Peterborough's swingin', rockin', blues band The Rocket 88's will present its annual show during the holidays at The Market Hall on Saturday, Dec. 26.

The band is noted for its horn section, a group of musicians that include trumpet player Greg Weichel and trombone player Rob Roy, sax player Jim Usher and sax player Steve McCracken.

The Rocket 88's celebrated the release of its first CD at a concert at The Market Hall, 336 George St. N., on May 30.

The instrumental ensemble has performed in the area for about 20 years. The band has had several promotional recordings but The Best Seat in the House: The Market Hall Sessions #1 is the band's first official commercial recording, said Weichel.

The music was recorded live at a Market Hall concert in December 2007.

"We basically like to record all the sessions we do at The Market Hall. It has great acoustics and it's our home stomping grounds."

The band has a wide assortment of frontmen. Basically everyone but the horn players either has been or is a frontman in their own bands and have fronted The Rocket 88's at one time or another in a concert.

They include drummer and harmonica player Al Black, guitar player Jan Schoute, guitar player Buzz Thompson, guitar player Pat Rush, alto and baritone sax player Steve McCracken and harmonica player Jerome Godboo. Other band members include keyboard player Brent Bailey, bass player Andy Pryde, percussionist Shea Bailey, drummer Jerome Avis, pianist Tony Silvestri and harmonica player Mike Mowat, of Alderville.

Weichel said the concert would be the final one for the band in the present configuration of The Market Hall, which will be shut down in the spring for complete renovations.

The band's name comes from an early rock song by Ike Turner called My Rocket 88, named after his car.

Weichel said the Oldsmobile Rocket 88 was considered North America's first muscle car and dominated racing after the Second World War. He added that there are 88 keys on a keyboard and the band plays 88 years of music.

Tickets are $25 in advance from Moondance or $30 at the door. Doors open at 7:30 p. m.

The Rocket 88's will present music from The Market Hall Sessions #1 CD at their pre New Year concert on Dec. 27.

The band's newest CD will hopefully be on sale that night, said Greg Weichel, horn player and spokesman for the band."I can't say for sure until I have it in my hand.

The CD is in pre-production, Weichel said, meaning everything is complete and approved and in the manufacturer's hands.

"Basically we'll have the same line-up last year at The Market Hall,"Weichel said, in an Examiner interview.New this year will be master of ceremonies Washboard Hank.

"The new CD was recorded last year at the Market Hall. We'll record this session as well," Weichel said.

The band is preparing for a big studio recording project next year, Weichel said.

The band has added new players in the last few years and plans to bring in some players for the next recording, he said.

The band has 17 players, based around several front men and a solid horn section, Weichel said.

Two of the newer players are Jerome Avis and Rebecca Avis, brother and sister whose father is Bill Avis,former road manager for The Band and Ronnie Hawkins.

Also in the band is Pat Rush, former lead guitarist with the Allman Brothers.He also played in bands with Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter, James Cotton, Dr. John and Jeff Healey.

One of the lead vocalists is Jerome Godboo.

"All the guys in the band play with a lot of groups, with different styles of music and quite a few of them have their own bands,"Weichel said.

The band's music, described as big rock band swing , spans 80 years of music.The band has a play list of more than 130 songs. The various vocalists choose their, he said.

"We're very happy with the CD," Weichel said.

Horns are on all the songs and no one person dominates too much, Weichel said.

Weichel said, for him, two songs stand out -Stand By Me and Te Ni Nee Ni Nu. In Te Ni, Godboo is on vocals and harmonica and he and Rush do a "call and response"that goes on for more than eight minutes.

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who took in last year's pre-New Year's Eve concert by the Rocket 88s still not singing the praises of that event. And it was an event in every sense of the word, from the opening note right to the raucous encore.

Well, if ain't broke, don't fix it.

On Dec. 29 at that bastion of downtown coziness known as The Market Hall, the Rocket 88s will again take to the stage, delivering the goods in the form of a song list that covers some 80 years of popular music. Tickets to the 8 p.m. all-ages show cost $25 at Moondance.

For band founder Greg Weichel, it's a rare but most welcome opportunity to free his beloved trumpet from its case and join some friends to do what they do best.

"I'm really excited...we're all good friends, it's like family, and it's always special when we get together, notes Weichel who, with Jim Usher (tenor saxophone) and Rob Roy (trombone) is one-third of the band's integral brass section.

"The Rocket 88s' mandate has always been bigger and better. We'll have about 15 players onstage during the course of the night, aided by what Weichel describes as a "phenomenal" sound system and stage crew.

A highlight of the show will be a guest spot by guitarist Pat Rush, who has played with James Cotton, Johnny Winter, the Allman Brothers and Jeff Healey to name but a few. His good friend Jerome Godboo, a harmonica player of considerable fame, is also in the line-up.

"The set-up will be different this year as well...there'll be more room to dance," notes Weichel, recalling last year's response to the music.

"And we'll be recording the whole thing. We're looking at some big projects for 2008, including a studio album."

The Rocket 88s were formed in 1999 and have been billed as "a swingin', rockin' blues band" ever since. For Weichel, the fact that the band has stayed together, that its members are friends and that the music remains true to its original mandate are all sources of great satisfaction.

"I'm extremely proud of what we've done but more than that, I'm very excited about what's ahead next year."

For more information on the band, visit www.rocket88s.ca

Some of Peterborough's finest musicians will be rocking out with the Rocket 88s and celebrating 2008 a couple days early.

It's the band's second annual pre-New Year's bash, and more than 15 musicians, inlcuding four guitar players, four drummers and two bassists will take the stage.

Band spokesman Greg Weichel says they call themselves a "swingin', rockin' blues band" because their music encompasses all those styles. The band is named after Ike Turner's 1951 hit song about the Oldsmobile Rocket 88, credited by some as the first rock and roll song.

"We play 80 years of music," Weichel said. "You never know what we're going to play."

The Rocket 88s used to pack the Red Dog Tavern during their infrequent appearances there a few years ago, and they played to a capacity crowd at Market Hall last year. Weichel said they had so many calls and requests for tickets last year, they could have sold out three times over.

Special guests for this year's show are slide guitarist Pat Rush and harmonica virtuoso Jerome Godboo.

Godboo burst onto Canada's music scene in the 1980s with the Phantoms, a high-energy blues and rock band. Since then, he has played and recorded with Alannah Myles, Jeff Healey, Ronnie Hawkins and Jimmy Bowskill, to name just a few.

"He's one of the top blues harmonica players in the world," Weichel said.

Rush, who plays lead guitar for James Cotton, has toured and recorded with big blues names like Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters, Jeff Healey and the Allman Brothers.

The rest of the lineup includes Al Black, Jude Waldman, Shae Bailey and Jerome Aris on drums, Jan Shoute, Sam Weber and Buzz Thompson on guitar, Andy Pryde and Ryan Weber on bass, Rob Roy on trombone, Jim Usher on tenor sax, Weichel himself on trumpet, and Brent Bailey on keyboard.

Weichel said all of the musicians are good friends who've played together many times over the years.

"It really makes for a lot of warm camaraderie," he said.

It can be tough to schedule shows because all of the musicians belong to other bands. But Weichel said playing the Saturday before New Year's is a tradition they won't miss out on.

There is no hesitation in Weichel's voice when he says they will sell out Market Hall again this year.

"Oh yes, we will," he said.

If you want to secure tickets for the show before they're gone, you can get them at Moondance Records, 425 George St.

The show, licensed for all ages, starts at 8 p.m. at Market Hall Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 29. There is no reserved seating, but doors open at 7:15 p.m.

Last December, Greg Weichel wasn't sure how popular the Dec. 30 Rocket 88's concert at The Market Hall would prove to be, it being the night before New Year's Eve and the expense that represents for party goers.

His answer came at 8 p.m. that night as the curtain opened to reveal that a standing-room-only crowd had gathered to bop along with the swingin', rockin' blues band with its trademark brass section.Now Weichel, who founded the band in 1999, is hoping that same enthusiasm greets this Saturday night's Rocket 88's show at Trentwinds on Lansdowne Street East. It's the band's first local performance since the Dec. 30 event.

"That show was really something...the crowd was terrific and we really enjoyed it," notes Weichel, a longtime trumpet player.

"What's really nice about this coming show is we'll have some former Rocket 88's members joining us. That really changes the dynamics. It'll still be the quality of music people are accustomed to but with a different sound."

Weichel is speaking specifically of the involvement of bassist Andy Pryde, guitarist and singer Buzz Thompson and drummer Al Black. But that's just the tip of the iceberg as joining the band as guests will be guitarist Pat Rush and harmonica master Jerome Godboo. The former has played with James Cotton, recorded with Edgar and Johnny Winter, and now backs up Jeff Healey while the latter is widely known for his ability with the mouth harp as well as his gutsy vocal work.

Also different for this performance -- very different -- is the involvement of three different drummers in Jude Waldman, Jerome Avis and Black, all of whom sing as well. That, notes Weichel, is very unique.Rounding out the lineup are Shea Bailey (percussion), Brent Bailey (keyboards), Jan Schoute (guitar/vocals), Jim Usher (tenor saxophone), Steve McCracken (alto and baritone saxophone) and Bob Phillips (trombone), who's subbing for regular Rob Roy. Also helping out with vocals is Charlotte Melby and her daughter Christina.

Back in 1999, the Rocket 88's were born with Weichel at the helm. After working on arrangements and rehearsing, the band's first gig was actually a three-performance 24-hour marathon, starting with a private party for Ronnie Hawkins after a Festival of Lights performance followed by an hour on The Red Dog stage and, the next day, the band's own appearance on the stage in Del Crary Park.Since then, members have come and gone but the core group has remained together.

"We have fun...that hasn't changed," notes Weichel.

"What's nice about this Saturday's show is the venue. It's not as confined as Market Hall and we'll have a huge dance floor. It's going to be quite a night."Beyond this performance, the Rocket 88's are working on material for a new CD to be recorded at Haggarty Sound Studio in Peterborough and produced by Gary O'Driscoll. He's produced albums for Great Big Sea among others.

Tickets for Saturday's all-ages show, which starts at 8 p.m., are $20 at Moondance, $25 at the door.

The Rocket 88's are set to play a concert and dance at the Trentwinds International Centre on May 12.

"We'll be playing 80 years of music...a little bit of everything," said band spokesman Greg Weichel. "We'll have a nice, big dance floor."

Weichel explained the last band concert in the city in December, that had guests Jack deKeyzer and Jerome Godboo, at The Market Hall, was crowded with not a lot of room for dancing. He said with requests for tickets for that show, the band could have put on nearly three shows.

This concert and dance will also feature Godboo along with Pat Rush.who plays lead guitar for James Cotton and has recorded with both Edgar and Johnny Winter and is support guitar player with Jeff Healey.

This show has several firsts, said Weichel, including three drummers and seven players who are or have been frontmen with other bands.

Weichel explained former band members, present band members and some who may join the band in the future are all rotating through the show's line-up on May 12.

Drummers will include Al Black, current drummer and known for his work with the Jackson Delta Blues Band and his own Steady Band; Jude Waldman and Jerome Avis. The drummers are also all vocalists.

Other band members will include Shea Bailey, son of keyboardist Brent Bailey, on percussion, Brent Bailey, bass player Andy Pryde, guitar player and vocalist Buzz Thompson, guitar player and vocalist Jan Schoute, Rush, Godboo on harmonica and vocals and a horn line that includes Jim Usher on tenor sax, Bob Phillips on trombone filling in for regular Rob Roy, Steve McCracken on alto and baritone sax and Weichel on trumpet.

Weichel said the horn row has been playing a lot of Godboo compositions and with Godboo at gigs in the Toronto area. The songs have been specially arranged for the horns.

The band is also working on material for a new CD, that will be recorded at Haggarty Sound Studio in Peterborough and produced by Gary O'Driscoll, who has produced albums for the Ennis Sisters, Great Big Sea and the Irish Descendents.

The May 12 concert will be in the big ballroom at the Trentwinds, 264 Lansdowne St. E., east of Ashburnham, at 8 p.m.

It is billed as an all ages event. Advance tickets are $20 and available at Moondance. Tickets at the door will be $25.

For all life's uncertainties, Greg Weichel is sure of one thing -- he will one day cruise the streets of Peterborough behind the wheel of a 1951 Oldsmobile Rocket 88."I will be getting one some day," says Weichel, his conviction clear in his voice.

In the meantime, the thoughts of the founder of the Rocket 88s -- the band was named out of his love for the classic car of the same name -- are centred on the more immediate, and arguably more realistic, goal of staging one very hot performance this Saturday night (Dec. 30) at The Market Hall. To do just that, Weichel, trumpet in hand, has enlisted two special guests in the form of Juno Award-winning blues guitarist Jack De Keyzer and Victoria-born harmonica player extraordinaire Jerome Godboo. Rounding out the ensemble are various off-and-on Rocket 88s members, including brass mates Jim Usher (tenor sax) and Rob Roy (trombone), Brent Bailey (keyboards), Jan Schoute (guitar/vocals), Jude Waldman (drums), Sha Bailey (percussion), Sam Weber (guitar/vocals) and Ryan Weber (bass/vocals). That is one very big band with one equally large presence.

"This band is just filled with weapons," enthuses Weichel."I've been in bands which had just one singer. If that singer didn't want to do a gig or couldn't make it, you were stuck. With this band, we've a number of great singers, so there's a real versatility that way. As a result, the Rocket 88s became kind of a revue more than anything else."

It was back in 1999 that the Rocket 88s were born with Weichel at the helm. After working on arrangements and rehearsing, the band's first gig was actually a three-performance 24-hour marathon, starting with a private party for Ronnie Hawkins after a Festival of Lights performance followed by an hour on The Red Dog stage and, the next day, the band's own appearance on the stage in Del Crary Park.

That was then and this is now, and now has the Rocket 88s performing less frequently but with no less passion for their craft. That, assures Weichel, will be fully evident this Saturday.

"We've put this show together the way we want to...it'll be fun with lots of family and friends there, so I'm really looking forward to it," says Weichel, noting there's a possibility portions of the performance may be recorded for a future live CD release.

"The Rocket 88s have played with Jerome's band and have played with Jack's band. We've only had the two of them together once before, so this is pretty rare."

As for any worries that the night before New Year's Eve will prove to be a tough sell in terms of getting a crowd out, well, there are no worries."There are a few things going on New Year's Eve in terms of live music but not a whole lot, so I'm pretty confident we'll fill the place," says Weichel.

The Rocket 88s are billed as a "swingin', rockin', blues band" -- and there's a reason for that, explains Weichel."When you come to a Rockets 88 show, you hear 75 to 80 years of music...blues, jazz, early rock 'n' roll, classic rock, all of it. It's very hard to define our sound because there are so many influences. But it's good because there's something there for everyone."

At the centre of the Rocket 88s' sound is the horn section, with Weichel, Usher and Roy knowing what the other is going to play well before a note is sounded, and then complementing it perfectly, be it in unison or splits. For his part, Weichel learned and honed his craft under the tutelage of Ron Collier, a protege of the great Duke Ellington.

"He kind of took me under his wing...I was very fortunate," notes Weichel, adding, as a horn player, there's always work, if not with the Rocket 88s than with any one of a number of other bands looking for the full sound unique to a brass section."I'd love to be able to do this (perform) every day but...," says Weichel, leaving unspoken the fact that there are bills to pay and his day job is a necessary fact of life he shares with the masses."I love to play and I'm very proud of this band. For those reasons, I'm really looking forward to Saturday. It will be fun."

Tickets to the 8 p.m. show are $20 at Moondance.