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WATCH: Who is Bill and The Kids?

A local jazz ensemble made their Sidney Street Market debut on May 18.
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Jazz ensemble Bill and The Kids at the Sidney Street Market on May 18. Drishti Balaiah sings the jazz standard “Summertime,” while her brother Shreyas is on the keys. Bill Kent plays the bass accompanied by Earl Hagen on the sax. (Alisa Howlett/News staff)

If you haven’t heard of Bill and The Kids, it’s about time you do.

The four-part jazz ensemble made their Sidney Street Market debut at the season opening of the summer market Thursday, May 18 and drew a big audience.

Bass player Bill Kent, 68, is most obviously Bill of Bill and The Kids; but who are the kids? On the keys is North Saanich Middle Schooler Shreyas Balaiah, 11, and singing soulful lyrics well before her time is his nine-year-old sister Drishti, who goes to Sidney Elementary. That leaves one more kid, Earl Hagen. Saxophonist Hagen is actually 83; but he jokes, with a cheeky grin, that he’s in his “second childhood.”

At this point, you might be wondering – and rightfully so – how this group came to be.

Shreyas wasn’t always so smooth on the keys. Originally enrolled in classical piano he became bored and gave it up. It wasn’t until his father, Lenny Balaiah, asked around his workplace to see if anyone knew of a local piano teacher who made playing fun.

Enter Kent.

Kent is a retired jazz piano teacher. He’s been teaching in Victoria for the last 40 years and he’s known for his non-traditional teaching styles.

“When I first heard him play, I knew he had something,” Kent says about Shreyas, while on a break between songs.

Eventually Drishti became involved when Kent found out she had a voice.

“I suggested with Drishti we could do the retirement home circuit and do really well,” says Kent.

Since last October the three have been playing retirement homes in Greater Victoria. It wasn’t until they played the SHOAL Centre in Sidney when Hagen became involved. He heard them play and says he knew he wanted to be in the group and asked to join.

The rest is history. Kent says they played three gigs last week and have another three gigs coming up next week.

“We get standing ovations,” says Hagen. “You can never go wrong with the seniors.”

Bill and The Kids is becoming so sought after that Kent says they’re starting to turn down gigs; keep in mind the younger members of the group are still in school full time.

“We’re so proud,” says Lenny, who’s watching his kids perform from afar. “They’re straight-A students and are exceptional in math.”

Lenny, who just recently moved his family from Sidney to Saanichton, is not only a proud parent, but also a fan. He never misses a show.

“Well, someone has to drive them,” he jokingly says. “I leave work and right away go pick them up to take them to a show.”

Lenny says he and his wife Anitha are not musically gifted, although they do enjoy listening to all kinds of music. When asked where the kids get their musical talents from, Anitha replies the only thing that could keep Shreyas calm in utero, was by playing jazz music.

“I’m from India, I know nothing about jazz music, you know?” she says with a laugh, adding she still remembers the jazz radio channels she would turn on to get both her kids to sleep.

Lenny also added Anitha would put the headphones right across her belly during pregnancy.

“We just love music and have always longed to play. We listen to all kinds of music from eastern Indian to western music. And we expose our kids to a wide variety, from classical to reggae to jazz.”

Bill and The Kids was a big hit and the open saxophone case overflowing with five-dollar bills proves it, along with the cheering market crowd.

When asked how they spend the money, both Shreyas and Drishti reply in quiet unison, “We’re saving it for university.”

If you missed Bill and The Kids don’t fret, they will be back for four more shows at the Sidney Street Market and they also have a bunch of other gigs lined up for the summer in Greater Victoria.

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A large crowd gathered to listen to Bill and The Kids, new to the Sidney Street Market this year. They’re saxophone case overflowed with five-dollar bills and in between songs passersby stopped to ask them questions. (Alisa Howlett/News staff)