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Skatch Anderssen Orchestra

  • Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Upcoming Shows
  • Music
  • Who Is Skatch Anderssen?
  • Bio

About

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra

your weekly dose of big band jazz therapy

In the tradition of the great large Jazz ensembles of the last half of the 20th century, the Skatch Anderssen Orchestra began carving its own niche into the Northeast Ohio area musical landscape around 1990. Every Monday night, this powerhouse 17-piece big band performs music of Basie, Ellington, Buddy, Thad & Mel, Maynard, Kenton, Woody and many more at the historic Brother's Lounge on West 117th & Detroit in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Upcoming Shows

Feb 25 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Feb 28 2019

Bay Village High School, Bay Village

Big Band Bash Concert with the SAO @ Bay Village High School, Bay Village
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Mar 4 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Mar 11 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Mar 18 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Mar 25 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Apr 1 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Apr 8 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Apr 15 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Apr 22 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Apr 29 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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May 6 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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May 13 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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May 20 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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May 27 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Jun 3 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Jun 10 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Jun 17 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Jun 24 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Jul 1 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Feb 18 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Feb 15 2019

Constellation School - Parma Community Middle/High School, Parma

PCHS Dinner & a Show with the SAO! @ Constellation School - Parma Community Middle/High School, Parma
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Feb 11 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Feb 4 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Jan 31 2019

Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Hope Ballroom, Cleveland OH 44114

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra at OMEA 2019 @ Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Hope Ballroom, Cleveland OH 44114
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Jan 28 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Jan 21 2019

Brother's Lounge, Cleveland

Skatch Anderssen Orchestra @ Brother's Lounge, Cleveland
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Music

0:00 / ???
  1. 1
    Just a Closer Walk (arr. by Mark Mauldin) 2:13
    0:00 / 2:13
  2. 2
    The Chicken 6:55
    0:00 / 6:55
  3. 3
    Three And One 7:22
    0:00 / 7:22
  4. 4
    Yesterdays 7:18
    0:00 / 7:18
  5. 5
    Bemsha Swing 7:26
    0:00 / 7:26

Who Is Skatch Anderssen?

Olaf "Skatch" Anderssen

Founding bandleader and tusselfloyte

Born in a small town in Norway, Olaf “Skatch” Anderssen had a passion for music and sound. As a child, he would drive his neighbors crazy with the constant whistling and pounding on everything in sight. As he got older, he dreamed of becoming a drummer in a couple of local bands that frequented through the area. He would stay up late into the night, drumming on anything in the barn he could find until very late hours. Olaf’s Mother and Father gave up getting him to bed when they realized he seemed to never need to sleep.

By the middle part of the 20th century, Olaf had become an accomplished "Tusselfloyte" (Norwegian flute) player, but still played percussion instruments with passion long into the night. His wife gave him an ultimatum: either settle down and give up music, or get a divorce. Alone and penniless at age 27, Olaf left his native land and made his way to the New England area of the United States.

In fits of depression, he frequented a town bar in Massachusetts on the corner of the street he was living on. There, he was introduced to Scotch Whiskey. Because of the strong accent of the people in the area, Olaf learned the word as "Skatch" instead of "Scotch". Since the locals were fond of nicknames, and he said the word so often, his nickname became "Skatch".

One fateful night, Skatch stumbled into a new bar and heard a group playing swing band music. He immediately fell in love with the music and asked if he could sit in and play. When they heard about his musical background in Norway, the guys in the band eagerly gave him a seat. Skatch started to play and was awful. Everyone in the bar turned around and stared at him in stunned silence. Sheepishly, Skatch returned to his seat and ordered another Scotch. How he wished he could play like those cats!

Skatch was nothing if not determined. He visited the bar every week and listened to the greatest music he had ever heard in his life. Afterward, he would spend the week practicing what he heard on his street corner. As time went by, he decided he was going to start a band like that of Count Basie and Duke Ellington. He assembled the best local jazz players he could find and worked on creating his own jazz orchestra. Thus, the Skatch Anderssen Orchestra was born.

Skatch had booked his first gig in a local hall in the New England town where he lived. All of the townspeople eagerly awaited the show, which was completely sold out in advance. But on the weekend before the first performance, tragedy struck. He had been talked into flying back to Norway for a quick family get-together. While on that flight, the weather became very bad. Skatch's plane crashed into the ocean, and the band never got to play that first gig.

We now keep the dream alive of a man that put together a band that no one heard: the Skatch Anderssen Orchestra.

Bio

Eric Dregne & Scott McKee

co-bandleaders

Bandleaders Eric Dregne and Scott McKee's intention is to enlist the finest musicians for the SAO to guarantee you will hear a high-powered, high quality performance of many of the tunes you know (and some you may not but are sure to enjoy).

Not content with playing only the standards of the big band golden era, the SAO features many compositions of local composers and arrangers, along with more recent popular artists such as Gordon Goodwin and Alan Baylock.

When the band is in full swing, it's easy to see why the SAO has gained a steady following in Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Eric Dregne

Bandleader and bass trombone

Eric Dregne has been a Northeast Ohio musician for over 30 years. After attending Youngstown State University's Dana School of Music, he became an established leader in big band, Jazz and Latin music as a bass and tenor trombonist, arranger, bandleader and educator - a true "Jazz Ambassador". His eclectic resume includes Jazz groups, Latin bands, R&B outfits and even some rockers, including Aretha Franklin, Tommy Tune, the Four Tops, Frankie Valli, Nancy Wilson and others. Eric's low-brass bass trombone sound has been woven into the music over many local area bands. He's an avid performer with a true love of all things trombone, and a master of varied musical styles. As such, you are likely to run into Eric quite often as a guest artist during live Latin and Jazz performances in the greater Cleveland area.

Scott McKee

Bandleader and Lead Trumpet

Scott McKee is a seventh-generation Cleveland musician who began his trumpet career at age 5, playing at church with his father Jack. At age 19, he played and recorded with Aretha Franklin in a performance that led to others with renowned bands. Scott received his undergraduate degree in Trumpet Performance from Cleveland State University. He returned to Cleveland after attending grad school at the University of Colorado in Boulder (Jazz Trumpet). Scott can be seen all over the Cleveland area, backing up major artists and off-broadway musicals as their shows run through town, and featured on many big band and salsa gigs.

Current Roster

Tom First – Tenor Sax

Nolan Plunkett – Trombone

Scott McKee – Lead Trumpet

Darren Allen – Drums

Rich Rollo – Alto Sax

Max Brady – Trombone

Tommy Lehman – Trumpet

Ed Stephens - Bass

Steve Zombory – Alto Sax

Jimmy Redmond – Trombone

Mark Russo – Trumpet

Daniel Bruce – Guitar

Jim Metzendorf – Tenor Sax

Eric Dregne – Bass Trombone

Garret Folger – Trumpet

Kevin Smith - Piano

Chuck McHenry – Baritone Sax

All Content ©2019 Skatch Anderssen Orchestra

All Rights Reserved


For more information, contact Eric Dregne

440 346 5242 • SAOBigBand@gmail.com

Monday Nights At Brother’s Lounge

11609 Detroit Ave • Cleveland, OH 

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