Still going strong after 50 years

BY JUDI KOSKI

The Iona Reed Trio has been entertaining at dances and various events within the community for more than fifty years.

Faithful followers of the musical trio have enjoyed performances at the (former) Lively Legion, Copper Cliff Legion and Polish Combatants Hall, to name but a few.  And now they will perform on a regular basis at the Meadowbrook Retirement Village in Lively.

Their style of music is from a different era of "real dancing" - music such as the fox-trot, tango, polka, waltz, and all the Latin rhythms such as the samba, cha-cha, meringue, mambo and rumba.

The Iona Reed Trio is one of the very few authentic dance bands on the Sudbury scene today that perform European Continental, Latin American and American Broadway Standards.  The start of 2008 marked the 47th consecutive New Year's Eve party that all of the individual members of the group have entertained.

The Trio brings an unbelievable standard of professionalism and precision to their vast repertoire.  Their debut CD, For Lovers Only, now in its second printing has received unanimous praise from international, national and local critics.

Accordions Worldwide, the world's largest accordion resource on the web, reviewed the Iona Reed Trio's CD.

Reviewer Joan Cochran Sommers who also serves as Assistant Dean in the Conservatory of Music, as well as Professor of Music at the University of Missouri in Kansas City said this about the trio: "Each of the three musicians in this outstanding trio (Iona Reed, accordion; Ron Kelly, guitar; and Bill Tuttle, drums and percussion) has earned a reputation for excellence and success throughout a long period of musical activity.  Everyone will enjoy this CD but the over-50 crowd will really love it.  Actually, anyone who likes to dance will love it!"

Terry Sawchuk, Toronto-based producer and songwriter for the well-known Canadian singer Matt Dusk said, "There is no substitute for great musicianship.  The Iona Reed Trio is in a class of their own".

And locally, Mike Large, Director of Outreach Services for Music and Film in Motion in Sudbury said, "An outstanding performance ... the Iona Reed Trio has done a wonderful job of capturing the sights, sounds and memories of some of the greatest Continental, Latin American and Broadway Standards".

For further information about their CD, For Lovers Only, go online to accordions.com or key "Iona Reed Accordion Trio" into an online search engine.  To find out where they are performing next or to order the CD, phone Iona Reed at 522-0590.