After the excitement of last week's performance by Flora Ware, which blew away an audience of about 100, the Georgia Straight Jazz Society returns this week to its local roots.
The no-less-gifted perennial favourite Jazztet will perform at Thursday Night Jazz, its first appearance on the Elks' stage since May last year.
Jazztet has been a constantly evolving and interesting ensemble dedicated to the fostering of jazz in the Comox Valley which over recent years has driven the calibre of jazz performance in the Comox Valley to new levels.
That evolution, has included many of the finest jazz players from our region as they honed their art in various performances throughout the Valley playing extended weekly gigs at well-known local jazz supporting venues, including Whistle Stop, Joe's Garage and the Griffin Pub.
As well-known as this band is to local jazz fans, it comes with a slight difference, and an instrumental focus: this week the band will feature Rick Husband on the guitar, Michael Eddy on piano, Don MacKay on bass, Bill Street on drums and Mike Schwartz on saxophones. A talented lineup for sure.
The multi-talented Schwartz will have multiple saxophones on stage with him for this performance. While you will not hear him play all of them at once, you will hear his assured touch and beautifully lyrical playing on each of the soprano, alto and tenor saxes over the course of the evening.
MacKay's five-string bass playing is clean and structured, holding the centre for the quintet, but he is also well capable of innovation and improvisation. Street's drumming expertly drives the changes in feel and tempo for the five some.
Add to that the superb keyboard skills of Eddy, arguably the finest jazz pianist regularly performing on the local scene, and you have a formula for an evening of great music.
Expect to hear some refreshing arrangements of standard as well as not-so-standard jazz tunes including music by Bill Evans, Chet Baker, Chick Corea and Wayne Shorter.
The members of the band have played with most of the major players on the island and between them have performed at venues from London to Tokyo.
Jazz supporters are reminded that tickets are on sale for the forthcoming Eric St. Laurent Trio concert on March 18, either at Thursday Night Jazz, or alternatively at Bop City in Courtenay and Videos 'n' More in Comox, at the usual prices.
For more information about the Georgia Straight Jazz Society, its aims and objectives and forthcoming schedule of events, visit the website or better still, find the GSJS on Facebook and leave a comment.
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Women in Jazz will be featured March 8 in a fundraiser for the Comox Valley Transition Society.
— Georgia Straight Jazz Society