e play music and they dance — a lot ,” bandleader and rhythm guitar player Garrin Hertel shares as the entire band and accompanying dancers smile behind him . “ We really try hard and we worked over the years to cater the music to the way they dance so they want to show up and have fun ,” Hertel adds .
“ Zonky ” is derived from a late 1920 ’ s song that describes exactly what one sees when they watch this band perform , allowing people to feel completely free . The Zonky Jazz Band is a community of jazz musicians that are passionate about keeping jazz music alive and well in our area . They mostly play hot jazz and swing from the 1920s to the 1940s and anything that makes people want to dance ! “ Zonky has put a strong focus on developing a large repertoire of dance material and dance events with hundreds of Lindy Hoppers and Jitterbugs is really the high point of what we do ,” Hertel says .
Infectious , lively and dynamic are just a few words to describe their presence . Typically the band is made up of about eight artists including singers , horns , guitars , bass and drum , which Hertel says means they ’ re “ the perfect balance between a big band and a trio .” The combination of these powerful instruments is invigorating . It is nearly impossible not to find yourself tapping your toes or nodding your head when listening to the magic they create . “ Just thinking about dancing to Zonky I can feel the excitement and energy coursing through my body ,” dancer Alyssa Lobkov shares . “ Zonky ’ s music binds me to the present moment — to the dancers I am dancing with , to the band , to the incredible energy — there ’ s just so much at play ! This is what makes the band so special ; they have such an amazing way to connect us dancers to each other and to the music . Zonky never fails to get me what I call “ high on swing ,” this amazing feeling of connection and love and happiness . It ’ s addicting and has me wanting to come back for more ,” Lobkov says . She has been dancing alongside Zonky for over three years .
For Zonky , playing live is about much more than music , it is about feeling alive . Hertel says when he first started he found himself “ wanting to experience the unspoken communication that happens on stage , especially the ability to look at someone else in the band and communicate what ’ s coming next without saying a word .” The rhythm of this relationship is similar to the dancers as they glide across the floor breathing life into the air . While reading , feel free to head to their website
www . zonkyjazzband . com and listen , so you can feel the emotion coming through .
This time next year , however , there will be another way to listen because they ’ ve been tirelessly working on an exciting project . “ We ’ re making an album and we ’ re really excited because it ’ s a tribute to Mildred Bailey .” Mildred Bailey was a Native American jazz singer during the 1930s who was known as “ The Queen of Swing .” Perhaps even more powerful is that she is from the Pacific Northwest . She grew up on the Coeur d ’ Alene Reservation in Idaho before moving to Spokane . Zonky was inspired by her story and her music so they decided to honor her with this album . “ She is like the best Jazz singer you ’ ve never heard of ,” Hertel says . He shared that she even won an award ahead of Billie Holiday , which shares how talented she was . Zonky Jazz Band has a fervent desire to lift her up while celebrating her music and style ! The hope is that people will become interested in her music and honor her legacy which is rooted right here in this region .
50 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE