Los Alamos Big Band
Los Alamos Big Band (Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA)
Upcoming Dances:
April 17, 2012, Tuesday, 12:30-3:00, RSVP Dance, Santa Fe Convention Center, NM
February 10, 2012, Friday, 7:00-9:00, Hilton Hotel, Santa Fe, NM
RECENT Dances:
2011:
February 26, 2011, 7:00 -9:30, Crossroads Church, Los Alamos, NM
August 26, 2011, 7:00 - 10:00,Bethlehem Lutheran Church 60th Anniversary, Los Alamos, NM
September 9, 2011, 8:00 - 11:00, Fuller Lodge, Los Alamos, N
November 12, 2011, 7:00-9:00, Wedding, New Mexico History Museum, Santa Fe, NM
December 26, 2011, Monday, 7:30-10:30, IHM Parish Hall, Los Alamos, NM
2010:
February 6, 2010, Saturday, 7:30 - 10:30, Valentine's Dance, IHM Parish Hall,
April 24, 2010, Saturday afternoon, Wedding,
August 14, 2010, Los Alamos County Fair, 1:30-4:00 p.m., Ashley Pond,
October 23, 2010, Saturday, 5:00 - 8:00, Inez Ross Private Party, Fuller Lodge,
December 27, 2010, 7:30 - 10:30, Christmas/New Year's Dance, IHM Parish Hall, Los Alamos, NM
April 28, 2009, Tuesday, 7 - 8:45 pm, 2nd annual "Swing Into Spring" Concert, with the Southwest Jazz Orchestra, Civic Auditorium,
May 8, 2009, Friday, 7:30 - 10:30, Mother's Day Dance, IHM Parish Hall,
May 12, 2009, Tuesday, 3:00 - 5:00, Annual Dance,
June 6, 2009, Saturday, 8:00 - 10:00, Beta Sigma Phi State Convention, Best Western Hilltop House Hotel,
August 8, Saturday, 2009, 1:oo - 4:00, Ashley Pond,
August 29, 2009, Saturday, 6 - 7:30, Kelly Hall, Trinity-on-the-Hill Episcopal Church,
September 26, 2009, Saturday, 6:30 - 8:30,
December 5, 2009, Saturday, 7:00 - 11:00, Fuller Lodge,
December 28, 2009, Monday, 7:30 - 10:30, Christmas Dance, IHM Parish Hall,
February 16, 2008 - Saturday, 7:30-10:30, IHM Parish Hall,
March 15, 2008 - Saturday, 7:30-10:30, IHM Parish Hall,
March 24, 2008 -Monday, 7:30-10:00, Duane Smith Auditorium,
May 6, 2008 - Tuesday, 3:00 - 5:00,
May 23, 2008 - Friday, 7:30-10:30, IHM Parish Hall,
June 28, 2008 - Saturday, 4:00 - 7:00, 50th anniversary (private) -
July 5, 2008 - Saturday, 8 - 11, Elberta Seybold wedding,
August 9, 2008 - Saturday - 1:30 - 4:00, Fuller Lodge, Los Alamos,
August 29, 2008 - Friday, memorial Service for Robert E. Kelly,
September 20, 2008 - Saturday - 8 - 11, Fuller odge,
December 27, 2008, Saturday, 7:30 - 10:30 Annual Christmas Dance, Parish Hall,
February 17, 2007, Valentine's Dance, IHM Parish Hall,
March 17, 2007: St Patricks Day Dance, IHM Parish Hall,
May 1, 2007: LANL Employee Scholarship Fund,
May 24, 2007: Start of Summer Dance, IHM Parish Hall,
July 28, 2007: Midsummer dance, IHM Parish Hall,
August 20, 2007: Okay Casino,
October 20, 2007 - Saturday, 6 - 11, La Fonda Hotel, LANL Foundation
December 15, 2007, Behaviorial Health Research Society of the Southwest,
December 27, 2007 - Thursday, 7:30 - 10:30, IHM Parish Hall,
Upcoming Rehearsals: (Trinity-on-the-Hill Episcopal Church,
January 19, 2012
February 9, 2012
February23, 2012
March 8, 2012
March 23, 2012
April 12, 2012
May 3,2012
St. Patrick's Day Dance, March 17, 2007, Los Alamos, NM (above) and Altzheimer's Dance (Fuller Lodge) September 20, 2008 (below) with vocalist Paula Ward.
About the Los Alamos Big Band
The Los Alamos Big Band is a 16-instrument 1940's Glenn Miller-style swing band. The band plays fabulous music for dancing at public events, weddings, conventions, and more.
The Los Alamos Big Band has been playing at dances throughout Northern New Mexico since 1984 under the direction of Jan McDonald, who for many years was the bandleader at Los Alamos High School. The band features the danceable music of the Big Band Era such as “In The Mood”, “String of Pearls”, “Sing, Sing, Sing” and “Moonlight Serenade.” They also play other dance music such as “Moon River,” Latin numbers like “Besame Mucho,” and even "Rock Around the Clock.”
The band also has a wide variety of vocal numbers such as "Moon River" and "Sentimental Journey."
The featured vocalist is Elisa Enriquez, though various instrumentalists in the band also sing an occasional song.
The Big Band started in 1984 when Dick Souder retired from Chrysler in Michigan and started working at LANL. Dick headed a Big Band in the Detroit area called “The Executives.” His only regret about coming to the Land of Enchantment was that he missed his Big Band. Skeptics said a semi-professional Big Band could not survive in a small town like Los Alamos, but Dick teamed with Jan McDonald and later Ralph Bennorth to organize the band and start playing at dances throughout Northern New Mexico. Each year the band gives the “Souder-Bennorth Memorial Scholarship” in memory of Dick and Ralph to a worthy high school student from Los Alamos or Espanola. Many of these students have gone on to become professional musicians.
Although half the band members work in Los Alamos, others come from Santa Fe and the Espanola Valley. Many band members have music degrees. Others have technical degrees. There is even a physician (Mike Wagner, trumpet) and a retired attorney (Gerald Becker, saxophone). The band has always had a drum, bass, piano, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, and 5 saxophones who also double on clarinet for the full Big Band sound. Throughout the years the band has played for numerous dances, county festivals, weddings, Los Alamos National Laboratory events, conventions, and even two funerals. One of the more memorable weddings was in Mora, New Mexico, where the bride and groom rode off to the wedding cottage on horseback to the sound of the band. Other gigs have been from Farmington to Taos to Belen with many gigs in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. But most gigs have been in Los Alamos, particularly Gordon’s Friday night summer concerts each year, the County Fair and Rodeo, and recently several dances each year at the IHM Parish Hall.
LANL Scholarship Fund Event, May 1, 2007, Los Alamos, NM (below)
Availability
The Los Alamos Big Band may be booked for your event by contacting John Hendricks, jxhjxh@gmail.com , 505-690-7054.
A three hour job generally costs less than $1000 in Los Alamos, so why hire a combo or something less than a full Big Band? Prices for Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and elsewhere add a mileage charge. Special consideration is made for caritable fundraisers.
LANL Scholarship Event, May 1, 2007, Los Alamos, NM (below)
