By Dave Babbitt – Special to the Sydenham Current
Everyone sings.
Don’t try and tell me that you don’t sing either because I saw you at the Dufferin and James stoplight, music thumping in your car, mouth agape, and you belting out a song!
I didn’t say that we all sing well, but there is no question in my mind that everyone sings. It’s just that most only sing when they think no one is listening.
For the faction of society that loves to sing, they often take their penchant to another level and actively participate in karaoke events. Karaoke is a Japanese word that has its roots in the Japanese entertainment industry, referring to instrumental tracks being used in situations where a live band could not be found to accompany a singer.
The people an audience usually wants to hear at a karaoke event are those who sing at one end of the skill spectrum or the other and not so much those in the middle. Using me as an example, I can carry a tune for the most part but I don’t have a pleasant voice so no one would want to hear me. I’m neither excellent, not horrific so I’m not keen on karaoke.
Everyone who has attended WAMBO is aware that karaoke has had a major presence at the event for many years. The large tent on Nelson Street between the Library and Glasstown Brewery has long been expertly MC’d by DJs Mike and Melody Shepley.
While I’ve lost track of time, one year before COVID hit, I was walking the streets of WAMBO and was taken aback by a male singer in the karaoke tent. He wasn’t just a very good singer, but he had some “stage presence” and was singing some “crooner-type” songs that you might expect to hear from the Rat Pack, not the typical top 40 pop and country songs.
As I listened and watched, my mind began to wander, and I waited around until he was finished as I wanted to introduce myself and pass along my compliments. His name was Al DeLaet.
In listening and watching Al, I couldn’t help but imagine him singing backed by a big band a la Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, or Michael Bublé. More specifically, I couldn’t help visualizing Al singing with the Brass Factory Big Band that I’ve led off and on for many years.
At the time, the Brass Factory wasn’t functioning, but I asked Al if he’d ever consider singing with a live big band (stupid question) sometime. He said that he’d love to and gave me his business card. Fast forward several years and I re-formed the Brass Factory, with Al always in the back of my mind.
To me, a big band isn’t a big band without a vocalist to feature in some of their charts. All of the great big bands had a vocalist or two that they featured on some tunes. In shortening the story, Al and the Brass Factory have been working together for a few years now, and we’ve both realized a dream.
I asked Al where he got his start, and he credits Mike and Melody Shepley for providing the encouragement and support to share his voice with others. As an indicator of his talent, Al won the very first karaoke contest he ever entered — but what I love about Al even more than his talent is his humility. He’s a humble man.
Al now entertains across our area and has gained a very large following as he shares his voice, stage presence, and karaoke equipment in venue after venue. But to me, Al is really in his element when he joins forces with the Brass Factory and is backed by a 17-piece big band!
This is the stuff of dreams for any vocalist, and I can’t begin to tell anyone how lucky we are to have him join us. I must stress that while he has a God-given talent, Al works at his craft. I’ve been to his home a few times and like any serious musician, he practices regularly and strives to continually improve and expand his repertoire.
I’ve been working on finding vocal charts that I feel are great for featuring both Al’s voice and our band, and we’re working on some gems.
The bad news… we keep Brass Factory appearances fairly limited for a few reasons.
The great news… we have a gig coming up that you might not want to miss.
On Saturday, September 27, the Brass Factory will be playing a gig in support of the Four Counties Health Services Foundation in Glencoe — and yes, Al DeLaet will be singing with us! We also have a few more special guests that will make this an evening to remember.
Jackie Faber, a tenor saxophone player with our Wallaceburg Concert Band, has a degree in Musical Theatre and a beautiful voice that you need to hear.
The icing on the cake will be something that I’ve been wanting to present in every iteration of the Brass Factory since 1982 but have been unable to pull off. Many years ago, I purchased an arrangement of I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo (a staple of the Glenn Miller Orchestra catalogue) that was to feature a vocal quartet a la Tex Beneke and the Modernaires, but have never been able to find the voices to sing it — until now!
As an indicator of how long we’ve had this music, it’s number six in a book of probably 150 charts. Those who attended our Christmas show in Bothwell last December will undoubtedly recall what an exciting event that was, and this show promises to be even better.
But we don’t want to forsake our home town. Finding a venue to play in Wallaceburg is very difficult, but it is our hope that we will soon be able to announce A Swingin’ Christmas with the Brass Factory Big Band, so stay tuned for those details.
In the meantime, make the drive to Glencoe to hear Al, Jackie, and our newfound quartet, “Midnight Syncopation,” all backed by the Brass Factory Big Band.
And as Brian Setzer says, “don’t mess with a big band”!
