Sanctuary Jazz Band performing Saturday in Ellwood City
ELLWOOD CITY ― On Saturday, the Sanctuary Jazz Band is celebrating Jazz Appreciation Month with a concert at Calvin Presbyterian Church. The free concert begins at 3 p.m. and light refreshments will be served after.
Since 2009, the Sanctuary Jazz Band has been making music at the Ellwood City Farmer's Market, parties and other places inside and outside. They are a devoted community of musicians playing for the community.
Leader Scott McCarty said they got their name because they practiced in the sanctuary of the Wurtemburg Presbyterian Church and currently rehearse at Calvin Presbyterian Church once a week.
"Because of our name people think we are a religious group, but we are a secular group and we also play sacred music," he said.
McCarty said hey make music because they are musicians and that is what musicians do. Recently, they played at the Ellwood City Rotary Club Christmas party and the Women's Network party. Every Christmas, they play their brass band arrangements on the steps of the Ellwood City Municipal Building for the annual Light Up Night and they have played at the Ellwood City Area Arts, Foods and Crafts Festival and other venues.
The group continues to expand its repertoire.
"We play the oldies and we play new music including 21st-century jazz, be-bop, hard rock to easy-listening to satisfy the tastes of our musicians, and hopefully our listeners," McCarty said.
He said the band is made up of musicians from teenagers to retirees, and about half come from the Ellwood area and the others from Cranberry Township, Zelie-Harmony, Chippewa Township and Mount Jackson.
"We started out with 10 to 12 members, but now we have 17 more or less. The group changes as some graduate from high school or college or other reasons," McCarty said. "It's a great group that comes together really well."
For some songs, Joshua Catanzariti of Ellwood City plays the clarinet and for others the French horn.
McCarty said they are always looking for new members. McCarty can be reached at 724-651-5657 or by email at sdmslm@comcast.net
They may be the only group that got their start because of a garage sale. Sometime in 2008, Cincy Rosaci and her daughter were at a garage sale and bought a box of sheet music, some for piano, but the majority for big bands of 15 to 19 members. There was a lot of music no one recognized, but also songs like "Stardust" and "Sentimental Journey" and there are people who enjoy the big band music of that era.
With Rosaci and others' interest in music, they just had to play it. They have continued to evolve adding more and varied types of music and giving more musicians the opportunity to entertain.
All the money the group earns is used to buy music and equipment.
What: Jazz concerts
When: 3 p.m. April 20
Where: Calvin Presbyterian Church, 615 Crescent Ave.
Concert is free
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Sanctuary Jazz Band continues to entertain Ellwood City area
