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PrintBill Ehelebe makes the rounds at the Lake with his sax at his side
Above, Bill Ehelebe plays at a St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Lake Ozark. While he can be seen performing with a number of Lake area bands, when Haley Powers takes over the vocals, the band is called Sax on the Beach.
The first instrument Bill Ehelebe learned how to play was the clarinet. He was in the fourth grade.
It wasn’t his first choice. His first choice was the trumpet, which was “nice, shiny and brassy.” But his music teacher said his lips were too big for the trumpet and gave him a clarinet instead.
Ehelebe says he went home and took a long, hard look at his poster of Louis Armstrong with his signature lips, sighed and continued with the clarinet for four years before picking up the saxophone.
Today, Ehelebe plays the soprano, tenor and alto saxophones for a number of bands in the Lake area.
One band, Sax on the Beach, is booked every Sunday at Seven Springs Winery all summer and fall. At that time, they play on Saturdays until the end of the year. With Ehelebe on sax or keyboard and Haley Powers on vocals or guitar, the duo plays a unique mixture of jazz and blues with a touch of soft classic rock.
Ehelebe says the sound is not intrusive. They play Bill Withers, Carole King, Miles Davis, a little bit of The Eagles, Billy Joel, Ben E. King and many others.
“It’s quiet music people in the area would like,” he added. “It goes great with the winery atmosphere.”
In addition to the winery, he plays other gigs at venues across the Lake area.
Q & A with Bill Ehelebe
QWhat other instruments do you play?
AI play the soprano saxophone (the one like Kenny G), tenor saxophone, alto saxophone and keyboard while Haley is singing.
QWhat other venues do you play?
AI’m in several bands ranging from a six-piece band that plays at casinos around the state, to Hot Lixx and The DieHards. Venues also range from wineries to on-the-water hot spots to private events.
QHow did you get the name “Sax on the Beach?”
AI wanted something different, something whimsical, but that still had the word saxophone in it so people knew what we were about. Since we live at Lake of the Ozarks and we have Sunrise Beach and Osage Beach, I just figured it would be appropriate for the area.
