Big Bill’s Band shines on stage

By Melissa Piche Times Contributor

Strathmore was treated to an evening of high-energy brass, classic tunes, and local talent when Bill Hamm and Big Bill’s Band performed at the Musical Arts Society concert on Nov. 22. 

The performance also featured a special appearance from Strathmore’s own Deanne Bertsch, the long-time drama teacher at Strathmore High School, who appeared in the chorus.

In the days leading up to the show, Hamm said pulling together a 15-member band was no small task. 

“It’s a lot to try to pull everybody together for a rehearsal,” he said. “There’s so many of us and we’re all, you know, some from Calgary, some from Three Hills, some from Rosebud and Drumheller, and so it’s tricky.”

Hamm explained that the large ensemble, complete with brass, saxes, drums, guitar and vocals started as a playful experiment during Rosebud’s long-running 15 Minutes of Fame outdoor festival. 

“We learned a couple of tunes that I just wanted to do on a lark,” he said. “All of a sudden, we had other people saying, ‘Hey, do you guys want to do a gig for us?’”

This performance in Strathmore marked only their second concert outside the festival. 

“This is our second gig. Ever,” Hamm said with a laugh.

Hamm described the band’s sound as a vibrant mix. 

“It’s sort of a bit of classic rock, old-time jazz, some gospel,” he said. 

Audiences heard everything from Route 66 to Gershwin’s “Summertime,” along with “some big, flashy kind of things” and songs they would “hear and know.”

For Hamm, who recently retired after 36 years as music director at Rosebud, performing again on trumpet felt like coming full circle. 

“In this band, I’m playing trumpet,” he explained, recalling how the instrument had sat mostly unused during his decades focusing on choral music and theatre. His career, he said, was shaped by being a generalist in music moving fluidly between choral work, guitar, bluegrass, folk and theatre productions.

Even in retirement, Hamm wasn’t slowing down creatively. 

“Once I have space created, we’ll see what fills it,” he said of life after leaving his long-time role.

As for the Strathmore audience, Hamm promised they would be well entertained. 

“They’re just gonna have a good time,” he said. “There’s a lot of big, loud music; they’ll hear familiar things and hear it played live, which is fun.”

The concert also gave local audiences the joy of seeing Deanne Bertsch, a beloved figure in the Strathmore arts community, take the stage in the production’s chorus. Her contribution added a hometown highlight to an already energetic evening of music.

Despite the band’s growing momentum, Hamm said they were still keeping things simple. 

“We haven’t been looking to promote ourselves; maybe it’ll take on a life of its own,” said Hamm. 

With requests already coming in for 2026, that possibility seems increasingly likely.