This year’s dedicated volunteers of the Gibsons Landing Jazz Festival have arranged a stellar line up of musicians for Jazz Week (June 10 to 15) and the Festival itself (June 16 to 18.)
Last year’s festival was nearly rained out when Saturday’s outdoor music went ahead under stormy skies. It should have been a money-making day for the society that organizes the festival, but the low turnout depleted their resources, said coordinator Linda Williams.
“We held two fundraisers this year, Delhi 2 Dublin and Five Alarm Funk” she said, “and we’re back to where we’re feeling more comfortable.”
Jazz Week offers live music at local restaurants such as the Blackfish Pub and Leo’s Tapas and Grill, and it has a few new venues this year. WOW Gallery at Sunnycrest Mall features music from Cam Peters on Saturday, June 10 at 1 p.m. Steve Giltrow performs on Sunday, June 11 at 1 p.m. at One Flower One Leaf Gallery on Marine Drive (formerly the Landing Gallery). He will be playing solo jazz guitar: standards, blues, bossas and ballads. It’s free. Molly’s Reach opens its doors to jazz fans this year on June 11 at 6 p.m. with a performance from the Crook Trio: Ken Grunenberg, George Grunenberg and Rob Milstead.
The festival will welcome about 90 visitors on Saturday, June 17 who have arrived by boat. They are the Canada 150 Paddling Journey, part of the Canadian Voyageur Brigade Society and the Gibsons Paddle Club, who will be camping at Dougall Park and dining at the Gibsons Public Market with a buffet by Emelle’s Market Bistro and music from Funktete. All are welcome, even non-paddlers, but must sign up for the $40 dinner and music by June 15.
The weekend events on Gower Point Road will see the return of fan favourites. The mellow vocalist Katherine Penfold is back in town with her own quartet and she takes the main stage on Saturday, June 17. Williams said that the audience will be in for a surprise collaboration between Penfold and Daniel Brubeck who also headlines the Saturday show. Consummate musician Blaine Dunaway returns to the Coast with his quartet on Saturday afternoon. And no one is going to sit still while Deanna Knight and the Hot Club of Mars play at the Gibsons Legion next Saturday, June 17 at 8 p.m.
The jazz weekend opens and closes at St. Bartholomew’s Church. Michael Creber and Jodi Proznick will perform on Friday, June 16 along with Keith Bennett who will hold a harmonica workshop on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. Jazz Vespers will close the weekend on Sunday, June 18 at St. Bart’s. Many of the weekend events are ticketed, but Sunday in Winegarden Park with the Creek Big Band, Celso Machado and the Rakish Angles is free.
See www.coastjazz.com for schedule and ticket prices.
