Ask John Regan

More Press Conference Fuss

2012-01-26T22:24:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-25T22:51:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-17T22:44:00.000-05:00

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

New Years Eve in Reading Pa.

2012-01-04T22:30:00.001-05:00

Sound check: left to right Dave Dunlop, Peter Brennan and Kevin Muir

It was another New Years Eve on the road for some musicians of Jeans 'n Classics, as Neil Donell led the way this past weekend in Reading Pennsylvania for a night of Music of Sting and the Police. As guests of the Reading Symphony Orchestra, Jeans 'n Classics rang in 2012 in fine style. Neil was joined by Kathryn Rose on vocals, Dave Dunlop on guitar and vocals, Peter Brennan on guitar, Kevin Muir on bass, Jeff Christmas on drums and yours truly at the piano.

Rehearsal: Neil Donell sings as Jeff Christmas provides the rhythm

The Reading Symphony Orchestra was making its first venture into electrified sounds and welcomed us warmly. They played beautifully, under the guidance of Maestro Andrew Constantine. Neil Donell gave the audience plenty to cheer about with his outstanding take on Sting's difficult vocal stylings. More than 1800 people attended the concert, responding with enthusiasm that should hopefully cause the administration to consider a return visit from us in the future!

The show ended before midnight, but the orchestra and singers saluted the audience with a great rendition of Auld Lang Syne anyways. Band and singers then retired to the restaurant of our hotel, the historic Abraham Lincoln Hotel, and had a great dinner. Thanks to the very kind people of the Reading Symphony who looked after us this past weekend. It was a fun trip.

John,
My wife and I just attended your New Years Eve concert with the RSO in Reading Pa. Great show. We both loved it. Truly what the symphony should be all about...bringing all of the people together to enjoy great music. At 51 we felt we were two of the youngest in attendance. While we loved your show there is still a long way to go in changing the demeanor of the rich elite who typically patronize the arts in small impoverished cities like Reading Pa. But thats what Jeans and Classics is all about. Praise to you guys for bringing culture to the masses.

Hope to see you guys again in reading pa! Had a great time!

Steve

Christmas Music Actually

2011-12-20T22:22:00.001-05:00

Getting ready for rehearsal

As reviewed in the previous blog posting ("This Just in..."), last weekend's Rockin' Christmas with Orchestra London was a great success. The show featured beautiful performances from JnC regulars Andrea Koziol, Rique Franks and Kathryn Rose, but also saw former Riverdance lead Nora Corrigan captivate the crowd with some fantastic footwork. She high-stepped it to a Jeff Christmas-penned arrangement of "Riverdance", using every inch of open stage to display her immense talents. Later, she showed lithe elegance as she moved to a beautiful medley of instrumental tunes highlighted by "The Little Drummer Boy".

Rique, Andrea, Kathryn and Nora

The evening also featured an exceedingly rare vocal performance from Jeans 'n Classics boss Peter Brennan. Peter did a take of the fictional character Billy Mack's "Christmas is All Around" from the film "Love Actually". Needless to say, the result was a standing ovation!

For my part, the weekend was my last performance of the season in Orchestra London's Red Hot Weekends series. Though we still have three shows remaining, I am working with JnC on the road each of those weekends. This past Friday and Saturday I made a point of thanking the London audiences for allowing to me prattle on about matters of little importance, as I am prone to do when I host a show. It seems that many audience members took that as some sort of retirement announcement on my part.

Peter with the vocalists

Alas, I am not leaving the Jeans 'n Classics organization. I was simply expressing my gratitude to our local audience for putting up with me these past years. I'll continue to be involved and look forward to wherever Jeans 'n Classics takes us in the near future.

Here's what some of you had to say about the weekend....

Dear John,
I want to thank all of those that make Jeans 'n Classics possible. My husband and I attended for the second time last night and I thoroughly enjoyed the Ladies' Rockin' Christmas. It was a great treat to hear all of the beautiful music and to set the mood for the Christmas season. Keep it coming and Merry Christmas!

Sincerely,
Kathleen A.

For Peter and John Regan:
Just wanted you to know that I attended the Friday night's Ladies Concert - it was great fun and my friend and I enjoyed it immensely. I have a couple of questions:

1) John - are you leaving Jeans n' Classics permanently?
2) Great hearing you sing, Peter - lovely voice - you should do it more often
3) Great Sax. player - at least I thought it was the sax - very 'cool' indeed.

Sincere thanks, Pat B

Hi John,

Just wanted to say how much we enjoyed the "Ladies Rockin' Christmas" show last night in London and to wish you all the best in your future endeavours. I do hope that we'll see you grace the stage again in London sometime in the future - we will miss you too much to let you go forever!

My husband David and I have been attending the Red Hot Weekend concerts for about 5 years now and it just never gets old - something we look forward to every month. We will truly miss the Jeans N Classics band.
Best of luck to you and all the others!
Best regards,

Barb

Hi John,
It was great to meet you.

Nice playing in the intro of Get Me Through December. We talked about exposed playing of the french horns, you do a fine job yourself.

All the girls sang very well. Andrea was really on that night, Get Me Through December was awesome, and so was the violin playing by Mary-Elizabeth Brown. Get Me Through December was my favourite...until Peter sang. Yes, as you said, he really can sing, he has the stage presence too. Humility at its best, staying out of the limelight and constantly assisting others with their musical ride. That is my impression anyways.

Ready for the holidays? I am more in the Christmas spirit after the concert. So, say thank you to everyone and wish them a holiday season full of fine music, laughter and good times with friends and family. Hope you get to spend some relaxing time at home or wherever you love to be.

Cathy

This Just In...

2011-12-17T12:05:00.000-05:00

Ladies Rockin' Christmas: Amazing Ladies Make the Music of Christmas Their Own

Orchestra London's ever-affable Sig Martin

Orchestra London with Jeans 'n Classics: Red Hot Weekends December 2011

by Brian Hay

The show opened with Conductor Jeff Christmas and Jeans 'n Classics Founder Peter Brennan leading the two ensembles through the opening bars of a striking arrangement of 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)'. The three ladies, Andrea Koziol and Kathryn Rose with Rique Franks taking the lead vocal stepped on and began a powerful three way vocal display that left no doubt as to the calibre of the singers involved in this show. What was still to be discovered was the nuances of their different voices.

The rhythm section of Bassist Mitch Tyler and Drummer Paul DeLong led a charge that fed both groups an energy level that would permeate the entire show. DeLong was on top of each beat the group would play a micro second before it happened. Saxophone player Aaron MacDonald slipped on to the stage inconspicuously enough but became instantly visible when he began to play. Everything he played had the wit, humour and pizazz that separates the arresting playing from that which fits innocuously into backgrounds. John Regan ornamented and augmented everything beautifully from the keyboard and kept the audience in stitches as the host. Peter Brennan, as always, filled the air with tasty bits on both the electric and acoustic guitars. The restraint he applies is part of the success to everything is one of the central ingredients to the success of this. His arrangements spotlight the capabilities of both groups extensively but do so without applying something simply for it's own sake.

What really shone though was the voices of the ladies. Their voices are stellar and any of them can belt out a song or caress a ballad but that's where the similarities end. Rique Franks has a voice that's rich with an underlying sultriness about it. Her range is impressive and her sheer power is stunning. She also has an actresses' ability for injecting personalities to songs. Andrea Koziol probably has the voice most suited to straight ahead delivery of hard rock. The thing is that just when it seems she might be predictable she'll caress a ballad with a sense of tenderness that cause eyes to mist over. Kathryn Rose has a consummate mastery of shadings. She steps inside a song, paints its story with an array of colours, steps outside when needed, and steps back in again with flawless control. She also has an extra octave that she applies with impressive power.

They created memorable and very fresh interpretations of many standards. Andrea Koziol delivered a powerful reading 'Lean On Me'. Rique Franks sang an incredibly lovely version of 'Grownup Christmas List'. She showed a playful side with a nicely affected rendition of 'Santa Baby'. Kathryn Rose gave a fabulous performance of 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'. Her array of shadings and the full amount of her power in her voice were shown in all their glory. Their solo work was only part of the package though. They use the individual nuances of their voices to compliment one another beautifully. When 'Lean On Me' reached its climax Rique Franks and Kathryn Rose cloaked Andrea Koziol's lead while keeping it in the forefront. The three-way work they did on an encore of 'Give a Little Bit' was excellent. Their singing wasn't the only vocal work that was impressive though. Peter Brennan stepped out and joined them in a rare moment that saw him share the vocal work. He was excellent. Who knew?

The three singers weren't the only ladies whose stars shone brightly though. Irish Dance specialist Nora Corrigan stepped out for a finale from 'Riverdance' at the end of the first half and was so light on her feet it was tempting to search for wires. It was the first of three (I think) fabulous appearances on the stage. Her control and agility is phenomenal. Associate Concert Master Mary Elizabeth Brown underpinned Andrea Koziol's emotionally charged performance of 'Get Me Through December' with finesse and passion that lit up the house. She really needs to be brought to the fore more often. That young woman is a magnificent player.

Pre-show tune up.

Under the baton of Jeff Christmas the work of the orchestra was impeccable. They played off the musicians of Jeans 'n Classics, and especially the rhythm section of Mitch Tyler and Paul DeLong fabulously. The string playing they augmented John Regan's keyboard playing with on 'Get Me Through December' was ravishing. The brass and percussion on 'Give a Little Bit' gave the song intensity that made the work sear. Jeff Christmas' arrangement of the 'Riverdance' music had dynamics that placed the emphasis squarely on the dancing of Nora Corrigan. This show had one other important, and impressive, difference as well. The interpretations and arrangements maintained the respect and reverence for the original material they always have but they were far less faithful to the tried and true renditions that are known so well. It fits them well. On this night, perhaps more than on any that I've seen they displayed their ability to do something new with music and truly, make it their own.

It was a great night for everyone on the stage

KW and Springfield Ohio

2011-12-15T23:34:00.000-05:00

Katalin Kiss, Jeff Christmas and Kathryn Rose

In the past week we performed the Music of the Jersey Shore with the KW Symphony, as well as the Music of Billy Joel with the Springfield Ohio Symphony Orchestra.

The Jersey Shore show features the music of Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and Frankie Valli. It mixes the incredible vocal work of Jean Meilleur, handling the Boss, Neil Donell taking on Bon Jovi and David Blamires tackling Frankie Valli. The two nights in Kitchener were each highly successful. Here's what patrons had to say....

Hey John. Was at your show tonite, and it was awesome! I wanted to pass along something that I thought was cool about today’s date for the concert....
Today, I was listening to the Springsteen station on XM (huge Springsteen fan, but did not know his middle name!). They were playing a concert from December 7, 2003 from Asbury Park, and one of the walk-on guests for the evening was none other than ‘Jonny Bon Jovi’! (Bruce’s words, not mine). Anyway, just thought that was cool given the menu of artists for tonight.

Really enjoy your work. Look forward to the rest of the series.

Cheers!
Jim K.

Hi John
Excellent show last night, and it was nice to have you back. David was impressive on the high notes. We brought a neighbor with us who is a professional musician, he said he has seen Frankie Valley, and David hits the notes 100 times better than him.

Keep the good music coming.

Gary D

Hi John,

My wife and I enjoyed last night in Kitchener. Great music and some great performances. I thought Peter's arrangement on every song was exceptional. Over the many performances we have seen, we have come to understand why you and the band take the time to acknowledge the
Symphony and remind us what a wonderful group they are.

Dave

Hey John!

Soooo good to have you back.You really enhance the performance.

Loved the Jersey Shore show,probably one of my favourites of the Electric Thursday(Wednesday edition). I forgot how much I love the Boss, been playing him all day.

Hope to see you again soon!!

Jill L

Well John, my wife & I, have been longtime patrons of the Jeans & Classics Band (ever since the 2nd year @ Lulu’s)…we’ve always compared any of the productions with your performance of the “Eagles” music of many years ago. Hopefully we haven’t forgotten too much of it, but last night’s program, we believe, surpassed even it!!!

Congratulations on a truly excellent combination of your hosting, as well as Jeff Christmas’s drumming, but mostly the singing & orchestration. It was truly an early Christmas present to all in the KW audience. I believe that the standing ovations were truly heartfelt and deserved.

Judy & John S.

Jean, Kathryn and Katalin at rehearsal in Springfield.

A contemplative Mitch Tyler

Paul DeLong turns Jean into the two-headed man.

Meanwhile, Jean Meilleur led the way, along with Kathryn Rose and Katalin Kiss as we stopped in Springfield Ohio on Saturday night. Springfield's downtown was dressed up for Christmas and looks a bit like something out of the original Miracle on 34th St. It was a great evening with a fine orchestra.

Cold November, Warm Reviews

2011-11-21T19:51:00.001-05:00

Jeans' n Classics presented two shows this past weekend: Here in London we summed up some interesting notes of the 1980's with our own Orchestra London; in Amarillo Texas we introduced the northwest Texas audience to the rock and orchestra combination by presenting the Music of the Beatles with the Amarillo Symphony.

Both shows were well received. The Amarillo patrons have left a few notes on our Facebook page, as well as that of the Amarillo Symphony. Here in London, reviewer Brian Hay passed along his thoughts of the proceedings on Friday...

Amazing '80's: Orchestra London with Jeans 'n Classics

Red Hot Weekends, November 2011

by Brian Hay

The indisputable high point of the evening belonged to singer/songwriter Kathryn Rose. Her performance of 'These Dreams' absolutely blew the stage apart.

It was far from the only good or great thing that went on though. Gavin Hope opened the show with an inspired rendition of the Tears for Fears hit 'Head Over Heels' and followed it with a stunning performance of Ah Ha's huge hit, 'Take on Me'. Host John Regan introduced it as featuring some "really high singing" from Gavin. It was all that and more. Both of the male vocalists featured on this program have voices with phenomenal range. Neil Donell can sing anything, and do it with the heart and feeling the writer imagined in the first place. He unleashed a soaring version of 'If This Is It' by Huey Lewis and the News. His rendition of 'Men At Work's classic 'Land Down Under' brought new life to the piece that made it sparkle throughout the hall.

Both of these guys are really funny. Neil's a quiet sort who sort of waits in the weeds for somebody to open the doors for a zinger. John Regan turned the handle a few times and Donell's comments left him in stitches. That's when you know it probably wasn't scripted, or if it was, nobody could keep a straight face. Gavin has a combination of cutting wit, timing and a flair for theatrical exaggeration that doesn't quit. When he and Regan got going (which they did a few times) the results were side-splitting.

The ladies in the show more than held their own. Andrea Koziol and Kathryn Rose delivered stunning work as soloists and as harmony singers. They wrapped themselves all around Neil Donell's stunning interpretation of Wham's 'Careless Whisper'. The three way harmony they and two way exchanged they executed on Gavin Hope's reading of Prince's 'Diamonds and Pearls' was breathtaking. Their duets on the Bangles' 'Walk Like and Egyptian' and Abba's 'Lay All Your Love On Me' were stellar. Their work on the Eurythmics' piece, 'Lay All Your love On Me' was a joy to watch. These two play off of each other with the ease only found among consummate pro's. Andrea especially, delivered her high notes with punch.

Anyone who doubts that rock can mesh with symphony really needs to see the musicians of Orchestra London working with the musicians of Jeans 'n Classics. Drummer Jeff Christmas and Percussionist D'Arcy Gray worked like a single being with four superbly coordinated hands. Together with bassist Kevin Muir they generated a huge amount of energy that fed ensemble, orchestra and audience alike. Under the baton of Conductor Mitch Tyler the string and wind sections of the Orchestra followed the rhythm players with a snap that was as natural as would be expected from any single member of a tightly knit pop rock group. Brennan's arrangements gave both ensembles plenty of room to play and breathe. Their was some fine solo playing. Peter Brennan's lead guitar work on 'Head Over Heels' was deliciously tasty. Jeff's Christmas made the complex and quirky drum patterns of Brennan's arrangement of 'Land Down Under' sound as easy as falling of a log. John Regan delivered some wonderful embellishments from the keyboard on many of the songs. Aaron MacDonald lit up the stage with some great sax playing early in the show and again during the encore.

If there was a star in this show though it had to be Kathryn Rose. As a backup singer she matches the performance of any stage partner with exactly what's needed. Her control of pitch and volume is perfect whether she's shading a vocal with an ethereal wrapping, matching it evenly or subordinating her output in a way that subliminally places the emphasis on the opposing lead. According to Peter Brennan she does it naturally. As a lead she grasps material in a way that only a writer of great sensitivity can. She was right inside of Fleetwood Mac's 'As Long As You Follow'. Her mastery of the articulation that Annie Lennox gave to 'Lay All Your love On Me' was eerie. Her performance of the Martin Page song 'These Dreams' which was made famous by Heart was devastating. The audience was applauding before the song was even close to over, again when it ended and again after John Regan stated her name. There was good reason for it. When she came into the choruses accompanied by by Andrea Koziol and the Orchestra they produced the kind of pure magic that can only happen at a live show and the kind that doesn't happen in a lot of shows that are really good. She said after the show that it was her first time singing the song. Amazing! Incidentally, one of her own songs, 'One Person', was what sparked my interest in the shows Orchestra London does with Jeans 'n Classics. One look at that and there was no doubt they'd be good. The only question was "how good"?

Hats off Kathryn. You and the others added another facet to the answer to that question brilliantly.
This show took place in Centennial Hall in London Ontario on Friday November 18, 2011.

Some mail has arrived...

Howdy from Amarillo!

We just wanted to thank you for coming to Amarillo! We so enjoyed the concert!!!!!!!! And, we are thrilled you are reaching younger audiences & introducing them to wonderful music & various instruments. We will look forward to your return to Amarillo again.

We also wanted to introduce you to the group "Wind sync" of Houston, TX. They are relatively a young group but with a similar goal as yours, to introduce young children to fun classical music.

Sincerely,

Stuart & Cindy H
PS You need to go further south to see Armadillos. Our Panhandle climate is too dry for them! They like moist souls with lots of water.......

Hi John
Really enjoyed the show last night. Well done and very creative arrangements. A lot of work to put those together. Nice to see a member of Lighthouse - Don Paulton! Girls could have been mixed more out front, hard to hear.
Hope you come back to Amarillo for another show!

Dick S

Beatles and the 80's

2011-11-19T11:43:00.001-05:00

This weekend Jeans 'n classics visits another city in Texas, for our first ever concert with the Amarillo Symphony. They've been chatting it up in the news down there. Here's a recent article from the Amarillo newspaper...

Orchestra to tap into the Beatles

Posted: November 16, 2011 - 4:55pm

By BRAD NEWMAN

For the Amarillo Globe-News

The British Invasion is coming for the Amarillo Symphony.

At this weekend’s pops concert, the symphony will perform the music of The Beatles with a seven-member rock band in “Come Together! Rock Meets Orchestra.”

“Who doesn’t love the music of the Beatles?” said Sue White, executive director of the symphony. “Why not blend it with the orchestra and make the ultimate evening?”

The shows are scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Buchanan St.

Previous symphony pops concerts generally have featured familiar classical works or Broadway show tunes, White said. But this year the organization opted for a more ambitious program. "We wanted to do something that everyone could connect to,” she said.

Jeans ’n Classics, a Canada-based group, will join the orchestra on stage for the show. Together, they will present a cross-section of music from the Fab Four’s famous catalog. “The integration of the rock band and the orchestra allows people to hear this music in a different way than you’ve ever heard it before,” said Peter Brennan, who owns Jeans ’n Classics.
Audience members can expect to hear many hit songs, including “Here Comes the Sun,” “Penny Lane,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Imagine” and more.

“Anyone who likes the Beatles should enjoy this show,” said Nick Scales, principal bassist with the symphony. “It’s a great new perspective on that music.”

Scales actually played bass guitar with Jeans ’n Classics with the Wichita Falls Symphony in 2003. He was asked four days prior to the event to fill in with the group for a performance of songs by The Eagles. “I had a blast,” Scales said. “This is such a great group to work with. I’m excited they’re coming to Amarillo.”
Yet while the seven members of Jeans ’n Classics — three vocalists and a four-piece rhythm section — are featured throughout the night, the symphony musicians are in the spotlight, too, Brennan said. “We’re sharing the stage,” he said. “The orchestra is very much a part of the action.”

Meanwhile, here in London Ontario, we perform with Orchestra London in the Red Hot Weekends series. This weekend's shows highlight the music of the 80's and feature vocalists Kathryn Rose, Andrea Koziol, Gavin Hope, Neil Donell, as well as saxophonist Aaron MacDonald. A very few tickets are still available for tonight's performance.

Jeans 'n Classics in Erie Pa.

2011-10-27T21:43:00.003-04:00

So close and yet so far. That's Erie Pennsylvania, home of the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra, our hosts last weekend for "Don't Stop Believin': The Music of the 80's". Erie is just across Lake Erie from us, probably 60 or 70 miles as the crow flies. It's just that the lake is a wee obstacle when it comes to driving there. So from London we head down through Niagara, through Buffalo and on to Erie- more than four hours!

Last Saturday's show was a hybrid of several shows on the Jeans 'n Classics roster, put together by conductor Daniel Meyer and Erie Phil adminstrators, along with the sage wisdom of our Peter Brennan.

Singers included Stephanie Martin, Kathryn Rose, Andrea Koziol, Gavin Hope and Michael Shotton. An audience of about 1900 filled the beautiful Warner Theatre, and they were in a great mood! Show highlights icluded the title tune, "Don't Stop Believin'", "Walk Like an Egyptian", as well as five songs that featured the 85-member Erie Philharmonic Chorus.

Me, conductor Daniel Meyer, Andrea Koziol, Kathryn Rose, Gavin Hope, Stephanie Martin, Peter Brennan, Mitch Tyler and Mike Shotton (kneeling).

The evening was loads of fun. The encore was a rendition of Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror", featuring all of the vocalists, as well as the Chorus. Rousing, to be sure!

We're back in Erie next season, and the patrons will be using an online poll to select the Jeans 'n Classics show that they'd like to see. Very cool.

Caught Listening

2011-10-17T22:32:00.002-04:00

Neil, Katalin, Rique, David, Jean

Sometimes while sitting at the piano during a concert I get the opportunity to just listen to the beautiful singing, and it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

It occurred a couple of times this past weekend here in London Ontario, where Jeans 'n Classics performed with our good friends of Orchestra London, introducing a new concert featuring the music of The Beatles' Rubber Soul and Revolver albums.

The singers included Neil Donell, David Blamires, Leah Salomaa and Kathryn Rose. There was a moment during the performance of Paul McCartney's elegant "Eleanor Rigby" where the vocalists came together for the "Ah, look at all the lonely people...". The lyric on its own is unforgettable, but heard with the particular timbre of David on lead and the others filling it out made it particularly memorable.

I later found myself wailing along as Neil and David sang in unison on "Got To Get You Into My Life". Many in the audience were joining in as well. It was one of those moments that makes you smile.

You should be so lucky to do what I do.

In Chattanooga Tenn on Saturday night, Jeans 'n Classics singer Mike Shotton was the star of a night of Eagles music with the Chattanooga Symphony. Chattanooga was the first American orchestra to take a chance on Jeans 'n Classics more than 12 years ago, and its always good to go back there and spend time with the wonderful symphony and their Pops conductor Bob Bernhardt. Maestro Bernhardt is all class and we continue to owe him a debt of gratitude for having us down so long ago.

The reports from Chattanooga indicate the show was a hit.

Below is some patron response from the weekend...

Dear Peter Brennan
You never cease to amaze my ears! What I would give to be able to arrange the way you do! I loved the orchestral bit in Yellow Sub! It was stunning to say the very least.

Thank you for filling me up with your music! My cup runnth over with the sound you and that band and singers make! I know John Lennon just stood up from his grave and applauded you!!!!

Cheers,
tam

Hi John,

This is Cathy. I have attended Friday night Jeans 'n Classics for years and wrote to you for the first time at the end of the season last year.

Excellent ice breaker joke at the very beginning of the show last night. I think there were some of us in the audience who were feeling like they were going to sulk all season. Consider it a compliment. We all love Jeans 'n Classics so much.

What an awesome combination, Neil Donell and David Blamires, they really do compliment each other. I loved all the "instrumental moments" too, like the strings in Eleanor Rigby, the psychedelic interlude in Yellow Submarine and wow, the french horn solo.
What I liked best was you. It was a difficult job to host this show right after the announcement revealing it is the last season for Jeans 'n Classics. You broke the tension, provided humour and skilfully pointed out all of the amazing performing moments.

It is time for Jeans 'n Classics to branch out into international waters. It will be amazing to play with European and other orchestras and play for their audiences. It will be successful and lucrative. You all deserve this wonderful experience.

Thanks for a great show last night.

We are looking forward to the 80's show in November.

Cathy

Peter!

The EAGLES show went wonderfully well, Michael was in his usual high-energy form, and made it a blast for the audience and us on stage, too. He sang terrifically all night (and, incidentally, in rehearsal, too!). The band and the singers were, as always happens with your crew, grand, as musicians and as people.

BB

The Curtain Rises in London Ontario

2011-10-14T18:42:00.000-04:00

Hittin’ one out of the park

Peter Brennan hopes to score big as Jeans 'n Classics heads onto the world stage

By JOE BELANGER, The London Free Press

To say the beginnings of the Jeans 'n Classics band were modest might be an overstatement.
But there's nothing modest about the band's plans when they stop sharing the stage with Orchestra London after this season to venture into new markets around the world.
Before they depart, they've got a few delights in store for London fans, beginning this weekend with two performances of the Beatles' classic albums, Rubber Soul and Revolver, the first of this season's six performances under the orchestra's Red Hot Weekend Series.

It's a journey that began in the early 1990s. Band leader Peter Brennan and his wife, Sharon, still remember the bodies -- the musicians -- sleeping on the floor of their cottage-style home on Maitland St. in London's Old North.
"I remember waking up sometimes and wondering, 'How are we ever going to feed all these people when we can barely feed ourselves,'' recalled Sharon.

"In those days, we spent so much time around the dinner table talking about ideas, the music, laughing and dreaming, But we built a family on that. It was very much a team effort and even today, whenever we have a big decision to make, we still bring everyone together -- especially that core group that's been with us since Day 1."

The core group that is Jeans 'n' Classics includes Brennan, keyboardist John Regan, bassist Mitch Tyler, drummer Jeff Christmas (a composer, arranger, conductor, percussionist and trumpeter), keyboardist Don Paulton and vocalist Jean Meilleur, not to mention singers Lis Soderberg and Katalin Kiss who were on board almost from the get-go.

Today, it's a family of 28 musicians and vocalists, about half London-based and the rest from the Toronto area.

Since 1994, the band has collaborated with Orchestra London in a fusion of rock 'n' roll with classically trained symphony musicians. For more than a decade, the group has toured North America and Europe, performing with such ensembles as the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Iowa, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony, and with the BBC Orchestra at London, England's Royal Albert Hall in 2009.

This is their final season with Orchestra London's Red Hot Weekend Series, but it's not like Jeans 'n' Classics is going anywhere when it ends. They'll be pursuing opportunities in other markets, including the United States, Europe and the Middle East. But they'll also keep performing in London with their own orchestra.

"We're not going anywhere," said Brennan. "We're just looking at the other opportunities to play. It's very exciting and it's stuff that's worth chasing to scratch that artistic itch, to see how far it can go."

Orchestra London will continue its Red Hot Weekends series, offering rock-symphonies led by other artists and performers, said executive director Joe Swan, adding this city has been "fortunate to hold on to Peter for as long as we have" considering how many orchestras in North America are looking at similar opportunities to develop audiences.

"(Brennan) probably has the most extensive (rock-symphony) library in North America and that puts him in an elite class," said Swan, adding it's possible Jeans 'n Classics will be invited back to perform.

"We're thrilled for him. (Jeans 'n Classics) has brought and sustained audiences, people who would not be traditional orchestra fans and it's helped us build a reputation as a very professional orchestra that can play a very wide variety of music, which not a lot of classically trained musicians can do. So it has enhanced our reputation and played a very large role in our artistic success."

About one-sixth, or $500,000 of Orchestra London's $3 million annual budget is built on the Red Hot Weekends Series.

The seeds of fusing rock with classical instruments were sown when Brennan was a child "begrudgingly" taking piano lessons, playing the classics before tackling the guitar to play rock 'n roll. At Campbellford District high school, his music teacher, Jack Parker, classically trained and a master of several instruments, including the saxophone and trumpet, hired Brennan and a couple of his pals to accompany him at paid gigs, forcing the teenager to learn more about written music. He then went on to study music at the University of Western Ontario and never left London, other than to tour.

All of those early experiences inspired Brennan to start thinking about the possibilities with music, the different styles and how the different instruments would or could interact. As a professional rock musician and producer working in studios, Brennan occasionally was asked to write scores for horns and strings. Then he was asked to write an orchestra score for one song, Billy Joel's Just The Way You Are, and the rest is history. One song led to two, then one show, another and, finally, a series over six or seven weekends each year under the Red Hot Weekend Series.

"In the beginning we had no idea what we were doing, absolutely none," Brennan said. "But some element of the concept appealed to people and I had this feeling this was something I wanted to do more of and do better."

Brennan has written orchestra scores for the songs and albums of many major rock band and many lesser-known artists for theme shows. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Whitesnake, Heart, Michael Jackson are among the artists featured.

Today, it's a catalogue of more than 1,100 songs that is still growing.

John Regan, a 49-year-old high school teacher who still performs and sometimes assists Brennan with the scores, said the band wants to keep playing for its legion of fans here.

"Many of these people have grown up with us and, in many ways, feel like they are the custodians of the series," said Regan, noting the new markets will lead to more travel.

"At the beginning, I thought I'd do it as often as they asked, but thought it was only going to be a few times. We certainly didn't envision this becoming what it is now, 85-90 nights a year (across Canada and the United States)."

Over the years, Brennan has collaborated with a number of major artists, including Supertramp star Roger Hodgson to write scores for his music to be performed with an orchestra.

But scoring the Beatles' albums has always been among Brennan's biggest challenges, mostly out of fear of offending the band and its fans.

"The Beatles' stuff is very sacred to me because I don't want to tread on something I don't feel can get better in terms of the magic it created," said Brennan.

"I just don't want to do a disservice. If Paul McCartney came through the door and heard it, I'd want him to be pleased and not think it was a load of crap."

Elgin Illinois

2011-10-02T17:20:00.000-04:00

Don Paulton, Stephanie Martin, Gavin Hope, Andrea Koziol and Peter Brennan

Last night Jeans 'n Classics performed in the Chicago suburb of Elgin Illinois, with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. The show, featuring singers Gavin Hope, Jean Meilleur, Stephanie Martin and Andrea Koziol was the "Music of Earth Wind and Fire, Blood Sweat and Tears, and a Bit of Chicago".

This is our first visit to Elgin and we hope to return for a second. Early response indicates that last night's audience had a great time.

Dear John,

No question but compliments! Just returned from show in Elgin IL. Fantastic! Please return for another show!

Patricia G

John,
Attended Elgin Symphony and WOW! Now an avid admirer of Jeans n'Classics.
Any chance of adding my email to your list of appearances (hopefully, more in the Chicago area)

Thank you,
Carol

Marshall Photo Digest

2011-09-21T21:30:00.000-04:00

We do many things on the road....rehearse, eat, sleep, perform, eat, have a cool refreshment, eat...

This past weekend in Marshall Texas was somewhat typical. Here's the evidence!

David Blamires sings

Luchtime at rehearsal

Yet more eating

After the show, some eating!

Here's Mitch, deciding where to go to get some dinner!

Someone said that there were burritos down on the A councourse at Dallas airport!

And We're Off.....

2011-09-19T20:29:00.001-04:00

The 2011-2012 orchestra season is under way. Jeans 'n Classics headed this past weekend to Marshall Texas, where, for the fifth year in a row, we joined the Marshall Symphony Orchestra for a night of music on the main street downtown. This year we performed "It Came From the Jersey Shore", a show highlighting the sounds of Bruse Springsteen, Jon BonJovi and Frankie Valli. The concert starred Jean Meilleur, David Blamires and Neil Donell, as well as Rique Franks and Katalin Kiss.

Here's what today's Marshall News Messenger had to say about the show...

Jeans ‘n’ Classics, Marshall Symphony League rock the stage Saturday

Mon Sep 19, 2011.

Hannah DeClerk hdeclerk@marshallnewsmessenger.com The Marshall News Messenger

A large portion of the Marshall community filled North Washington Avenue as Jeans ‘n Classics and the Marshall Symphony Orchestra rocked the stage while entertaining the audience Saturday evening—all to benefit a great cause.

“It is going great,” said Jeans N’ Classics Coordinator Tiffany Ammerman. “It is hard to tell if it is the biggest crowd tonight, but I do know we doubled our number of participants Friday.”

Attendees Friday night got caught up in the special event and brought plenty of enthusiasm for enjoying the music, itself a celebration of the Marshall Symphony Orchestra’s 60th year.

“It is the main kickoff event for both the Marshall Symphony Society and the Marshall Symphony Orchestra,” she added. “And we wanted to incorporate a show that would appeal to both a young and old audience.”

Participants who purchased tables dined on meals from OS2,Central Perks, R&R Bakery, and The Blue Frog Grill while listening to the unique collaboration between the Canadian-bred band Jeans N’ Classics and the music of the Marshall Symphony Orchestra.

Jeans N’ Classics is a band comprised of 10 members whose concept of combining rock musicians and headlining stars with world-class symphony orchestras has drawn record setting capacity crowds.

This year’s concert, titled “It Came From the Jersey Shore” featured the music of Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, and Franki Valli.

“Tonight is madness, in a good way,” said Jeans N’ Classics Keyboardist John Regan. “We have played in front of an audience of 15,000 before, but it is nothing like they do in Marshall.”

Regan said Saturday night’s gig is the Jeans N’ Classic’s first of the season, and band members are thrilled to start off in Marshall.

Don Paulton noodles with nobs to get the right sounds.

Neil Donell, katalin Kiss, Rique Franks, David Blamires and Jean Meilleur, while Peter waves in the background!

After the show, its pizza!

“Orchestras go to sleep over the summer, so this, for us, is the kick off of the fall season,” he said. “And we love it in Marshall. Everyone is so warm and welcoming, and nobody does it quite like they do here in Marshall.”

Later this week I'll post plenty of great shots from Marshall.

Who Stops By at Jeans 'n Classics?

2011-08-16T21:09:00.000-04:00

As August races toward September, Jeans 'n Classics remains in "summer mode". Most orchestras take it easy in the summer, so things get quieter for J'nC. Our vocalists are still busy with their other projects, as all are session singers and songwriters with full careers away from J'nC. And many in the band work steadily throughout the summer on festival stages or doing theatre work.

While Jeans 'n Classics takes a break from concerts in July and August, the business of the company continues apace. Orchestras with whom we will make appearances in the 2011-2012 season are in frequent contact to make sure that travel and accommodations are booked, media packages are in place and artist bios are ready to go to print for the season's programme. As a matter of fact, traffic on the Jeans 'n Classics website is fairly consistent during the summer months.

At rehearsal in Denver last spring

This summer we've averaged about 300 visits per week, with the exceptions being the two weeks in July where we presented concerts (each of those weeks had the sort of heavy patron traffic we would normally experience during the orchestral season). About 20% of the traffic is "direct" traffic, therefore from folks who have us bookmarked. 10% of the visits come from referring sites, while about 70% of those who come to us do so through a search engine. Google remains the search engine of choice, though a few of you do use Bing and Yahoo.

Technically speaking, about 37% of you use Explorer as your browser, but Safari is right behind at about 35%. Firefox comes in at about 17%.

About 60% of the visits are from Canadians, but Americans will often be the bulk of the website traffic during the season, reflecting our heavy travel schedule in the U.S.

I always find it interesting to see what people are putting in their search engines. We get Jeans 'n Classics and all of its derivatives: Jeans and Classics; Classics and Jeans; Jeans & Classics. And weekly there are a few visits from people who were actually looking for new jeans. This week the data shows that nine visitors who really were looking for "classic jeans" wound up at the website.

As well, in my mailbox at Ask John Regan I frequently get junk mail from denim manufacturers who wish to do business with, as one sortee put it, "...such a reputable blue jean manufacturer as Jeans 'n Classics".

While summer provides a wee respite from the concert stage, life at Jeans 'n Classics continues with preparations for the upcoming season. Take a look around the revamped website and let us know what you think.

Sunny days, oh sunny, sunny, sunny days

2011-07-19T20:04:00.001-04:00

"Ain't nothin' better in the world you know, than lyin' in the sun with your radio..."

So sang the band Lighthouse in their 1972 smash hit, Sunny Days. Lighthouse continues to perform to this day, often featuring Jeans 'n Classics keyboardist Don Paulton.

But while many (including me!) are enjoying summer vacation, life at Jeans 'n Classics continues. Actually, the past 45 days have seen our intrepid J'nC performers present concerts, among others, in a hockey rink (Roanoke Va), at a minor league baseball park before a game (Cedar Rapids Iowa), and in beautiful outdoor botanical gardens (Fort Worth Tx). Clearly we're more than just concert hall staples!

And later this month, July 23rd to be precise, Jeans 'n Classics will be presenting the Music of Led Zeppelin in Niagara Falls NewYork, out front of the Hard Rock Cafe, in conjunction with the Buffalo Philharmonic.

Recently the band was in Hamilton Ontario performing with the National Academy Orchestra at the Brott Music Festival. Checkout the Jeans 'n Classics Facebook page for plenty of great photos of that show. (http://www.facebook.com/jeansnclassics?sk=wall)

Elsewhere, Jeans 'n Classics saxophonist and vocalist Aaron Macdonald continues to tour the world with Supertramp great Roger Hodgson. Check out this interview that Aaron gave recently to writers at one of Roger's fan sites...http://soapboxasylum.forumactif.net/t455-interview-d-aaron-macdonald-logical-web.

Aaron will be with us on many Jeans 'n Classics stops throughout the 2011-2012 seaon.

And Jeans 'n Classics drummer Dale Anne Brendon has made a bit of news recently as she handles the drums in the world famous Stratford Festival's production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Read about her experiences here...http://www.lfpress.com/entertainment/stage/2011/07/01/18363636.html

Outta the Park!

2011-05-30T23:10:00.000-04:00

Orchestra Iowa smacks home run with concert

George C. Ford/SourceMedia Group News

CEDAR RAPIDS — With strong vocals, sparkling solos and an orchestra in top form, Saturday’s Orchestra Iowa concert at Veterans Memorial Stadium was a grand slam home run.

Singer Jean Meilleur in Cedar Rapids

Orchestra Iowa, under the direction of Maestro Tim Hankewich, was joined by the Canadian group Jeans ‘n Classics for a performance of some of the greatest hits of Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire.

Trumpeter Paul Stevenson at rehearsal

Lead vocalist Jean Meilleur opened with “Only the Beginning,” a fitting start for a nonstop trip through some of the greatest hits of each group. Meilleur nailed the rich vocals of BS&andT’s David Clayton Thomas, earning strong applause for “You’re the One,” “Spinning Wheel,” “God Bless the Child” and Laura Nyro’s classic “And When I Die.”

Gavin Hope, who must have a four-octave range, soared with Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Let’s Groove,” “Boogie Wonderland,” “Got to Get You Into My Life” and “Shining Star.”

Trumpeter Paul Stevenson of London, Ontario, delivered a bravura performance of the Chuck Mangione classic “Feels So Good” and more than capably handled the solos on Chicago classics like “25 or 6 to 4,” “Colour My World,” “Make Me Smile” and “If You Leave Me Now.” Vocalists Katalin Kiss and Stephanie Martin were a perfectly matched duo on “If You Leave Me Now.”

Orchestra Iowa Concertmaster Holly Mulcahey showed that she can easily make the transition from the classics to rock ‘n roll with a solo turn on “25 or 6 to 4,” and the orchestra’s brass section was spot-on throughout the concert.
Meilleur singled out percussionists Tom Mackey and Alan Lawrence for praise, saying Jeans ’n Classics performs with many orchestras each year, but Mackey and Lawrence are the best percussionists they’ve ever worked with in concert. Meilleur also praised the orchestra’s brass section, saying they’re second to none.

The only disappointment Saturday was the low audience attendance. While the rain may have been a factor earlier, the skies cleared well in advance of the concert.

Hopefully the weather will not be a factor in September when Orchestra Iowa opens its 2011-2012 season with what is becoming a tradition, a concert on the lawn at Brucemore.

Everyone loved the show! (Well, except Santa!)

Peter Brennan, Kevin Muir, Jeff Christmas at rehearsal

Stephanie Martin

Don't forget, to get a better look at any of the photos, just give 'em a click!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

2011-05-26T19:56:00.000-04:00

L-R: Katalin Kiss, Gavin Hope, Rique Franks, Don Paulton

This weekend marks the second time that Jeans 'n Classics will take it out to the 'ol ball game. J'nC is performing with our good friends in Cedar Rapids Iowa, the musicians of Orchestra Iowa. The catch is that we're performing in a ball park prior to a minor league ball game.

Gavin Hope and Jean Meilleur are bringing the "Music of Blood, Sweat and Tears, Earth, Wind and Fire, and A Little Chicago" to the ball park. The details were recently revealed in the Cedar Rapids press...

Singer Jean Meilleur

Rockin’ the stadium: Orchestra Iowa, Jeans ’n Classics, Kernels teaming up for triple play

Orchestra Iowa threw out its first pitch to baseball, rock and symphony fans with the music of The Eagles in 2009. The orchestra will round second base again Saturday (5/28/2011), teaming up with the Jeans ’n Classics rock cover band to fill the ballpark with the music of Blood, Sweat & Tears; Earth, Wind & Fire; and Chicago. After the Kernels play Peoria, a fireworks finale will bring it all home.
By Diana Nollen/ SourceMedia Group

Saturday in the Park” will spring to literal, lyrical life when Orchestra Iowa pitches a real celebration at Veterans Memorial Park.

Saturday (5/28/11) marks the second time the orchestra has teamed up with Canadian cover band Jeans ’n Classics and the Kernels to bring symphonic rock, a baseball game and fireworks to the Cedar Rapids stadium.

In 2009, they presented the music of the Eagles, scoring a home run with musicians and audience alike. Last year, the concert moved inside, bringing the music of Queen and a laser light show to the U.S. Cellular Center. This time, they’re heading back outdoors with a blast from the brass, featuring the music of Blood, Sweat and Tears; Earth, Wind and Fire; and Chicago.

“It’s all about music of the ’70s, with a screaming brass section behind (Jeans ’n Classics). I lament that I don’t have big enough hair for Earth, Wind and Fire,” Tim Hankewich, Orchestra Iowa’s music director, says with a hearty laugh.

Even though at age 43 he’s more a child of the ’80s, he says he grew up listening to these bands via his “considerably older sister.” That comment may not score him any points with her, but one song in particular will score him points at his home now in Cedar Rapids.

“I was just smiling at my wife last night, listening to ‘You’re the One,’ by Blood, Sweat and Tears. That one’s a shout-out to my wife,” Hankewich says in a recent phone interview.

The music of all three bands dovetails very nicely, coming from the Tower of Power days when trumpets, trombones and blistering saxes bolstered the rock sound.

Don’t let the orchestral aspect fool you. “When people hear the idea of a symphony orchestra playing rock ’n’ roll, people get the wrong idea,” Hankewich says. “It conjures up images of an orchestra playing arrangements that sound like Muzak, but we’re playing pretty faithfully with a cover band. The audience will experience a full rock ‘n’ roll band with full instrumentals and backgrounds augmented by a symphony orchestra.”

The 90-minute playlist includes “Got To Get You Into My Life,” “Spinning Wheel,” “If You Leave Me Now” and “25 or 6 to 4.”

“Every one of these tunes is a hit after hit after hit,” Hankewich says. “It’s all happy music. It’s too bad it’s a sound that’s been lost, because the ’80s gave way to more techno-pop and we’ve gotten away from that acoustic sound. But it’s so fun to have a brass section. I know our guys are just going to be eating it up.”

It takes more than a village to make this all happen. Think more like a small army. About 55 to 60 musicians will be onstage, but many more hands will be working behind the scenes to create a concert experience that resonates from second base to the upper tiers.

One gigantic challenge stands above the rest: “Trying to figure out how to drive a 42,000-pound semi onto a field without leaving tracks,” says Scott Wilson, 41, of Cedar Rapids, assistant general manager for the Kernels baseball team.

“Our field is not dirt-based, it’s sand in nature, so it’s softer than normal,” Wilson says. “We lay down plywood and slowly ease it onto the field. It’s a fully enclosed stage. It’s like a Transformer. Once we get it out there, we just pop it open.”

That can’t happen until Friday night’s game is over, so the moving-in process becomes a middle-of-the-night operation.

“By the time we get it open, it’s 3 or 4 in the morning,” he says.

Such an apparatus is necessary to sandwich a concert between ballgames. “It comes from a trucking company based in the Kansas City area, I believe, that goes across the country and does stage sets when you need a mobile stage — fully enclosed with a roof — that you don’t have to build,” Wilson says.

“It takes time to build the scaffolding stages they use in other worlds. This probably costs more based on that, but in the end, it’s easier for us and allows us to do these concerts before a game,” he says.

“We have pictures from last time with the truck driving onto the field that still make our field manager cringe,” he says. “That’s 22 tons driving on the field. We get nervous driving our tractor out there. Plywood is the duct tape of traffic movement.”

The price tag for such an event ramps up toward $75,000 for orchestra personnel, guest artists, production equipment and labor.

“It’s certainly not cheap,” Hankewich says. “At best, it’s a break-even proposition.”

But everyone reaps the rewards. The stadium can seat 5,300 people, and typically draws the biggest crowds for fireworks nights, Wilson says. In 2009, it was nearly packed for the orchestra concert and game.

“Our best guess is that we had 1,500 people at the game that night who had never been to the park before, so there’s some crossover, and our (patrons) can see what a symphony can be. That’s why it such a terrific partnership,” Wilson says. “I love that the maestro wants it not to be a tux event. It’s just about bringing music to people.”

The family friendly outing becomes an all-day event during the festive Memorial Day weekend, which Wilson hopes becomes an annual tradition.

“We’ve already scheduled for 2012,” he says.

An hourlong break between the concert and the ballgame will give people time to grab some food and let the kids play on the inflatable games while the grounds crew preps the field.

As with any outdoor event, the biggest player on the field is Mother Nature.

Drizzle threatened the 2009 concert and game, but the sun broke out 30 minutes before the concert and all went as planned.

“Next to Brucemore, it was the most talked-about concert of the last three years,” Hankewich says. “Word spread like wildfire.”

That’s what makes it all worth the weather risks.

“We’re reaching people who in other circumstances would not follow the symphony,” Hankewich says. “We’re presenting to the community at large that the symphony has a relevance to the community and can contribute to the well-being of our area and the quality of life.

“It’s one thing to burnish the masterworks of Brahms and Beethoven, but it’s another thing when you bring families together, and why not at a ballpark?”

Elsewhere recently, Jeans 'n Classics has been very busy. Two weekends ago there were 23 of us playing in three different cities. Our creator and boss, Peter Brennan, sent along this note to us after that busy series of shows. It includes correspondence received from singers Rique Franks, Leah Salomaa and Stephanie Martin, each of whom had been busy performing for J'nC that weekend...

To all the JnC family,
We've been very busy as of late with concerts all over the continent. While always musically wonderful and ever so gratifying, they can be arduous given the tight scheduling, rehearsals, and of course the vagaries attached to airline travel.

As such I always have concern for the well being and happy factor of the members of the J&C family in my head and heart as we set out on our adventures.

It is of paramount importance to me.

As twenty three of us returned home this past Sunday after three very successful concerts in California, Oklahoma and Saskatchewan, the following notes came my way from three of our lovely ladies. These notes, in their very different ways, say it all about the internal 'vibe' of J&C and the people involved. The notes were unsolicited and came completely coincidentally.

It just doesn't get any better .....

PB

------------------------------------------------
Peter.
I feel great about how the show went. Everyone there was wonderful, especially Lisa and Don. I made friends with the head of I.T. at Sun-Maid (the biggest company in the Fresno area) on the second leg of the flight there and invited him to bring his family, and the CFO of the company also came to our show. My hope, of course, was that they should become sponsors of the Fresno Phil. He emailed me back and said that they would be back again as they enjoyed the show although he couldn't stay for the second set as his kids were tired. Too bad. First set was a bit talk-heavy, but still good, while the second "Hotel California" set was sublime. Mike was great. It is a real delight to work and travel with Andrea and David Dunlop. Being around their positive personalities and naturally joyous and generous natures is worth more to me than any money I'm paid. We laughed a lot!! Anytime you want to put me on a show with either of them I would be thrilled. To that end, working with Gavin and David Blamires, is also something I'm very grateful for as there is such ease, laughter and a genuine sense of cooperation in making the show great. I don't think I even have to tell you how much I enjoy the company of all the original members, but I'm full of love again for our wonderful group and I'm enjoying the slight sting of a sunburn I got in the glorious California sunshine. Other than the fact that I missed you and we had a 4:20am lobby call (ugh), it was a sweet trip. Life is good.

xoxoR

-------------------------------------------
Hi guys,

Thanks for such a chill weekend and a great show!

I just want to say an extra 'thanks' to my traveling companions Stephanie and Nic. I'm so sorry I had to dash off at the Toronto air port. Family life was calling.

Nic, you were so great in the show and such a lovely gentleman to travel with! And Stephanie thank you for shining so bright!

Looking forward to working with you both again.

And great to meet you Bryan! Your fills gave me chills! hee hee...

Love to you too Darryl xo

Leah

-------------------------------------------------
Hi Peter:

I did not bring a camera on this gig but next time I will, sooo many photo ops! What a great, fun group.

Three criterion for taking any given gig:

Will it be fun
Will it pay
Will you learn something

If any combination of two out of three are on offer, take the gig. On JnC, all three are there! BONUS.

Looking forward to singing with Katalin and seeing you again on the Cedar Rapids gig.

Best,
Stephanie

The Photo Evidence

2011-05-19T21:59:00.001-04:00

From last weekend's visit to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, here's Leah Salomaa with bassist Darryl Stacey and guitarist Nick Pattison.

These two ladies (singers Stephanie Martin and Leah Salomaa) were waiting by the side of the road, just watching traffic go by!

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright's peculiar but wonderful Price Tower, our lodgings for the weekend.

What's a Jeans 'n Classics weekend without pizza? (Here identified by name from the pizza joint!)

Meanwhile, the true work of Jeans 'n Classics continues apace, as tonight Rik Emmett (he of Triumph fame) leads the way in Kitchener Ontario with the J'nC band and KW Symphony. Also this weekend Mike Shotton heads to Calgary Alberta for two shows with the Calgary Philharmonic, featuring the Music of the Eagles.

Fresno, Regina and Bartlesville

2011-05-17T21:20:00.001-04:00

With 23 players and singers busily waving the Jeans 'n Classics flag this past weekend, there is plenty to write about and some great memories to share...

Mike Shotton opened the weekend on Friday night in Fresno, California, performing the Music of the Eagles with the Fresno Philharmonic. I hadn't gone to bed yet on Friday evening when the first response from the show arrived in the mailbox...

Gentlemen;

Friends and I just saw your tribute to the Eagles concert, and I wanted to say the experience was incredible! Encouraging to see both Rock and Roll and the philharmonic able to blend so seamlessly. I live in Fresno, CA, which really loves it's arts, tho incredibly we don't have a reputation as such.
The program was well-chosen, the artists were excellent...

Please come again!
Susan W.
Fresno, CA

Meanwhile, Gavin Hope headed to Regina to perform "For Michael: The Music of Michael Jackson" with the Regina Symphony. A crowd of more than 2000 attended. This comes from the Regina Symphony Facebook page...

Maestro Victor Sawa......awesome job last night with the tribute to "Michael". My mother and I attended for the first time and I think you have us hooked! Most definitely considering purchasing tickets for the Pops! We enjoyed it immensely! Thank you.
Eva

Finally, Jean Meilleur led the way to wonderful Bartlesville, Oklahoma for "The Music of the Beatles" with the Bartlesville Symphony. Background vocalists for the show were Leah Salomaa and Stephanie Martin. Though I have reduced my Jeans 'n Classics travel somewhat this year, I did go along as a member of the band. I'm glad I made the trip, as it was a great hang and the people of Bartlesville were most hospitable.

Bartlesville is not too far from Tulsa. With a population of about 35000, the town is the home Phillips Petroleum, now ConocoPhillips, the third largest energy provider in the U.S. While in Bartlesville, we stayed at a national historic monument, the Price Tower. The Price Tower is enigmatic architect Frank Lloyd Wright's only skyscraper, leastways the only one that ever was built! If you know anything about Frank Lloyd Wright's work, you know that it was largely "form over function". What a peculiar place! Check it out here...http://pricetower.org/innatpricetower/

The concert itself was a blast. The orchestra played wonderfully and the audience was responsive.
We must thank the orchestra's general manager and executive director, Lee GrothOlsen, who shepherded us around, fed us and generally kept us on track. She was grand!

There has been much response from B-ville. Here's a sampling...

John,
Thank you so much for the wonderful time that we had at the concert. Our grandson who particularly enjoyed the concert (He's almost 13) he listens to all the Beatles songs and knows many of the words to them.
After the concert this evening he tried to find each of you to obtain autographs. He was able to obtain the autograph of the drummer. Is there any way that we could get your autographs for him? And thank you once again for coming to Bartlesville.

Spencer's Grandma
Ruth S B

Hi John,

As a member of tonight’s audience I wanted to thank you and the band for a great evening. We took our four grandkids (ages 9-12) and they loved it. They each play an instrument and I wanted you all to know how influential you all are to kids like ours, in ways you probably don’t ever see.

Thus, the purpose of this little note: to let you know. Thanks for brining your music to our little part of the world!

Joe W.

Hello John,
We loved your Beatles show in Bartlesville, OK! It was a treamendous show and we did not want it to end!!!!! Come to Bartlesville again! Please!!!!!!!!!

Tom, Cis and Rebekah W.
And this from Lee GrothOlsen herself...

And what a weekend in Oklahoma it was!! Thank you, John, for a great concert w/ JnC in Bartlesville, Oklahoma! The 'Ville, as it is lovingly called by its inhabitants fell in love with JnC.(What? Where is Bartlesville, OK?
I've been bombarded with emails, phone calls and bold confrontations at the grocery store (all I wanted was dried figs!), "When are they coming back? Did you get them to come again? Will they do...(And THAT list REALLY varies)?"

Lee GrothOlson
General Manager
Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra
http://www.bartlesvillesymphony.org/

Later this week I'll post some great photos of the festivities in Bartlesville.

Last Weekend/Next Weekend

2011-05-11T21:58:00.000-04:00

Last weekend Jeans 'n Classics closed out the Orchestra London Red Hot Weekends series with the Music of Journey. The show featured JnC veteran Mike shotton, as well as JnC newcomer Ted Fiorino. Here's the review of the show from local writer Brian Hay....
Saturday May 7, 2011

The Music of Journey: Orchestra London's Red Hot Weekends, May 2011

by Brian Hay

Michael Shotton had one of the toughest jobs in the business this time around. He had to be the opening act that warmed the crowd up for the one that everybody may walk away talking about. That's not an easy thing to do and it's even harder to do really, really well. After seeing last night's show I doubt there's anyone better to do that than Mike Shotton. He has a range that can blow the roof off and there's nobody who works harder to engage both the audience and the performers around him. He's out on the edge of the stage. He goes right into the audience. He clowns around with the other performers — it was hilarious watching him grab Dave Dunlop and start dancing.And he knows his stuff. He followed the charts that Peter Brennan set up impeccably but never used them. He delivered fabulous versions of 'One Vision' and 'A Kind of Magic'. His renditions of 'Is This Love', 'Life in the Fast Lane' and Detroit Rock City' were excellent. He blew the doors off of 'Shout It Out Loud'. He was brilliant on the covers of 'All Of My Love', 'Black Dog' and 'Kashmir'. And when he was done he had the place warmed up with the doors open for a new man to feel welcome. That's a hell of a job to do and a fabulous example of teamwork at its best. Mike's a credit to music and what it should be about.

The first thing that has to be said about Ted Fiorino is that he can't end up back on a London stage soon enough. This man has a set of pipes and he knows how to use them. He opens himself up to his audience and invites everyone aboard for the ride. After opening those doors he uses his powers of persuasion (usually some magnificent singing mixed with all round congeniality) to make the invitation progressively more attractive and continues pulling them in. Once most of the party's in place he takes everyone in hand and becomes the consummate host. And does he ever give the guests their money's worth.

His opening number, 'Wheel in the Sky', made it obvious he was a force to be reckoned with. 'Anyway You Want It' and 'Lights', yielded more surprises as to the scope of his range — he had everybody wondering if it had any limitations. The first of the ballads (which in hard rock lingo means flash floods that don't quite burst the dam), 'Separate Ways', revealed an emotional well within his singing that bonded him to the crowd for the rest of the show. This man is more than just an excellent singer. He loves what he's doing and carries it to the people he sings to. He did stirring renditions of 'Send Her My Love' and 'Who's Cryin' Now' before flooring the audience with a stunning performance of 'Open Arms'. He opened a lot of tear ducts with that one. (The lady seated beside me literally leaned over and said she wanted to cry). He wrapped things up with 'Don't Stop Believing', followed it with an encore and left the audience with the feeling they'd found someone new and wonderful.

So much of the credit for how well all this works goes to Peter Brennan. The arrangements which are done by him and Jeff Christmas invent ways for orchestra and rock ensembles to work together. The string arrangements that were in place for Led Zeppelin's 'Kashmir' captured the dissonances within the song brilliantly. There were some fabulous string arrangements at the core of their rendition of 'All of My Love' as well. For the 'Journey' material the orchestral tapestry was woven intricately into the guitar solos. The musicians had to be on top of their game to be on top of their cues. Under the baton of Jeff Christmas they were orchestra was always right where they had to be and they sounded as if they were. He came up with a violin solo to compliment the guitar bit in 'Shout It Out Loud' (I believe — titles aren't always easy to keep track of). Joe Lanza stood up for that one, plugged his violin in and revealed the rocker within his classical heart. Who knew? But these surprises are part of the fun.

Another facet is how well the Jeans 'n Classics ensembles are balanced for the material they play. In this case they used a a pair of singers with muscular voices suited to hard rock material. The backing singers that complimented them, Katalin Kiss and Andrea Koziol, both had strong voices with the sharp edge needed to give the material that extra bite it requires. As is the norm for Jeans 'n Classics both are highly disciplined, easily able to follow charts and more than capable of running with a thread when need be.

The material covered this time came from bands that were basically three or four piece units. That demands a strong bass line and a powerful rhythm section. Mitch Tyler and drummer Paul DeLong had no problems supplying the thundering bass lines needed by small bands. Keyboardist Duncan Grant fit with both his ensemble and the orchestra so neatly they often seemed to be one entity. And guitarist Dave Dunlop had a field day. He had more than enough to do all night but, in the second half, he soared. Peter gave him the type of fills anyone who ever experienced arena rock grew to know and love and he brought back all the glory of those days.

What a night!. Thank you Orchestra London and thank you Jeans 'n Classics.

While the band and singers were killing it in London, Jean Meilleur was off in Dubuque, Iowa with another rendition of the band, playing the music of Elton John. Tweets from patrons, along with comments on the Dubuque Symphony Facebook page indicate that the show was a grand night out!

Here's a sweaty Jean with the band and conductor, as well as some well-dressed patrons!

The 2011 season continues on three fronts this weekend, May 13/14.

Jean takes one incarnation of the band to Oklahoma for the Music of the Beatles, while Gavin Hope goes to Regina with other band members for the Music of Michael Jackson. Meanwhile, Mike Shotton is off to Fresno Calif. with still other band members for the Music of the Eagles. In all, more than 20 of us will be performing somehwere this weekend under the Jeans 'n Classics banner. How cool is that?!

Friday Night Lights....

2011-05-05T22:01:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, Jeans 'n Classics headed to west Texas for an evening of the Music of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys, starring the Big Spring Symphony. The show was a great success, as singers Leah Salomaa, Kathryn Rose, Andrea Koziol and Neil Donell, along with the inimitable Aaron Macdonald were in spectacular form.

If you have followed Jeans 'n Classics at all, you are aware that we play not only in major centers such as Denver, Fort Worth, Cincinatti and Calgary, but that we also venture off to smaller cities and towns such as Big Spring Texas, Lima Ohio or Bartlesville Okla.

The big cities are great: first class orchestras and accomodations, incredible concert halls and plenty of sights to see.

But sometimes, the most interesting, charming, unusual or memorable gigs are the smaller centers. Big Spring Texas was like that for me.

There is nothing spectacular about Big Spring. Located not too far from Midland-Odessa, the twin cities made famous by the film and book entitled "Friday Night Lights", Big Spring has a population of about 25000. It is a town that has has seen its share of joy and misery, as it has danced long and slow with the oil industry, a fickle dance partner at the best of times.

But to a person, the souls of Big Spring were welcoming and friendly. Good souls. The orchestra players were chatty and effusive in their joy at working with us, while the manager became our personal driver and favour-doer.

Perhaps what will keep Big Spring in my mind for some time was the visit paid to our dressing room after the show by four patrons. Four ladies, representing perhaps three generations of one family (grandmother, two daughters and a grand-daughter) came backstage to tell us how much they enjoyed the concert, but proceeded to come right in to our dressing room and take root! It was funny, warm, yet fantastical at the same time! While I'm very happy that we made them feel comfortable enough to, well, get comfortable, it did make it difficult to change and pack up. They stayed for perhaps 15 or 20 minutes, getting autographs and telling us their life stories. It was grand!

We giggled about it as we headed back to the hotel. Both odd and oddly wonderful.

In other news, this weekend Jeans 'n Classics closes out our season here at home with Orchestra London, as we debut yet another new show, this time featuring the Music of Journey. Some tickets are still available!

Anatomy of a Jeans 'n Classics Weekend

2011-04-19T21:08:00.001-04:00

It occurred to me recently that those of you who actually check back now and again at Ask John Regan might want to know how a Jeans 'n Classics concert comes together. People often ask us how often we rehearse together (almost never!) and how long our current tour is lasting (one night!).

So, for anyone who might be interested, here's how it all usually goes down....

Currently, Peter Brennan, the Big Cheese, is filling in our schedule for the 2011-2012 concert season. He has booked dates (more than 80) with orchestras across North America for next season, and he is now asking us to fill in our availabilities for travel dates and the like. By this time, he has confirmed with the headlining vocalists that they are available for the nights where they are featured, so now he just has to get the band assignments straightened out. Currently, we are about a 24-member outfit, with a solid core of 8-10 band members and then other players who help us out on busy nights. Availability generally dictates who you're going to see in the band on any given show.

So, an orchestra has booked Jeans 'n Classics for an evening of music; then what happens? Well, about 6 weeks prior to the concert Peter will send the music to the orchestra so that players can take a look it and rehearse any persnickety bits. (Or not! Many pros out there sight-read the music at the rehearsal. Yep, they're that good!)

If the gig is a travel gig in the US, the band members from London get a ride to either Toronto or Detroit airport (London has limited US destinations) and fly in the night before the show. We generally arrive between 8-11pm and settle in for the night. Sometimes there are vocalists who fly out of Toronto, so we catch up with them at the hotel, or see them at rehearsal the next morning.

If need be, for instance with a show that we haven't performed in a fair while, the vocalists might meet to do a quick vocal rehearsal.

Generally, we get only one rehearsal with the orchestras with which we work, so the morning of the show is usually taken up with sound check and then rehearsal of that evening's concert with full orchestra. After rehearsal, if there's time we get a quick look around the town we're visiting, but often it's just back to the hotel for a wee rest before we're required again at the concert hall.

Our shows never go more than two-and-a-half hours, so we're back at our hotel by 10:30 pm, at which time we might unwind with a drink, or the particularly JnC tradition of "bed pizza"(coined thus by bassist Kevin Muir). It's far more innocuous than it sounds: we order pizza and sit in someone's room scarfing it down!

As most of our gigs are one-nighters, we're often up very early the next morning for the flights home. 5am lobby calls are not unheard of in the Jeans 'n Classics travel world, so its frequently a bleary-eyed crew that loads into vehicles for the ride to the airport.

We're usually home by the suppertime the day after a show! It's rather a whirlwind. "What'd you do this weekend?", my friends ask. "I spent 32 hours in Denver", I respond. True!

All Hands on Deck

2011-03-27T22:52:00.000-04:00

In the last five days, Jeans 'n Classics has presented 7 concerts in three different cities. Last Wednesday and Thursday evenings, Michael Shotton led the way with the KW Symphony in Kitchener Ontario for two nights of Led Zeppelin.

Meanwhile, Rique Franks, Kathryn Rose and Neil Donell took other band members to Calgary for two nights of the Music of Fleetwood Mac with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

And Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon saw Jean Meilleur with yet another incarnation of the Jeans 'n Classics band in Winnipeg for three performances of the Music of Pink Floyd.

Off the top, the mail form Mike's performances in K-W has been plentiful. He and the band clearly struck a fine chord with their performances...

Dear John,
re: Kitchener performance of Led Zeppelin

What a show. Thanks.

For me it wasn't about hearing the actual music, it was about hearing the interpretation. I was listening and visualizing Peter writing the notes, with the music swirling in my head, knowing what the next note was but not know what the sound was going to be. A piccolo trumpet replacing a synth? Magical. And he nailed it.

Dale Ann gets a special mention. It fascinating to watch a woman playing the skins. It's not about me being sexist or anything like that, it is just so rare for me to see a woman in the chair. So many male drummers play with speed and power and I expect the sound to be a function of their strength, but now I have learned that it need not be so. You did a great job with the play being so tight, hitting the marks that everyone knew were coming. Nice pace and great timing control, you never let it get away from you. It's all a blur for me but there was one song where John would always strike the inside ride cymbal and then the outside, seemingly with a backhand stroke. Why I don't know but i was watching for that and Dale didn't do that, just 2 strokes on the inside ride. No flair, nothing fancy. Just a total respect for the music, on the beat and communicating to me, whether she thought this or not, acknowledging the importance of the opportunity just to play John's music. Thanks.

Finally, when I saw that the play list did not contain Stairway, I actually felt relief. It is played so often that it seems like a cliche. At the end I was crying, staggering to my feet. What beauty and majesty. It was like I had heard it a thousand times before, yet never ever heard it before. The ebb and flow to the sound and the pace. Higher and faster, then a lessening. New instruments are introduced with the strings pulling us along, lifting us up the stairway. Then building again, only to pull back slightly, and once more away when we are
attacked by Dave's splendid guitar in a frenzy of speed, power and emotion. Truly magical.

It was a privilege to be your guest. As we left with our friends, I said to Brian that the boys would be pleased with how you had played their music. There cannot be any greater honour.

Until next time

Dave Z

Next up was Calgary. Here's a note form patrons...

Good day:
Just want to send a quick email of thanks for the wonderful renditions of Fleetwood Mac classics! It was the first time for my wife and I to attend one of your shows. Neil, Kathyrn and Ricky(?), along with band and the orchestra were fabulous.
We're already planning to buy tickets to the Eagle's tribute in May.

We thoroughly enjoyed the evening - the songs brought back memories from high school!
Cheers,
Alex

And finally, the review from Winnipeg....

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

WSO's take on Pink Floyd is rock with substance
March 25 Attendance: 2,029

By: Gwenda Nemerofsky

The Jeans 'n' Classics Band is a rock group based out of London, Ontario whose website claims they "understand orchestra culture and are committed to help in the building of younger, loyal and sustainable audiences for symphony orchestras."

This may be why they're back performing this weekend with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra for the ninth time. And while some older WSO Pops subscribers seem to have given away or traded in their tickets for tamer stuff, the newcomers who moved into their seats thoroughly enjoyed Friday night's tribute to British band Pink Floyd and a host of other '70s classic rock icons.

Lead singer Jean Meilleur, singers Katalin Kiss and Leah Salomaa, guitarist David Dunlop, electric bass Kevin Muir, drummer Jeff Christmas and Don Paulton on keyboard put together an exciting evening of music from the long-gone days of the rock concept album.
Arrangements by the band's founder, Peter Brennan, incorporated the orchestra more than in some performances in this genre.

We were transported back to the era of synthesizers and stage fog, and as various familiar hits were announced, there were appreciative calls of "yeah" from the audience.
The first half of the program primed our palettes with numbers like Proco Harum's Conquistador, with some glorious trumpet playing. Unfortunately, Meilleur's rough-edged voice was all but drowned out by his bandmates.

Salomaa provided a strong rendition of Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights, her powerful, piercing voice climbing to its own impressive vocal heights, giving it an appropriate sense of wonder and passion.

Who knew principal flute, Jan Kocman, was such a rocker? He lent a great funky/jazzy touch to Jethro Tull's Living in the Past, its syncopated rhythms enhanced by a tone far purer than most jazz flutists can muster.

Also great was the vintage synthesizer played by Paulton in Emerson Lake and Palmer's Lucky Man, its eerie reediness shaking us in our seats. Guitarist Dunlop ruled in Wish You Were Here, and while Meilleur's voice may not have pleased purists, the entire ensemble truly achieved the winsome nature of the song.

The audience clapped and even sang along to Another Brick in the Wall, which stuck to a wooden four-four time, lacking the appealing subtleties of the original. Dunlap was the saving grace with another stellar solo.

The second half of the evening was entirely devoted to the album Dark Side of the Moon, opening with the compelling heartbeat intro of Speak to Me/Breathe in the Air -- wonderfully laid-back.

The satisfying whine of the guitar ringing through the hall and the strains of the orchestra made for an agreeable mix. This is rock with substance -- and no one can take this away.
And the synthesizer is just plain cool. Paulton mesmerized us with it in On the Run, sounding like a train rushing by over and over again, then closing with the sound of wind chimes.
At press time, Kiss was wailing her way through Great Gig in the Sky and we wondered why we hadn't heard more of her.

March Madness...Musically Speaking

2011-03-16T23:12:00.002-04:00

The NCAA tournament begins tomorrow and I've filled in my tournament brackets (I picked Kansas to win). In Jeans 'n Classics land, March continues the busy pace established after the new year.

Recently, Jean Meilleur, Katalin Kiss and Kathryn Rose took "An Innocent Man: The Music of Billy Joel" to Colorado Springs for two concerts with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. Staying at the beautiful Cheyenne Mountain Resort, the band and singers enjoyed spring-like weather while it continued to snow back at home. The shows went off wonderfully...

John,

Wanted you to know that my wife and I completely enjoyed the concert you gave this afternoon. Your group is fantastic, and we can not wait to hear you again. Thank you for a wonderful afternoon in "dry" Colorado Springs!

Steve

John,
I just wanted to let you know what a tremendous concert you, Jean, Mitch, Dale Anne, Katalin and Kathryn had with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. My wife and I are new to the Philharmonic and are extremely pleased to see the organization bring in such talented artists as your troupe. We look forward to seeing you at your next concert here in Colorado. Please add my email address to your email list for upcoming events.
Cheers!
Mike M
Colorado Springs CO

Hi John,
We met on the flight into Colorado Springs last week and I wanted to write you guys a quick note to say thanks for the tickets! My friend and I really enjoyed your show! The music was great and we found the banter between songs very entertaining J. I will make sure to check your schedule to see if we’re ever in the same city again.
Take care and thanks again!
Brie

This past weekend here in London Ontario, Neil Donell led the way as Orchestra London and Jeans 'n classics debuted yet another new show: The Music of Sting and the Police.

Here is a review of the proceedings:

Saturday March 12, 2011

Every Breath You Take: Orchestra London's Red Hot Weekends; March 2011
by Brian Hay

The rhythm section really dominated most of the proceedings. Big surprise considering the songs were written by a bass player (Sting) and the original band included one of the best drummers (Stewart Copeland) the music industry's ever produced. Drummer Jeff Christmas captured the essence and rhythmic complexity of Copeland's work beautifully and bass player Kevin Muir had a field day rolling out one great riff after another. There's a favourite saying about drummers and bass players being "in the pocket". These two weren't just in the pocket, they were the pocket. John Regan handled the keyboard parts beautifully and laid down some especially tasteful piano work throughout the concert. Jeans n' Classics leader Peter Brennan played rhythm and acoustic guitar while Dave Dunlop handled the lead chores. Peter delved some delicious playing on the acoustic and Dave played some fine lead passages. Dave also presented an array of effects but did so with a sense of subtlety and restraint so as to work within the music rather than overpower it.

The orchestra played fabulously. The work of the string players (still without Joe Lanza and Mary Beth Brown) was impeccable. Their part of the arrangements (by Peter Brennan, Jeff Christmas and Mitch Tyler) gave them plenty of work that was rich in texture and demanding of their capabilities. Their was a huge amount of pizzicato playing in their sections and they made it look as easy as falling off a log. The orchestra's wind and percussion players maintained a dialogue with the rhythm section from the Jeans 'n Classics ensemble that felt symbiotic. Under the baton of Mitch Tyler and direction of Peter Brennan the two groups became a single.

The singing was sensational. Dave Dunlop and John Regan sang some harmony vocals but the bulk of the work fell to Kathryn Rose and Neil Donell. Kathryn is an excellent singer in her own right, strong in both range and expression. She's also a superb and superbly disciplined harmony singer. Her pitch and control are stellar. Whether she has to mesh with the lead vocal or stand apart her volume is always spot on. And she lands squarely in the middle on every cue. Harmony singing is an art in itself and she's a consummate master of it.

Neil Donell was amazing. (He seems like a really modest guy who may be embarrassed by reading this but it has to be said). His resume states that his range spans four octaves. What it can't begin to express is the pure power and stellar quality in all parts of it. He can hold and sustain extremely high notes long past the time when most voices shut down with a choked croak. His baritone seems swathed in layers of fine silk. His mid range encompasses the complete range of many singers. And it comes wrapped in layers of plush velvet. When he combines his gift for mimicry (which is also stunning) with his individual prowess the result is something impeccably faithful to the original performances and stunningly original at the same time. When he and John Regan ran through a few excerpts from his performance in the 'Hollywood Crooners' show somebody close by blurted out "My God! How musical is he?" in tone of sheer awe. It's a good question. About the only thing he doesn't seem to be able to sing is a bad note.

The evening was nothing but highlights but a few things stand out. The cover of 'Every Breath You Take was stunning. The arrangement and execution of 'Englishman in New York' combined all the features that make these shows work so well in a way that stood above even much of what these ensembles often do together. The harmony singing in particular was magnificent. The three way percussion arrangement between drummer Jeff Christmas and percussionists D'Arcy Gray and Karen Pincombe produced one of the neatest visual effects I've seen in a concert in some time. During the chorus each had a different visually similar part to play. Because the parts were staggered it look like a sequence programmed by a machine. The three were flawless and it was a hoot to watch.
Fields of Gold

Sometimes everything comes together in such a way that it stands above all else that's happening. The arrangement of 'Fields of Gold' began with a superb mix between the rhythm and brass players. Jeff Christmas laid out the backbeat while Kevin Muir delivered the principle melodic line on his bass. The brass players came in with a passage that underscored the riff beautifully before being joined by the string players who took up another section of he melody. It was a sublime moment of ensemble playing. Neil Donell began singing and put everything he has, musically and emotionally, into the delivery. When the instrumental break came in the orchestra subsided while Dave Dunlop and John Regan delivered some incredibly tasty guitar and piano passages. They carried it until the vocal line resumed and the ensemble began playing as a whole again. It was a moment where spiritual depth and technical expertise came together on the highest plane.

Fantastic!
This show took place at Centennial Hall in London Ontario on Friday March 11, 2011. It'll be performed again tonight (Saturday March 12, 2011) in the same venue at 8:00 p.m. This review was written to convey an impression of what it was like to be there. It was great and this writer wholeheartedly recommends that anyone who thought about attending on Friday and didn't, make up for lost time and be there tonight. Nobody will walk away disappointed.

Finally, our boss, arranger, manager, owner and CEO, Peter Brennan, takes next to no credit for the success of Jeans 'n Classics. His efforts have turned a "one night only" opportunity with our Orchestra London way back in the early 1990's into a full-blown business venture that provides work for about 25 singers and musicians, in more than 80 performances each season.

Recently, esteemed London broadcaster Bill Brady wrote a column in our local paper, the London Free Press,
wherein he discussed the fruits of Peter's labours....

Jeans ’n Classics frontman little-known local star

By BILL BRADY, Special to QMI

Perhaps its the proximity of Toronto that intimidates. Do Torontonians know about the good life west of Mississauga?
While TO has become the liveliest theatre and arts centre in Canada, I never miss an opportunity to tell anyone who will listen that the Forest City is part of the crown jewels in our country, too.

Southwestern Ontario has reared an impressive number of stars from Hume Cronyn to Rachel McAdams and a great many more. I think many area residents are unaware of just how talented and highly regarded some of our residents and home-grown talent are. I feel great pleasure and pride when I read or hear about one of our own being recognized internationally even when many Londoners don't know of their prominence.
You may not know who this Londoner is or why he and his colleagues are in such demand here and in the U.S., but if you are an Orchestra London supporter or someone who celebrates the gifted musicians of our community, you will know and appreciate the brilliance of his work and the joy he continues to bring to audiences everywhere.

Peter Brennan is a London and Canadian treasure who has done it all. Born in Britain, he came to Canada with his parents in 1957. An accomplished guitarist and percussionist, Brennan opted to leave his formal music studies and find his way into the Canadian arts scene and that meant life on the road. An early highlight was travelling to Germany to work as a guitarist in Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical Cats.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Brennan travelled across North America and the Caribbean. He earned a record deal and released a solo album.
As a producer, he arranged and produced an extensive number of albums by Canadian artists and accumulated a large portfolio of commercial work. He has produced albums that have hit Top 10 charts as far away as the United Kingdom and has earned several producer grants and awards along with being a judge for Canada's Juno Awards.
He has provided arrangements for several commercial ventures and for the 2002 World Youth Day.

I began to hear about this talented musician when he started to recruit gifted performers from Southwestern Ontario to join him performing rock music in combination with a full orchestra.
They were committed to building a diverse, younger, sustainable audience for orchestras across Canada, the United States and Europe.

The goal of enticing young people, who seldom if ever attend a symphonic performance, was not new; Pop concerts tended to help.

Under the Jeans 'n Classics name, Brennan has delighted audiences of all ages with rock music performed by big orchestras and his eclectic ensemble. Tunes such as Stairway to Heaven, the Led Zeppelin hit, had never sounded quite like this before.
I wondered how serious classical musicians responded to what must have been a major departure.

"There were a few symphony players who seemed reluctant", Brennan said. "They seemed intimidated by us and at first we were sure intimidated by them."
The ensuing years have been good for Jeans 'n Classics brand; they've done it all - from the Beatles, Queen and Motown. They sell out in most venues.

"They come to hear ABBA or the music of U2 and we hope they come back for a classical concert," Brennan said. "We're flattered when orchestra members tell us that we are an absolute joy to work with. It doesn't get better than that."

Brennan and his colleagues have concert dates in Calgary, Halifax, Tucson, Green Bay, Cedar Rapids, Dayton and Denver. Their bookings with major North American orchestras run well into 2012.

The Jeans 'n Classics band plays 80 concert dates a season in arenas, elegant concert halls and outdoor venues such as their favourite: a garden setting in Ft. Worth. There, surrounded by semi-tropical plants and accompanied by cicadas, they show Texas what Southern Ontario has spawned.
I asked Brennan, who seems not to age, how long he wants to live this exhausting life. "I'm going to keep doing what I love; I'm too old to rock and far too young to die."

Jean Leads the Pack

2011-03-01T07:44:00.000-05:00

Well, it appears that our cheeseheaded vocalist had great fun in his home state on the weekend. While it is true that singer Jean Meilleur is still in Green Bay, soaking up all things Packer, the reviews from this past weekend's concert with the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra are in, and it looks like they're inviting Jean to stay....

Review: GB Symphony Orchestra gets by with a little help from the Beatles

By Warren Gerds • wgerds@greenbaypressgazette.com • February 28, 2011

The lasting qualities of symphony orchestras, the Beatles and the Green Bay Packers combined Saturday night in the nearly sold-out Weidner Center.

Imagine, as John Lennon might say, the Beatles' entire "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album reproduced with a live orchestra and band in a wonderful hall. At its most exotic, the concert found George Harrison's "Within You Without You" ricocheting from India to recesses of 1,800 or so minds.

Music from the late 1960s didn't sound old at all. The songs expressing everyday life with soul and humor — "She's Leaving Home," "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite," "When I'm Sixty-Four," "With a Little Help from My Friends," etc. — remain exploratory, original and vital.

The voices of Lennon, Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr weren't imitated but interpreted by Jean Meilleur, who put the concert over the top with his enthusiasm.

Meilleur has sung for 15 years in Jeans 'n Classics, based in Ontario, Canada. Being from Madison and a Packers fan forever, Meilleur called the concert "a dream." For the encore, he wore a Packers jersey he's worn while jogging for nine years. There was icing on his cake.

"Look at this hall. It's awesome," he said. "We're impressed."

In singing, Meilleur carefully reaches for meaning in lyrics — found in abundance with the Beatles.

Behind this all is Peter Brennan, the eight-member Classics 'n Jeans' founder and guitarist. He has created 45 programs blending rock music and orchestras. He has a touch.

Brennan's arrangements put spring in the step of the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra, with Andrew Sewell of the Madison Symphony on the podium. "Energy" was Sewell's middle name Saturday.

Ninety singers from the Dudley Birder Chorale added depth in the second half to such songs as "Eleanor Rigby," "Woman," "The Long and Winding Road" and "Let It Be."

Folks leaving the hall were heard saying of Classics 'n Jeans, "I'd like to hear them again." OK, GBSO, let it be.

A Green Bay Weekend

2011-02-25T10:08:00.000-05:00

Londoners are familiar with the sight of a lonely runner who daily makes his way through Old South and the downtown area, clad only in shorts and "Packers" coat and hat, regardless of the weather. This solitary figure is none other than Jeans 'n Classics vocalist Jean Meilleur. Jean has a few passions in life: family, music, running...and the Green Bay Packers!

Born in Wisconsin, Jean came to London as a wee child, but the green and gold (no, not the Edmonton Eskimos) runs in his blood as thick as maple syrup. And this weekend, Jean and Jeans 'n Classics head to Green Bay Wisconsin to perform the music of the Beatles, including the Sgt. Pepper's album in its entirety with the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra. To say that Mr. Meilleur is excited is a gross understatement. Jean has already had to remind himself that he's going there to perform a concert, not a pep rally!

The Green Bay Gazette chatted with Jean recently:

Kendra Meinert column: Symphony Orchestra will meet Beatles with 'Pepper' concert

Get ready for “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’’ played live in its entirety — perhaps even with a tuba or oboe solo.

It’s been a long and winding road, but the British Invasion is catching up with the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra at last. The orchestra’s “The Music of The Beatles!’’ pops concert on Feb. 26 at the Weidner Center will feature the Canada-based rock group Jeans ’n Classics as guest artists for a program that includes the Fab Four’s 1967 classic album played start to finish as well as a generous helping of other Beatles songs.

“We don’t clone The Beatles. We don’t come out and try to move like them or wear wigs. We just try and make it a very, very interpretive evening,’’ said Jean Meilleur, a Madison native living in Canada who has been a vocalist with the eight-piece band for 15 years.

“We like to run ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’ like the album. In other words, we run it like a suite without any interruption between songs. ... It’s just like going back and putting on the vinyl and turning the record over and listening to it.’’

Jeans ’n Classics has been teaming up with orchestras across the United States and Canada for the better part of 20 years, putting a classic rock spin on symphony concerts that find themselves energized not only by the music but the first-timers and younger audiences they often attract. The music of Elton John, Pink Floyd, Billy Joel, The Eagles, KISS and Led Zeppelin have all been given the symphonic rock treatment by Jeans ’n Classics to rousing applause.

“You name it, over the years, we’ve done it,’’ Meilleur said.

Everybody, that is, but Meat Loaf. Despite many requests via e-mail, the band’s British leader/arranger Peter Brennan, who has scored orchestral arrangements to hundreds of pop and rock songs, has taken a pass on “Bat Out of Hell.’’

“He will not, for whatever reason, do a Meat Loaf show,’’ Meilleur said. “That’s the only one. Anything else, he’s game.’’

This won’t be the first time Jeans ’n Classics, which has several groups out on the road, has done “Sgt. Pepper’s’’ in full. But it will be the first time they’ve done it in Green Bay, and for Meilleur, a huge Green Bay Packers fan, the timing couldn’t be better. So excited by the Super Bowl XLV victory, he’s bringing his wife, a Canadian Packers convert, along for the show. They plan to spend an extra three days in Green Bay soaking in all that is Packers-related.

“I don’t think you know how thrilled I am,’’ said Meilleur, pointing out that he has been performing music professionally longer than Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been alive. “We’re going to take full advantage. I’m going to spend every last cent I have at the (Packers) Pro Shop. This is gonna be great.’’

Jeans ’n Classics will arrive the day before the concert and do a rehearsal with the symphony on the day of for what tend to be seamless collaborations.

“The orchestras are so professional and we know our stuff, so it works well — without a hitch,’’ Meilleur said.

Boosted by the popularity of such touring acts at Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Meilleur has seen more and more orchestras take on classic rock as a way to expand audiences and broaden musical horizons.

“It’s become a very viable thing for the symphony orchestras, because it does do well,’’ he said. “You want to keep the integrity of the song. You don’t want to go too … schmaltzy. You don’t want to make it too syrupy. Conversely, you do need to incorporate classical instruments, because there are a bunch of them back there.

“Peter has a very, very deft way of making arrangements so the orchestra is there and the rock band is there. And they really do work harmoniously. … It’s not just a rock band up there, and you might hear a bit of violin or a bit of flute. Peter does tuba solos. He’ll do oboe solos. All kinds of things one wouldn’t normally see in the confines of rock ’n’ roll.

For the classically trained musicians he’ll be sharing the stage with at the Weidner, Meilleur is betting they’re looking forward to the concert as much as he is.

“We really find that they enjoy these shows, because it does indeed give them a break from the serious side of what they do. It gives them the chance to really let loose and play rock ’n’ roll.’’

Check back here next week, as we'll be adding some great photos from February's shows. If you want a preview, take a look here....
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=301720&id=507902234&l=9aca7ef4b4

February Thaw

2011-02-16T22:42:00.001-05:00

This past weekend saw Jeans 'n Classics perform in three different cities. Here in London Ontario, David Blamires, Gavin Hope, Kathryn Rose and Rique Franks debuted yet another new show in Orchestra London's Red Hot Weekends Series. Entitled "Guilty Pleasures", the show featured songs that we love but perhaps are afraid to admit our attachment to: songs like Daydream Believer by the Monkees, Love Shack by the B-52's and Could It Be Magic by Barry Manilow.

Meanwhile, Mike Shotton took our Eagles package to Tucson Arizona, where the band and singers had a great evening with the Tucson Symphony. And at the same time, ABBAmania was appearing in Duluth Minn, with the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra.

Below are reviews for both the London Guilty Pleasures concert and the Duluth ABBA evenings...

Saturday February 12, 2011

Guilty Pleasures Hosted by John Regan: Orchestra London's Red Hot Weekends; February 2011
by Brian Hay

The show began with a wonderfully spirited rendition of 'Physical' from Kathryn Rose. She was on fire. After the song ended host John Regan took over and gave a short introduction as to the nature of the program. It was warm, witty and as filled with affection as Kathryn's take on 'Physical' was with passion and enthusiasm. Gavin Hope came out and delivered a spectacular cover of Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give Up on You'. He followed it with A-Ha's 'Take On Me' and the stage was almost set. David Blamires did Gilbert O'Sullivan's 'Alone Again, Naturally' and that was it. The audience was entirely ready to go scuba diving in the waters of our musical guilt. Hell, I was ready to add a few leagues to those depths.

The program was one highlight after another. Kathryn Rose gave a fabulous rendition of 'Can't Get You Out of My Head'. Rique Franks reminded everybody why we loved Cher's 'Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves' (even while we were harping about how bad the song was). She also gave a stellar performance of Britney Spears hit, 'Toxic'. It's nice to hear it done by a singer who doesn't need Auto-Tune or some kind of pitch correction processor to do it justice. Rique more than gave it that. David Blamires made fans of people who ever criticized 'Babe'. He cracked the house up with his commentary about the song as well. I won't say what it was in case he repeats it. Gavin Hope made the Village People's 'YMCA' a thing to like, and even love. It was amazing.

The execution involved in every facet of this show was magnificent. The arrangements that Peter Brennan and Jeff Christmas created set up a wonderful dynamic that allowed the orchestra and ensemble to play with and off of each other. The rhythm parts, especially those for the drums, were very elaborate. Dale Anne Brendon made them seem as easy as falling off a log. She and bass player Kevin Muir formed a platform that set the band and orchestra up to rock. Peter Brennan, as he always does, played some incredibly tasteful licks on the guitar. His playing and sense of expression is matched only by the restraint he shows. The string arrangements were exquisite and the rendering given to them by the orchestra was gorgeous. The dialogue between the percussion and the brass was stellar. Conductor Mitch Tyler and Associate Concertmaster Mary Elizabeth had the orchestra hopping. She's doing a great job while Joe Lanza is away.

There really isn't a word (or I can't think of one anyway) to do justice to the excellence of the singers who performed in this show. The arrangements for vocal harmony were complex and demanding. This group made them seem effortless. Kathryn Rose, as she always does, showed her writer's gift for finding the expression inside a song. That she can belt songs out or inject a touch of silk doesn't hurt either. Rique Franks can blow the roof off a place or turn a song into a caress. She's captivating to watch and listen to. David Blamires and Gavin Hope both have a range that spans several octaves. Blamires brings wit, affection and joy to everything he sings. On his lips pieces like 'Silly Love Songs' (Maple Syrup on Corn Syrup but brilliantly crafted) work because he makes them believable. Hope is a consummate performer. He sings so as to move the heavens. He moves like a cat. He's funny. And he's a catalyst. His energy spreads to everyone around him. John Regan was a fabulous host who tied all this together beautifully. He's funny, warm and entirely engaging. And he never stops working to engage both the audience and performers in the extracurricular fun a live show has to offer.

This show provided another stellar illustration of the calibre of the entire organization that makes up Orchestra London. They embrace a repertoire that includes everything from baroque to pop and perform it with panache. Their ability to bring new ideas to things they've already touched is phenomenal. Both 'Daydream Believer' and 'Ben' were covered recently in their Pops Series. Those arrangements, for orchestra and singer, (if memory serves) were created by Jeff Christmas. The arrangements for this show, for orchestra, singer(s) and rock band, were written by Peter Brennan and Jeff Christmas. Every one retained the integrity of the original pieces while bringing something fresh to them. These songs are guilty pleasures to be sure. But they endure because they're also extremely well crafted pieces of music. When they're performed by ensembles with the level of talent, dedication and enthusiasm this group had they stop being guilty pleasures and simply become as good it ever gets.

If this is something to be guilty about let my cup flow over, please. And when it does, fill another, okay.

This show was performed at Centennial Hall in London Ontario on Friday the Eleventh of February, 2011. It's being played again tonight (Saturday February 12, 2011) at the same venue. Anyone who can should attend and bask in their guilt.

DSSO pairs with Jeans ’n Classics for energetic night of ABBAmania

Saturday night the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra offered a pops concert featuring the Jeans ’n Classics tribute to the ’70s Swedish band known as ABBA. The audience was abundant, very, very happy and wanted more.

By: Samuel Black , Duluth News Tribune

Saturday night the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra offered a pops concert featuring the Jeans ’n Classics tribute to the ’70s Swedish band known as ABBA. The audience was abundant, very, very happy and wanted more.

Indeed, for the last three hits of the evening, “Take a Chance on Me,” “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” and “Dancing Queen,” as many as 60 audience members headed for the modest dance floor in front of the stage. Many believed an encore would follow, but when the show was over, it was over.

Jeans ’n Classics is a Toronto-based organization committed to celebrating powerful popular music in partnership with symphony orchestras throughout North America. Without question, their ABBA tribute band performance was nearly as dynamic as the definitive ABBA recordings that have sold copies in the tens of millions.

For those of us who are familiar with Bjorn, Benny, Anni-Frid, and Agnetha (ABBA), we were treated respectively to Nicholas Pattison, Matthew Whale, Monica Tietz and Michelle Truman. They were additionally supported by the pulsating Todd Lafraniere on drums, Darryl Stacey on bass, with Kristal Jackson and Andrea Brunet as backing vocals.

Truman’s lead singing all evening was exciting and aimed directly at every person in the house. Tietz provided a strong counterpart, with the guys adding vocals throughout the performance.

Eighteen hits were featured during the concert, and with each additional song the audience warmed into the experience. When they opened with “Mamma Mia,” it looked like another evening of music on the stage with an audience calmly sitting and taking it in. By the time they got to “Fernando,” much of the audience had begun to sing along and clap enthusiastically.

As the concert continued after intermission, the audience had loosened up considerably. The guitar riff in “I Have a Dream” was applauded strongly, and the strong piano ballad, “Winner Takes All,” put Truman center stage, so she said it was time to pick up the pace.

The final three selections put energy under the audience, and the rest of the evening was spent standing, swaying to the rhythms. No one was ready to stop.

The orchestral support unfortunately overpowered the guitar playing of Pattison and the keyboard of Whale. Therefore, a completely different sound emerged, with the strings, woodwinds and brass creating a texture more blended than the articulate energies of the original ABBA. The stylized choreography of the band, so vital in the late ’70s, would work better with a backdrop other than a symphony orchestra. Many of their movements simply became shadows in front of the DSSO.

Still, the evening was deliciously full and nostalgic. The sound never was overbearing, and the singers frequently invited the audience to join in when they felt comfortable.

Conductor Mark Whitlock obviously was connected with this music and added his crisp leadership to the evening’s excitement. This second, very successful partnership with Jeans ’n Classics might lead the DSSO to explore further collaborations. The audience seems to overflow with its approval.

Samuel Black is music director at Duluth Congregational Church, a frequent performer and reviews concerts for the News Tribune.

Catching Up With January

2011-01-23T22:31:00.002-05:00

While I have been slightly derelict in keeping pace with Jeans 'n Classics performances in January, that hasn't kept folks from sending mail to AJR in response to performances over the past two weeks.

Last weekend here in London Ontario we debuted Frozen Trax II, great music by Canadians in the rock and pop era. The show was reviewed by a couple of local reviewers, each with their own positive take on the concerts. You can view the separate reviews here...

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

...and...
here...http://www.beatmagazine.ca/index.phpoption=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=24&Itemid=38

Letters from Londoners regarding the performances:

Hi John,

We really enjoyed the Frozen Tracks 2 show on Saturday night. Great selection of songs, loved Aaron MacDonald, Kathryn Rose was amazing with Hallelujah, and Neil Donnell always surprises us with his ability to copy voices. Nice to see Katalin and Liz together again.

We always enjoy the Jeans 'n Classics shows!!

Marilyn B.

John,

As a regular at the J 'n' C shows I want to tell you how much my wife and I enjoy the shows. We, and our friends, have never been disappointed at any of the events. We particularly like your patter between the songs. Thanks, again, John for all the good evenings.

Mike A
London

Meanwhile, this past Tuesday evening Jean Meilleur and company went north to Thunder Bay Ontario for an evening of the Beatles with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. Peter Brennan sent along a fantastic photo that I'll post in the next few days.

As soon as the band's flight returned from Thunder Bay on Wednesday afternoon, drummer Jeff Christmas and bassist Kevin Muir boarded yet another plane, this time to Pittsburgh where they joined ABBAMania for 5 performances with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. At the moment of this writing, having completed their work with the orchestra this afternoon, Jeff and Kevin are probably in a pub enjoying the Steelers' victory over the New York Jets.

And last night Mike Shotton led the way in Dayton Ohio as Jeans 'n Classics presented the music of the Eagles with the Dayton Philharmonic. Here's some mail that arrived early this morning...

Fantastic show by Jeans' N Classics in Dayton, Ohio. Michael Shotton was uplifting and on fire with his performance. The harmony of backing vocals Ms. Kiss and Ms. Franks was WOW! The instrumentalists were delightfully entertaining. The performance with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra was a nice blend. Thank you for an enjoyable evening and a real antidote for cabin fever during Dayton's so damn cold and snowy weather. The Eagles live on!

Anita McK.

John
Good Day! Caught your act for the first time on Sat. Jan., 22nd at the Schuster Center in Dayton, Ohio. Fabulous!!!! Had the time of my life singing along with every song. Look forward to catching you again in Dayton. Thank you for a beautiful, reminiscent evening. Have a Happy New Year!

Darla-June

This Friday evening Rik Emmett takes his Guitar Heroes show to Calgary for a performance with the Calgary Philharmonic, while on Saturday evening you can find us in Kalamazoo Michigan for an evening of the Beach Boys with the Kalamazoo Symphony.

Happy New Year

2011-01-12T22:09:00.000-05:00

Bassist Kevin Muir

After a very mild New Years Eve spent in Lima Ohio, Jeans 'n Classics returned home to begin the year in earnest. New Year's Eve saw Mike Shotton, Lis Soderberg and Katalin Kiss join the band and the Lima Symphony Orchestra for the Music of the Eagles. A crowd of about 1200 enjoyed hits like "Hotel California", "Desperado", "Heartache Tonight" and "In a New York Minute" (captured here from the orchestra's Facebook page...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idv-xv3MQX0).

After the concert, the band, consisting of drummer Dale Anne Brendon, guitarist Dave Dunlop, bassist Kev Muir and myself, joined the singers in a hotel room for a quiet toast to the New Year and solemn discussion of geo-political matters. As is generally the case in the Jeans 'n Classics organization, the conversation was lofty, principled and riven with rich metaphor and allegory. Dave recounted his favorite moments from "HotTub Time Machine" while Dale Anne surfed "Green Acres" reruns on her laptop! Oh that Hank Gimble!

The J'nC season schedule now turns from a gentle walking pace to absolute hysteria, as we begin perhaps our busiest stretch ever. This weekend coming up, Jan 14/15 here in London, we debut a new show, this time featuring Canadian music. Entitled "Frozen Trax II", it features iconic Canadian rock and pop and follows from "Frozen Trax" of the 2008 season. Then, next week its off to Thunder Bay for a mid-week performance of the Music of The Beatles, followed by dates in Pittsburgh, Dayton, Kalamazoo and Calgary before the month ends. Remarkable!

Stay tuned for the further adventures of Peter Brennan's Jeans 'n Classics.

Space Oddity Wrap-Up

2010-12-23T10:12:00.000-05:00

This past weekend here in London, Ontario,
Jeans 'n Classics presented some of the great symphonic rock of the 70's and 80's from bands like ELO, the Moody Blues, Procul Harum and David Bowie.

Along with our own Orchestra London, the show starred Jean Meilleur, Kathryn Rose and Rique Franks. Mitch Tyler held the reigns as conductor in what proved to be a successful weekend before a brief Christmas respite.

The show was reviewed by local reviewer Brian Hay. The review...

Saturday December 18, 2010

Space Oddity featuring Jean Meilleur
Red Hot Weekends: Orchestra London
by Brian Hay

This time around the combination of the Jeans 'n Classics Band and Orchestra London seemed like one very large band as opposed to two very different units combining forces to achieve a common goal. The content of the program had a lot to do with it. Most of the pieces on it either lend themselves to symphonic accompaniment or used it when they were first released. The arrangements Peter Brennan prepared were exceptional, even by his standards, and he's been doing this for a long time. The enthusiasm Conductor Mitch Tyler displayed probably pushed everybody. The musicians from both ensembles achieved a level of chemistry that was almost symbiotic. Their playing was incredibly tight. It was a hell of an experience.

The magic didn't come together instantaneously though. Lead vocalist (and Frontman for the evening) Jean Meilleur opened the first set with a strong rendition of "Conquistador" but had to fight with sound problems for the first line or so. It happens. The acoustics in any hall will give any sound man problems once in while. Backing vocalists Rique Franks and Kathryn Rose joined Meilleur for the second number, "Livin' Thing" by the Electric Light Orchestra. The three delivered strong renditions of that and "Strange Magic".
Jean Meilleur pulled things back together with a brilliant rendering of "Can't Get it Out of My Head" (also by ELO). His delivery was strong enough to push Jeff Lynne's original performance to one side. (It was the first of many such moments). After that there was no stopping anybody. A set of David Bowie's works that began with "Panic in Detroit" and closed with "Under Pressure" yielded an abundance of highlights. Peter Brennan captured the essence of the opening guitar lick from "Rebel, Rebel" brilliantly. Meilleur delivered a fabulous cover of "Space Oddity". Franks and Rose wove a tapestry of harmony singing around him that soared. The band (the Orchestra and the Band) provided a melodic fabric (particularly for "Space Oddity") that was otherworldly. Rique Franks let her voice out of the box for her part of "Under Pressure" when she and Meilleur covered it. The impact of that was something to hear. The two sang as if they were competing and it provided a rousing close to the first set.

The second set could truly be called 'symphonic'. The two Flutists, Margaret Voorhaar and another lady whose name I didn't catch (and who's not listed on the Orchestra's page), moved to the fore and provided a dazzling accompaniment on Jethro Tull's "Locomotive Breath". Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up" was one of the high points of the evening. Meilleur's delivery was impassioned. The band was brilliant. The arrangement was fabulous. And Kathryn Rose just shone. She was right inside that song when she sang it. After it ended Mitch Tyler talked for a moment and stated that he feels that may be the best Pop song in existence. The performance this ensemble gave of it made a convincing argument for his statement.

The rendition of Cliff Richard's song "Little Town" that followed "Don't Give Up" was magnificent. The rhythm section of drummer Jeff Christmas, bassist Kevin Muir and Orchestra London's percussionist D'Arcy Gray established a beautiful dialogue with the horn players. Keyboardist Don Paulton and the string players from the orchestra provided a wonderful platform for the singers to work with. Kathryn Rose and Rique Franks made their harmonies soar. And Meilleur made another song his own.

The show closed with a set of material by the Moody Blues. The ensemble delivered the "Overture" (which I believe appeared on "Days of Future Passed") perfectly. "The Story in Your Eyes" reverberated with the freshness it had when it was first recorded. "Ride My See Saw" was a joy to listen to. (Even if the statement is becoming redundant) "Tuesday Afternoon" was sung with such inspiration that Meilleur again came close to making it his own. "Nights in White Satin" and the spoken "Late Lament" provided an excellent (but not entirely satisfactory) close. There was something more needed.

And more was had. The ensemble answered the space they'd left with "Question", again from the Moody Blues songbook. This piece really illustrated Meilleur's ability to maintain the spirit of a song while doing something new with it. When the ensemble opened the number it was close to what the original artists did with it. When Meilleur sang the heartfelt interlude that runs through the middle of the piece it was his heart on display, nobody else's. He displays that part of himself with all the pieces he sings. Much of the time his heart is big enough to take the song over. That's his gift. Thankfully, he shares it.

As said before, it was a hell of an experience.

On an interesting side note the ladies of Jeans 'n Classics have a postcard of Christmas songs available for download on the Jeans 'n Classics site. The work they've done is excellent. Rique Franks gives a lovely reading of "Little Drummer Boy". Kathryn Rose's treatment of "Holiday Inn" is a true original and a good one. Lis Soderberg's cover of "All I Need" will make you want to glide. Andrea Kozoil gives a soft jazzy feel to the traditional "Greensleeves". Leah Salomaa's rendition of "The Holly and the Ivy" would be tasty in any age. And Jean Meilleur (even though he's not a girl) provides an excellent sampling of the sort of enlightened overview he brings to songs with his cover of "Driving Home for Christmas.

'Space Oddity' was performed at Centennial hall in London, Ontario on Friday December 17, 2010. It's being performed again at the same place on Saturday December 18, 2010. This write up is done with the intent to convey what it was like to be there.

In addition to the review, here is a brief sampling of mail received this week...

Dear John,
Tonight's show in London was probably the all time best we have seen, also agreed to by most of the folks at our table. David K.

John, Great Show Friday!! Really looking forward to remainder of season!!
Frank & Lu S.

Hi John,

I went to the 'Space Oddity' show last night...good job! (even though you weren't performing). Anyway, some ballots were passed around asking people what they would like to hear, and since I didn't have a pen, I thought I would drop a little e-mail your way. It would be nice to maybe see what you all could do with some Rush and Chicago (make me smile!). A little bit of melodic rock and a little bit of jazzy rock. Sure to be a toe-tapper!

Have a Merry Christmas,
Sarah

Thanks to all who have dropped us a line here at Ask John Regan. A thank you goes to those who have sent in their musical suggestions, as Sarah did above. This season has featured the debut of three new shows already, with four more to come. For Jeans 'n Classics creator Peter Brennan, it looks like the holidays will be filled with the preparations of new arrangements for Frozen Trax II, Guilty Pleasures, The Music of Sting and the Police, and the Music of Journey. If you happen to run into Peter here in town, tell him to put his feet up and take a day off!

John

Stop reading this...

2010-12-18T09:57:00.000-05:00

And look here...Now!

http://jncwomen.bandcamp.com/

Blame Binghamton!

2010-12-07T17:31:00.005-05:00

Singer Neil Donell regales bassist Darryl Stacey with stories about how he and Soviet leader Leonid Breshnev used to storm the buffet at the Politburo.

This past weekend found Jeans 'n Classics in New York's Southern Tier doing "Shaken Not Stirred: The Music of James Bond" featuring Rique Franks and Neil Donell. Members of the band included Peter Brennan, Darryl Stacey, Dale Anne Brendon and yours truly.

To be precise, we were in Binghamton, New York performing with the fine Binghamton Philharmonic under Maestro Jose Luis Novo. This was our third visit, as we have previously performed Beatles and Elton John shows in Binghamton.

Each visit to this city has been marked by some strange weather...our first visit in 2007 saw us barely get out of town due to a huge snowstorm. (The cab ride to the airport remains my most harrowing journey ever! Read about it here: http://jeansnclassics.blogspot.com/2007/12/bingo-beatles.html). Last year's visit saw major tornado warnings and torrential rains that almost forced the cancellation of the concert. Firefighters came to the rescue and pumped the water from the concert hall's basement!

Well, this year we got in and out of Binghamton with no problem, but arrived home to a whopper of a snowstorm that has continued since Sunday morning. Somehow, I blame Binghamton! I suppose the snow is small price for the wonderful hospitality shown to us throughout our visit. Or perhaps it is payback for my slip up- I introduced the Binghamton Philharmonic as the Burlington Philharmonic. Yikes! An ensemble as wonderful as the Binghamton Philharmonic deserves to be called by the correct name!

Below is a review of Saturday's show...

Philharmonic, Jeans ‘n Classics ‘Bond’ with audience

December 6, 2010 — Barb Van Atta

Reviewed by Barb Van Atta

Double entendres. Derring-do. Dastardly seekers of world domination. All are trademarks of Bond, James Bond, movies.

And so is the music, both the instantly recognizable John Barry theme and the string of title tunes sung by the voice du jour.

Saturday night (Dec. 4), the Binghamton Philharmonic and Maestro Jose-Luis Novo transported their Pops Series audience from The Forum in Binghamton to a world tour of exotic Bond locales. We didn’t wear tuxes or quaff martinis, but we definitely were both shaken and stirred by the Pops’ third successful teaming with the Canadian artists of Jeans ‘n Classics. The folks who previously fronted Pops performances of Beatles and Elton John music offered a collection of Bond themes (and a few songs from the Austin Powers Bond spoofs) interspersed with emcee/pianist John Regan’s clever commentary. Regan’s remarks, a combination of Bond trivia and bonding with the audience, elicited a constant stream of chuckles (and an occasional guffaw) from his listeners.

Jeans ‘n Classics’ formula, developed by Peter Brennan, is simple: “Combine rock musicians and headlining stars with world-class symphony orchestras” in programs of classic rock designed to attract younger audiences to the orchestra’s performances. Brennan’s Bond arrangements successfully balanced the brass, woodwind and lush strings of the orchestra with the electronically amplified rhythms of guitar and bass, while skillfully dividing percussion duties between the Philharmonic’s musicians and Jeans ‘n Classics drummer Dale Anne Brendon. Novo was always in charge, but Brendon occasionally set the beat with her drumsticks. The concert, not surprisingly, opened with the classic Bond theme, a showcase for both the Philharmonic and for Brennan himself, playing the iconic melody on guitar.

The headliners Saturday were two extremely talented vocalists, Rique Franks and Neil Donnell. Frank’s strong power-pop voice was a perfect match for songs popularized by Carly Simon (“Nobody Does It Better”), Nancy Sinatra (“You Only Live Twice”), Sheena Easton (“For Your Eyes Only) and, in a hoped-for encore, Shirley Bassey (“Goldfinger”). Donnell, an accomplished musical impressionist, did Franks one better by not only interpreting the songs with his impressive four-octave range, but by imitating the original artists. His Louis Armstrong (“We Have All The Time In The World”) needs a bit of work, but his Tom Jones (“Thunderball”) and Marvin Gaye (“Let’s Get It One” from an Austin Powers flick) were absolutely spot-on. Donnell also excelled with “A View To A Kill” and, teamed with Franks, the “Live And Let Die” finale.

Regan’s pleasant patter included more than one reminder that we are fortunate to be able to call such a top-notch orchestra our own, and he was liberal in his praise of such local soloists as trumpeter Frank Campos (a better Louis Armstrong than Donnell), oboeist John Lathwell and violinist/concertmaster Uli Speth (whose name, Regan joked, would be good for a Bond villain).

The standing ovation for the very entertaining “Shaken Not Stirred: The Music of James Bond” was richly deserved. Regan made it clear that Jeans ‘n Classics would be glad to return to Binghamton, and I hope the offer is accepted. An evening spent with the folks of Jeans ‘n Classics is a evening well-spent. Might I suggest their newly developed “Jersey Boy” concert (Bon Jovi, Frankie Valli and “The Boss)?

Lest you didn't believe me about the snow!

Whilst trying to photograph that great "$1 Value Menu" poster, these two ladies stuck their heads in the way!

There has been some mail from patrons at Saturday's show...

Dear John,
Hope you made it home from Burlington ok...but we wanted to drop a line to say how much fun y'all are to see - our second time...and we'll keep an eye out for a third ...ABBA or Jersey Shore shows would be great to see...
nsp
(ps - your dog looked so lovely...hope you went back to same shelter to find a new companion...)

John,
Hope you all got home OK today Sunday. Great show last night. Loved every moment of it. Thanks for making the trip. Yes Binghamton is richly blessed with a great orchestra.

Hi John,

I had the wonderful opportunity to hear your fantastic band and singers Saturday at the Forum in Binghamton. My husband and I enjoyed it SO MUCH! I would love to give my children and grandchildren the opportunity to hear you, especially the James Bond show.
Have a blessed, peaceful holiday.
Thanks, Virginia

Good morning John,
I hope you all made it back home safely from your concert in "Burlington" last Saturday. The "Shaken Not Stirred...the Music of James Bond" concert with the "Binghamton" Philharmonic was absolutely incredible. My wife and I were sitting in row 2 directly in front of you and greatly enjoyed every moment of the evening. Your historical perspective of the music coupled with your humor and talent made for an exhilarating evening. We have seen all three of your appearances in Binghamton, enjoyed each and every one of them, and hope that there will be more to come. Neil's rendition of the Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get it On" was absolutely incredible...please pass this on to him for us.

Again, many thanks for bringing your talents to our city. Real, live, music.....keeping the arts alive in our town continues to be a reality because of your dedication. Thank you again......we wish you all the best.........and hope to see you again soon..
Anthony and Mary L

In other Jeans 'n Classics news, last Friday evening at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at Brock University in St. Catherines, Rik Emmett and J'nC appeared in "Rik Emmett's Guitar Heroes". That show features Rik playing some of his favorite works by other famous guitarists including Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Pat Metheny. If you've ever heard Rik play, you know that those great players have nothing on him! He stands with the best!

U2 and Other News

2010-11-21T20:53:00.001-05:00

This weekend here in London, Jeans 'n Classics debuted yet another new show for the 2010-2011 orchestra season, Rattle and Hum: The Music of U2 featuring vocalist Mike Shotton. This is our third new feature this year, as we debuted The Music of Michael Jackson with the Calgary Philharmonic in September and It Came From the Jersey Shore: Springsteen, Bon Jovi and Frankie Valli here in London last month.

It has been a few years since Mike Shotton was featured on the London stage. That doesn't mean Mike hasn't been working with Jeans 'n Classics. As a matter of fact, he is one of our most frequently featured vocalists and his appearances with orchestras all over North America have kept him away from London for quite a while.

Mike is the featured vocalist in several of Jeans 'n Classics' offerings, including concerts featuring the music of the Eagles, Queen, Led Zeppelin, and Kiss. These shows are demanding vocally and in adding the U2 show to the mix, Mike is demonstrating his incredible versatility. He also had a great stage presence that is unique in Jeans 'n Classics.

In other news, our creator and boss, Peter Brennan was honoured recently by the University of Western Ontario's Faculty of Music for his contributions to the arts. Peter isn't one who enjoys being fussed over, so he brushed aside the well-deserved honour by stating that they had him mixed up with the late character actor Walter Brennan, pictured here...

Also, its our pleasure to report that last month there were more than 3000 hits on the J'nC website. While its true that many are from orchestras looking over our roster of shows and downloading bio material for upcoming concerts, most hits come from people who've been to concerts and just want to find out a little more about Jeans 'n Classics. Oh yeah, and there are those hits from Chinese denim manufacturers who just don't get it!

Here's a review from a local blogger of this weekend's concert with Orchestra London...

Rattle and Hum: An Evening of U2

Red Hot Weekends: Orchestra London
by Brian Hay

There's no need to extrapolate about the music of 'U2'. They've created one of the strongest catalogues in the field of popular music. Their work doesn't seem to have had much coverage by orchestras though. (That might be because the Royal Philharmonic's treatment seems to have come across as a dud but this isn't the time to go into that). Michael Shotton, 'Jeans 'n Classics' frontman for the evening pointed out that this was the first time their ensemble had covered the work. What they and the musicians of Orchestra London demonstrated was how well it can work with a symphony orchestra. All that's needed is the right mixture of parts.

Michael Shotton himself is an excellent showman. Apart from being able to belt out a tune with the best of them (which he does in spades) he also knows how to engage the audience he's playing for. He began the show not from the stage, but from somewhere within the crowd. The fact that not all of the sight lines in Centennial Hall are great ones only enhanced the air of mystery this created as his voice soared above the crowd while he remained mostly unseen. That he considered all this before the show began almost goes without saying. Throughout the show he interacted with audience and the other performers. His anecdotes (and antics) were engaging and funny. His tenacity was remarkable. He worked continually to engage the audience more intimately. He trusted the musicians to follow when he deviated from the script to make it happen. His hard work paid off when everybody finally sang.

The 'Jeans 'n Classics' ensemble are more than just a fine group of musicians. They're a band. When they're performing at functions like these they follow charts but they react to each others signals without needing to look at them. The rhythm section of bassist Kevin Mir and drummer Jeff Christmas was stellar. Muir laid out the melodic foundation and Christmas was always in front to signal the changes. Guitarist David Dunlop often wasn't anywhere near his charts when a change came but he followed Muir and Christmas beautifully. He also played some pretty tasty licks. Much of what keyboardist Don Paulton laid out, separately and with the orchestra, was delicious. He and David Dunlop also provided excellent harmony vocals. Guitarist and arranger Peter Brennan played his parts quietly as the the fabric he created wove itself into a vibrant tapestry.

It took a while to really begin to understand the sort of dialogue he'd created but that was because I was too busy boppin' along to the music to separate little things like details. The wind players in the orchestra, especially the trombone and trumpet players, had a really good dialogue going with drummer Jeff Christmas and bass player Kevin Muir. The percussion players were in on it too. They were punctuating each others movements and dotting each others' 'I's'. They were reading each other. The string players formed the same type of relationship with keyboardist Don Paulton. One would start something, the other would finish it. Or they would play together. Whatever they were were doing melded beautifully. With conductor Mitch Tyler at their helm and Brennan directing 'Jeans 'n Classics' they made it look effortless. With Shotton's voice soaring above it all the effect was fabulous. The smiles that kept showing up all over the stage made it obvious they were all having fun.

There was an abundance of musical highlights. 'Elevation' rang through the hall as Shotton approached the stage. The rendition of 'Angel of Harlem' was excellent. 'New Years Day' rocked. 'The renditions of 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' and 'Pride' were strong enough to make one wonder how they could be followed in the second half. No worries. 'City of Blinding Light', 'One', 'Desire', 'The Unforgettable Fire' and everything else they played made the second half a barn-burner. When they closed with 'Bad' and 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' it was the end of a very satisfying show.

They didn't imitate 'U2'. But they captured the essence of their music.

Photo Clearinghouse

2010-11-12T13:18:00.000-05:00

Here are several photos that have been bouncing around my various email addresses....

Fall Forward

2010-10-30T16:57:00.000-04:00

Jeans 'n Classics continues deep into the 2010-2011 season this weekend here in London Ontario as we present "It Came From the Jersey Shore" with our own wonderful Orchestra London. This concert highlights the music of Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen and Frankie Valli, and features the J'nC debut of vocalist David Blamires. You may know Blamires from his days as non-lyrical vocalist with the Pat Metheny Group, but last night he absolutely slayed the London audience with his performance of some Frankie Valli hits.

Also featured in this weekend's performances are Jean Meilleur, handling the Springsteen tunes, and Neil Donell, doing his best Jon Bon Jovi! Katalin Kiss and Rique Franks sing background vocals, while saxophonist Aaron MacDonald wanders in and out, generally stealing the spotlight whenever he makes an appearance!

It should be noted that this weekend's London concerts feature the largest cast of J'nC performers ever assembled together on stage!

Meabwhile, here is some recent press and mail from...

BSO season gets off to a rockin' good start

Entertainment
By MURRAY CHARTERS

A large crowd of enthusiastic Elton John fans got the new season of the Brantford Symphony Orchestra off to a grand start on Sunday eveningat the Sanderson centre.

John's music has obviously struck a chord with many people over the four-decade career of this artist, for there were few songs that weren't applauded as they began or when you didn't hear somebody nearby sighing with happy memories when titles were announced. And the enthusiastic sounds at the end of each song and the standing ovation at the evening's end spoke for themselves of the warm reception this concert earned.

First thoughts of the music of John conjure up just voice and piano, both very distinctive in sound. But once created, these things can be imitated, and that's what happened very successfully with the help of the four members of Jeans 'n Classics, back to share their strong talents with the BSO.

John Regan brought John's piano stylings to life all night long. Every number included Regan's energetic reproduction of those masses of notes that are the hallmark of John's sound. Regan's voice, while darker and heavier than John's, was a happy addition in many pieces and gave us a well-received solo version of the touchingly beautiful Your Song.

The main vocal component, however, came from Jean Meilleur. He accurately captured the sound of John's voice but it took some vocal gymnastics for him to cover John's wide range, and these became more obvious through the evening. Unfortunately, he also captured John's style of slurring the words together, but it seemed many in the audience already knew them so this was of concern only to some of us.

Meilleur and Regan handled the banter between numbers and this was a lot of fun, but those same people who didn't know all the words might have benefited from their take on the fascinating history of this troubled showman, and the backgrounds to some of the songs.

Still, all this allowed us to focus on John's music, and it is music worthy of much attention. The melody lines and harmonies are often startlingly original, and the music overall is imbued with an energy and often an underlying anger that is constantly fascinating. Then, when the voices of the Brant Belle-A-Dears and Brant Men of Song were added to excellent effect in the second half, there was a greater feeling of gospel music from this British rocker.

But this was a symphony concert, and every piece reminded us that the skill of the orchestrator is one of those hidden elements that can really sell a song. So it was a great pleasure to see and hear how much the razor-sharp BSO added throughout the evening: from taut, guttural rhythmic accents in the strings to soaring wind parts.

Much of this orchestral excellence and the good effect of the entire evening is rooted in the casual expertise of conductor Philip Sarabura. He comes across as unassuming, but his skill, confidence and foresight continue to make this orchestra and every concert a musical delight.

John - Thoroughly enjoyed last night's concert at the Sanderson Centre in Brantford. The barrier around Jeff and the drum set certainly made a huge difference in the overall presentation. Looking forward to your series of concerts with the K/W Symphony. Missed Peter though .... first time I've heard a performance without him!

John,
Fabulous concert in Brantford last night! Not only was your performance exceptional it did an amazing job of showcasing the fantastic talent of our local symphony.

Thanks for a great show!
Nancy Magee

Hi, John.
Wow! What a thrill to have been in the audience on Sunday in Brantford. As the director / musical accompanist for my two choruses - The Brant Men of Song and the Brant Belle-A-Dears - it was wonderful to perform with the Brantford Symphony Orchestra and Jeans 'N Classics' band!

My daughter, Faith, was the little one that was asking all the questions at the end of the afternoon rehearsal. She loved the show, almost as much as I did.

I gained a new appreciation of the Elton tunes through the interpretation style of Jean Meilleur and your piano. That is my primary instrument and sure love to hear the ivories played well!

An awesome, outstanding, provocative and soul-completing evening! Thank you so much for the great music. I'll be watching for more shows in south-central Ontario!

Superb!
Amy M. Groleau

Sioux Falls and Grand Junction

2010-10-16T22:10:00.000-04:00

Mike Shotton took the Music of the Eagles to Grand Junction Co. last weekend while at the same time Neil Donell and Rique Franks showcasede the Music of James Bond in Sioux Falls S.D.

Here's what peple had to say...

Dear John,
Thank you for an amazing performance. My friends & I thought it was "fabulous" as well

as lots of fun.
C. Spangler

Thanks for adding great evening of music and memories to some old ones!

Saw the Eagles in Denver waaaay up high
You Are Good!

SueB

Hello John! I attended your James Bond show last night with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra. All I can say is wow! The show was spectacular! I am only 20 years old and have attended or been involved in the SDSO Chorus for numerous performances of our SDSO, and this is one of my favorites! Congratulations on the show and I can’t wait until you come back again, because I will definitely be there!

-Brandon Varilek

Hi John
Just saw your show in Sioux Falls, SD on Saturday. It was our first Jeans and Classics. We absolutely LOVED it. We can't wait until next year. I'm telling everyone how great it was. Especially my friends who don't like classical. Boy did they miss out. Well, any way so many great things to say about the show but I have small kids and I must go. Thanks again for a wonderful show/date night.

Karen Peterson

Thank you to you and your musicians for a great concert last Saturday Night with the SD Symphony. The James Bond theme resonated with me – I am a long time fan of the bond movies and music. Your performance was superb and really complimented the musicians of the SD Symphony. Please come back again!

Warmest regards,

Curt Hage

Hi John:

I must tell you, the performance last weekend in Sioux Falls was much more than I’d expected. Besides a lot of great songs from the James Bond series, there was an energy from the performance that I didn’t think was possible from an orchestra this size. My wife and I are looking forward to future performances.

I’m sure you get this question from time to time, but is it possible to purchase a recording of the performance…or at least of the James Bond production from some venue? I have a whole-house audio system, and it would be very enjoyable to be able to return to this great experience from time to time. If so, can you put me in touch with whom I can make this purchase from?

Thank you so much for such an enjoyable evening.

John B

Thanks to one and all for taking the time to drop us a line. Unfortunately, at this time we have no CD's for sale.

Tomorrow evening, Sunday Oct. 17, Jeans 'n Classics performs the Music of Elton John with the Brantford Symphony Orchestra in Brantford Ontario.

They said go west...

2010-10-06T21:02:00.000-04:00

Another season of music continues in the American midwest and west as Jeans 'n Classics performs on two fronts this weekend. Michael Shotton takes the Music of The Eagles to Grand Junction Colorado on Saturday night, Oct .9, for an evening with the Grand Junction Symphony. Grand Junction is a new stop for us so we're looking forward to it.

Meanwhile, also on Saturday evening, we will be returning to Sioux Falls South Dakota for an appointment with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra. We were there in the spring doing the Music of Billy Joel, but this time around the show features singers Neil Donell and Rique Franks performing Shaken Not Stirred: The Music of James Bond.

To all of you Canadians, enjoy the long weekend and have a Happy Thanksgiving, gobble gobble!

A New Show Debuts

2010-09-29T19:47:00.000-04:00

Jeans 'n Classics went to Calgary last weekend with a brand new show featuring the Music of Michael Jackson, starring Gavin Hope. In performance with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings also featured Lis Soderberg, Katalin Kiss and Kathryn Rose.

Jeans 'n Classics assisted the CPO in opening their season with two sold-out houses and great crowd response.

Gavin is quite a shutterbug and he took the time to send along some photos from the weekend...

An Indulgence Please...

2010-09-25T10:34:00.000-04:00

He is the 'dog of the blog". For the four years since we started posting at Ask John Regan, Freckles the dog has graced the site with his photo. Sometimes reclining, occasionally yawning, once in a while strutting, Freckles has witnessed each chronicle of AJR's life with Jeans 'n Classics.

Adopted in the summer of 2000 from the London Humane Society where he had resided for several months, Freckles knew all of his basic commands: sit, stay, shake-a-paw, catch the Frisbee (though he inevitably would chew holes in it), stay off of the furniture, dust the finery. He knew them all!

When adopted, I wished to change his name. "Freckles" didn't seem manly enough for this Pointer-Healer-Lab X. I wanted to call him Joe Dimaggio, the elegant but masculine Hall of FameYankee who had courted and married Marilyn Monroe. I envisioned stepping out on the porch to call my dog for dinner: "Where have you gone, Joe Dimaggio?" Alas, he had spent so long at the Humane Society, where he had been brought as a stray, that he was now answering only to Freckles. It would have to be so.

For the better part of the past decade, Freckles and I occupied a wee house in a nice part of town known as "Old South". There we walked, three times a day in man and dog companionship. As is the often the case with dog owners, I was known as "the guy who walks Freckles". A trip through the friendly confines of my neighbourhood invariably illicited calls of "Hey Freckles", or "It's Freckles". I never, however, lacked for being the nameless dog-owner. I relished the attention he received from kids in the neighbourhood- is pride in one's pet a sort of hubris? Guilty I am.

On our perambulations, we frequently chatted. Friends who passed us on the street in their cars often remarked that it generally looked like we were having rich conversations, as he would turn and look at me when I made a point of some importance.

Typically, he'd bark at the letter carrier, lecture door-knockers with an angry yelp, or, if allowed some off-leash time in the neighbourhood, go and stare in people's front doors! (He was, perhaps, more sociable than I.)

For ten years he was a great companion. Early this week, at about 14 years of age, he began to show signs of severe pain in his hips. Soon his breathing was laboured; fever and seizures followed. On Wednesday evening he lay quietly in my lap and said it was time. On Thursday morning, Freckles was put to rest.

He was a great dog.

Pardon me if I continue to allow him to grace the pages of Ask John Regan.

Marshall Texas Photos!!

2010-09-22T21:15:00.000-04:00

Real photos from a fine Texas weekend, Sept. 17-19.

The Hot Hot Heat

2010-09-22T07:45:00.000-04:00

In the hot hot heat of a northeast Texas weekend, Jeans 'n Classics joined the Marshall Symphony Orchestra for The Music of Elton John in an outdoor concert on Saturday evening.

While southwestern Ontario has been experiencing typical early fall weather, Jeff Christmas, Jean Meilleur, Darryl Stacey and yours truly had a return to mid-summer weather as the temperature at show time in Marshall was about 95F. It was grand!!

Here's a link for the local radio show, to which Jean and I paid an early morning visit to do some promotional work for the show...
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/9629501

More details from the weekend will be posted later.

We're Underway!

2010-09-12T14:05:00.000-04:00

Jeans 'n Classics opened the 2010-2011 orchestra season with a trip to El Dorado Arkansas this weekend. Vocalists Jean Meilleur and Katalin Kiss led the way for a performance of the Music of Pink Floyd with the South Arkansas Symphony on Saturday night.

The concert marks the beginning of yet another heavy season of travel for Peter Brennan's Jeans 'n Classics. Between now and next July J'nC will perform about 80 concerts in more than 40 cities. There are return visits to places such as Denver, Colorado Springs, Cedar Rapids, Calgary and Winnipeg; New Years will be spent in Lima, Ohio, home of the fictitious singers and dancers of "Glee"; we're back in Kitchener Ontario with a full series.

New cities on the J'nC schedule include Fresno CA., Fort Wayne IN, and our first visit to Green Bay WI., where Wisconsin-born Jean Meilleur will get to proudly wear his "cheese-head". In Februrary the musicians will be fighting over who gets to go to warm Tucson AR. while other band members head out to chilly Saskatoon Sask!

In case you haven't snooped around the Jeans 'n Classics website for awhile, the ladies of J'nC have a weblog that chronicles our experiences from their perspective. As they are alone and all together rather wise and erudite, I encourage you to take at look at their musings here: http://jeansnclassicswomen.blogspot.com/.

Next weekend Jeans 'n Classics heads to Marshall, TX for the Music of Elton John with the Marshall Symphony.

Please come back to the blogs now and again throughout the season and drop me a note here at askjohnregan@jeansnclassics.com if there is anything you'd like to chat about. Cheers!

JR

When Summer Comes....

2010-07-26T21:14:00.003-04:00

In late July we can say goodbye to the orchestra season that was 2009-2010. It was a memorable season for Jeans 'n Classics, taking us from Anchorage Alaska to Jacksonville Fla, from Detroit to Albuquerque. We visited Sioux Falls S.D. and Cedar Rapids Iowa, had a successful stopover in Duluth Minn. and a great visit to Kalamazzo Mich.

Colorado Springs welcomed us with great spring weather; we also paid another visit to our friends in Denver with the Colorado Symphony Orhestra. Roanoke Va, and Fort Worth TX experienced the joys of "Woodstock". These cities and so many others had their economies buoyed by the arrival of the Jeans 'n Classics Band and singers, as we generally contribute generously when we pay a visit!

True, it was a great season, with many highlights. A few stellar moments, both on and off the stage, come to mind from the season past...

The season began at the end of August 2009, with a trip to Alaska for the Music of Elton John with the Anchorage Symphony. The show was a blast, but the trip was memorable due to drummer Jeff Christmas' "near-death" experience with a moose while riding Anchorage's beautiful bike trails. Long story short, as we rode the endless trails, Jeff went nose to nose with a moose that emerged from the bush just as he was riding by. Jeff made it through safely- the moose seemed disinterested!

A highlight for me was the response from the Roanoke Va audience to my comment from the stage that there were some Vietnam vets present for that evening's performance of the Music of Woodstock. As we dedicated John Sebastian's "Darlin' Be Home Soon", the crowd of about 4000 rose and cheered at length for their distinguished vets. It was moving beyond words.

Funny things happen on the road, and this past season had its share of such mischief: When bassist Mitch Tyler realized in Duluth Minn that a tall draft beer cost the princely sum of 75 cents, he bought a round for the house! Total cost: $19.00 and change.

In Lafayette La, singer Jean Meilleur was given the "high rollers" suite at the casino where J'nC was performing "The Music of Elton John". Other band members couldn't visit Jean's room, as a special pass-key was required. But bassist Kevin Muir lamented that his own room offered him a great view of the casino's "Alligatorium", as he could view daily feedings right from his bed!

I'll post an all-call to my fellow J'nC performers, to see what their fondest memories of this past season might be, and perhaps I'll post their responses. In the meantime, enjopy the summer of 2010. She's a beauty!

End of the season and Fairy Dust

2010-06-25T07:39:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, some orchestras grow quiet in the summer, as both patrons and players take some well deserved holidays. However, many orchestras offer attractive Summer Series to listeners. Such is the case in Fort Worth Texas, where Jeans 'n Classics gets to perform this weekend. We're heading south to do "A Night at Woodstock" in Fort Worth's Botanical Gardens.

Meanwhile, we wrapped up the Spring with a concert last weekend in Peterborough Ontario, performing "Madmen Across the Water: the Music of Elton John" with Michael Newnham and the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra. Peterborough is a neat city with a vibrant downtown area and a cool arts feel. The concert was a big success- Jean Meilleur was in excellent form on vocals.

But the trip to Peterborough was ever more memorable due to a quick visit to a wee garage-cum-wonderland, replete with pixie dust, sparklers, pogo sticks and Coors Light. Sharon Brennan, boss Peter's brilliant spouse, was along on this trip and she met up with an old friend. After the post-rehearsal meal on Friday night at Riley's (wonderful live music, by the way!), Sharon's friend invited us back to her little wonderland, a respite from the hurley-burley of modern life.

We were greeted at the garage door by strains of Jiminy Cricket singing "When You Wish Upon a Star", played on a 1972 Matel turntable. On the floor, an 18-inch Kenmore rotary fan kept our knees cool (bassist Kevin Muir likes cool knees), while a lava-lamp gave the scene a liquid glow. Challenged by our host to try the pogo stick, Kevin offered me a dollar if I would pogo back to our hotel (110 blocks, according to drummer Todd Lafreniere).

It was wondrous! Such moments! I've been shaking fairy dust out of me pockets all week!

This is Hard Work, You Know!

2010-06-16T19:47:00.004-04:00

A weekend away with Jeans 'n Classics is often a whirlwind trip to some far-off city, featuring a late Friday night arrival at our destination, Saturday rehearsal and concert, followed by an early flight back home on Sunday morning. It can be tiring.

But no complaints here, as the joyful part of being in Jeans 'n Classics is the opportunity to make great music with some of my best friends, in front of appreciative audiences. And occasionally, we get some spare time!

Such was the case this past weekend in Calgary Alberta, as Jean Meilleur led the way with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra for "An Innocent Man: The Music of Billy Joel". Saturday afternoon featured several hours of down-time, so bass player Mitch Tyler and I headed out to Banff with an old friend. It was a beautiful day so we took the opportunity to ride the gondola up Sulphur Mountain.
While we were enjoying ourselves out in Alberta, Mike Shotton had another crew of J'nC band members and singers along with him as they performed "The Music of Led Zeppelin" with the Omaha Symphony Orchestra. Omaha is cool! There is a neat feeling in that city!
Singer Katalin Kiss, pondering life's small wonders.

Some mail was received after the weekend...

Hey John,
The show with Michael Shotton as front man this evening was awesome! Sorry the big O didn't fill every seat in the Holland, but those who came enjoyed every minute!

Thanks

Barbara

Hi John:

I really enjoyed your show in Calgary last night. I am still hearing some of the songs in my head as I go about my day today.

I am curious about your musical background? Did you have formal piano lessons or are you just a “natural”?

Seeing yourself and Jeff Christmas the last few times you have played in Calgary has been fabulous. Looking forward to seeing you with the Calgary CPO during the next season. Keep up the GREAT WORK.

A Rockin Fan,
JoAnn S

Hi JoAnn. I do indeed have plenty of formal conservatory training. I studied privately from about age seven to twenty-two. However, I do play by ear as well, which meant that when as a youngster I should have been practicing my classical material, rather I was playing some Elton John or Joe Jackson tunes.

We look forward to returning to Calgary next season.

Hi Mr. John Regan,
How's that for formal? Now on to bigger and better things.

We had the most amazing time last night at the CPO concert. I am a huge fan of the CPO and last night was a perfect way to end the season. You were amazing. It was one of those experiences where I had to be grateful that of all the places I could have been in this world of ours, I chose to buy that ticket on that night...I love those experiences in life. I remember a few experiences like that, and oddly enough, music usually is a part of it. I remember the first time I experienced the fountains at the Belaggio Hotel in Vegas...I was standing on the balcony at a Lounge in the Belaggio, and Sarah Brightman singing Nessun Dorma played as the fountains danced, and I was quite shocked to realize that tears had just blasted my eyes. It was another moment where I was instantly grateful to be nowhere else on earth at that particular moment.

Your show was so well honed and performed, it was truly a pleasure to experience. I felt like I was on a high when I left the show. So, for that and all the talent and variety you bring to our city, Thank You.

I was lucky enough to go out with a group of string players last night after the show...what a fun bunch they are. My ab work out came in the form of laughter. My calories in the form of lager.

Thank you again,
David
The embarrassed half-whistler for the poor Cardinal

Wow, David. You are most fortunate to have had the Sarah Brightman experience, and the company of string players from the CPO. The abs/lager workout seems like a good mix.

Whilst you enjoyed the company of friends, the J'nC performers ate Brooklyn-style pepperoni pizza in Jean Meilleur's hotel room, a post-concert tradition lovingly coined "Bed Pizza" by J'nC bassist Kevin Muir!

Like I said, hard work you know!

Finally, many of you are aware that the singers of Jeans 'n Classics are songwriters and recording artists. The upcoming London Fringe Festival here in our home town will feature a one-woman show, "ONEymoon - A Honeymoon For One" by Christel Bartelse. In that show, Christel performs J'nC artist Kathryn Rose's song "I Married Myself."

Christel is funny and talented. You can find out more about Christel at:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=126679854033342

Going Up The Country: Roanoke and Duluth

2010-05-26T07:54:00.007-04:00

This past weekend, a long one in both Canada and the US, Jeans 'n Classics appeared in Duluth Minnesota (One Vision: The Music of Queen) and in Roanoke Virginia (A Night At Woodstock).

A review of Mike Shotton's sterling Duluth performance of the Queen tunes can be found here:
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/169577/
To give you a taste of the reviewer's comments...
Everywhere I strolled during intermission, all I heard was, “My God, this is awesome!” By the time the event was over, the tribute band Jeans ’n Classics had a few hundred people dancing in the aisles of the DECC Arena, and a couple of thousand singing along with the best of the music of Queen. It was awesome indeed.

Meanwhile, in Roanoke, 3000 patrons provided their own rendition of Canned Heat's "Going Up the Country". Though that tune is not in our "Woodstock" tribute, we frequently reference it from the stage just because it is such a unique piece. At my urging, the crowd gave up the first line ("I'm goin' up the country, baby don't you wanna go") with tremendous abandon! I laughed openly.

The Roanoke concert featured another moment that will prove memorable: at the intermission a gentleman came to the stage and remarked to me that he was a veteran who couldn't attend the original Woodstock weekend in 1969, as he was serving in Viet Nam. He wondered if perhaps we could play a tune for him and other Viet Nam vets who were in attendance.

As the second half proceeded, we decided to dedicate John Sebastien's "Darling Be Home Soon" to the vets and to all service men and women everywhere (including Canadians currently serving in Afghanistan). When it came time for the dedication, I began the narration with "There are a number of Viet Nam veterans in the crowd tonight...". At that, 3000 people stood as one and gave a lengthy ovation. It was, to say the least, incredibly moving. Jean Meilleur's rendition of "Darling Be Home soon", along with Conductor David Stewart Wylie and the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, was equally as stirring.

This weekend, J'nC heads to Albuqerque New Mexico, where, along with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Mike Shotton will again recreate the music of Freddie Mercury and Queen.

Finally, this weblog is not a place for me to preach my own beliefs on anything beyond the great music of the Jeans 'n Classics artists and the orchestras with whom we are privileged to perform. However, the touching moment on stage in Roanoke caused me to recall an article I read recently in Maclean's, Canada's most read weekly newsmagazine. The article touches on Canada's "Highway of Heroes", the stretch of a major highway upon which all Canadian soldiers killed in action in Afghanistan are transported as they make their way "home".

I invite you, wherever you are, to read this stirring piece, entitled "The Return of Private Todd". It may be found at:
http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/05/05/the-return-of-private-todd/

Till the next time,
JR

Loads of Letters from KW

2010-05-18T07:57:00.005-04:00

Last week, Jean Meilleur, Peter Brennan, Mitch Tyler, Jeff Christmas and I were in Kitchener for two nights of "Madmen Across the Water: The Music of Elton John" featuring the KW Symphony and the Contiamo Singers. The two shows generated the greatest volume of mail received at AJR in more than a year.

Performing at the Centre In The Square in Kitchener is a treat. The concert hall is acoustically superb and sound engineer Bob Luffman is top of the class in Canada. Throw in the enthusiasm of conductor Daniel Warren and the KW Symphony and its always a pleasure to step on the stage there!

The addition of the Contiamo Singers to the show was a great move on Peter Brennan's part. The KW choral academy for young singers is rythmically and tonally just about the best choir with whom we've performed. They added a dimension to the concerts that left patrons raving.

Below is a sample of the kindness of KW listeners:

Hi John,

Let me start by saying that last night’s Elton John performance was one of my favourite shows from the “Electric Thursday” series ever, and I’ve been attending this series almost since its inception. The song choices were inspired and really showed off the amazing talents of our orchestra. As I sit more towards the left hand side of the auditorium, it was definitely a treat to have the piano on that side of the stage for once – getting to see your fancy fingering up close was wonderful! The repartee between yourself and Jean had me laughing so hard I was almost crying ! I miss you when there are performances at which you aren’t scheduled, so I was especially pleased to see you last night. You never fail to make me smile and laugh during the show, as well as providing some amazing vocal and keyboard work.

Jean Meilleur was fantastic – he is a true rock n’ roller, from vocals to visually (liking the goatee, but miss the shock blond – although shaved head was growing on me by the end of the night!). And I was thrilled to hear that Tiny Dancer touched him so much as that is my all time favourite Elton John song, as well as one of my favourite songs in general. It would definitely be included in my Island CD (i.e. if you could only take 10 songs to an island, which ones would it be….).

The addition of the choir was great as well – they really added some depth to the songs. It would be great to have more performances with choirs, if the music being sung lent itself to a choir accompaniment.

And as usual, our orchestra rocked! Lots of wonderful string work last night and opportunities for each section to showcase its talents. We are indeed lucky in K-W to have such a talented bunch of musicians in our midst.

So, thanks again John, Jean, Peter, Daniel, Jeff, Mitch and the K-W symphony and all involved in Electric Thursdays/Jeans n’ Classics for another terrific season! I’ll be renewing yet again for next year!

P.S. – Have you ever done, or thought of doing, a show based on music from Dire Straits, Genesis and/or Peter Gabriel/Phil Collins? I think they have some great songs that would lend themselves to the orchestral side of things. Just a thought….

Keep up the wonderful work – you made my day yesterday!

Joy

Hi,

I was at last night’s show with my mom and we both thought it was absolutely amazing. I must admit, the only reason I went is because I had free box seat tickets from my company and almost ended up not going when I found out it was music by Elton John. But that was one of the best shows I have ever seen!!

My mom and I agreed that we preferred last night’s singer over Elton John. His voice brought something special to the music and to add an orchestra to the already fabulous performers was genius.

I was hoping to buy some CD’s, and if at all possible, have them autographed…I think my (married) mom fell in love with the guy playing the piano. It was wonderful to see him work such great comedy into the show.

I look forward to more shows in Kitchener…that I will actually buy tickets for this time :p

Your newest fan,

Ana

Hi John;
I was at the Madman Across the Water show last night at the Centre in the Square. Phenomenal show,loved everything about it! Way to tickle those ivories...wow! The Cheesehead kept us captivated (Go Cowboys!!). Jean is amazing!

This was by far the best show of this series...because you were there! There is truly an absence when you are not around for the banter that ensues with the performers. The headliners can't engage the audience as you do.
Looking forward to next year!
Jill

John,
The Elton John show was fanTAStic . . . Jean M. has never sounded better (you weren't bad either:)

I thought what a long shot it would be if you guys attacked the darkest of all Elton John songs - Ticking.
When Jean said you were about to do the last track on the caribou album I thought omg! they are trying it - we got the second last track instead "don't let the sun go down on me" which was also a fantastic one

we have not missed any of your kitchener CITS shows for the last five years! and we don't plan to miss any in the near future - looking forward to sergeant pepper ! (is peter going to tackle the sitar ?!)

your groupies
b and b

Hi
I'm a 17 year old high school student--saw the J 'n C Elton John show, and it was AMAZING. Like any average iGeneration-er, soon after the show I went to facebook to see if there was a Jeans 'n Classics fan page that I could join, but there was nothing there. I was pretty disappointed; a few of my friends are fans of you guys, and a few more definitely would be if I could somehow spread the word.

But, alas, I found myself strangely without options to explain how awesome the show was via almost any social networking...I put up a brief blog post, but couldn't find any videos or sound clips to embellish it. The latter isn't a big deal, but I'm wondering why you don't have a Facebook fan page? It's a great way to reach a base, especially with a younger crowd...this is the first J 'n C show I've ever been to because I just didn't know what you guys were about. I'm SO glad I was there tonight.

It's just an idea, take it or leave it. Either way, I had a fantastic night.

--SHAUNA

P.S. I cried when you guys did Tiny Dancer. I don't know why. I'm not close to the song in any way. It was just really moving somehow.

Thanks for your letters. There are more to come. In response to the questions, we have no CDs at this time, we are considering a Genesis/Collins/Gabriel show, Peter has written the sitar part for the Sgt. Pepper show, and we have a Facebook page!
Cheers!

J'nC Does Fleetwood Mac

2010-05-13T07:59:00.003-04:00

This past weekend found Jeans 'n Classics in Calgary Alberta, Colorado Springs Colorado and here in London.

The London show featured Kathryn Rose, Rique Franks and Neil Donell performing the music of Fleetwood Mac. The Friday show was interesting given that a major wind\electrical storm wrought havoc with electronics in the hall, leading the performers to actually do a tune twice to compensate for a power outage that occurred mid-song!

Regardless, Londoners enjoyed the show. Here is a sampling of what people have said...

John,
The Fleetwood Mac show on May 8 in London was fantastic. Rique Franks, Neil Donell and Kathryn Rose were all fantastic. All of the stars are great singers and songwriters.

Take care and keep up the good work.

Lawrence.

Hello Ms. Rose

Your rendition of “Songbird” tonight had tears streaming down my face. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. Your voice was amazing! I will be downloading your solo music from iTunes, since it appears your CD’s were sold out at Centennial Hall.

Congratulations on an excellent performance! Looking forward to hearing you with Jeans N Classics again next fall.

Sincerely,
Brenda H

To Kathryn,
Loved the show in London last night. You're version of Oh Daddy was so moving, loved it. So glad I got the opportunity to see the show. Well done.

A.

As well, this review was found online:
Orchestra London: Jeans 'n Classics Fleetwood Mac Show

Centennial Hall, London, Ontario, Friday May 7, 2010

by Brian Hay

You Know They're Good When …

… They open with a huge hole in the audio feed and still sound as if they know what they're doing. That happened. It didn't exactly enhance what would have been a splendid performance of 'Rhiannon' but it was informative. By virtue of numbers the orchestra came through more clearly than most of the players from Jeans 'n Classics did. The arrangements for the wind and brass instruments shone through and they were a pleasure to listen to even though the problem with the audio was causing grief. The drums came through and they sounded great. The bass didn't penetrate as clearly but what was heard made it obvious the rhythm section was good.

When the audio feed came to life half way through the second number in the set the startled performers laughed it off, finished their rendition of 'Little Lies' with a flourish and went on to conjure up some truly heart rending performances. The mix of the sound was excellent. The orchestra played beautifully under the baton of Conductor Mitch Tyler. Peter Brennan's arrangements captured the essence of Fleetwood Mac's music without imitating it. His work on the guitar was very tasty. The keyboard player (whose name I can't remember) delivered work that combined creativity with understatement. The rhythm section was great. The bass player (another name I can't locate without some help) threaded his riffs through the music neatly. Drummer Paul DeLong's playing was a model of precision, patience and punctuality. He went slightly ahead to mark musical changes and stayed spot on the beat the rest of the time. That, as much as much as anything else is an essential part of why this group captured the essence of Fleetwood's music so well. Regardless of who was up front Fleetwood Mac always had one of the great rhythm sections of the business.

The singers were fabulous. Kathryn Rose combines a beautiful voice with a strong stage presence. Her singing was clear with a hint of wistfulness in it. She also has a dry wit and self-effacing manner which served her well. Neil Donell's multi-octave range allowed him to sing ballads or rockers with apparent ease. And he's a character. His comic delivery is excellent and he thinks quickly on his feet. Rique Franks is a charismatic performer. Her voice had the duskiest hues of the three and she sang with a sense of poetic lyricism that was a joy to listen to. Their individual contributions were strong. All of them made the songs their own. When they sang harmony parts together their three voices merged into an entity that was sublimely beautiful. The three way harmonies they sang on 'Landslide' literally gave me goosebumps. That was just one of several highlights.

The fates weren't always kind though. Halfway through Rique Franks stunning rendition of 'Sara' the audio feed cut out. It took several minutes to fix the problem. The way these performers dealt with it spoke volumes about them. They joked about it. They talked to their audience. When the problem was fixed they graciously asked if everyone wanted to hear the song again. When the answer was "yes" they took it up from the beginning. It had to be because that outage brought their momentum to a grinding halt. To the credit of everyone on the stage most of the flow was back in place before the song was completed.

This show presented an excellent illustration of the fact that classical and pop music aren't that far apart. The arrangements the orchestra played complimented the material beautifully. The fills they played during many of the instrumental segments from the music were gorgeous. Many of the wind and string parts that underscored the work of the singers were ravishing. Conductor Mitch Tyler kept their playing subtle and restrained. Everything they did was in harmony with the original spirit of the material.

It was an exemplary tribute to the work of an iconic band

Photos from a Busy Schedule

2010-05-05T07:33:00.008-04:00

The last three weeks have been extremely busy for Jeans 'n Classics as we have continued our journey through such locales as Cincinatti Ohio, Dubuque Iowa, Watertown and Sioux Falls South Dakota, St. Catherines Ontario, Denver Colorado and Chattanooga Tennessee.

Hilights include a smartly decorated cake celebrating our appearance in Watertown, further appearances with Steven Reineke (of the New York Pops and Cincinatti Pops), and a nattily attired orchestra in St. Catherines for "An Evening at Woodstock".

Photo evidence, by the diligent Kathryn Rose (newly appointed official archivist of Jeans 'n Classics!) is provided...

Iowa "Queen" and Ohio "George and John"

2010-04-15T07:34:00.006-04:00

Last weekend Jeans 'n Classics appeared with Orchestra Iowa, doing the music of Freddie Mercury and Queen, as well as with the Cincinnati Pops in a performance of the music of George Harrison and John Lennon.

The concert in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, featured Mike Shotton, along with Katalin Kiss and Andrea Koziol performing to about 3000 cell phone-waving patrons. In addition, the band and singers were joined on stage by more than 100 vocalists from three local high schools who sang all those great chorus parts in Bohemian Rhapsody, Somebody to Love and Flash.

Some of the young singers who joined us have chronicled their experiences on their own blogs. You can read their thoughts here:

http://ilikechocolate13.blogspot.com/2010/04/part-of-legacy.html
http://conantierney.blogspot.com/2010/04/queen-of-rock-cocerts.html
http://blogtimism.blogspot.com/2010/04/is-this-real-life.html

As well, photos of the concert may be found here:
http://visionsphotography.wordpress.com/2010/04/14/orchestra-iowa-jeans-n-classics-music-of-queen/

You can find a review of the show here:
http://gazetteonline.com/entertainment/arts/2010/04/11/young-seniors-rock-at-queen-concert

Dear John,
What an awesome night of entertainment!!! There was such a diverse audience and amazing to see both youth and Senior Citizens as well as my age bracket of Baby Boomers Rock out to the music. I am looking forward to next years performance in Cedar Rapids and also the events scheduled in Dubuque, Iowa.

The mission of your group is admirable in the pursuit of youth to be exposed to some of the best artists during the rock era and to symphony orchestra.

Wishing you all the best in your musical endeavors.

I am your new fan,

Linda

Hi!

Our family had a GREAT time at the Tribute to Queen concert tonight!! Awesome! Do you plan to come back to CR anytime soon? We also attended the Tribute to the Eagles concert last year which we still talk about.
We hope to attend another great concert soon in our area!

Take care,

Pamela M

John,

We loved the show in Cedar Rapids tonight. Thanks so much to your talented group of musicians! We are parents of one of the students in the choir. Obviously they had a blast. We appreciate the opportunity for them to back you up.

Keep up the great work. Look forward to seeing you next time in CR.

Greg S

Cincinnati's show featured Jean Meilleur. Jean is back in Cincinnati to repeat the performance this Sunday.
Dear John,
My husband, sister and brother-in- law and I all attended the
Cincinnati pops concert last night featuring Jeans 'N Classics and the
music of John Lennon and George Harrison. It was great!!! We all had
a question. The Jeans 'N Classics drummer, Jeff Christmas, was in a
sort of glass or plexiglass "cage". We could not come up with a reason
for this, so what's up with that?! Thanks so much!

Leah

Hi Leah. I'm glad you enjoyed the concert. Your question about Jeff being "the boy in the plastic bubble" is one that's often asked. We put our drummers in plexiglass and mic their kit. This prevents the acoustic sound of the drums from causing any discomfort to both the orchestral players next to the kit on stage, as well as those patrons whose seats are next to the drum kit. The plexiglass allows for Jeff to play with the appropriate volume for the songs.

Thanks for writing, and we hope to see you in the future. Drop the Pops a line and let them know that you enjoyed the show.

John

Latest news

2010-04-09T02:24:00.006-04:00

Here are a couple of recent photos, including Jean Meilleur and Dale Anne Brendon posing in front of a "Jean" billboard in Sudbury, Ontario, as well as the cast of Jeans 'n Classics' "Disco" show in Erie, Pa.

This weekend Jeans 'n Classics is headed to Cedar Rapids Iowa for the Music of Queen, as well as Cincinatti Ohio for the first of two weekends of "For George and John: the Music of Harrison and Lennon".

ABBAMania and Recent Letters

2010-03-22T16:12:00.004-04:00

The AbbaMania show is one of the most often booked concerts in the Jeans 'n Classics catalogue of shows, being performed perhaps 3-5 times per season.

The AbbaMania show is the nearest JnC comes to a "clone" concert. The singers dress in the style of the original performers and remain in character throughout the show. This past weekend, JnC presented ABBAMania in Regina, Saskatchewan, to wonderful reviews. Here is the review from today's Regina Leader-Post...

Mama mia! What a show!

By Joe Couture, The Leader-PostMarch 22, 2010

'ABBAMANIA'
Regina Symphony Orchestra (with Jeans 'Classics)

Conexus Arts Centre

The RSO's ABBAmania was two hours of fun for the packed house at the Conexus Arts Centre on Saturday evening.

Guest artists Jeans 'n Classics -- the ABBAmania troupe and the Jeans 'n Classics band -- recreated ABBA sights and sounds in an entertaining and interactive production.

The enthusiastic crowd cheered for the tribute to the Swedish pop music group that topped the charts from the early 1970s to the early 1980s. There was a disco ball above the stage, and members of the RSO, wearing blue jeans, added their contributions to the mix.

Clearly, the night was a trip down memory lane for many. One audience member recalled seeing ABBA live in Germany around 1980, and said the re-creation was good.

The auditorium was full of energy, as ABBA's hits came one after the other. With lots of style, the performers engaged the audience. The talented singers showcased a variety of vocals on a great mix of tunes.

First up was "Mama Mia."

Before the intermission, "Knowing Me Knowing You", "I Do I Do I Do", "Does Your Mother Know", "Chiquitita", "Waterloo", "S.O.S.", "Fernando" and "Super Trouper" all had been performed, to the crowd's delight.

After the intermission, the RSO and its guest artists delivered "Voulez Vous", "Summer Night City", "Lay All Your Love On Me", "I Have A Dream", "Money, Money, Money", "The Winner Takes It All", "Take A Chance On Me" and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" They received great applause.

Then, ABBAmania was back on stage for an encore that was no surprise, due to the conspicuous absence from the printed program of one of ABBA's big hits -- "Dancing Queen."

The crowd was on its feet to enjoy that "Dancing Queen" encore, the final song of the night.

The concert -- the last of the season in the RSO's Shumiatcher Pops series -- went by quickly, and there were no dull moments during the very upbeat sets.

On "Chiquitita," one of the performers came into the audience and had an audience member dance and sing with her.

The singers frequently made efforts to get the audience to sing and clap along, and many of the patrons did so.

The RSO's music director and conductor, Victor Sawa, has spoken to the importance of concerts like ABBAmania in reaching out to a variety of musical tastes in the community. The sell out on Saturday would indicate Sawa's strategy is sound.

And the RSO should be commended for bringing such a variety of programs to Regina this season, in both the Mosaic Masterworks and Shumiatcher Pops series.

The RSO isn't finished just yet, however. Two special concerts to come -- the Live & Let Die Paul McCartney tribute on April 19 and Cirque De La Symphonie on May 8.

Meanwhile, mail has trickled in recently, particularly about Katalin Kiss' performance of the Music of Motown with Orchestra London...

Dear John,
I could have listened to Katalin all night. She outshone Gavin, which is very hard to do, as I really enjoy his performances. How about giving Katalin her "own" night? I think she would more than fill the bill.

I'm one of the older ( more mature) members and most nights have no idea what the hell you are all playing but I have a great night out and enjoy it all. At the end of the evening, the younger group, who very kindly let me join them ask " Well Nana, did you know any of the music?"
"Nope, but I enjoyed it all".
I love the humour and the camaraderie between you all, and most of all I love LIVE performances.

Keep up the good work. I'll catch on one of these days!!!!!!!!!

Mags.

Dear John
Loved the Motown show. Actually, I'm not a huge fan of Motown but of course know all the songs and I have to say that Katalin's renditions were the stuff that would have made me listen more attentively. It seemed to me that her variations- instilling a "hard rock" edge instead of trying to do true covers- were brilliant. Sort of a Joan Jett meets Gordy Barry performance. Bravo.

Derek

Hello John and Jeans 'n Classics,

We attended your "Madmen Across the Water - The Music of Elton John" in Sudbury and have to say if was a fantastic night out! What a great collaboration between our Orchestra and Jeans 'n Classics to showcase talented musicians and introduce an extraordinary symphonic sound to our City.

You and Jean are a great team and gave an incredible show!

Can't wait until you come back again!

Julie B. - Sudbury, Ontario

Motown Photos

2010-03-12T07:50:00.005-05:00

Last weekend in London, Orchestra London performed the Music of Motown with Jeans 'n Classics, Jeff Christmas conducting. The concert featured Katalin Kiss and Gavin Hope as guest artists. Londoners know Katalin as a frequent background vocalist who gets to shine in solo work now and again. This past weekend she got to rip through some Motown classics, demonstrating yet again her incredible talent to the London crowd. After the weekend shows, Gavin jumped on a plane and headed to Amsterdam Holland for a brief tour with The Nylons, those venerable Canadian a cappella masters. However, he did have time to fire a few photos to the AJR blog. Here they be...

Serious Musicians do Serious Work

2010-03-03T13:29:00.003-05:00

It is no secret that Peter Brennan's Jeans 'n Classics provides a different option for orchestras across North America. We have a stable full of concerts that combine classical symphonies with rock singers and a band. We give orchestras an opportunity to reach out to an audience base that perhaps hasn't been tapped. In times such as these, when arts organizations are pinching the copper out of every penny, J'nC provides a professional, affordable option, one that leaves audiences and symphonic players pleased.

But we're not all rock 'n roll! Our singers are full-time performers, recording artists and song writers with backgrounds in many facets of vocal performance. And many band members are classically trained and attuned musicians with diverse interests in all kinds of music.

Nowhere is the versatility of JnC members more evident than in the work of Jeff Christmas and Mitch Tyler, both pictured here. Jeff is a composer and arranger as well as a drummer. He also frequently conducts, not only here in London Ontario, but also in other centres. Recently, Jeff conducted Orchestra London in the Valentines Day Pops. The concert featured London singer Sonja Gustafson performing not only light opera, but show tunes and popular standards. Jeff arranged some of the music for the concert and included an original fanfare in honour of Canadian athletes competing at the recent Vancouver Winter Olympics. You can see Jeff and hear more of his work later this season as he conducts Orchestra London in their "Latin Pops" weekend.

Mitch Tyler also frequently can be found on the conductor's podium. While he is often seen playing electric bass in the JnC band, he is a music educator, arranger, composer and publisher with broad passions. Recently, Mitch arranged Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty" suite for Orchestra London and Dufflebag Theatre, a family-friendly troupe that provides entertainemnt for all ages. For Mitch, the task included composing much original music to complement the actions of the actors on stage with the orchestra. It was a highly successful venture for all involved, as the five performances were packed with pleased patrons.

The familiarity of Jeans 'n Classics artists with life in the classical world has made us a good fit with symphonic players on stages across the continent. This past weekend, Jeans 'n Classics performed the music of Queen with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, as well as the music of Elton John with the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra. The current busy schedule continues with upcoming performances of the music of Motown (with Orchestra London, Jeff Christmas conducting) and the music of James Taylor (with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Mitch Tyler conducting). This is serious music, by serious musicians!

Motor City Review

2010-02-23T08:30:00.003-05:00

After this past weekend in Detroit, AJR was presented with this online review of the show...

Guest blogger Laura Terbrack and her mom attend a fun upbeat DSO Pops Series concert featuring many popular hits from the Beach Boys

Living in the city of Detroit gives me access to all types of wonderful events. Last night, I had the opportunity to attend the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and hear one of the DTE Energy Foundation Pop Series sponsored concerts, this one being a tribute to the music of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys. My tickets were provided to FREEISMYLIFE courtesy of the DSO.

I have attended the Pop Series before, but there was something different about this one. I think the inclusion of the London, Ontario group Jeans ‘n Classics made it extra-special for me. Their pianist, Mr. John Regan, did a wonderful job as a musician and as our host for the evening. His stage presence could be felt and he easily worked his way through the evening with witty banter and informative tidbits about the next song in the line-up.

There were five primary singers for the evening, each taking turns during the seventeen song performance. Lead vocals for the men were Mr. Neil Donell and Mr. Aaron MacDonald and for the women Ms. Katalin Kiss, Ms. Kathryn Rose, and Ms. Leah Salomaa. I was surprised that the women were going to sing some of the songs, but they did a fantastic job (and their costumes were adorable!). They did most of the backup vocals, took a primary role on one song each, and implemented some unique harmonization, which was front and center during their rendition of “Sloop John B”. I have to admit I have never really listened to The Beach Boys since the majority of their music was before my time, but I discovered a whole set of tunes during the performance that I’ll most likely purchase via iTunes.

Another one of my favorite renditions of the evening was “Help Me, Rhonda”, primarily because of the enthusiasm of Mr. MacDonald. The man can sing and he also plays a killer saxophone! Also, I would be utterly remiss if I didn’t mention the amazing vocals of Mr. Donell. He had a range that you don’t hear every day and I swear that his version of “Good Vibrations” might have been a teeny, tiny bit better than the original!

The conductor for the evening was Mr. Steven Reineke, who is the newly appointed Music Director of The New York Pops. He did a fine job leading the DSO, but I noticed a slight volume problem during the first half of the performance. There were a few times when the DSO played over the vocals, making it difficult to hear the words. I thought perhaps it was just me being picky, but I heard two other people in the audience around me comment on the same thing during intermission. I wonder if someone mentioned this to Mr. Reineke, because the issue was not apparent during the second half of the performance. I think it must be extremely hard to balance the sound of an orchestra and let the vocals come first, so overall it was a superior effort on the part of Mr. Reineke.

My mother accompanied me to this performance and her enthusiasm for the music made me want to hush her, but I’m pretty sure no one around us minded since they were all bopping and clapping along too! Based on the reception of the audience and my own personal experience, if you ever get the chance to see Jeans ‘n Classics in person, please make sure that you do. You would be missing an opportunity of a lifetime to pass them up! And as always, the DSO was wonderful. I love that I live in a metro area where I have access to such unique cultural events. Detroit Rocks!

Lima and Dayton

2010-02-18T17:38:00.002-05:00

This past weekend Jeans 'n Classics performed in Dayton and Lime Ohio. Saturday's show featured "The Music of Woodstock", starring Jean Meilleur, Neil Donell, Rique Franks and Katalin Kiss along with the Dayton Philharmonic.

The show was highlighted by appearances by two people who actually performed at the famous festival in 1969. Dennis Greene, now a law professor at the University of Dayton, performed with Sha Na Na, while Greg "Duke" Dewey was the drummer for Country Joe and the Fish. The men joined Jeans 'n Classics on stage for Joe Cocker's "A Little Help From My Friends". It was memorable!

Then on Sunday, Jean, Mitch Tyler, Kevin Muir, Dale Ann Brendon and I headed up I-75 to Lima for a performance of The Music of Elton John with the Lima Symphony. The Lima Symphony is a fine group, carrying the torch of classical music in their city of about 100000. Our concert was a bit of a departure from their usual repertoire, and it can only be called a successful one!

Here is a sample of the voluminous mail received in the last four days...

Oh My Gosh...My husband and I just saw your concert with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra ("Dayton power!") and it was totally AWESOME!!! I don't remember when the last time was that I enjoyed a concert soooooo much! I felt that it was going to be a good concert just by the name of it, having never heard of your group before. But it far surpassed my expectations! I'll be looking for you guys in the future if you return to the area.

Thank you sooooo much for a GREAT evening of music.
Anita Y

John

Just wanted to say how much we enjoyed your Woodstock concert in Dayton this weekend.
We attend several each year and this was our all-time favorite!!! Your musicians, singers and your own tidbits of fun info made for a wonderful evening. We may have to take a couple of road trips this summer to catch some of your other concerts! thank you!!!
Linda

John,
I want to thank you for the wonderful performance in Dayton, Ohio last night; absolutely fabulous. It was my first time to see the Jeans 'n Classics band and also the first time at the theatre. I will look forward to seeing the band again when in town. Thanks again.
Phil

John,
WOW, what a wonderful night!!! I never thought I would enjoy myself so much, but loved Woodstock when I was a teenager and loved it even more on Sat. night!! I turned 16 the day Woodstock began, and was going with a drummer who had a little band of his own. I sure wish he could’ve heard all the wonderful sounds and sights I got to enjoy the other night in Dayton. You guys are beyond words, all of the musicians and singers are very talented!! I would’ve loved to have you as a teacher in my earlier days. I am looking forward to the night with the Beatles and the Eagles, will make sure I get tickets for those dates. It was really cool to have 2 veteran “Woodstockers” come on stage too, what a tribute! Good luck in your future concerts and please come back to Dayton soon! Thank you.
Patty E.

John
Thank you so much for such an enjoyable evening. Symphony friends - who also had been members of the symphony - really enjoyed the show, even though, they didn't know anything about Elton John or his music. Thank you, again, for entertaining us on Valentines Day.
Bill and Mary Ann D

John:
What terrific presentation last night in Lima, Ohio. The talent level of your team is fantastic!

I enjoyed visiting with you at the break. I’m sorry I did not have a chance to visit with the other members. Please pass on my thanks and enthusiasm for your performance. Thanks again and best regards for a fantastic future.

Barry

Dear John
My sister and I enjoyed your concert Feb 14 at Lima, Ohio. It was so great, we could have listened to the music all night. Thank you for coming to Lima.
Cheryl S

Thanks to all who took the time to write. This weekend Jeans 'n Classics performs the Music of Brian Wilson and Beach Boys with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

More Mail....

2010-02-09T22:09:00.003-05:00

Dear Jeans N Classics,

Thank you for a great show.That was one of the best live entertainment shows we have ever seen. It renewed our interest in the KSO, and made Jeans N Classic fans of us. Most importantly, it was a great family time. We had to drag our youngest daughter there, and even our oldest daughter was skeptical. By the 3rd song, they were having a great time and were very glad they came.

I can't say enough how great you are and what a great time that was. Thank you!

Greg M

John
My wife and I attended the concert @ Miller Auditorium on 2/5 and came away very impressed. I'll admit I wasn't familiar with your band so this was a great introduction. As a big Queen fan I was a little leary about what to expect. Again...we were impressed!

Great performance!

Tom V

Good Afternoon, Jeans N Classics!

I just wanted to drop you a note letting you know how much I enjoyed your Elton John and Queen shows this past week. I saw the Elton John ad on Facebook, and never having been to the symphony, I was blown away by both your performance as well as that of the symphony! It was an excellent show and absolutely worth braving an icy highway for!

When I found out you were also playing in Kalamazoo, I had to go! That was an awesome show too! Considering I've probably driven over 250 miles (round trip) to see your shows this week, I can say that it was all very worth it. You put on a great show! You can feel the passion and energy coming out of your group...fantastic, fantastic, fantastic performances!

I hope you continue coming back to Michigan! You definitely have fans here! Do you have any CD's/DVD's of your performances? I would love one of those!

-Jaime S, Muskegon, MI

Thank you to one and all who wrote. At this time we have no CD's or DVD's for sale. Our performance schedule keeps us very busy, so no live recordings are currently planned. However, it remains an option for the future.

High Praise Indeed...

2010-02-08T21:33:00.003-05:00

A busy week has brought a tremendous amount of mail and more than 400 hits on the website over the last three days. In particluar, there is high praise for Mike Shotton and Jeans 'n Classics for their performance in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Friday evening.

Here is a representative sampling of mail from the past few days...

Dear John
Just got home from the Music of Queen. Best concert I've ever been to! Brought the wife and my two boys, 8 and 10. We all loved it. The combination of Mike Shotton, Jeans 'N Classics, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and the KSO High School Combined Chorus was perfect for performing the music of Queen. There was even a Freddie Mercury look-alike working for Miller Auditorium. The whole evening was A LOT of fun! Thank you!!!

A.J. Ghosh

John,
LOVED THE SHOW! WHEN ARE THEY COMING BACK? GREAT ENERGY, MUSICIANSHIP AND JUST A PLAIN 'CLASS ACT'. THE HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS WILL NEVER HAVE ANOTHER EXPERIENCE QUITE LIKE IT AND NEITHER WILL WE. THIS WAS A REAL GIFT TO OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE PLAN TO COME TO OUR AREA AGAIN. THANKS FOR A QUALITY SHOW.

ROSEMARIE AND RICHARD GRIFFITH.

Hi,

I've just returned from Jeans 'N Classics performance with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. They performed the music of Queen. It was an amazing show! The lead singer, Michael Shotton gave a wonderful interpretation of Freddy Mercury's finest
songs. The audience was up and clapping, and waving and singing. It was so much better than I expected. We all had such a good time, remembering the fabulous band of Queen. The musicians were also superb! Adam Martin is truly a virtuoso on the electric guitar. Michael's voice and energy set the tone for a truly memorable
evening. Please thank all of them for me. And just so you don't think that I'm a gushing teen-ager.... I'm a 71 year old grandmother of 8. I saw people of all ages really enjoying themselves. Thank you again for a wonderful evening.

Marcella Papineau

John
It was a great concert in Kalamazoo, MI. The Miller Auditorium was packed with people that usually don’t attend symphony, my husband and I included. What a performance that was! Please bring them back and do the music of Elton John (that I now know was in Grand Rapids), Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton or the music of the Beatles. We loved it and will pass along that the entertainment quality was the best!

Thank you, Jeans-n-Classics, for the great Queen Tribute concert from which I just returned. My whole family went and we enjoyed it very much! I am 57, my husband is 59, our daughter is 30 and our son is 28; it was a concert we could sing along with, clap and snap, and just totally have fun. I especially liked it when Michael Shotton had everyone do the wave, EVEN the symphony players!! It was very obvious that all the performers were Freddie Mercury fans, and gave their all in the performance. I will recommend you to all my music friends, and I sincerely hope you will return to Kalamazoo and do another show.

Best regards,
Helene Sturrwold

Thanks to all who wrote. I'l try to post again this week, as the volume of mail has been high!

8 Shows in 8 Nights

2010-02-03T21:07:00.005-05:00

Last Saturday night, Jeans 'n Classics appeared in Jacksonville, Florida and Omaha, Nebraska. Last night we did the music of Elton John in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tonight and tomorrow night we are doing the Music of Fleetwood Mac with the KW Symphony in Kitchener, and Friday and Saturday night we are here in London with our own Orchestra London doing the Music of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. As well, on Saturday night we are in Kalamazoo, Michigan doing Queen!

Last night's show in Grand Rapids featured the music of Elton John, starring Jean Meilleur and Don Paulton. You can read a fine review of the show here:
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/02/symphonicboom_series_delivers.html

Omaha and Woodstock

2010-01-27T17:54:00.004-05:00

This Saturday evening in Omaha Neb, ABBAmania stops in for one night with the Omaha Symphony Orchestra. Also on Saturday in Jacksonville Fla, Neil Donell, Rique Franks Katalin Kiss, Jean Meilleur and Dave Dunlop stop by for "The Music of Woodstock" with the Jacksonville Symphony.

Check back after the weekend for photos and letters.

Calgary Kiss, Dayton Bond

2010-01-20T19:09:00.002-05:00

Mike Shotton led the way this past weekend as he, Kathryn Rose, Katalin Kiss and the Jeans 'n Classics band headed to Calgary for "Shout It Out Loud: The Music of Kiss". The band and back-up vocalists donned the KISS face paint for Saturday night's concert with the Calgary Philharmonic.

Meanwhile, Rique Franks and Neil Donell performed with the Dayton Philharmonic in Dayton Ohio, doing the Music of James Bond. The "two cities, one night" occurrence this past weekend will be repeated several times between now and the end of June, as dates continue to be added to the J'nC calendar.

Here is a taste of the mail received lately at AJR....

Hi John,

I just wanted to congratulate everyone at Jeans n' Classics and Orchestra London on a brilliant "By Request" show.....It ranked up there as one of the best, if not, the very best show ever! Neil Donnell singing "Smile" is one of my favourites and he did not disappoint! Katalin and Rique always give their all and were outstanding! Looking forward to the rest of the season....I hope Andrea Koziol is going to be back as she is a wonderful singer as well!

Bravo!!

Regards,
Marianne P

Great concert last night in Dayton. Aren’t the DPO and the Schuster Center great; who’d expect to find such an oasis in Dayton, Ohio? Will definitely see you again someday. Especially liked Neil Donell – amazing voice.

Thanks for a great evening of entertainment,

Walt G

Hi John,
Thoroughly enjoyed you guys last night at the Schuster in Dayton. I could have listened to Neil Donell all night long (although I enjoyed Rique, also). Neil is absolutely phenomenal.

Hope to see you again on Feb. 13th, and hope that Neil will be with you.

Thanks so much,
Lyn F

Hello,

We were at the CPO for the 'Kiss - Shout it out Loud' performance on Sat. We loved it and so did our 10 and 7 year old children. My husband and I have been going to the Jeans 'n Classic Series now for the last 3 years, and have had a great time at each one. So, this year we also bought tickets for our children for the series. We are really looking forward to 'Abbamania' and 'Billy Joel'.

At the concert on Saturday, we were told 'Jeans 'n Classics' will be performing 'The Eagles' in Calgary with the CPO. We would like to know when that will be, and what other fantastic tributes you will be bringing, so, we can get our tickets as soon as possible (I'm sure the tickets will sell out quickly).

Thanks again. You are doing a wonderful job with keeping great music alive, Classical and Casual.

Sheri D

Busy Weekend

2010-01-13T20:47:00.003-05:00

From yesterday's Calgary Sun came this piece...

Kiss comes to Calgary

While Monday morning commuters fought for downtown parking spaces and wrapped their heads around the drab week of office life that lay ahead, four of Calgary’s most accomplished classical musicians embraced their inner glam rocker and stepped out on Stephen Avenue.

Instruments in hand, painted in makeup that would make Gene Simmons proud, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra’s Michael Hope, Craig Hutchenreuther, Megan Singer and Sara Hahn were gearing up for the ‘Shout it out Loud: The Best of KISS’ show happening this Saturday at the Jack Singer.

Proving they are one of the most versatile livemusic ensembles on the planet, the CPO will be fresh off three back-to-back performances of ‘Star Trek: The Music’ when they team up with the Jeans ‘n Classics traveling band on Saturday night for a one-off rock fest.

Given the success of last year’s sold out Queen and Led Zeppelin collaborations between the two musical companies, reuniting for a Kiss tribute complete with classics like ‘Detroit Rock City,’ ‘Rock and Roll All Nite’ and ‘I Was Made for Lovin’ You’ seemed to make sense.

“We like to bring in new pop shows every year,” said Christina Mattern, the CPO’s manager of marketing and communications. “People said they would love to see the symphony do Kiss.”

And no wonder – with 65 CPO musicians complimenting the vocals, drums and guitar licks of the famed Jeans n’ Classics rock musicians, according to Christina, it’s all the music you know and love, “just much, much richer.”

Still convinced a night at the orchestra is all about Beethoven and Mozart? Tickets range from $19 to $85 – get yours online at www.cpo-live.com or by calling 403-571-0849.

While Mike Shotton leads to way to Calgary for the Kiss shows with the CPO, Rique Franks and Neil Donell take the Music of James Bond to Dayton Ohio for two shows with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Busy busy busy!

"By Request" Hits the Spot

2010-01-11T21:33:00.002-05:00

Here in London this past weekend, Jeans 'n Classics performed two shows with our own Orchestra London. The concerts consisted of patron requests from the orchetra's Red Hot Weekends Series which features the J'nC band and singers.

Featured artists included Jean Meilleur, Neil Donell, Rique Franks and Katalin Kiss, with a brief cameo by Aaron Macdonald. Highlights from the shows included Neil's version of Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" and Katalin's performance of "Desperado", which received a standing ovation on Saturday night. Jean was great on the Moody blues' classic "Nights In White Satin", while Rique did a fabulous take on the Led Zeppelin classic "Kashmir".

Here is a sampling of the mail received in the last couple of days...

Dear Peter,

Congrats on another great performance. I attended the Live By Request Show last night and truly enjoyed listening to your arrangements of some of the best tunes our industry has blessed us with. I loved your acoustic artistry and your arrangement of the Moody Blues piece was incredible. It was the perfect blend of Jean, Band and Orchestra.

Neil's version of James Taylor was haunting as I thought it was channelling JT throughout the whole song! Rique - Into the West - makes my heart absolutely melt and Kaitlin's magical rocker voice on Barracuda was beyond legend status.

Thanks for a terrific night of superb music.

Happy New Year,
tam

PS Thanks for sneaking Aaron into the show!

Dear John
Saturday night's performance was exceptional. The peoples' song choice was fabulous and all the singers were in top form. What a moving experience. Thanks to you all.
Elaine

Hi John!

I attended the show last night at Centennial Hall in London, and it was AMAZING! I'm new to London and also new to Jeans n Classics and I have to say I was thoroughly impressed. You mentioned contacting you to get one of Neil's CDs - I'd actually like 2 if at all possible. It sounds like he has a few CDs released, so 2 different ones would be great - one for me and one for a friend.

Do I deal directly with you to get the CDs, or can you point me in the right direction?

Thanks again for an entertaining evening!
Angie

Angie S

Hi John,

Ehe concert was awesome, wonderful selection of songs, superbly performed.
Neil's version of 'Smile' was beautiful. It's a favourite tune of mine, as my dad used to sing it to me whenever life was getting me down. Hearing Neil sing Smile brought a tear to my eye...hmmm, sounds a little counterproductive, but it was a good tear!

Can't say enough good things about the amazing talents and their powerful presence on stage.

Looking forward to the rest of the season.

Regards,
Deborah Z.

Louisiana Hospitality

2010-01-06T19:11:00.004-05:00

Last weekend's performances of "Madmen Across the Water: The Music of Elton John" in Lafayette La, included a concert at a nearby casino. Thankfully, J'nC bass player Kevin Muir remembered his "All Access" pass.

Jean Meilleur, Don Paulton, Jeff Christmas and Kevin joined the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra for the two shows and were treated like kings!

Several people took the time after the show to drop us a line. Apparently, a gator tour is in the works for us the next time we're in town...

Dear Jeans 'n Classics
Wow! All I can say is thank you so much! What a great combination-- Elton John and the Acadiana Symphony. Y'all were fantastic! I can't wait til' you come back and do the Eagles music!

What an incredible beginning in "Funeral for a Friend/ Love Lies Bleeding"-- they have always been my favorites!

Thanks again--

Viane D

Dear John
I was at the performance tonight in Lafayette, Louisiana. It was fantastic. A rock band and a symphony orchestra - an amazing combination.

I hope you were able to try some crawfish before you left town; glad you enjoyed the Satsumas.

Pamela H

Dear Jeans 'n Classics
I saw you guys perform last night with the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra featuring the music of Elton John. It was nothing short of amazing and it surely won't be the last time I get tickets to see another performance! You guys talked a lot about loving the Louisiana culture and if you haven't been on a tour of the Lake Martin Swamp, let me know. My friend has a tour boat, you get to see plenty of alligators! The site is about 15 minutes away from the Heymann Center and you will see some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable! I would be happy to take you guys if y'all find extra time on your next trip. Thanks again for a great show!

Lainey S.
Rayne, LA

Thanks to those who wrote. This weekend Jeans 'n Classics joins Orchestra London for our "By Request" evening. Patrons of Orchestra London's Red Hot Weekends series voted last season on songs they'd love to hear, and this weekend Neil Donell, Rique Franks, Katalin Kiss and Jean Meilleur present those songs. There are still a few tickets available for both Friday and Saturday nights.

A Few Photos and The Busiest Year Yet!

2010-01-02T16:57:00.002-05:00

With the beginning of 2010, here are a few photos, stragglers from previous adventures.

In late August Jeans 'n Classics visited Anchorage Alaska for a presentation of "Madmen Across the Water: The Music of Elton John" with the Anchorage Symphony. This photo, featuring Jeff Christmas, your blogger (me!), Mitch Tyler and Jean Meilleur was taken during the intermission of our concert, on the balcony that surrounds the performing arts center in Anchorage. It was a stunning view on a beautiful night!

The Anchorage adventure included an aftenoon spent cycling the vast trails in and outside of Anchorage. Jean, in his official Lululemon shorts, clearly longs to ride in the Tour de France one day, as he chewed up the trails with style.

In early November, the night after the Yankees secured their most recent World Series title, Dave Dunlop and Rik Emmett performed in New York wearing the appropriate crowd-pleasing gear. Oddly, neither guitarist is a Yankees fan!

This weekend, Jean and Don Paulton are in Lafayette, La., for two shows with the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, again doing the music of Elton John. The concerts mark the start of Jeans 'n Classics' busiest season ever. Between now and mid-June J'nC will perform more than 50 concerts. On several occasions we will be in three different cities on the same night. The widest array of Jeans 'n Classics performers will be out there, joining symphony orchestras in bringing the greatest music of the rock era to thousands of people.

Alan, Dave and the Leafs

2009-12-18T07:35:00.003-05:00

Look closely. In the midst of some NHL players are Jeans 'n Classics regulars Alan Frew and Dave Dunlop. Standing with Alan and Dave (those two are in the middle of the photo!) are Toronto Maple Leafs players Phil Kessel, Mike Komisarik, Garnet Exelby and Jeff Finger.

If you've tuned in recently to Leafs TV (the resurging Maple Leafs have clawed their way back up the standings and are playing an entertaining brand of our grand 'ol game) you may have heard Alan's "Free To Be- Canada's Song". Dave Dunlop, a busy guitarist/producer and J'nC mainstay has recently joined Alan in the Alan Frew Trio. Dave is an avid hackey man himself, and was heard to be giving sniper Phil Kessel some backchecking tips!

Meanwhile, tonight and tomorrow night in London, Jean Meilleur and J'nC present the entire Sgt. Pepper's album from the Beatles, along with some other Beatles classics. There are a few tickets remaining for the shows, at Centennial Hall, featuring our wonderful Orchestra London.

International Recognition for J'n C; Also a Football Update

2009-12-06T11:48:00.007-05:00

It's no secret that these are difficult times for Arts organizations across North America. Orchestras, opera companies, ballet companies and theatre troupes are feeling the pinch as sponsors reduce commitments, donors think twice about giving, and patrons cut back on subscriptions, all for the purpose of navigating through the current recessionary waters.

Orchestra administrators across North America are searching for new and creative means to maintain revenue streams and increase ticket sales. To this end, the League of American Orchestras provides leadership, learning opportunities and collective support to maintain the vitality of symphonic music on the continent. Among its varied vehicles of support is "Symphony Magazine". "Symphony" publishes articles on compelling issues and trends relevant to the entire orchestra field. Its readers include professional staff, musicians, and board members in the orchestra industry and related fields; orchestra patrons and volunteers; and music critics and arts media professionals.

The current Nov./Dec. issue features a lengthy expose on the recent turn by many orchestras toward scheduling symphonic rock in their Pops series. As the continent's leading ensemble in the realm of symphonic rock and roll, Jeans 'n Classics and its creator Peter Brennan are featured prominently in the article. It is a thoroughly interesting article, and may be read in its entirety at... http://www.americanorchestras.org/images/stories/symphony_magazine/nov_dec09/Sonic_Boomers.pdf

Meanwhile, I need to give you an update on the 2009 season of my St. Joseph's Rams, my school's football team to which I give my after-school time from the last week of August until the beginning of December...For the second year in a row and the third time in the last four years, the Rams took the A/AA Western Bowl championship. (The A/AA championship is a provincial title for schools with fewer than 900 students.) We finished our season last week with a 28-6 victory over a team from Sarnia Ontario.

As you can tell by the faces of the players hoisting the trophy, it was a great day. And now, the rebuilding begins as we will graduate 14 starters this spring. Already the younger players are hitting the weight room in the hopes that next year we will again hoist the prize.

We have great kids at our school, and its a privilege for me to be involved with them in the classroom and out on the football field.

Jean Said This...

2009-12-03T07:38:00.002-05:00

Space Oddity pays tribute to the music of the ’70s

The article below appeared in yesterday's Kitchener-Waterloo Record, preceeding last night's and tonight's performance on "2009: A Space Oddity"...

By Joel Rubinoff, Record staff

It’s at once nostalgic and thoroughly modern, a melding of past and present that – for listeners of a certain age – will transport them back to their youth without making them feel like decrepit old geezers.

That’s the beauty of Jean ‘n Classics, the symphonic concert series that checks into Centre in the Square tonight and tomorrow with 2009: A Space Oddity, which links the music of 1970s prog-rock acts David Bowie, Genesis, Moody Blues, Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum, Jethro Tull and Peter Gabriel into what vocalist Jean Meilleur describes as “a real conceptual thing.”

“We take the audience for a journey,’’ notes the 49-year-old music vet, who lends this latest Jeans n’ Classics opus his classic rock edge with fellow warblers Rique Franks and Kathryn Rose.

“You get all these pieces strung together and it just works somehow.’’

All the songs filtered through the Jeans ‘n Classics band and the 54-piece K-W Symphony are of a kind, he says – symphonic boomer milestones, “with enigmatic lyrics that don’t exactly make a definite point.”

Songs like Conquistador (Procol Harum), Can’t Get It Out Of My Head and Livin’ Thing (ELO), Space Oddity and Modern Love (Bowie), Nights in White Satin and Story In Your Eyes (Moody Blues) – “definitive of their genre, and not done as well since.’’

“It’s not just about ‘Hey, remember this one from ’72!’’ says Meilleur, a classic rock fan who detests the disposable nature of today’s fragmented techno-pop.

“It goes a little deeper. It’s about getting older. They all tie together in the end because life’s really about love and hate – and really about love, when you’re on your deathbed. When it comes right down to it, there’s nothing else.”

He pauses, attempting to explain the nuances of songs from a classically inspired pop genre thats majesty blooms when astutely sequenced against a lush symphonic backdrop.

“It’s not like I’m some peaceful hippie,’’ he laughs. “I’m still an idiot. But love is the thing. You can’t get loyalty, betrayal or deceit without there being love.’’

It’s clear from Meilleur’s passion that he views himself as more than some cheesy lounge act recreating dog-eared cover tunes for a crowd of tone-deaf nostalgiafiles.

“When I first started doing it, I didn’t want it to define me,’’ he says of his decade-plus tenure as a Jeans ‘n Classics headliner.

“It wasn’t my muse. I thought it was a little Vegasy for me. I was always like, you gotta get up in the morning and look in mirror and do you want to be Paul McCartney?’

“But then I realized I’m actually covering this stuff like Jean Meilleur songs, so I can actually incorporate my art into what I do in my act. And it’s awesome singing with this orchestra – one of the best in the country.

“We literally interpret the music – I think it’s cathartic.’’

Kathryn Rose and "2009: A Space Oddity"

2009-11-30T21:19:00.004-05:00

About ten days ago we posted a press release with news about the inclusion of a Lis Soderberg song on a new Christmas CD that features artists such as Dennis DeYoung and Richard Marx. Lis' song is just one example of the work of Jeans 'n Classics artists when they're not on stage doing J'nC shows.

Well, singer Kathryn Rose has also been busy doing her own songwriting and recording. This news came to our attention over the past weekend...

Press Release November 25, 2009.

Fans Get First Crack at Kathryn Rose’s New CD Compilation

SOMETHING I CAN USE: A KR Compilation
To be officially released in February 2010 / Advance copies available November 2009
Worldwide digital download available before December 8, 2009

• Compiled with her long time producer/collaborator Thomas Ryder Payne • Includes 15 exciting tracks of Kathryn’s most popular songs and a few closest to her heart • New songs Ghostwriter and The Lost Years • Live version of I Married Myself • Cover of Elvis Costello’s Watching the Detectives • New version of the title track produced by ex-Wind May Do Damage bandmate Andres Castillo Smith • Lovely 12-page booklet with a forward with quotes from Emm Gryner, Sarah Slean, Bob Wiseman, and Issa, and fun song secrets, outtakes and commentary written by KR.

"Canada's original bombshell"* Kathryn Rose is releasing her 4th CD, Something I Can Use in February 2010, but autographed advance copies are available now, just in time for the holidays.

It’s been no mean feat to create this release with her new baby son Ivor still under a year and daughter Miranda now going on four. Anticipating this, Kathryn began to put this cohesive package together slowly and thoughtfully over the past year or so in stolen moments between family life, concerts and studio sessions.

This CD features a gorgeous mix of her new, old, live and re-worked songs, showcasing her artful brand of sex-sad-funny cinematic pop. Something I Can Use will beautifully bridge the gap between 2005’s “Kathryn Rose” and her next full solo album, and is also the ideal tasting menu of Kathryn’s body of work for fans old and new. Function and form!

...Sound like something you can use?

Order this and all of Kathryn’s CDs at maplemusic.com, at this link: http://www.maplemusic.com/artists/kat/disc.asp

Kathryn also invites you to visit her at her Facebook fanpage, where lots of lively discussion takes place between KR and her fans. She will surely appreciate all feedback on the new CD. Be among the first to send your reviews, and don’t be surprised if you get quoted!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kathryn-Rose/26037246976

(Psssst: Two images of Kathryn in the CD booklet were taken by J&C’s own Gavin Hope!)

* Quote from recording artist Emm Gryner.

For more information: www.kathrynrose.com website@kathrynrose.com

You can catch Kathryn this week in Kitchener Ontario. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings she joins Jean Meilleur, Jeans 'n Classics and the KW Symphony for "2009: A Space Oddity". The show highlights the music of David Bowie, ELO and the Moody Blues. It takes place at The Centre in The Square. Show time both nights is 7:30pm.

Lis Soderberg: Such Talent

2009-11-21T11:15:00.004-05:00

It's no secret that the guest artists and featured performers of Jeans 'n Classics are a talented lot. If you pay any attention to TV and radio, you hear the singers of Jeans 'n Classics many times a day, singing jingles for everything from Canadian Tire and Tim Hortons to Royale Tissues, "Joe" fashion and sunrooms. Indeed, if you were a fan of the wildly popular "Battle of the Blades" on CBC, the songs you heard to accompany the skaters were frequently sung by JnC performers.

While Jeans 'n Classics is very busy bringing the music of the rock 'n roll era to orchestras all over North America, our singers are all songwriters and recording artists with active careers beyond JnC.

One of our most beloved members is singer/songwriter Lis Soderberg. Passionate about her family, her music, her neighbourhood and her world, Lis works doggedly to encourage people to live simply and to make the best use of our resources.

Her music is a reflection of the things that are important to her. That's why its such a pleasure for this wee blog to recognize Lis' inclusion in a charity Christmas CD that features such artists as Huey Lewis, Dennis DeYoung and Richard Marx. Take a look at the press release below, and join with us in congratulating Lis for the recognition she so richly deserves...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 16, 2009
"All I Need" by Lis Soderberg to be included on Charity Christmas Compilation CD with William Shatner, Huey Lewis, Richard Marx and others. We are pleased to announce that Lis Soderberg's song "All I Need" will be the opening track on a just-released Christmas compilation CD, which boasts new holiday music from a diverse array of world-renowned artists, including Huey Lewis and the News, Dennis DeYoung, Stephen Bishop, and Richard Marx, as well as emerging and newly discovered talent. The CD's final track is William Shatner's spoken version of "Good King Wenceslas".

"Sounds of Christmas 2009" is being released by new record label SOCMusic (Sounds of Christmas Music; www.socmusic.net) and will be raising funds for William Shatner's "Hollywood Charity Horse Show", which began 20 years ago facilitating therapeutic riding for disabled and disadvantaged children, and has since added other charities benefitting children: “... small, grass roots charities doing big time jobs.” (Please see www.horseshow.org.)

"All I Need" was co-written with and arranged by Brent Barkman, and features the guitar stylings of Clive Desmond. News of its inclusion on "Sounds of Christmas 2009" comes a few months before the completion of Soderberg's solo CD, "Refuge"; a CD release is planned for spring of 2010 (watch for updates at www.lissoderberg.com).

"Sounds of Christmas 2009" CDs can be ordered from Socmusic.net, Amazon.com, and CDBaby.com; mp3s are available on iTunes and CDBaby.

Track list:
Lis Soderberg "All I Need"
Huey Lewis and the News "Winter Wonderland"
Lisa Kessler "Christmas Vacation"
Pete Hopkins "Home For Christmas"
Stephen Bishop "Rock Little Reindeer"
Tina Lambert "O Christmas Tree"
Roy Holliday "Christmastime On The Beach"
DJ Ice Z Ice and the Fresh Elf "The Night Before Christmas"
Judy Pancoast "The House On Christmas Street"
Dennis DeYoung "When I Hear A Christmas Song"
Annie Pattison "Love For Christmas"
Tey "Silver Bells"
Hayseed Dixie "Misty Wonderland Hop"
Richard Marx "Santa Claus Is Back In Town"
William Shatner "Good King Wenceslas"

If you want to know more about Lis and the things she cares about, check out her website at www.lissoderberg.com

Rik Emmett's Guitar Heroes a Hit

2009-11-17T20:58:00.003-05:00

Rik Emmett joined Orchestra London for two nights of his favorite guitar influences this past weekend. Highlights included Rik's duel with Orchestra London concertmaster Joe Lanza on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".

London's "The Beat' web-zine covered the show. Here is the review...

Orchestra London Red Hot Weekend – Rik Emmett's Guitar Heroes
Written by Richard Young

Friday, November 13 & Saturday, November 14
8:00 p.m.
*** ½ / 4

If soaring guitar solos are your thing, then Orchestra London's current Red Hot Weekends offering – Guitar Heroes featuring Rik Emmett – is the place you ought to be this weekend.

Emmett, the former guitarist for iconic Canadian rock band Triumph and now a successful jazz solo artist, is a long-time Jeans 'n Classics collaborator. For this concert he pays tribute to some of his own guitar heroes, including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Mark Knopfler and Pat Metheny. Backed by a scaled-down Orchestra London and arranger Peter Brennan's very competent Jeans 'n' Classics band, the affable Emmett did not disappoint the Friday evening audience.

After opening the show with the rocking All Along The Watchtower, a Jimi Hendrix staple written by Bob Dylan, Emmett joked that the orchestra was a "very expensive backing band" before launching into the more subdued Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits.

Emmett shifted gears throughout the concert, changing guitars several times to elicit the sounds and tones he desired for each particular number. Proving that he is no nostalgic head-banger, Emmett played a variety of tunes, ranging from the ethereal jazzy sounds of Santa Fe Horizon and Pat Metheny's Last Train Home to Cream's White Room and a rousing version of Eric Clapton's Layla.

He also included Santana standards, Black Magic Woman and Samba Pa Ti, a soulful version of Clapton's Wonderful Tonight, the classic Sleepwalk, first made famous in 1959 by Santo & Johnny Farina, and three originals. Emmett preceded A Midsummer's Daydream aka "Rik's Classical Song," an original song from his Triumph days, with an explanation of how rock audiences used to "fire up doobies [marijuana joints], giving me the munchies whenever I played it."

Under the capable direction of Conductor Mitch Tyler and playing from charts arranged by Brennan, the orchestra musicians appeared to shine on most pieces adding just the right balance of nuance and fullness – while on some, particularly the rockier pieces, they appeared uncomfortable and were relegated to providing accents. At times, Emmett's voice faltered, but it was his guitar playing that the audience came to hear, so this is a minor quibble.

To be sure, the Jeans 'n' Classics mix of rock and classical music has proven to be popular with London audiences over the years and the two-day Red Hot Weekends concerts continue to be best sellers for Orchestra London.

Emmett was brought back to the stage for two encores. For the first, he played George Harrison's popular While My Guitar Gently Weeps, which featured a very well received call and response component between himself and "Smokin' Joe Lanza," the term he used to describe Orchestra London Concertmaster and First Violinist, Joseph Lanza.

Because Emmett and company have a repeat show on Saturday night, I prefer not identify his second encore song, other than to say he plays his iconic double-necked Gibson guitar and it is one of the most famous pieces in the rock canon.
The appreciative audience filed out of Centennial Hall, having heard what they came for...and more.

Richard Young is the Managing Editor of The Beat – Arts in London.