By Malcolm Holt
Special to the Record
Continuing the recent successful Thursday Night Jazz concerts at The High Tide Pub on Fifth Street, the Georgia Straight Jazz Society is pleased to provide the first two-hour jazz performance by Centerpiece at 7 p.m., Feb. 22.
Already well-known in other music genres, the quartet-plus-vocalist is stepping up from blues and rock to jazz. The show is a superb illustration of how a successful jazz scene in Comox Valley has attracted and nurtured new musicians to rise to the higher musical challenge.
Vocalist Mel McCutcheon, a.k.a. Caramelle, has been in a not-so-discreet love affair with music since moving to the Island three years ago. After years of trying to hide her secret crush, this former East Coaster is finally pursuing her passion for delivering smooth vocals in a variety of musical genres. Influenced by Nina Simone, Etta James, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald, Caramelle will serve up a delicious menu of well-known jazz and blues classics with Centerpiece.
Michelle Draper has been studying, playing, and performing music on Vancouver Island her whole life. Classically trained in piano and French horn, Draper’s jam these days is teaching piano and accompanying choirs and vocal students.
Greg Hill has been the driving force behind bands too numerous to mention for the past 50 years. His drumming genres include classic rock, country, and jazz. He now is back to his primary love of performing jazz. He has performed with greats such Art Ellefson, Pat Coleman, Myron Makepeace and Roy Reynolds.
Dave Stevenson, bassist, has been in the Comox Valley since 2014. Stevenson has also lived in many B.C. cities but performed a lot when living in Vancouver and Victoria. He has played in duos, trios, many rock bands and has played in big bands performing jazz and musical theatre. His love for playing jazz comes out in Centerpiece, where he lays the foundation and groove of the tunes. Stevenson has performed with greats, including P.J. Perry, Phil Dwyer, and Louise Rose.
Comox-based guitarist Doug Anderson has played with several groups during his years in the Comox Valley. He studied improvisation with Lee Ellefson and later with Bill Coon and cites guitarist Peter Bernstein as well as the Bill Evan Trio as major influences.
Meals will be served from the pub menu for most of the evening, and drinks will be served during the entire show. Admission is $15 for members, $20 for non-members.
Malcolm Holt is the vice-president of the Georgia Straight Jazz Society.