Centrepiece Jazz presents a variety of jazz genres. When they play for the Georgia Straight Jazz Society Thursday night, you will hear memorable melodies in swing, ballads, Latin and fusion.
The group brings its own distinct interpretation as soloists to its repertoire.
Charity Munro has proven herself to be a dynamic performer on any stage and in any style, including Celtic, R&B and jazz. Munro is a member of Courtenay’s 12-piece R&B band Time Well Wasted, and is known for her range of skill, covering everything from Kiki Dee and Donna Summers to Steely Dan and Michael Jackson.
As a past member of the Celtic groups Hollow Promise and later Hazelwood, she performed at MusicFest, Duncan Celtic Festival, The Vancouver Celtic Festival, private venues, and coffee houses and farmers’ markets up and down the island. Charity has experience with several vocal jazz groups in the Valley and has been a guest performer with numerous others. Her enjoyment of the lines of music are evident and she doesn’t disappoint with her smooth tone and ability to get the audience’s attention.
Dave Stevenson, bassist, moved to the Comox Valley four years ago and brought with him a vast experience of performing music. He has played in small jazz trios to large big bands. He got his formal music education from Douglas College and the University of Victoria.
Playing in both Vancouver and Victoria, he has performed with jazz greats: P.J. Perry, Louis Rose, and Phil Dwyer.
Larry Ayre is an accomplished guitarist and music teacher who has been performing in the Comox Valley for over 25 years. With Centrepiece Jazz, Larry will be going back to his Jazz roots, the basics of which he learned while attending the York University Jazz program in Toronto during the late 1970s. He lived in Vancouver for a decade, playing many gigs, honing his musical skills on guitar and bass. Larry moved to the Comox Valley in 1990. Larry has also studied classical guitar with the guitar faculty of the Victoria Conservatory of Music.
Mike Berman is becoming established on Vancouver Island, bringing a lifetime of drumming and percussion experience with him. Originally inspired by the rock movement of the ’60s, he toured extensively throughout Canada and the US, stopping in New York to record the cult hit album Stone Circus. Over the years, Berman’s expertise has expanded many styles, especially jazz. Recent accomplishments have been laying down the drum tracks on Ryder Bachman’s most current album (2017) and Todd Butler’s album Back from the Brink (2017), as well as playing live with those two artists.
Centrepiece is excited to have special guest Dan Craven play some swinging sax.
Craven is an excellent music teacher and polished musician who has played with the Arrowsmith Big Band, the Boss Tenors, the Larry Ho Blues Band, and Time Well Wasted.
Admission to this performance is $10 for members, and $12 for non-members.
Visit www.georgiastraightjazz.com for more information about the society and its forthcoming events.
A special note: we will have tickets for the Edie Daponte/ Susannah Adams spectacular season finale on May 30, $20 for members, $25 for non-members. Alternatively, tickets are also for sale at Bop City.