And the band played on -- for 25 years

June Casagrande

NEWPORT BEACH -- Lost in the music, the dancers were forever young.

Moved by the sounds of a long-gone generation, seniors who could hardly

walk got up and danced.

Every Friday afternoon for a quarter of a century, the Oasis Dance

Band breathed eternal youth into members of the Oasis Senior Center. The

musicians played for free, just for the love of music. They did it for

the thrill of sharing the knowledge that youth preserved in music never

fades.

But now they, too, have faded away. The Oasis Dance Band played its

last weekly show at the senior center last month. As an all-volunteer

group, it officially came to an end last year.

The founding members -- well-known musicians like Larry Shay and Jud

Denaut -- passed away. But they left behind a legacy that was carried on

by newer band members like Willard Courtney, who kept seniors dancing for

a quarter of a century.

They performed the old big-band dance tunes, like “When You’re

Smiling.”

“I think that being in the band has kept me young,” said Courtney, now

87, who sang and played saxophone and clarinet with the band for about 15

years. “There’s a feeling you get back from your audience that makes it

worthwhile.”

As volunteer members of the band hung up their sheet music, the only

people left who could fill their shoes were professional musicians who

needed to be paid for the gig. Ultimately, this economic reality is what

ended the Oasis Dance Band tradition.

But Courtney and former bandmate Richie Cornell are quick to point out

that not even goodbyes last forever. Cornell has done the math.

“I’ve gotten 50 signatures from people who say they would pay $3 to

come to the dance,” Cornell said. “Just five more couples -- just 10 more

people -- would put us in the black.”

Cornell, the band’s drummer for about seven years, said he wouldn’t

accept money -- he’d be happy for the chance to keep playing the weekly

dances for free for as long as he can.

Dances at the center will continue on a monthly basis, mostly with

paid musicians acting as the Oasis Dance Band. Though Courtney and

Cornell could lend a hand, they say it just won’t be the same as the

weekly gigs performed just for the love of music.

“Seeing those old people, some of whom could hardly walk, out there

dancing -- that did my heart good,” Cornell said.

And, in the hearts of members of the Oasis Senior Center, this band

will play on.

“They brought a lot of joy and activity to people’s lives,” said

Celeste Jardine-Haug, director of the senior center. “The fact that they

were all volunteers and did it just for fun made it something really

special for everyone.”