Ballroom Dance with Seymour's Big Band

The Oak Park Arms Retirement Community will transform into one of the grand old Chicago ballrooms of the '30s and '40s as it hosts its every-other-month dance with Seymour's Big Band at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, in the Grand Ballroom of the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Avenue. The public is invited.

Seymour's Big Band has been performing at the Oak Park Arms for the past 15 years. Founded by Seymour Axelrood of Oak Park, this band has the ability to transport dancers back to the days when big bands were the rage and going to a dance meant an evening of fabulous music by all the top artists of the day - Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Cole Porter, Count Basie and many others.

"People are so receptive and so gracious," Axelrood said in a radio interview. "This has become more than a passion of mine; it's a way of life."

Composed of a group of 16 talented musicians with an age span of 28 to 82, the members of the band have a driving passion to provide entertainment beyond the expectations of their audiences. Featured, too, is Patsy Ihrke of Elk Grove Village, vocalist, who magnifies the intensity and versatility of band's sound.

"Our residents and visitors meet Seymour's Big Band with unbridled enthusiasm," said Desi Vasquez, social director at the Oak Park Arms. "The program hails to the time when partner dancing or social dancing was a category of recreation. The whole affair is really very elegant, and most people wear special dressy attire. The music recreates the Big Band era, and the guests are transported as they dance."

Music came into the life of Seymour Axelrood in 1941 at Senn High School on Chicago's North side. He was handed a clarinet, and by the time he graduated three years later, he had played with several Senn bands including the ROTC military band. The next years were filled with junior college, bands and the military.  He was awarded a college degree in 1949. Still playing in a variety of bands, he earned a master's degree in Bacteriology at the University of Iowa. In 1957, he decided to pursue law and four years later, working fulltime throughout, he earned a Juris Doctorate degree from John Marshall Law School. 

Seymour's Big Band was founded in 1992 when Axelrod was having dinner with fellow attorney Mort Kier. The two not only knew each other from the legal world, but they had played in the same bands from time to time. After conversation, they decided to form their own Big Band.

Axelrood took the lead and called upon the most talented musicians he had met and played with, and most of them eagerly signed on. An arranger from Boston was given the task of transcribing the music to fit the instruments and/or vocalists of the band.

Today, the band's drummer, Ken White of Forest Park, arranges the music and is an occasional vocalist. Other band members are Sy Rabens of Chicago, Bruce Gibson of Oak Park, Bob Reed of Elmhurst, Seymour Axelrood of Oak Park, Debbie Schweihs of Crystal Lake, Mort Kier of Elmwood Park, Dennis Sullivan of Vernon Hills, Dan Merrigan of Chicago, Sam Cortese of Norridge, Gene Vaden Bosch of Sycamore, Loren Binford of Arlington Heights, Jennifer Larvick of Brookfield, Howard Gorecki of Elk Grove, Joe Bonadonna of Elmwood Park, and Arlene Cook of Bloomingdale.

The 2010 repertoire of Seymour's Big Band numbers more than 500 tunes including such hits as "Stardust," "In the Mood," "Always," "Moonglow," "Can't Take my Eyes off of You," "Night and Day," "Where or When," "Time After Time," "When You're Smiling," "Till There Was You," "The Old Piano Roll Blues," and hundreds more.

"The time spread of our library is all the way from the Charleston to James Brown's 'I Feel Good,' "Axelrood said.

One thing's for sure. The band members, in particular Seymour Axelrood, want to be at the dances as much as the dancers!

"I just love it," Axelrood said.

The dance is free and open to the public. For more information, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040 or visit http://www.oakparkarms.com.