The New Years Eve Gala held at the Safety Harbor Resort & Spa, in Safety Harbor, Florida was a monumental success for the Lakeland Jazz Orchestra. All who attended said they had a wonderful time and would attend again this year. Seeing how this was the second New Years Eve event for the "LJO" they are now looking forward to an even bigger event for NYE 2009.

 

They opened their show with a Count Basie tune called, It's Oh, So Nice and the dancers started heading to the dance floor, even before they had their dinners. This was a very good sign of how the evening would progress.

 

After a few band tunes were played, Dick introduced the vocalist for the evening, Ms. Paulette Pepper who took the audience by the hand and held them there for the entire evening. Paulette is one of the most versitile vocalist that you could want to have sing. She sings the jazz standard with a new and fresh sound that keeps the audience mesmerized.

 

 

 

A Night To Remember. On August 27th, 2006 the Lakeland Jazz Orchestra made its very first appearance in front of 200 plus residents at the Azalea Park Adult Living Facility in Lakeland. The evening started with a beautiful diner prepared especially for the residents by the house chef, to compliment the evenings festivities. The group opened with a roaring version of Duke Ellington's, Satin Doll. Once the music started the residents enjoyed two hours of non stop music from the 1930's & 40's. Special thanks to Ms. Sherri Grimes for giving us the opportunity to share our musical talents with the residents of Azalea Park.