Big-band sounds due in Fremont
7/26/2011FREMONT --The Rainbow Rhythm Orchestra, the house band for the Rainbow Garden, a popular dance pavilion from 1946 to 1959, will be remembered by the North Coast Big Band in a concert at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Fremont Airport, South St. Rt. 53.
A tribute to Fremont native Charlie Haaser and his orchestra will bring back the lively sounds of the 12-piece ensemble that played every Saturday night in the dance hall. North Coast musicians will be playing from charts donated by Haaser's family following his death in 2007.
Among those tuning up for the concert will be lead trombonist Richard Speir, who played with Haaser in the 1950s and has been with the North Coast Big Band since its founding in 1987.
Gary Keller leads the big band, which appears frequently with the North Coast Concert Band. The big band will commence its summer season next month with concerts in the Sandusky Gazebo, Aug. 11; the campground in Grand Rapids, Aug. 13; the Verandah Concert Series at the Hayes House and Museum, Aug. 17, and the Rhythm on the River Series in Grand Rapids, Aug. 28.