BY MALCOLM HOLT
Special to the Record
Comox Valley violinist Blaine Dunaway will bring a trio of musical friends to the Little Red Church in Comox on Thursday, Jan. 26 to perform for the Georgia Straight Jazz Society.
“I was appreciative of being offered an opportunity to present a new lineup in the new Little Red Church venue,” said Dunaway. “It’s always great to play for an appreciative audience, and this concert will be a premier performance for the quartet of these fine artists in this community.”
Blaine is a well-loved violinist, chin cellist, trumpet and flugelhorn player has a degree in jazz, and has studied in Banff with Dave Holland, Frank Foster, Joe Henderson, Slide Hampton, David Liebman and many more. He has performed with Hugh Fraser, Tom Banks, Bob Hales, Miles Black, as well as Eartha Kitt, and Rosemary Clooney.
Blaine is joined by three of the top jazz artists on the West Coast.
“Steve Wallace, bass, who for many years has been the first call jazz bassist in Toronto,” said Dunaway. “He’s played with Oscar Peterson, Rob McConnell, Phil Nimmons, Ed Bickert, Zoot Simms, Rosemary Clooney and many more.
“And then we’re joined by Vancouver-based composer, songwriter, arranger and multi-instrumentalist Miles Black, on keyboard, who has over 40 years of professional experience. He has recorded on over 800 albums, and has performed worldwide with many music greats, including Sweets Edison, George Coleman, Max Roach, Dee Daniels, Houston Person, Wynton Marsalis, Mark Murphy, Sheila Jordan and Lew Tabackin.”
Miles also is a noted jazz educator and clinician at the Vancouver Symphony School of Music.
“Finally, we’re excited to include Kelby MacNayr in our quartet. Drummer/composer/band-leader Kelby performs ground-breaking original music, soulful swinging jazz, reaching contemporary music and traditional music from around the world. A dynamic and creative musician, Kelby performs in Canada and abroad with leading musicians from the U.S., Canada and Europe.”
This is your opportunity to experience a combination of some of the finest jazz instrumentalists in B.C. Doors at The Little Red Church, 2180 Comox Ave. Comox, open at 7 p.m. The two-hour show commences at 7:30 p.m.
Visit www.georgiastraightjazz.com and select the Calendar button to view the wonderfully diverse range of Thursday Night Jazz concerts lineup between now and May 25.
If you’re new to the community and looking for a safe and social weekly gathering around fine music, please join us and discover another great reason for choosing Comox Valley. We look forward to seeing you there.
Feel free to bring your own drinks and snacks to our concerts, since we offer no food or drink service.
Admission to this show is $15 for members, and $20 for non-members. 2023 GSJS memberships ($20) will be for sale at the door.
Malcolm Holt is the president of the Georgia Straight Jazz Society