SoundCheck: Casablanca

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Aug 30, 2002

Hear the band: 5:30-9 p.m. Fridays and 5-8 p.m. Sundays, Sunbird restaurant, 230 Point of the Pines Drive, 598-8990.

The band: Tom Lehrecke, guitar and vocals; Kevin Whitcombe, drummer; Bill McNamara, sax; Dan Davidson, bass.

Type of music: Swing era. Anything from the 1920s to 1970s, including Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire and Tony Bennett. Five to 10 percent of their repertoire is instrumental, and they focus on vocals. "A lot of tunes are from the great American songbook - Irving Berlin, it's real classic, elegant songs, recognizable. One listener told me years ago, 'That's the stuff my dad used to sing in the shower!' " says Whitcombe.

Origin of band name: A past drummer for the band named the band after the movie "Casablanca" because the era had a classy aura.

Album: A CD is recorded, artwork for the cover is done, and it will be available in local stores in a few months.

Day jobs: Lehrecke, financial adviser; Whitcombe, ex-WorldCom employee; McNamara, hotel reservations manager; Davidson, former music store owner.

The Colorado Springs music scene is ... : "It's a smaller city, so there's not that many opportunities and there are a lot of really good players because of the military bands," Whitcombe says. "I've been in the Springs for 12 years, and there's a lot more opportunities to play now, although not as many as I would like to see. Motivated players do a lot of work in Denver," Lehrecke says. "There is a lot of competition to play because of the military (band) players, and there's not many (jazz) venues for them. The ability of the players here could support a city the size of Denver," Whitcombe says.

What would make it better? More venues, especially like some of the downtown places - Genghis Khan for example.

Which jazz musician would you have most liked to kick it with?: "Frank Sinatra - he was the man," Whitcombe says. "From what you read about him, he was a pretty wild dude. That could be bad, it could be good, it could be taking your life in your hands."

- Jen Mulson; The Gazette