La Junta's Supergroup - James Lind & Friends - March 27, 2022 at Otero College

Description: James Lind and Friends in rehearsal. Left to right: Mary Belew, Dean Rees and Sally Kappel, piano (plus Matthew Beard, glorified page turner), and James Lind, trumpet. (Photo by Bette McFarren)

La Junta's Supergroup - James Lind & Friends - March 27, 2022

By: Bette McFarren

James Lind and Friends at rehearsal on Tuesday for 2 p.m. Sunday performance for Arkansas Valley Community Concert Association. Left to right: James Lind (foreground); behind piano: Mark Hensley, Dean Rees; on bench, Sally Kappel and Mary Belew. (Photo by Bette McFarren)

A band of local La Junta professional musicians has come together for a community concert at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 27, at the Otero Junior College Ed Stafford Auditorium.The title of the concert is “James Lind and Friends.” It will feature James Lind, Sally Kappel, Dean Rees, Mary Belew and Mark Hensley.

The Head of the Otero College Music Department, James Lind, moved here from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He holds degrees from the University of North Texas (Masters and Doctoral) and also Texas Wesleyan (Bachelors).

Lind's teaching accolades include: Music Appreciation, Music Theory, Aural Skills, Music History, History of Rock and Roll, private instruction, and Jazz Ensemble as well as free-lance artwork on the side since 1999. Lind performs with the Pueblo Symphony as well and is the Principal Trumpet.

Longtime La Junta piano teacher, Sally Kappel, has developed many musical shows at the La Junta High School and currently accompanies the Otero College Student and Community Choir. She has taught at Otero College, Colorado State University, University of Northern Colorado and Pennsylvania State University. Kappel has even toured Korea and Japan with the USO.

Conductor of the Otero College Student and Community Choir, Dean Rees, joins the group this weekend. Rees is also the lead piano or accompanist for many local groups, such as the LJ7 and Cherry and the Limeades. His local musical involvement extends to the Rocky Ford Madrigals at Christmas and he holds the most recent Mickie award for best technician from the Picketwire Theatre and Center for Performing and Visual Arts.

This weekend Mary Belew will be featured in several multi-handed piano numbers as she brings her experience with countless community celebrations and performances at La Junta City Park. Belew is well known in La Junta for her many years teaching music at La Junta Schools.

Mark Hensley, currently performs with the Lake Washington 8-Hand Piano Ensemble as well as with other solo groups who perform in the robust music center, Seattle. Hensley is flying in for a week to join Lind & Friends on state at the Ed Stafford Theatre this weekend.

Tickets are $20 adult and $10 student at the door, and season tickets for the Arkansas Valley Community Concert are honored. There will be one more concert this season, and at that concert AVCC will be selling season tickets for 2022-23.

James Lind, in rehearsal for March 27 2pm show at Otero College, James Lind and friends. (Photo by Bette McFarren)

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