Dr JH Gillis High School Big Band | Kenji Omae Band

The Dr. JH Gillis Regional High School Stage Band has been going strong for over 40 years! It started in the 70s with teacher Brent Bannerman and has continued for the past 10 years with Helen Bannerman. Students from grades 9-12 can access the band program. We play a variety of big band styles including swing, rock, blues, and funk. This group of students dedicates a great deal of their time to being better student musicians. Along with stage band rehearsals, all these students also play in Concert Band. We play at school and community events, music festivals and participate in band trips. Our most recent trips include Cuba, Boston and New Orleans. We like to work on pieces that include the entire ensemble, but also ones that feature soloists that give our players a chance for individual growth and leadership. We are honoured to be part of the first annual Antigonish Jazz Festival!

Currently residing in Nova Scotia, Kenji Omae is a new tenor saxophone voice on the Canadian Jazz scene. He has released three CD’s as a leader and his CD “Story Time” was listed In the Top 10 Outstanding Jazz albums of 2015 (music.cbc.ca). He can be heard as a sideman with many Canadian artists. He is on faculty at StFX University where he maintains a saxophone studio and teaches Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Theory, Small Ensemble Arranging.

For more information, visit: www.kenjiomae.com