The next 1st Tuesday Fundraiser sponsored by the Mex Pub will be Feb. 6 with guest performers The Turnaround Trio with Wendy Knudson, Bob Romanow and John Thorington.
The proceeds from donations will go to the Comox Valley Therapeutic Riding Society with foodstuff donations gratefully accepted by the Comox Valley Food Bank Society.
The Comox Valley Therapeutic Riding Society (CVTRS) has been steadily growing since it began in 1986 with a mission to provide a therapeutic riding program for physically, mentally and emotionally challenged children and adults using hippotherapy, equine facilitated mental health wellness and adaptive riding.
Today, with the help of more than 100 volunteers, they conduct one of the largest therapeutic riding programs on Vancouver Island, with 80 clients attending each week, the majority of whom are from marginalized populations.
The Turnaround Trio is the Comox Valley’s best-kept secret, playing gypsy jazz, western swing, Brazilian choro and more.
Wendy Knudson is passionate about all aspects of music – organizing workshops, (she is the driving force behind the Vancouver Island Music Workshop and Beyond Trad), teaching, collaborating, and playing.
From her living room to being onstage to time in the studio, Knudson sings, plays guitar, accordion, upright bass, ukulele and fiddle. She plays a broad variety of genres, ranging from Celtic, folk, gypsy jazz, Brazilian choro, to French café music, and western swing. Knudson has the great pleasure of teaching accordion, guitar, ukulele and fiddle to kids of all ages in Courtenay.
Romanow has taken a page out of that classic John Prine Song, Spanish Pipedream: he blew up the TV, moved to the country, built a home, grows a fairly decent garden, and likes to eat a lot of peaches.
Musically, you can find Romanow participating, teaching, or assisting at a number of music workshop camps throughout B.C., Vancouver Island Music Workshop, Beyond Trad, Georgia Straight Guitar Workshop and Sorrento Swing Camp, to name a few.
Thorington met Knudson and Romanow about a decade ago at VIMW where he learned those first few swing chords that led to his great love for swing, jazz, gypsy jazz and western swing, where his rhythm guitar chops are in big demand.
The Comox Valley Foodbank Society, (CVFS) a regular at the event, will be there to accept food donations for families in the valley who are in need.
The evening will start at 7:30 p.m. with a few tunes by hosts Scott Lyle, Lainie Laughlin and Corey Francis.