reviewvancouver: Sonic Elder

Sonic Elder is a sextet consisting of five men and one woman who are all seniors – actually drummer Buff Allen is only 63, but he is the youngest. Together, through a gallimaufry of soul, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, skiffle, and a few obscure pop tunes, plus a whole lot of story-telling, they relate the history of a Vancouver entertainment scene that is long gone and not likely to return.

De facto leader, keyboards player and composer Bill Sample had not worked with any of the other artists prior to the conception of this show. He and the other band members can recall a time when being a musician in a dance band was a feasible way of earning a living. That was when the city had hundreds of venues downtown and throughout its adjoining neighbourhoods. Alas, most of them have fallen by the wayside.

The exception is the Penthouse Night Club. Established back in 1947, it has hosted artists such as the Crosby Brothers, Louis Armstrong, Harry Belafonte and Sammy Davis Jr., and currently operates as an exotic dance venue. Joni Moore, the band’s female vocalist had a steady gig at the Penthouse in her early career.

To the repetitive rhythm of “Gimme some Loving” the cast go through a routine of broad introductions, then move straight into the Ray Charles composition “I Got a Woman” sung by Harry Walker. Walker’s voice has got even gruffer over the years. It now fits somewhere between Willie Nelson and Ray Charles. Without taking a breath, lead guitarist Billy Butler takes a turn at the mike with his distinct interpretation of the Gene Vincent rockabilly hit “Dance to the Bop.”

Not every tune the band performs is upbeat. Joni Moore, who now lives in Nanaimo with her partner, her 2 dogs and 2 cats, contributes “As Time Goes By” from the 1942 film Casablanca and a quirky rendition of “The Big Hurt” popularised by both Scott Walker and Del Shannon.

In between the songs, members of the band take it in turns in strolling down Memory Lane. It’s fair to say that these cool veterans have a lot of anecdotes to share and wisdom to impart to an audience very willing to listen.

The band conclude the show by serving up a generous encore of “Boney Maronie” and “The Boy from New York City” without even bothering to leave the stage (okay, so they are seniors).