Sinatra Show at Harbor Ridge School

If you’re too young to remember Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, if you’ve got a parent who does or if you just want to relive the hey day of Sinatra, Thursday, Nov. 6 plan to swing with vocalist Joey Jewell who will take guests back to Las Vegas, when Frank Sinatra was king of the strip, in a show at Harbor Ridge Middle School in Gig Harbor.

Jim Kerl’s Swing Session Big Band, which includes Harbor Ridge band director Sheryl Clark, will accompany Jewell with the music of the Count Basie Orchestra.

The concert, titled “Sinatra at the Sands,” will be performed one night only at the Harbor Ridge Middle School auditorium at 7 p.m. My delightful brother-in-law Dan Haeck is a member of Kerl's Swing Session Band and we were fortunate enough to attend a similar concert in Puyallup a couple of years ago. My only regret that night was that my mother was 150 miles away and missing the show!

It’s the second visit to Gig Harbor for the Vegas-style show, and a dance floor has been added this year to beckon attendees, along with raffle items from Anthony’s Restaurant, Water to Wine, Music Center, Inc., and more.

Jewell is recognized as a wonderful vocal stylist and entertainer in the tradition of the great shows of the Rat-Pack era, setting the stage for an unforgettable night of swinging big band music.

“The show is intended to raise money for the school’s music program,” my brother-in-law told me at a family gathering last weekend. Haeck, a music teacher in the Federal Way School District, plays trombone in the orchestra and will be featured in some swinging solos.

Last November a similar show raised $3,400.

The good news this year is that my mother happens to be in town and very excited about attending the show. She will be the envy of her “camp mates” at Manor Care and it will be a great way to celebrate her return to her own home on the coast the next day.

Tickets this year are $15 and available at McLain’s Music, 5500 Olympic Drive # D104, and AllStar Guitar, 3226 Harborview Drive #6.

A specially decorated VIP table that will seat six and include one reserved parking spot, preferential seating in front of the stage, beverage, dessert and table service is also available.

For more information, call Melanie at 253-514-8336.