Band all jazzed up over show

Members of the Lindsay Place High School Jazz Band were still practising every other day last week after their academic year was over but they didn't mind. They were getting ready for their gig at the Montreal International Jazz Festival.

The 21 students who make up the Pointe Claire school's jazz band are set to perform for an hour Friday starting at 12 p.m. at the General Motors stage (corner Ste. Catherine and Jeanne Mance streets). "The music will be mixed from jazz, Latin to a version of Respect by Aretha Franklin," said music teacher Patricia Dupuis, who took over last fall after longtime Lindsay educator George Doxas retired.

Graduating student Evan Brown, 17, first joined Lindsay's jazz band as a trombone player in Grade 8 but is now on drums. "Playing the jazz fest is a big deal. It's something I'll remember for the rest of my life," said Brown, who will study music at Vanier College next fall. "This is a good way to finish my high school music career."

Although he listens to hip hop and occasionally ventures into playing rock, he said jazz is a more challenging style of music to play. "It makes you go past your comfort zone," he said.

Dupuis said she hopes to get the Lindsay band a return gig at next year's jazz fest. "Next year I hope to add a vocalist," she said. "It's something I'd like to venture into too. The school does musicals, so maybe we can find a singer there."

Lindsay Place has about 500 of its 1,300 students taking part in the music program, Dupuis said.