Come experience local big band, The OCTOKATS, as they treat you all to ‘Martinis with Mancini’ – a special exploration of the musical mind of American film composer Henry Mancini on Saturday, April 6th at 4:30pm.
You may reserve your seats at this link. Entry is pay-what-you-can.
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Henry Mancini, born as Enrico Nicola Mancini, was an American Composer extraordinaire! So how is it that this remarkable individual who had 18 Academy Award nominations with 4 wins, 11 Golden Globe nominations with 1 win, and an astounding 75 Grammy Nominations with 20 wins would have a split personality? While one side of his brain would function to achieve very orchestral compositions and arrangements for the movie industry, the other side would focus on the very essence of hip, Cool West Coast Jazz! Known to his friends and colleagues simply as “Hank”, in the late 50s and 60s his iconic work for the Peter Gunn TV series featured many tunes that had a cool vibe reminiscent of other West Coast Jazz artists such as Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper and Shorty Rogers. Stay tuned as The OCTOKATS treat you all with an exploration of the darker, hip vibe from the mind of Mancini!
The OCTOKATS, formed in 2012, specialize in a type of jazz that is quite different from the mainstream jazz bands around the GTA and offer something unique and different. West Coast Jazz was a style of Jazz that was developed in the Los Angeles area in and around the time of the 1950’s. This was the very beginning of the essence of Cool Jazz. Unlike many of the big bands, West Coast Jazz simply focuses on arrangements that are less frenetic yet enriched with smooth voicing and are heavily arranged. This style is very relaxed and calming, a perfect combination for either easy listening or dancing. Sorely missing from the Toronto Jazz scene, The OCTOKATS have resurrected this West Coast Cool Groove while breathing new life into the music with a fresh new zeal.
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Proceeds go towards supporting our musicians and making our concerts accessible, while also supporting Beach United’s year-round community programs.
