CHERRY GROOVE

Cherry Groove has been grooving around the South Okanagan for the last couple of years and has recently expanded to include Michelle, the group’s new drummer.

Enjoy the sweet sounds of the Cherry Groove Ensemble in a journey through diverse musical genres. The group will perform easy listening bossa, samba, and ballads along with a selection of modern popular favorites at the Summerland Community Centre on Friday, November 21, at 7:00 p.m. Members of the group are Charlene Coles, Michelle McEntee Longstaff, Jim Redding and Graham Walker.

Charlene has taught piano for over 30 years and has performed as an accompanist as well as a vocalist. Her interest in jazz began in 2016 and she has been enjoying sharpening her skills with the experienced musicians in the Cherry Groove Ensemble.

Michelle is a versatile drummer and percussionist, capable of laying down the beat for many genres of music.  She performed with rock bands at the coast for years before moving to the Okanagan, where she started playing with the Penticton Concert Band.  She has since become in demand for several other bands and groups, including the South Okanagan Big Band and the Thursday Night Jazz Band.

Jim started his musical adventure in school bands in the 70’s, then by playing in both Jazz and Classical ensembles. He holds Master’s in Music Education degree from the University of Victoria. He has brought music into the lives of many young musicians through the public school system. He plays his saxophones with Cherry Groove as well as with the South Okanagan Big Band.

Graham is a multi-instrumentalist and a very accomplished musician. Having moved to Summerland from Saskatchewan during Covid, he now finds himself in increasingly higher demand to play guitar or bass guitar in numerous groups. He also a seasoned clarinetist and loves having the opportunity to play it in the Penticton Concert Band.

Tickets for Cherry Groove are $20 each, or $15 for SCCA members, and can be reserved by e-transfer to summerlandcommunitycentre@gmail.com.  Physical tickets will be available approximately one month prior to the show.

Come and join us for a delightful and affordable evening out, and don’t forget to bring your dancing shoes as you will definitely want to get up and move to the music of this group!

Check out their Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/cherrygroovequartet/

(Sorry, no refunds, though tickets are transferrable.)