Let the dancing begin! The Okanagan’s favourite rhythm and blues band, The Salmon Armenians, returns to the Vernon Jazz Club Saturday night.

Winner of the Okanagan Music Awards Best Blues Band for 2007, the eight-member group will deliver an evening of scorching R&B hits from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, and their own original songs.

“We’ll be performing our usual selection of classic R&B,” said Lody Kieken, who contributes the Hammond organ, keyboards, and vocals to the band.

“One of the new originals is called Little Footprint by trombonist Rich Thorne, is an allegorical apology to Mother Nature for some of our ecological mistakes.”

“We appreciate the fact that at the Jazz Club we have both a listening and a dancing contingent in the audience. We try to please both elements.”

Kieken formed the band in 1997, energizing the sound with a horn section. Joining trombonist Thorne on the horns is Doug Sonju (alto and tenor sax), and Mike Scharf (tenor and baritone sax).

Since the early ‘70s, Sonju has been the principal clarinetist with the Okanagan Symphony, also playing jazz and rock before adding blues to his repertoire. The Doug Sonju Quinet appeared at the Jazz Club last fall.

Hometown boy Scharf grew up in Salmon Arm, playing sax in jazz bands, combos, and fusion groups including Electric Lady Land and Liquid Chicken.

Thorne started playing trombone in Grade 5 and joined his first jazz combo in Grade 9. He was the principal trombone in the prestigious University of Idaho Symphony and has been a music educator for 20 years.

Drummer Larry Keats — a.k.a. the “Slammin’ Salmon” — is an original member of The Salmon Armenians. Inspired as a child by Ringo Starr, Larry began a 30-year journey into the rhythms of big band jazz, jazz combos, rock groups and musical theatre. Keats shares his music as a music therapist.

Murray Holmes plays bass and also sings. He played professionally in Vancouver for eight years with groups like Duster, Cameron Molloy and the Molloy Gang, and Ambush.

The Salmon Armenians perform at the Vernon Jazz Club Saturday at 3 p.m. (all ages) and 8 p.m. (adults). Tickets are $17 (non-members) and $12 (members) at the Bean Scene and at the door.

The Salmon Armenians have been chosen the Best Blues Band in the Okanagan for 2007 at the Okanagan Music Awards which were held Wednesday night October 10th at the Community Theatre in Kelowna, B.C.

The award marks the second year in a row that the Salmon Armenians have been recognized by their peers in the music industry. The popular Salmon Arm-based group are busy performing throughout the Okanagan and writing and recording their second CD which will feature all original songs.

You can catch them every third Thursday of the month at the Hideaway Pub in Salmon Arm, the next appearance is on November 15th at 8:30 p.m.

If you like sultry soul, boppin' blues and rippin R&B, then get ready for the Salmon Armenians. Winners of the Scorpion Okanagan Music Awards Best Blues Group of the Year in 2006 the Salmon Armenians will be playing Jan. 19th and 20th at the Blue Gator. This is a virtual all-star band of talent with the newest member, vocalist Sabrina Weeks. Her rich vocals and enthusiastic stage presence add a new dimension to the Salmon Armenians sound and guarantee never a dull moment. Other amazing talented members of the eight piece band include Mike Hilliard on lead guitar, Murray Holmes on bass and vocals, Lody Kieken on Hammond organ, keyboard and vocals, Larry Keats on drums, Rich Thorne on trombone, Doug Sonju on alto and tenor sax, and Mike Scharf on tenor and baritone saxophone. Each member's bio is a lengthy and impressive resume of musical talent and it shows as a group and their many accolades. The Salmon Armenians have been featured at the Roots and Blues Festival in Salmon Arm, the Kelowna Blues Festival, the Peachland Blues Festival and the Vernon Jazz Club.

With backup from about 15 to 20 regulars over the years, and roughly 40 other able musicians who fill in when necessary, the Salmon Armenians have been entertaining for 10 years. The band has been stable for the past three years, with Lody Kieken on organ and keyboards, Mike Hilliard of Kamloops on guitar, Peachland’s Murray Holmes on bass guitar, Larry Keats on drums, Mike Scharf on baritone and tenor sax, Doug Sonju of Armstrong on alto and tenor sax and last, but never least, Rich Thorne on trombone and trumpet. There is one annual, seasonal shuffle. Brook Roberts plays tenor and baritone sax in the summer while Hilliard takes time away from the band to fight forest fires. “Brook plays all the good gigs,” says Kieken, pointing out how much the band enjoys playing music festivals. Sonju, a first clarinetist with the Okanagan Symphony, writes many arrangements for the Armenians. “We like to say he plays legitimate music with the symphony and illegitimate music with us,” laughs Kieken. Sabrina Weeks is the newest member of the band, on lead vocals.

The Salmon Armenians play about 30 or 40 times a year, especially during the busy summer months. They have been the house band at Sylvia Whitehead’s Smokehouse Restaurant for several years, playing there on the-third Thursday of every month. “She’s a great supporter of local musical talent,” says Kieken, noting Whitehead’s plan to sell the restaurant has performers worried. “All the local musicians will miss her when she sells her place and we’re all hoping that whoever takes over keeps it going the same way.” Kieken describes Whitehead as a den mother who treats the band like family. “It’s very comfortable to play there,” he says. “It’s also nice because people can bring their children, it’s very rare to be able to do so these days.”

Always honing their skills, the Armenians held a song-writing retreat at a chalet at Sun Peaks in November. Their goal was to write some original songs for the band’s next CD due out later this year. “We came back with six songs including a jazz tune, a reggae tune, blues and three pop songs,” says a pleased Kieken, known as “the Big Fish,” for the newsletter he produces. “People came with sketches of what they wanted to do, we’d go off into separate rooms and others were free to add to them. Then we’d play.” Kieken says he was surprised the band came up with that much material, noting each song reflects the personality of the person who wrote it.”

Another of the band’s goals is to create a complete set of original music for this summer’s music festivals. To help the process along, another song-writing retreat will be held in the spring.

Aside from their regular Smokehouse appearance, the band will not be performing locally over the next several months.

The Salmon Armenians will appear at the Blue Gator in Kelowna on the 19 and 20. “We have quite a following in Kelowna, a little group of dancers that is quite fantastic,” he says. “They come out early, they’re accomplished dancers and they get the evening going. They stick around as long as they have room to dance.”

Along with Le Hot Club de Shuswap, the band will perform in Swing Away the Winter Blues at Celista Hall on Feb. 3. “Le Hot Club de Shuswap is another eclectic local group,” says an enthusiastic Kieken. “We’re so blessed here, we have so many great entertainers.”

Kieken is also enthusiastic about the band’s win at the 2006 Okanagan Music Awards. “We were surprised because we didn’t really think we fit the category we entered in, especially in terms of the competition,” he says. “It was also kind of fun because there were four Salmon Arm entries and three won.”

The band has played the Roots and Blues Festival several times, their first performance taking place in 1996, when the festival was still being held at the community centre. The Armenians have also jammed with many festival performers after hours at the Smokehouse and are proud that most out-of-town bands have been complimentary. They’re first CD, Swimming Upstream, was released last January and is available at Acorn Music or through their website www.salmonarmenians.com.