More great music from Comox Valley Youth Music Centre (CYMC) is coming up tomorrow night, July 15. The Island Jazz Faculty presents its one and only concert of the week. Director Dan Craven has invited Victoria musicians Chad Geekie and Nick La Riviere to give a workshop for the students in the afternoon and to play a set in the evening’s concert.
“Chad Geekie is described on the CYMC website as ‘an enigma on the Canadian jazz scene.’ He is known and well respected among Canada’s jazz elite as one of the most harmonically capable and musically refreshing piano players around, yet he rarely performs outside of his native Vancouver Island. Chad’s habit of associating with the very best players available to him has led to national acclaim, yet he willfully maintains the approachable demeanor of a local player.”
Nick, on the other hand, travels, the U.S., Germany, Switzerland, England, Ireland and of course Canada being some of his stops.
“Composer, arranger, performer, singer, trombonist, band leader, conch shell and bass player, Nick La Riviere is already well known in many circles as one of B.C.’s busiest musicians. As a sideman, Nick has performed with award winning artists of many genres: Michael Kaeshammer, Nikki Yanofsky, The Temptations, Adonis Puentes, The Paperboys, to name a few.”
Having spent the afternoon with these amazing talents, the Island Jazz Faculty will be in fine form to fill out the program which has yet to be announced.
Craven and Brooke Maxwell (sax), Kelby MacNayr (drums), Tim Croft (bass), Dave Stewart (trumpet) and Delandria Mills (flute) have travelled from near and far to teach and play at the camp. Jeff Drummond (guitar), Blaine Dunaway (strings) and Mike Eddy (piano) are all Valley musicians you will be well acquainted with.
The venue is the Stan Hagen Theatre, concert starting at 7:30 pm. Tickets ($15) are available at the Laughing Oyster Bookstore in Courtenay, the Blue Heron in Comox, at cymc.ca and, if there are any left, at the door.