Have a (Holiday) Ball at SunnyBrook Friday

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by SunnyBrook Ballroom:

Take a break from the holiday hustle and bustle, put on your finest and come celebrate the holidays with the SunnyBrook Ballroom in Pottstown, on Friday, Dec. 4th. 

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with dinner served until 8:30 p.m. The entertainment begins at 8 p.m. Reservations are required and are available. 

Tickets include dinner and entertainment for only $45 per person.

After a delicious dinner from our new menu, you will be entertained by the holiday music of The Sounds of Sunnybrook. 

You’ll dance the night away to our very own house band as they present an elegant evening of American holiday standards.

The Sounds of SunnyBrook Dance Band has entertained audiences all around the Lehigh Valley, as well as Berks, Chester and Montgomery Counties. The band is a favorite at the Ballroom and performs several times a year to enthusiastic audiences.

Looking for a gift for that person who has everything? Bring them along and give a gift of memories.

About the Historic SunnyBrook Ballroom

Reopened in 2008 as an entertainment venue through the work of scores of volunteers from the community, the facility’s casual fine dining restaurant and Chummy’s Lounge was reopened in 2011. 

The venue is owned and operated by the SunnyBrook Foundation. 

During the heyday of big band music, the historic ballroom was a regular stop on the tours of all of the era’s big bands. Benny Goodman, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong are just a few of the names of nationally known performers who filled the room with the music of the era.

The venue has hosted political rallies, community meetings, weddings, wedding receptions, class and family reunions, high school proms, and other events.

A Good Day for Pottstown in Boyertown

Photo brazenly stolen from Lisa Heverly's Facebook post

The Pottstown Middle School Jazz Band shows its spirit (and its mad Jazz Band Skills) in Boyertown.

Boyertown Area Senior High School held its 10th annual Jazz'n in B'town festival; Saturday and the place was hoppin'.

And it seems that Pottstown walked away with a whole lot of hardware.

According to the program, five middle school and junior high school jazz bands performed, as well as 11 high school jazz bands and the Sunnybrook Ballroom dance band.

However, the program apparently left out the Pottstown Middle School Jazz Band which took revenge for the slight by kicking ass and taking names, or rather medals.

According to a Facebook post by one of the parents, Pottstown middle schoolers, led by the mighty Ben Hayes, received the ONLY superior rating out of all the younger bands and took "all section awards and two individual awards."

According to the post on the "Friends of Pottstown Middle School" Facebook page, the best sax solo went to Shane Duncan and the best overall solo to Will Minnick.

Pottstown Tenor saxophonist Marley Bryan
with his soloist award.

London Aquino won the best saxophone solo Friday night at the Methacton Jazz Festival and the band received a "Superior" rating there as well.

Meanwhile, back in Boyertown, at the high school level, Pottstown received an "Outstanding" rating and tenor saxophonist Marley Bryan added to his list of musical accomplishments by winning an award for his solo performance.

The accomplishments at both levels is all the more remarkable given the strict nature of the judging.

The judges were Michael Cemprola, Chuck Dressler and Larry Marshall.

Of the nine high school bands competing for ratings, only two superiors were given out and given that last night's performances were, in this humble music-lover's opinion, all top notch, that is some tough judging.

All the better I say. Pottstown proved, once again, it can swing with the best of them.

Here are the ratings for the high school bands:

• Easton -- Outstanding
• Saucon Valley -- Excellent
• Reading -- Outstanding
• North Penn Columbia -- Outstanding
• Oley -- Outstanding
• Joes Jazz Cafe -- Outstanding
• North Penn Navy Band -- Superior (They WERE amazing)
• Pottstown -- Outstanding
• Quakertown -- Superior

The Boyertown Area Senior High School also performed its three-song set, but as the hosts, was not rated.

Representatives from the nine high school jazz bands being judged, line up on the Boyertown Area Senior High School stage to find out who won what awards.

Here are the section awards:

• Best Rhythm Section: North Penn High School Navy Band
• Best Trumpet Section: North Penn High School Navy Band
• Best Trombone Section: Quakertown Community High School Jazz Ensemble
• Best Saxophone Section: Easton High School

And now for the fun part. Below you will find not only Tweets and fuzzy photos from last night's even (at least the high school parts, but full performance videos of Pottstown and Boyertown.

Also, as an added treat and not with some technical issues which mean I am probably sleeping while you're reading this, five, count 'em, FIVE performances by the Sunnybrook Ballroom Dance Band.

Many of those players are former band directors from area high schools and at least one, Boyertown Music Director Brian Langdon, is a current band director.