Last year when Vancouver was going nuts over the Winter Olympics, Jennifer Scott and Rene Worst, two of Canada’s jazz greats, decided they had to escape their hometown so they could find some peace and quiet.
The result of their decision was a request to our little ol’ jazz society to see if we would consider them appearing on our stage for a Thursday performance. We were both stunned and flattered, and gladly accepted their offer.
Despite going head to head with live Olympic coverage, the Elks’ home on Sixth Street in Courtenay was packed for the gig. With fond memories of that experience, Scott and Worst asked if we would consider a return appearance by them in 2011.
Mark your calendar for this Thursday. Scott and Worst take the stage at 7:30 p.m.
Considered the finest jazz vocal improviser in Canada by her peers, her fans and by the musicians who work with her, Jennifer Scott is an important jazz voice. She has sung with such greats as Gene Bertoncini, Clark Terry, Tommy Banks, Paul Horn and Kenny Wheeler, to name a few. She has been nominated for Juno and Jessie awards with Mythos and the theatre production War of the Worlds.
Scott has performed to sold-out crowds from San Diego to Vancouver to Whitehorse on the West Coast of Canada, and has begun a major foray onto the world stage including performances in Amsterdam, Milan and Rome.
Recent lauded performances have included mainstage shows at the 2009 Vancouver Island MusicFest, sharing the stage with artists as diverse as Jane Bunnett and Jerry Douglas. She received a lengthy standing-ovation reception for her duo set with Worst at the same festival.
Scott was also featured at Stanford University performing at the Miles Davis tribute concert.
More recent studio work has seen her align her vocal talents with the piano brilliance of Miles Black in the CD release Storybook. She has just completed a tour of the Western States and Canada and was named Pick of the Week by the L.A. Times where she was quoted as having “ … a velvet tone and superb phrasing …”
Worst has been a professional bassist since 1971.
His virtuosic and supportive bass playing has been a Canadian treasure for many years on both acoustic and electric basses. He is as gifted on fretless as he is on acoustic — a rarity in the industry. Worst was educated both in Canada and the U.S. He is one of the founding members of the noted fusion band Skywalk and has anchored and produced six recordings with them. As well, he is a highly regarded producer, and has established himself as a leading jazz bassist performing with world-renowned Canadian and international performers.
Like all Thursday night performances, admission is by donation.
For more information about the Georgia Straight Jazz Society, visit www.georgiastraightjazz.com.
— Georgia Straight Jazz Society