Eclectic Black Pearl returns to Bayshore Park

By Jennifer Champagne
Managing Editor

When Black Pearl takes the stage Tuesday evening at Bayshore Park, audiences can expect something increasingly rare: a band that refuses to be boxed into a single genre.

The longtime Upper Peninsula group will perform as part of the Concerts in the Park series hosted by the Alger Parks and Recreation Department and the Munising Visitors Bureau.

Black Pearl brings a musical mix that ranges from swing and jazz to country, soft rock and blues.

“We play a variety of music,” vocalist Vicki Tikkanen said. “We do some light swing, some soft rock like the Doobie Brothers, some country, some blues and some old standards. It’s really a variety show.”

That variety has been a hallmark of Black Pearl since its beginnings more than two decades ago.

The group originally started as an all-female trio featuring Tikkanen, keyboardist and vocalist Deborah Bengry and saxophonist Geri Lezotte. In its early years, the band focused primarily on light jazz and standards before expanding its sound to meet requests for weddings, parties and specialty events.

“People started asking for different things,” Tikkanen said. “Sometimes they wanted a disco party, sometimes they wanted rockabilly. We were able to adapt the band to be whatever was needed for those events.”

Today’s lineup features Tikkanen on vocals, Bengry on keyboards and vocals, Warren Hantz on guitar, fiddle and vocals, Billy Kinnunen on bass and Dan Lindblom on drums. Kinnunen is filling in this summer while regular bassist Rex Havoc performs with other bands.

Like many musicians in the region, every member of Black Pearl performs with multiple groups, creating a deep well of experience and an expansive song catalog.

For Tikkanen, one of the greatest joys of performing is creating a show that appeals to audiences of all ages.

“It’s a really good venue for Black Pearl because there are all different ages of people there,” she said of the Munising concert. “There are little kids, people in their 40s and 50s and then people who are a little more mature. We try to offer something for everybody.”

She said outdoor performances carry a special energy that musicians appreciate.

“I think most musicians, anytime we can play outside, there’s a free feel to it,” Tikkanen said.

She also praised the community support that helps make Munising’s concert series possible, including longtime sound engineer Jim Supanich of Sombrero Sound.

“The fact that Munising takes the time to have Jim Supanich and Sombrero Sound lighten our load is just a gift,” Tikkanen said. “Not every community offers that.”

Among the songs she most enjoys performing are “Moondance” and “Jump, Jive an’ Wail,” selections that allow the band’s instrumentalists to shine alongside the vocals.

For Tikkanen, however, the music itself remains the greatest reward.

Asked what live music means to her, she paused before answering.

“It’s my passion,” she said. “It makes me feel fully alive.”

Black Pearl will perform at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, at Bayshore Park.