Indigo Jazz will become a quintet for Thursday Night Jazz at the Avalanche Bar and Grill at 7:30 p.m.
Much-loved vocalist Dale Graham will appear onstage with four of the finest jazz instrumentalists in this part of the world.
Although it's a special Halloween event – music fans are asked to wear appropriate Halloween outfits if they have the courage and inclination - it's not just devils and moonlight at the jazz club this week, by any means.
There are also ghosts, witches, and tales of possession. Indigo Jazz will lay down a Spooky vibe, conjure some Old Black Magic, and dish out the Candy.
Indigo expands for this special outing, with Rick Husband on guitar, John Hyde on bass, Michael Eddy on keyboard and Ron Joiner on drums.
• Dale needs no introduction to jazz fans in this area; she has become one of the most popular jazz singers with a growing number of followers over the past six years. She never fails to enchant her audience with tunes from The Great American Songbook, through to her own version of Gordon Lightfoot ballads, and many genres in between.
This is your opportunity to discover why she is a perennial favourite.
• Husband has performed extensively across Vancouver Island, in big bands, small combos, and everything in between, and over the past six years has become this region's most melodic jazz guitarist.
His style is compelling, highly responsive to his fellow players, and his interplay with Dale's vocals is utterly intuitive. He also communicates beautifully with his listeners by integrating improvised lines with familiar motifs and genres.
• Hyde is a retired jazz educator with a wealth of experience in composing, arranging and performing.
Since his move to Vancouver Island three years ago, he has released two CDs and has become one of the first-call jazz bassists in the region. Well-known to Georgia Straight Jazz Society members, his highly rhythmical, almost-expressionless style is a visual contradiction.
• Although Eddy is a relatively recent arrival in the Comox Valley, Mike has become a stalwart in the local jazz scene.
His classical piano performance background underpins his playing technique, and his passion for the jazz idiom has led to his involvement in several local combos and big bands.
• Joiner returns from Victoria for his encore performance as Indigo's guest drummer, after his very successful first outing with the band in April this year. In over 25 years of drumming, he has performed with big bands and small combos, led by Victoria jazz scene stalwarts such as Tom Vickery, Jan Stirling, Dave Paulson, and Nick La Riviere.
He is currently active with the Belmont Avenue Beat, a saxophone-led sextet, and with the Belmont Avenue Trio, backing vocalist Pat Selman.
• • •
The fabulous Toronto/New York sextet Turboprop, led by drummer Ernesto Cervini will be onstage at the Avalanche on Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale at Bop City, Red Carpet, Avalanche Bar, and at the Thursday jazz club.
Check them out on You Tube, to see for yourself what's in store.
For more information about the Georgia Straight Jazz Society, and its forthcoming events, visit www.georgiastraightjazz.com or like it on Facebook.
— Georgia Straight Jazz Society