Bunnett and Cramer to host screening of found footage from The Arlington's 'golden days of music'

By Nate Smelle

Lake St. Peter residents and renowned jazz musicians Jane Bunnett and Larry Cramer are inviting anyone with fond memories of The Arlington to come out on Saturday, Sept. 2 between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. for a special screening of a recently discovered video from a musical event held at the venue 26 years ago. After finding the tape and noticing the high quality of the footage, they said they decided to host a screening of the video to provide people with a rare glimpse into the vibrant history of the local music scene.

“We found the tape as we were getting rid of some old technology,” explained Bunnett.

“Larry picked up a tape which said, 'Jane Bunnett and some of her Cuban friends, 1997', and we were intrigued when we saw the date. Putting it on we thought it was going to be shaky camcorder footage, but when we put it on we were happy because the videographer put a lot of thought into the recording; and captured a lot of fun and humour.”

The event, named the Jane Bunnett Afro-Cuban Jazz Party, featured a nine-piece group of musicians – many of whom went on to achieve “star status” in their field – crowded onto the stage of the iconic local venue. According to Bunnett and Cramer, the video shows lots of intimate moments and scenes of the “incredible fun” people used to have experiencing live music at The Arlington. Although it remains a mystery who filmed the footage, they said it contains many familiar faces of old friends and local music lovers, during a relatively undocumented period in The Arlington's history.

“We watched it and were amazed; and flooded with memories,” Bunnett said.

“Magically we never missed a year of doing a special night or two at The Arlington for 22 years. We thought it would be a great way to invite the community that has a connection to The Arlington to come by, reminesce, and chat about those wonderful days!”

Bunnett said the screening is intended to give the community a chance to indulge in some of the delicious options from the The Arlington's new menu; while enjoying a drink and remembering the venue's “golden days of music.” She said the event will also be an opportunity for people to reimagine The Arlington's future. Bunnett and Cramer are both hopeful that by bringing people together to relive some of the great musical nights from The Arlington's past it will help revive the venue and breathe life into the future of music in the community.

“This place means a lot to us and the commuunity,” they said.

“And we are hoping to see the arts in its future somehow. Especially now that we are up here most of the time when we are not on tour... This place is really underserved at this time for the arts, compared to many other Ontario communities. We really hope people show up at this free event and show their support for the future of music in our community. Long live The Arlington!”

The event will take place at The Arlington on Saturday, Sept. 2 between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Admission to the screening is free, however donations will be collected for the local food bank.