Adrian Symphony Orchestra Swing Band to close out concert season

ADRIAN — Create a playlist of swing music’s greatest hits, and tunes like Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood,” Woody Herman’s “Woodchopper’s Ball” and Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing” would certainly have to make the cut.

Pieces like those, and a wide range of other swing classics made famous by bandleaders including Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Tommy Dorsey, are on the program for the Adrian Symphony Orchestra’s final concert of the 2022-2023 season, titled “Swing Into Summer.”

As has been a longstanding tradition for the ASO’s season-enders, however, this concert isn’t actually by the orchestra itself. Rather, the program features the ASO Swing Band led by Paul Keller.

The concert is at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 2, at Adrian College’s Dawson Auditorium. A Patio Party featuring popcorn, music and a cash bar will be held in front of the auditorium — weather permitting — beginning at 6:30 p.m. and is free to all ticketholders.

Tickets are $32/$29/$21 for adults, $30/$27/$21 for senior citizens, and $18/$15 for students and are available online at www.adriansymphony.org, by calling 517-264-3121 or at the door beginning two hours prior to the concert.

Keller and the band, which is made up of musicians from throughout the region, will be joined by singer and clarinetist Sarah D’Angelo and swing dancers Ali Trimner and Paul Carryer.

Keller, a Grand Rapids native who’s now an Ann Arbor resident, is well-known in his adopted hometown and throughout Michigan as the leader of the Paul Keller Orchestra and the Paul Keller Ensemble, and co-leader of the Keller/Kocher Quartet.

He began studying string bass at age 12 and by age 16 was playing his first jazz gigs in Grand Rapids. His musical training came at the University of Michigan, but he always knew he didn’t want to pursue a classical-music career.

“Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be a jazz player,” he said. “So, I’m living my 14-year-old-kid dream. … I loved playing in a symphony orchestra, but as I moved along I knew that jazz was for me. And it’s taken me around the world.”

He said he’s “thrilled” to be leading the ASO Swing Band for this concert of swing-music standards. “The show we’re doing is a lot of the big-band classic hits,” and “mostly it’s the arrangements people know and love.”

“I think we’ve got a good program,” he added. “As long as you’ve got ‘In the Mood’ and ‘Sing, Sing, Sing,’ you’re off to a good start.”

Any concert of swing classics also has to include its share of Basie and Ellington music, and Keller is especially happy to be presenting their music on Friday evening.

“I love Duke Ellington and Count Basie,” he said. “They’re just so very classy and classic, and I learned a lot about arranging from Duke Ellington.

“These two were doing traditional jazz, but it’s so forward-looking, and they were doing it under the shadow of racial adversity. They created such great music under such adverse circumstances, and they’re great Americans to me.”

Friday’s concert also gives Keller the opportunity to introduce local swing-music lovers to his friend and fellow musician D’Angelo, with whom he’s worked for about 10 years.

D’Angelo holds a master’s degree in clarinet performance from the University of Michigan, and Keller joked that he “dragged her to the dark side” by getting her into jazz music.

“We’ve played a lot of good music together,” he said. “Sarah is so engaging. She’s not only a great singer, but she has a really good repartee with the audience.”

Swing music like that on Friday’s program has proven its staying power over the decades. While the actual swing era itself only lasted a short time, “we rely on the beauty of nostalgia,” Keller said, “and it would make our ancestors happy to know this music lives on.”

To him, such music represents “good things that all come together,” including recognizable melodies, most of the time a good beat, and the teamwork inherent when a group of musicians comes together.

“It’s tuneful, happy music,” he said. “We do our very best to make people happy, and it’s going to be easy because this orchestra is loaded. … These (musicians) are so good. They know how to wind it up and let it go. It’s such an easy pleasure to be with these (performers). It’s not a drain of energy, it’s a source of energy.”

If you go

WHAT: “Swing Into Summer” featuring the ASO Swing Band led by Paul Keller, with singer/clarinetist Sarah D’Angelo and swing dancers Ali Trimner and Paul Carryer

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 2

WHERE: Dawson Auditorium, Adrian College

TICKETS: $32/$29/$21 adults, $30/$27/$21 senior citizens, $18/$15 students

HOW TO ORDER: Online at www.adriansymphony.org, by calling 517-264-3121, at the door beginning two hours before the concert

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Preview: ASO Swing Band to close out concert season