Current Jazz Attack members surprised teacher Linda Nap with a special song at the annual Christmas concert. Nap will be honoured at the school Jan. 31.

In 1989, McDonald’s was urging people to succumb to a Big Mac Attack. But Linda Thompson had a different idea.

Thompson, a music teacher at LCCVI, thought her students should have a different type of attack – a Jazz Attack.

Thompson, now Linda Nap, started the jazz group and Krista Mueller says it will be her legacy when she retires Jan. 31.

“It was a brand new concept to have the microphones, base guitars and key boards with the band,” says Mueller, one of the original members of Jazz Attack who now teaches English at LCCVI.

Mueller remembers those first few years including how Jazz Attack was chosen by Imperial Oil to help promote recycling. “We wrote songs and acted to promote reducing, reusing and recycling at the Lambton Mall,” she says adding there were performances all over the county including in church and community functions.

Probably the most memorable event during Mueller’s Jazz Attack days was a trip to Japan.  A visitor from the country heard the student group play and sing once and offered to pay all the expenses to have Jazz Attack come to Japan. “We were treated like royalty.”

While the jazz group will continue on past Nap’s retirement, Mueller says they want to celebrate her contribution to the group. “Linda was the driving force behind Jazz Attack; this is her legacy.”

On Jan. 31, there will be a reunion for all former Jazz Attack members at the high school cafeteria. There will be a dessert potluck and then the students and former students will head to the music room to jam for a while.

“We’re going to sing some old songs that most of the group should have know.”

The event runs from 7 pm to 9  pm.