Malcolm Holt
Special to the Record
One of the lovely qualities of Indigo Jazz is that each of their concerts for Georgia Straight Jazz Society is built on a theme. After more than two years (a pandemic gap) they have creatively selected perhaps the most appropriate topic – time.
Just In Time, I Didn’t Know What Time It Was, Every Time We Say Goodbye… so many jazz classics celebrate and elevate time. There is no shortage of similarly-themed songs outside of jazz, either – consider Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time, and Linda Ronstadt’s Long, Long Time.
On Thursday, April 7 Indigo Jazz Quintet is offering a little time therapy at the Flying Canoe Pub. These tunes are all the counselling you’ll need to readjust to the live music experience. Indigo Jazz includes Dale Graham on vocals, Rick Husband on guitar, John Hyde on bass, Aaron Amar on drums, and Jay Havelaar on trumpet. This well-loved combo had the dubious honour of being the first Jazz Society cancellation of the pandemic, back in March 2020.
“We are thrilled to be returning to Thursday Jazz with this upbeat set of tunes,” said Graham. “It’s a cheeky meditation on the passage of time, with material from folk and country music as well as swing, bop, Latin, funk, and jazz fusion.”
Graham will take a few liberties with the lyrics of It Was A Very Good Year, being more nostalgic for mask-free faces than for blue-blooded girls of independent means.
The band will give a bluesy treatment to Paul Simon’s Still Crazy After All These Years, and take a funky turn for I Didn’t Know What Time It Was.
Havelaar’s trumpet will get a cool workout on Time After Time and will tangle with Husband’s guitar in a counter-melody duet for Stan Getz’s bop number Pot Luck.
Amar has been workshopping intensively with jazz drummer and educator Ari Hoenig throughout the pandemic, deepening his already-formidable skills. Bassist Hyde is Amar’s able study companion, and together they make a settled, in-the-pocket, highly musical foundation for Indigo Jazz.
Indigo Jazz performs Thursday April 7 at the Flying Canoe Pub, under the auspices of Georgia Straight Jazz Society. Start time is 7:30 p.m. Admission is $15 members, $20 non-members. Memberships will be available on the night. Remember to arrive early if you’re looking for the best seats or planning to occupy a table with friends. And for those folk who choose to arrive closer to showtime, feel free to ask at any table with spare seats about sharing the table.
A secondary value of Thursday Night Jazz is the social atmosphere and opportunity to introduce yourself to other jazz-loving people and make new friends.
You can also buy a membership online via PayPal.
For more information about upcoming events at both The Flying Canoe, and outdoor summer concerts at The Gardens on Anderton, please visit www.georgiastraightjazz.com.