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Swing on over to the Canyon
By JORGE SANCHEZ, Times Staff Writer
Three of the most recognized names in big band and swing music are scheduled to perform in separate shows at Rock Crusher Canyon Garden Pavilion. The concert series begins in January and continues through late March, tickets are on sale now for all shows. The Glenn Miller Orchestra is scheduled to perform at 7 p.m. Jan. 31, and like all Garden Pavilion concerts, a buffet dinner is part of the evening. The Glenn Miller Orchestra continues to perform the same big hits of the World War II era, which helped the original band become one of the biggest musical acts of its day. Miller fans can once again dance to the melodies of Tuxedo Junction, A Sentimental Journey and In The Mood. Miller died in the waning months of World War II, when he boarded a transport plane from England bound for France in December 1944. The plane is presumed to have crashed into the English Channel. The next show is the March 1 performance by the Sammy Kaye Orchestra. Kaye had a much longer career, which started in the 1930s and continued for 40 years. The Kaye Orchestra's big hits are As Time Goes By, Red Sails in the Sunset, and their covers of Sweet Georgia Brown and You Are My Sunshine. On March 28, the Royal Canadian Orchestra, with bandleader Al Pierson, still plays the saxophone-laden dance and swing music that made the original version so popular. The band's rendition of Auld Lang Syne is its signature tune. Other Royal Canadian hits include Seems Like Old Times, Give Me a Little Kiss, Little White Lies and September in the Rain. Pierson said he strives to re-create the exact melodies and arrangements that made Guy Lombardo's band a worldwide success. The Rock Crusher Canyon Pavilion is a 20,000-square-foot building overlooking the Rock Crusher Canyon amphitheater, where the larger music festivals are held. The pavilion features a full restaurant and bar, table seating and a dance floor. The building is closed in on three sides, and radiant space heaters are used to ward off the chill. Visitors should bring coats during the colder days. Doors open for all shows at 5 p.m., cocktail hour is until 6, a buffet dinner is served from 6 to 8 p.m. and music is from 7 to 10 p.m. Admission is $25 a person. Tickets are available at the Rock Crusher Canyon box office, 275 S Rock Crusher Road, Crystal River, or by phone at 795-1313 or through the Web site at www.rockcrushercanyon.com. -- Jorge Sanchez can be reached at 860-7313 or sanchez@sptimes.com .
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