Don’t Miss in December: Big Band Monday at The Pagoda

You can listen—and dance—to a 16-piece big band jazz orchestra at the Pagoda Restaurant on Monday, Nov. 28, Dec. 12 and 26 from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Photos: Brandon Smith

Enjoy a 16-piece big band orchestra playing jazz hits and selections from the Great American Songbook at Big Band Monday at the Pagoda Restaurant. Led by veteran trumpeter Mike Lewis (who has played with the likes of Sammy Davis, Natalie Cole and Bruno Mars), this musical ensemble performs such classic tunes as Count Basie’s “April in Paris” as well as newer favorites, that include Tony Bennett’s and Lady Gaga’s collaboration “The Lady Is A Tramp.” The regular musical talent who has sat in with the band includes Honolulu Jazz Quartet bassist John Kolivas, saxophonist Reggie Padilla, drummer Darryl Pellegrini and vocalist Rachel Gonzales.

“You can hear musical trios around town ‘til you drop, but where do you go to hear a real, live big band? This might be the only place in the entire Pacific where you can hear a big band up close and live like this,” says Lewis. “It’s about enjoying jazz, America’s ‘classical music,’ performed in the context of how it’s meant to be heard, lively and energetic and real.”

Big Band Monday begins at 7 p.m. and the musicians play for an hour. The concert is free to the public, although donations to the band are welcome and recommended (they’ve earned it). At 8 p.m., the band takes a half-hour dinner break downstairs. For guests, the Pagoda offers its weeknight dinner buffet (normally $20), complete with soup, salad bar, fresh catch of the day, hot entrées and dessert for $12.50. Upstairs, the band continues until the show wraps at 9:30 p.m.

Free, Pagoda Floating Restaurant, 1525 Rycroft St. For more information, go here.