Georgia Straight Jazz Society features Jazztet as the featured band for Thursday Jazz at the Elks’ this week.
Jazztet is the busiest combo in the Valley. This group has been the host band every Sunday at the Griffin Pub for the past three years.
With over a century of combined jazz experience and performance credits from London to Tokyo, these talented musicians have honed and refined their sound and are one of the coolest, most innovative groups in the Comox Valley.
Jazztet consists of John Ringstead on guitar, Mike Schwarz on saxophones, Don MacKay on bass, Ralph Barrat on vocals, Bill Street on drums and newcomer Mike Eddy on piano.
Eddy is a wonderful experienced jazz pianist with a pedigree background. An inventive and swinging player, he ignites the band to new highs, which in turn causes the other players to continuously create new avenues on every number they play.
The multi-talented Schwarz 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.
Ringstead’s smooth guitar playing is the perfect foil for Schwarz, and together they venture well outside the box.
Barrat’s voice is warm and resonant, with the timbre of a Bobby Darrin or Sinatra.
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 sextet.
Expect some exciting material from Jazztet on this outing, including some original compositions by Ringstead.
Jazztet should not be missed — they will provide invigorating real jazz that audiences love to hear. For more information, check out Jazztet.org.
The Georgia Straight Jazz Society is a non-profit organization aimed at providing jazz artists performance opportunities before a live appreciative audience and exposing people with an interest in jazz music to a wide repertoire of fine local musicians.
As well, the society offers bursaries for post-secondary music studies to musically talented students. For more information, check out our schedule at www.georgiastraightjazz.com.
Admission to Thursday's performance is by donation, with the suggested donation being $5.
— Georgia Straight Jazz Society