Since graduating from Oak Harbor High School in 1974, several class members went on to have fruitful careers in music. One is currently working on her first jazz album while others have played professionally over the years in a variety of bands.
Six of these musicians are taking time out of their careers to form a band that will be performing at the Oak Harbor High School reunion for the class of 1974.
The band, known as the D-Wings, plan to perform about 15 songs during their show scheduled in early August.
“We have a lot of hard rock and roll songs and that is a lot of fun,” said Cheryl Jewell, who is currently living in Bellingham and working on her first jazz album.
She added that band members have been working on the performance for about a year and originally weeded through a list of 88 songs before settling on a set of 15 or so. The selections include music from Van Morrison and Led Zepplin, for example.
It can be tough for all the band members to get together they are scattered between Bellingham and Seattle. Jewell said they try to rehearse every other Friday. They spent a recent night at a studio in Bellevue.
Other members of the band include Garr Lange (vocals and guitar), Marlin Martindale (vocals and guitar), Ted Reindal (vocals and bass) Jay Verburg (vocals and keyboard) and Don Freeborn (vocals and drums).
Lange recently released his debut album, “Crossing the Line.” In addition to their own personal projects, Martindale and Reindal currently perform with Lange.
Verburg is involved in contemporary Christian music. In addition to producing his solo work, he can be seen playing at Eastside Foursquare Church in Bothell.
They hoped to have a brass section which would be a nice touch for any Chicago tunes the band may play. However, plans for that fell through.
A brass section would have been a fitting tribute to the Oak Harbor High School “All Star” stage band — a group that won the state band competition in 1974.
Jewell said the music teacher at high school in the early seventies was one of the reasons the band members continued on with music. She added that the teacher, Ed Bridges, was a positive influence on many of the musicians.
“We owe so much of that to our music teacher,” Jewell said. “He was hip and allowed the band to play pop music.”
The class of 1974 was the last to graduate from the old Oak Harbor High School on Highway 20. The school later became North Whidbey Middle School which was demolished last year.
The band took its name from one of the wings at the old high school.
The D-Wings are putting the finishing touches on their performance and are planning to hold a dress rehearsal at the end of the month.
Get ready to listen
The D-Wings comprised of OHHS musicians from 1974 will perform Saturday, Aug. 7, at the CPO Club. For information about the D-Wings or the Class of 1974 reunion, call 888-866-8842.
