Don Berner and Big Band on big band music and the pandemic

Undoubtedly, the decline in events during the COVID-19 pandemic hit the struggling live music industry hard. Despite this, a move to invigorate the local music scene here in Edmonton is well underway with the Don Berner Session Show! In a series of big band-style performances scheduled well into 2022, Don Berner — a prominent local saxophonist and leader of Don Berner and Big Band — does not disappoint! 

So, what is a big band-style performance? 

Big band is a type of jazz performance that consists of four parts: saxophone, trumpet, trombones, and a general rhythm section that helps guide the piece. Big band is also a popular genre of music that was originally developed for dance, based on written compositions rather than pure improvisation. This makes the role of a bandleader important, along with the group cohesion of the band and the instrument sections. 

Don Berner, leader of the Don Berner and Big Band group, gave more insight into the big band setup.

“‘Big Band music’ is interesting in that it refers to a genre, specific instrumentation, and variations thereof, and an era in music… People tend to think of the big band era as being the 1930s and 40s,” Berner said.

Despite challenges, Berner and his team are ready to go, citing the inherent value of live performance as their lure.

“I believe [big band performances] have inherent value. I believe they are something of a human imperative that demonstrates the best artistic and creative qualities of mankind in a way that many kinds of music can’t.” 

“I believe live performance is a communal activity for all involved that brings joy to people in a way that can’t be duplicated in a recording,” Berner added.

Berner provided a little context for why students should take interest in public events, especially live music in Edmonton.

“Edmonton has a long history of being an important jazz city in Western Canada,” Berner recalls. “Tommy Banks [who is a famed jazz pianist] had an internationally syndicated show for years featuring his big band. Edmonton had the first jazz festival in Canada and the first and longest volunteer-run jazz club in Canada, so I think [live events] are important traditions to maintain.”

Berner attests COVID-19 has made it almost impossible for many of these artists to perform in their original venues.

“Well — [COVID-19 has] mostly eliminated my profession. That said, if musicians had to take a back seat while society and frontliners had to primarily deal with [COVID-19], that’s fine,” Berner said. “When you get into A-lister musicians — and when I say that I mean musicians selling millions of records — they have a lot more resources to deal with that… We’ll just have to be fluid and flexible going forward for music to exist.”

Readers can preview Berner’s music by listening to ‘In A Mellow Tone,’ a short clip from their Duke Ellington show. So get your dancing shoes and open your ears to a great part of some Edmontonian history!