the Kelowna Big Band
Meet the band:
Bruce Dougall,
Lead Trumpet and musical director.
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Bruce has been a well known first call lead trumpet player in the Kelowna area since moving here in 2009 from Langley.
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He has toured with Bill Gaither, Larry Dalton & Living Sound. Played 1st Trumpet in the Canadian Military Band, Kelowna Concert Band and is part of the Okanagan Symphony & Symphony Wind Ensemble.
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Bruce is also the founder of the RE/MAX Rockin All Stars, a band of full time realtors who donate all their net fundraising proceeds to the BC Children's hospital...over $42,000 to date. Bruce is a full time RE/MAX Realtor here in Kelowna area, now in his 36th year in Real Estate.
Wade Dorsey
1st Trombone
Wade Dorsey has been passionate about playing the trombone since age 13. The famous Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey brothers of the Big Band era were first cousins to his grandfather. While living in Edmonton, Wade worked with Tommy Banks playing TV and Radio shows. He has done studio work and has backed up artists such as Dionne Warwick, Manhattan Transfer, Jan Arden, and Anne Murray just to name a few.
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He has been principal trombonist with the OSO since 1994. Wade and his wife Julie have travelled with a choir and orchestra to over 20 different countries. Living in Kelowna, he plays a variety of styles of music with many different groups.
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Dr. Dan (Daniel Kim)
Daniel's trumpet playing adds to the Kelowna Big Band's classic live sound. His technical ability, jazz improvisation and smooth tone, compliment the group. Dan is active in the Kelowna music scene.
In real life, Daniel is one of Kelowna's top Dentists and owns a Dental practise in Kelowna's Lower Mission area.
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Dr. Daniel J. Kim received his dental degree from the University of Alberta, Faculty of Dentistry in 2001 and is the owner of Mission Creek Dental.
Mark Doughty
Trumpet
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Mark is a solid member of the Trumpet section and brings with him a wealth of experience from classical to jazz. His professional sound adds to the strength of the section. In addition to the Kelowna Big Band, Mark also plays with the Kelowna City Concert Band and other groups. For his day job, Mark is the Operations Manager for a Kelowna Powder Coating business.
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Gord Deyell, Trumpet
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Gord is the guy that keeps the trumpet section playing the right notes. A stellar player, writer and arranger of music. An asset to any band. Gord has been involved in music productions as a pit orchestra player, stage band leader in Vancouver, and member of many jazz ensembles and bands. He brings with him a wealth of performance experience and pro level playing.
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Dan McClelland
Trumpet
Vocals
Dan served 33 years with Vancouver Fire & Rescue
Services, and moved to the Okanagan with his wife,
Cari and son, Cooper in 2017. Dan brings years of varied musical experience to the group, having performed on trumpet and vocals in some dynamic settings….
… with VFRS Band 1983 - present… Trumpet, Tuba, Alternate Conductor, Vocal Soloist.
… with Willingdon Church 140 voice Choir & 45 pce. Symphonic Orchestra 1993 - 2002… Trumpet, Choir, Vocal Soloist, Orchestra Conductor.
…with the Continentals Gospel Music Ensemble in
1993 on an 18-state concert tour, on Trumpet and Vocals.
…with Hotline à cappella Quartet 1986 - 2002…
as Arranger, Lead, Baritone and Bass.
Dan has performed bugling honours and the national anthems of both Canada & the USA in multiple settings: Vancouver Canucks Games, BC Lions games, 2010 Winter Olympics, post 9/11 funerals in New York, Vancouver Remembrance Day Ceremonies, 10th Anniversary 9/11 Service in 2011, on Carrier USS Midway at San Diego…
and more.
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Angus Armstrong
Trombone and Music Director
From 1981 - 1993, he played with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Band. From 1986 - 1993, he became a member of the 8 piece “Bison Band”, as trombonist, keyboardist, vocalist, and arranger.
During (and after) his career with the RCMP Band, he performed with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and was the Principal Trombonist of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and Orchestre Symphonique de Gatineau.
Under the banner of the “Music in the Schools” program sponsored by the National Arts Centre, he played in a group called “The Ragtime Brass”. (brass quintet plus drummer). This group performed regularly in schools, and has performed recitals, and have also done many CBC broadcasts.
Angus was also involved with “Capital Brassworks”, ( www.capitalbrassworks.ca ) a 12 piece brass and percussion ensemble. We performed a series of 3 concerts per year, as well as being an “ensemble for hire” for music festivals, choirs, etc. throughout Ontario and Quebec. He also performed master classes at high school music competitions (Kiwanis, etc.) and has recorded and released 4 CD’s.
In 2020, he retired as the director of the Parkdale Orchestra (www.parkdaleorchestra.ca), and in 2018, the Pembroke Symphony. (www.pembrokesymphony.org)
From 1995 until 2019, he was the musical director of the Ottawa Junior Youth Orchestra, an orchestra comprised of up and coming young musicians from the National Capital Region, which is a part of the much larger Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy.
Chris Manuel
Trombone
"Multi-Instrumentalist Chris Manuel has been one of the first call trombonists in the Okanagan for almost two decades now. He has traveled throughout North America and has been integral to many major touring productions. Having a deep sense of professionalism, Chris comes from the military band program, first as a student and later as an adjudicator, teacher, and mentor. Specializing in trombone, Chris is often part of a greater section that blends style with substance. He can play in any section with the energy and sensitivity to match, or stand out as a soloist when required. Born and raised in Penticton, Chris now helps to run a therapeutic horsemanship program with his wife Leann, and their son Miles."
Everett Martin
Trombone
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Everett is a remarkable musician who embarked on a journey through the world of music from an early age. He first picked up a trombone at the age of 8 and began a musical odyssey that would span a lifetime of high-level performance.
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Starting with the Regina Lions Band, Everett participated in a wide array of ensembles, including Concert, Marching, Jazz, and Dixieland bands.
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For three years, Everett was one of two trombonists in the Winnipeg Youth Symphony Orchestra. Beyond classical orchestration, Everett was also involved in the world of jazz, performing with the University of Manitoba Jazz Ensemble and various jazz, ska, and vocal jazz groups.
From 2016 to 2018, he was the first-chair trombonist for the Bow Valley Winds.
Bob Bachtold
Drums
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What about Bob? A former studio musician in L.A. That says it all.
Bob has an impressive musical resume and has recorded and performed with some of the nations top musicians. His style, musical taste and rock solid rhythms are a treat to listen to.
They say the drummer makes the band and according to the Band, nothing could be a more accurate. Bob's playing brings it to a whole new level. No wonder L.A. loved him!
Heather Davis
Keyboards
From a former commanding officer of a Canadian Forces unit to becoming an expert gemmologist, it has been an interesting journey for Heather Davis, owner of Stellar Gem Services (SGS) in Kelowna. Building on her original focus of goldsmithing and jewellery repair services including ring resizing, ring prong retipping, pearl restringing, and watch battery replacement, along with watch and clock repair services in the greater Kelowna area, her business has evolved and grown.
In addition to gemmology, Heather is a sought after music writer and arranger. A talented keyboard player and rock solid bass player in all styles of music.
Dave MacLean
Alto Sax
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Prior to joining Kelowna’s Crossfire Big Band, Dave played alto sax in the Lake Country Big Band for 15 years. He also played in New Westminster’s Royal City Alumni Concert Band and Jazz Band throughout the late ‘90’s. Dave has 3 teens who all play the saxophone, and he’s hoping one day there’ll be a “MacLean Sax Quartet.” Outside of music, Dave has been managing his own financial advisory practice for over 25 years, and also enjoys local community involvement as a coach for his son’s baseball and hockey teams.
Amy Chadwick
Baritone sax.
Amy studied Jazz Performance at Brandon University where she obtained her Bachelor of Music Degree, and now supports young musicians as the Office Administrator at Kelowna Community Music School.
With jazz roots to branch from, her music interests and projects have included compositions and performances from folk to electronic fusion. Amy is keen to be back in a big band setting and establish herself in Kelowna as a budding musician, and one of Kelowna's top Bari Sax players.
Darko Cuk
Contra Bass
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"Darko came to Canada 28 years ago from Croatia where he studied classical and jazz bass.
In Vancouver he furthered his Jazz education at the Capilano college in the nineties and embarked on a professional career in '98. Musical engagements took him touring around the world with cover bands or doing cruise ship contracts on Seabourn, Cunard and Norwegian cruise lines sailing around the world for nearly a decade before settling down in Calgary in 2005. After a few years growing an alternate career in IT business and getting married Darko moved to the Okanagan, started his own IT business, landed a 2nd bass position in the Okanagan Symphony and is busy playing in bands, groups and orchestras around the valley.
Darko's main strength is his versatility in musical styles coupled with years of live and studio experience. Balancing two careers and being constantly busy doing musical projects is where he feels most at home."
Craig Brown
Guitar
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Craig Brown is a multi-instrumentalist with a primary focus on guitar. He has released 6 instrumental CDs’ and has a long list of studio credits as both a musician and a producer. One of Craig’s recorded performances was featured on Toronto’s Borealis Records “Six Strings North of the Border (vol 2)” featuring some of Canada’s foremost acoustic guitar players.
Marty Edwards
has been entertaining fans since the early 1970’s, beginning his musical career as a lead vocalist and guitarist for a popular Canadian based country band.
Since those early beginnings, Marty has performed to sold out audiences in 9 countries on four continents, and has been seen on Oprah, Jay Leno and CNN.
Whether it’s a good old country hurtin’ song, a rock standard or an emotional power ballad, Marty’s powerful, whiskey-smooth vocals deliver!