Before the year 2018 draws to close and you are compelled to listen to Christmas songs and the No. 1 Pop Hits of this year, another page from the Great American Songbook will be opened by the dedicated saxophonist, vocalist Gananath Dasanayake with Colombo’s popular jazz and swing band En Route. This much-looked-forward-to happening will come alive on Saturday, October 20 at this British School Auditorium, Borella, and this time you will be treated to Volume 4 of this fantastic Songbook.
According to the grapevine this concert may well be the last in the series – so ensure you are these to savour the songs that always delighted you – music wise and lyric wise. Lovers of American music from the 1930s to 1970s will be in for a 90 minute treat commencing 8.00 p.m. and the members of En Route will revive memories of the songs of Rat Pack which over the years have steadfastly kept their popularity come disco or garage. En Route has a new addition to their lineup – it’s the highly talented and well recognised bassist Shobi Perera. Of course the renowned pianist Dilip Seneviratne will be on stage, also the fluid guitarist Ramesh Nonis; and binding the musicians together is the young cymbal and skin man Charith Fernando, and percussionist Lelum Ratnayake.
But that’s not all! There are more surprises. We understand that a special feature will be Madhava Perera who will be playing brass on the keyboard to embellish the sounds of the big bands of the swing and jazz era. The other exciting surprise will be the appearance of Surekha Amarasinghe a flautist of high repute who will accompany Gananath Dasanayake in Antonio Carlos Jobim’s classic “The Girl From Ipanema” and other hits from the Great American Songbook. Talk about the Rat Pack and who better to revive memories of Sammy Davis Jnr than Gananath’s medical colleague and a regular in these concerts – Kovindu de Saram who will delight all fans with his version of Mr. Bo Jangles.
Then there’s the one and only Maxi Rozairo and need I say more. The music industry in the years gone by was captivated by his singing style and it will be happy memories for you to hear him along with Gananath Dasanayake and En Route. As for the songs that will be performed – the list is long and tightly packed. Irving, Berlin’s Cheek to Cheek, Jerome Kern’s Old Man River, Tony Bennett’s I Left My Heart in San Francisco Johnny Mercer’s Day In Day Out and more and more!
So what’s left for me to say is to join Gananath and En Route, Surekha Amerasinghe, Maxi Rozairo and Kovindu de Saram as they invite you to..
Come fly with me
Let’s float down to Peru
In llama band there’s a one man band
And he’ll toot his flute for you
Come on, fly with me
Let’s take off in the blue! ....