happy with what I'd come up with.


I can't seem to develop an arrangement that does it proud ! Sometimes that happens, where something was perfect and maybe should be left alone.


We don't have the studio delays or Pink Floyd's production budget to reproduce it live, hence it not being included.


This doesn't mean I won't have another crack at it down the road.

Cheers and all the very best


Peter

Mac in Thunder Bay, Floyd in Calgary



Peter Brennan and Mitch Tyler


Last weekend saw Jeans 'n Classics playing on two fronts. Singers Neil Donell, Kathryn Rose and Rique Franks headed north to Thunder Bay Ontario for the Music of Fleetwood Mac with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra.

Meanwhile, Jean Meilleur, Katalin Kiss and Aaron Macdonald were in Calgary Alberta for a performance of the music of Pink Floyd, ELP, Peter Gabriel and others along with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra was the first orchestra beyond London, Ontario to book Jeans 'n Classics, way back in the mid-1990's. We have enjoyed a great relationship with that orchestra ever since, and last weekend's performance was another fine collaboration.

Interestingly enough, after Thunder Bay, the next orchestra beyond London to book Jeans 'n Classics was the Calgary Philharmonic. We continue to do concerts in Calgary and have developed a loyal fan base in that city. Last Friday night's performance was sold out well in advance, so the orchestra offered reduced price seats for the afternoon rehearsal before the show. More than 300 patrons of all ages took in the rehearsal!





Neil Donell, Mitch Tyler, conductor Arthur Post, Kathryn Rose, Rique Franks, Paul DeLong, Peter Brennan

Hello
I was just at the Jeans n' Classics performance with the Thunder Bay Symphony. The Fleetwood Mac show was amazing!
At the concert we were told that if we have any suggestions for next year to email. I have been checking out your website and next year I would love to see Dancing Queen - The Music Of ABBA or An Innocent Man - The Music of Billy Joel. Of course I'm sure all the shows would be amazing! In the past I have seen the McCartney and Queen concerts.
Thanks for a fantastic night.
Gwen
 
John
Just saw Pink FIoyd Dark Side of the Moon, fantastic show as always.
I have always thought that Jeans N Classics should do a compilation of Canadian artists. One of the most enjoyable shows you did was a compilation of 70’s songs ( some time ago ) and I have always felt the same format with all Canadian artists would be a terrific show.


Blaine

Hey Blaine, check out "Frozen Trax" in the "Available Shows" menu of the website. We've got one to suit your tastes.
John:

We enjoyed another wonderful performance by J&C with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. It was great. Afterwards we stopped for a drink and to relive the concert and go over all the different performances we have seen from J&C over the last several years. We did come up with a band that I am sure would be great with the CPO and that is ELO. It just seems to us that Jeff Lynn's many orchestra based pieces would work wonderfully for the CPO. None of us could remember J&C ever playing them with the CPO.


Just a suggestion, we wanted to pass on, and thanks for all the great entertainment and please keep it up.

John D

We used to offer a concert featuring the music of the Moody Blues and ELO, however it wasn't getting a great deal of action so we pulled off of the website. We still have all of the charts, so perhaps it's time to dust that one off.

Hi!
Awesome show – I keep telling everyone it was just like being at a real Fleetwood Mac concert (and I have been to one!)
Emily



More Press Conference Fuss



Peter Brennan chats with CNN's Wolf Blitzer (not really)

 Yesterday was a big day for Jeans 'n Classics. Founder Peter Brennan and the London Health Sciences Foundation announced a partnership that hopefully will see $1 million raised for vital and unique breast cancer research in London.

To see details from yesterday's press conference, check out this link for details...
http://www.londoncommunitynews.com/2012/01/rocking-to-beat-breast-cancer/


The ladies of J'nC. I work with these women!!!!



The announcement of the partnership comes as Jeans 'n Classics continues the 2011-2012 musical season. Last weekend Jean Meilleur, Katalin Kiss, Leah Salomaa and Aaron Macdonal performed with Orchestra London, bringing the music of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon to the London audience.

You can check out the review of that show here...

http://norules-nolights.com/darkside.html

Mail was very positive from the weekend's performances.

That Pink Floyd show is hot right now, as Jean and company will be taking it to Calgary this weekend and Halifax next weekend.

Meanwhile, Neil Donell, Rique Franks and Kathryn Rose head up north this weekend to perform the music of Fleetwood Mac with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra.



l to r: Don Paulton, Jeff Christmas, Mitch Tyler and Jean Meilleur listen intently at the press conference (or perhaps they're being disciplined by the vice principal!)



Good Morning, Peter and John!


FANTASTIC show - a killer! It was very sad to see Jean up there for the last time; I missed John's good-bye as I was too ill to attend on Dec 16.


You have given me a whole new appreciation for Pink Floyd - I mean it. In those days I was hooked on Elton John, James Taylor and John Denver (my guilty pleasure).


Please give Jean a big smooch "good-bye" for me, and Johnny too! BH

Good Morning, Peter and John: just wanted you to know that I attended last night's concert "Dark Side of the Moon" and thought it was absolutely fabulous. Honestly, I mostly bought tickets because Jean Meilleur was doing his thing, but really it was, in my opinion the best, best, of concerts I have ever been to.
As lovers of all types of music, my friend and I go to many different concerts but I wasn't too sure about Pink Floyd. At the end of the show, we both said "WOW - that music was absolutely Classical". We especially liked the long string of pieces you did - you don't need me to tell you how successful it was. The audience went quite mad.
All the soloists were great and Jean is a "bloody good performer" - don't tell him I said that - we don't want to increase the size of his head!!!. I love that little Aaron.
Hope we still we get to see all these performers next year. Thanks, again, for a lovely evening.
Pat
Given the news from yesterday's press conference, Londoners will continue to have the chance to hear great music from the Jeans 'n Classics artists. At the same time they will be contributing to the future well-being of  family and friends. What an opportunity!

Jeans 'n Classics Announces New Partnership

NEWS RELEASE
JEANS ‘N CLASSICS PARTNERS WITH A ROSE IN MY BOOK


London, Ont. – A Rose in My Book for breast cancer research and Jeans ‘n Classics Inc. announced today that they will join forces for the 2012/2013 season and present the popular symphonic rock series at the London Convention Centre featuring the newly formed London’s Own Jeans ‘n Classics Rock Symphony.

“We couldn’t be happier,” said a smiling Brian Davy co-chair of A Rose in My Book, which has raised $400,000 for Breast Cancer Research in the past three years. “To have the opportunity to partner with Peter Brennan and Jeans ‘n Classics, all to benefit London Health Sciences Foundation, is a win for everyone!”

Jeans ‘n Classics founder, Peter Brennan is excited as well. “We love our London audience and to be able to elevate the quality of the performance, venue and experience as well as give back to the community in a significant way makes me very happy!”

Subscriptions for “A Rose in My Book Presents London’s Own Jeans ‘n Classics Rock Symphony,” will go on sale February 6, 2012 through the London Health Sciences Foundation with a package of four shows priced at $250. All seats are table seating and the featured shows include:


• September 29, 2012 – JnC Handstands – The Very Best of Jeans ‘n Classics


• December 22, 2012 – A Jeans ‘n Classics Christmas


• February 9, 2013 – One Vision – An Evening of the Music of Queen


• May 4, 2013 – The Age of Innocence


The shows will take place on Saturday nights and tickets will be sold on a first come first served basis.


“Come on out and see us!” says Peter Brennan, “We look forward to continuing to bring Jeans ‘n Classics to our London audience.”

For tickets: Please visit www.aroseinmybook.com or call London Health Sciences Foundation to speak with Anne Marie Dunbar (519) 685-8248

For more information please contact:


Peter Brennan (519) 439-1370 www.jeansnclassics.com or


Andrea Payne (519) 317-7848 http://www.aroseinmybook.com/

So, there it is folks. Since the announcement was made back in October that Jeans 'n Classics was moving on from Orchestra London, founder Peter Brennan has been telling Londoners that in the future they would be able to get their Jeans 'n Classics fix.

And now, Londoners can hear great music from J'nC's fine vocalists and an orchestra while at the same time supporting Breast Cancer Research in our own city. Win-win, indeed!

Jeans 'n Classics Rock Symphony at the London Convention Centre will include so many of the elements that Londoners have grown attached to, including performances by local heroes like Aaron Macdonald, Jeff Christmas and Mitch Tyler, as well as the powerful vocals of Neil Donell and Katalin Kiss. All of the members of Jeans 'n Classics look forward to continuing our relationship with Londoners.

Check out this story in Beat Magazine to gain some inside details on the venture...

http://www.thebeatmagazine.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=878%3Ajeans-n-classics-rocks-for-breast-cancer-research&catid=6%3Afeatured-posts-category&Itemid=12

10000 Views: From Jersey to Niagara

The blog crested 10000 views this past weekend. Cool, I guess. However, with a site bounce rate of about 35% (the rate of viewers who leave the entry page, presumably because it's not what they were searching for), I recognize that some people wind up at Ask John Regan when they were in fact looking for the famous rock bassist John Regan, or the Irish accordian hero John Regan, or Fr. John Regan, the Illinois priest convicted of embezzling funds from his parishioners to feed a gambling habit.

I am not those men.

And while I don't intentionally mislead readers with  my blog entry titles, I am aware that I can generate loads of traffic by using a generic title. For instance, a year ago we had an incredibly busy month of March, performing 12 times in seven different cities. I called that blog entry 'March Madness, Musically Speaking". Of course any NCAA hoops fan looking for tips on the tournament could have wound up at my blog by searching "March Madness". (In fact, according to my stat counter that entry still gets visitors.)

There are other means of getting hits on the site: put "Beatles" or"U2" or "Naked News" in the title and be assured of lots of traffic (though I've never tried the "Naked News" tact).

So 10000 hits on the 'ol blog doesn't really impress me. Looking through my stats over time, there are some entries that have been read by only two or three visitors. And I thought I was so witty...



Jean Meilleur and Don Paulton in the dressing room



Still, there are folks who happen by Ask John Regan to find about recent goings-on, and I am pleased for that. Freckles (the late dog of the blog) and I will continue to keep in touch with those whose web meanderings bring them to Ask John Regan.

Musically, this past weekend saw Jeans 'n Classics perform with the Niagara Symphony Orchestra at Brock University in St. Catherines On. The show was "It Came From the Jersey Shore: the Music of the Boss, Bon Jovi and Frankie Valli". This particular show includes not only great songs (Born To Run, Bed of Roses, Sherry...), but wonderful vocal work by Jean Meilleur, Neil Donell, David Blamires, Katalin Kiss and Rique Franks.

The Sean O'Sullivan Theatre was sold out for the show, filled with enthusiastic patrons who sang and clapped along throughout...

John,

We were at the Brock show last night and it was GREAT. You guys NAILED IT!!!!

Thank You for keeping us all young!!!!

Cheers,

Tim & Karen