Country club gala
When the Country Club of Florida held a gala dinner dance to celebrate the club's 50th anniversary, they called on Ted Knight for the music.
Planners considered Ted's eighteen-piece big band but chose his eleven-piece orchestra instead.
The black-tie affair turned out to be the biggest event in the club's history, with more than 350 members in attendance.
The
band, the sound
The band included trumpet, trombone, and two saxes. The rhythm lineup consisted of keyboard, bass, guitar and drums, with added vibes and percussion. A six-piece jazz group played for cocktails on the patio.
Knight Music also provided stage lighting and a lighting
technician.
The mix started with jazz and swing. Songs included Glenn Miller's String of Pearls, Duke Ellington's Things Ain't What They Used to Be, and Bobby Darin's swing version of More.
The band moved quickly to modern dance styles. Disco Inferno and That's the Way I Like It packed the dance floor. Click images to enlarge.
Evelyn Russell
sang At Last, We Are Family, and
Just the Way You Are. On Old Time Rock and Roll and Jailhouse Rock,
Ted sang lead and guitarist Harry Hafferkamp rocked the house.
Past, present and future
Club president Ernie Mahler spoke during the gala
to present a "50th birthday gift," a
big box wrapped in gold.
When servers entered with a sparkler-lit parade of desserts, the band played Happy Birthday to You followed immediately by the Beatles' Birthday. Ted planned the one-two punch as a way to connect the old and the new.
The weekend also included an outdoor PowerPoint
presentation by a local historian, with images from the club's past 50
years. Ted wondered if the club's sound system would be strong enough to
handle the event, and volunteered his backup sound system. Sure enough,
more than 300 people turned out, far more than expected.
Club manager John Collier (right) said that Ted's system delivered near-theater-quality sound despite strong winds and the large turnout, saving the day.
For
the dinner dance, the capacity crowd brought the need to use three rooms
besides the main dining room.
Ted used wireless mics to send the band's sound to small amps in the extra rooms. Click the image at left to see the stage setup, and notice the wireless mics on the side speakers.
It
was a lot of fun...
At the end of the evening, couples swayed together in blissful romance under the twinkling disco ball as Ted sang What a Wonderful World.
Afterward, people were buzzing about what a wonderful time they had, one of those special occasions where everything came together.
It really was a lot of fun, which is what makes all the planning and preparation worthwhile. Afterward, the manager, the president, and event chairs Karl and Carol Scott were in complete agreement when it came to the music: "Perfect."