Of Jazz, Chicken Wings and Flying High
Take in some tunes, drink back some suds, maybe crane your neck at the big birds taking flight over your head. So goes the recipe for a fine Tuesday night in the mighty Miss, its musical entertainment provided courtesy of the Mississauga Big Band Jazz Ensemble, a rollicking assemblage of spirited musicians that now has a standing date at the Sky Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge, just this side of Pearson International.
Starting February 22, this swinging 18-piece ensemble plays the last Tuesday of every month at Sky, an airport-area staple that has long attracted the traveling business crowd in the market for some roadhouse respite from their red-eye rides. Along with its award-winning chicken wings, the restaurant’s oversized stage is among its finest features. Indeed, its dimensions were critical for the Mississauga Big Band Jazz Ensemble, given the need to accommodate its crowded ranks.
Under the leadership of pianist Rob Boniface, the band dabbles in a range of musical styles, including swing, funk, Latin, Dixieland and blues. Expect such jazzy standbys as In the Mood and Goodbye Pork Pie Hat and, on select nights, the vocal stylings of singer Catharine McGregor. The band hits the stage at 7:30, and there’s a $5 cover charge. And if their tunes don’t grab you, what’s spilling out of the bar’s 15 plasma and two large-screen projection TVs might.
In any event, a respectable selection of steaks, chicken dishes, burgers, pasta, flatbreads and salads provides tasty accompaniment to the entertainment. Fly on by to 2680 Skymark Ave. to catch you some.
