Kittie Huey’s 18-piece All That Jazz Band, “A Big Band Experience,” comprised of many of southwest Oklahoma’s finest musicians, will entertain both dancers and music enthusiasts at the upcoming Fall Fling, sponsored by the Altus Ballroom Dancers.

The public event from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, October 24, is scheduled at the Altus High School Cafeteria, Hightower Park. Dress is semi-formal; light refreshments will be served. Area high school and Western Oklahoma State College students are encouraged to attend. “You don’t have to be a dancer if you want to come and listen,” said Huey, currently band director for Duke Public School. “Everybody come; it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Huey’s band performs approximately twice annually and is scheduled to play next at the Shortgrass Arts and Humanities Council’s February 13, 2010, event. All That Jazz is a 40s-era big band, formed in the spring of 2000 to give southwest Oklahoma musicians a chance to play the timeless music of the big-band era and beyond—swing, blues, jazz, Latin, rock, movie themes. Band members are classically trained and come from a variety of professions—educators, doctors, military personnel, company executives, pharmacists and graduate students.

In addition to Kittie Huey on saxophone, other band members from Altus include Dr. David Huey, saxophone; Barbara Bailey, tenor saxophone; Michelle Baseldua (Hollis school music teacher), vocalist; Ernie James, vocalist. Gary Gardner of Cache, WOSC band director, plays tenor saxophone; and Eric Vitense, Cameron University student, plays baritone saxophone.

From Clinton, Miles Madden, University of Oklahoma student, will perform on trombone and Dr. Richard Madden, on trap set. From Hobart, Danny Vaughn, will entertain on the trumpet and Phil Fischer on the trombone. Band members from Lawton include Dillon Pryor, University of Oklahoma graduate student, trumpet; Derick Griner, teacher in Lawton Public Schools, trumpet; Henry Adcock, trombone; and David Jackson, keyboard. Traveling to southwest Oklahoma to complete the band are a bass player from Putnam City and two musicians from Norman.

Admission is $15 per couple, $10 for singles or $10 per couple for students with I.D.

Dorothy Maffry, member of SAHC Board of Directors, originated Altus Ballroom Dancers in January 2008 to give ballroom dancing lessons to the public so the dancers could enjoy attending the SAHC’s Spring Fling Dance. After the dance, the non-profit Altus Ballroom Dancers (sponsored by Al and Sue Messerly and Jerry and Rose Fischer) continued meeting on Monday nights in the basement Blue Room of the Altus Municipal Auditorium with a goal of teaching ballroom dancing to as many people as are interested--for wholesome socialization, healthful exercise and the perpetuation of the sport of ballroom dancing.

New dancers from across southwest Oklahoma start every month, and many who came at the beginning continue to return regularly to practice and socialize. Weekly attendance ranges from 12 to 25 and includes dancers of all ages. The group charges $5 per couple/individual each Monday to accumulate funds to hire bands for dances. The Altus Ballroom Dancers held one dance in 2008 and plans the next dance (after the Fall Fling) on New Year’s Eve in the WOSC Student Center (open to the public, no smoking or alcohol). Call the Messerlies at 580-477-1822 for more information.