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It all began as a group of musicians at the Winnipeg Belgian Club in 1975, sharing the swinging sounds of big band. They dubbed themselves the Executive Orchestra, and over time, the group added the sounds of rock and roll to the swing music of the 40’s and 50’s and even added a vocalist.
Fast forward five decades, and the Executive Big Band (as they are now known) are celebrating their 50th anniversary with a special evening of music at the Park Theatre in South Osborne.
Keyboardist Nancy Nowosad first joined the group over thirty years ago, when she and her husband Dave had moved to the city as part of Dave’s military service. For Nancy, it was one innocent conversation with her children’s school music teacher that set everything in motion.
“She said to me one day, ‘You know, my husband leads this big band and they’re looking for a keyboard player because their keyboard person isn’t able to continue with the band. Are you interested?’” Nancy recounted in an interview on Morning Light. “And I said, ‘Well, I could go give it a try.’ So that’s what I did.”
It didn’t take long for Nowosad and her husband (a saxophone player) to become mainstays in the Executive Big Band’s lineup, performing at dances and other functions across the city. These days, most of the band’s appearances are in seniors' homes and other smaller functions, but the good times that the band brings with them are exactly the same.
“Whenever we perform for any type of a dance, everybody’s on the floor,” says Nowosad.
Everyone will certainly be in a dancing mood for the group’s 50th anniversary celebrations on April 8 at the Park Theatre. Nowosad points out that not only will the current iteration of the Executive Big Band be performing, but an alumni ensemble comprised of past members will also be bringing the swing.
“Membership has changed over the years,” Nowosad says, noting that things come up for players all the time that causes them to have to step out for various periods of time. “There are actually going to be playing in that group, so that’s really fun to be able to bring those people back.”
As she looks to the future, Nowosad notes that the current formation of the Executive Big Band is one of the strongest that she can remember in her tenure. “We have a very strong group of musicians and people are really wanting to keep the band together and continue to play as we have been, and so that’s what we’re hoping is going to continue to happen.”
“Maybe there’ll be another 50 years of it.”
The 50th anniversary celebrations at the Park Theatre start at 7 p.m. on April 8 with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Swing dance enthusiasts can purchase their tickets here.