Southborough – Trottier Middle School’s Big Band will perform at their annual event, An Evening of Jazz, on Tuesday, June 11 at 7 p.m. The Trottier Big Band has worked hard all year and will perform an entire evening of jazz songs that showcase their talents. The Trottier Big Band has been a Gold Medal Recipient from 2008-2019 from the Massachusetts Association of Jazz Educators and 7-time winners of the Clark Terry/UNH Jazz Festival.
Jazz Night is also a chance for the kids to participate in giving back to the community. Every year, the Jazz Night concert collects donations for admission and the Big Band Parents bake treats that will be available at intermission for a donation as well. Donations will be used by the Big Band to supplement transportation costs and to purchase new equipment. The Big Band is remarkably well supported by the town and the school and it is greatly appreciated. However, transportation costs have risen dramatically, and the amount of performances given by the Big Band have taken a toll on the equipment.
The Trottier Big Band will perform with Brian Thomas, Trombonist, Composer, Educator and Band Leader. Brian Thomas has been a member of the Boston music scene since graduating from Ithaca College in 1998. He gained much of his “post graduate” music experience at the legendary Wally’s Jazz Cafe hosting the weekly funk jam session and touring with reggae giants John Brown’s Body.
Thomas earned a masters degree in Jazz Composition from UMASS Amherst where he met trumpet player and fellow composer Alex Lee-Clark. Together they formed the BT ALC Big Band and began to bring their brand of big band funk to listeners and dance floors. By taking the tradition of the big bands of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Thad Jones and infusing it with funk music of their idles like Parliament Funkadelic, The Meters, James Brown and many more, they have created a sound that pushes the art of big band forward, while still being pure entertainment for both the band and the audience.
Teaching and sharing his musical experiences has always been a passion for Thomas. He is currently a faculty member at Canton High School in Canton, MA and directs all of the instrumental ensembles including the Band, Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble and Pit Orchestra.
