Ninth Avenue Band keeps Calgary's big-band culture alive

Whenever members of the 18-piece Prime Time Big Band would get together for rehearsals or gigs, they could expect a certain level of organization.

Ninth Avenue Band keeps Calgary's big-band culture alive Back to video

In fact, it was impeccable. Dave Jones, the band’s leader for 29 years, had a high standard when it came to all things related to the outfit.

“Every time you would go into a rehearsal, this went on for years, everything would be set up,” says alto-saxophonist John Roggensack, who played with Prime Time for nearly 20 years. “The chairs would be perfect, the music would be out. For gigs, he would show up early and have everything set up, everything sorted out. He would say, ‘I want everything to be right, for the guys.’ He just went above and beyond, all the time.”