The annual Gibsons Landing Jazz Festival is fast approaching, and yes it looks like another fabulous year.
The ever-popular 'Jazz Week' with live music in local restaurants kicks off June 5 at the Wild Bistro then Saturday, June 6 at the Gibsons Public Library at noon with guitar duo Tinfish.
This is the first of four shows that day and the music just keeps happening every night of the week until the opening night concert on Friday, June 11 at the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons with From the Heart featuring vocalist Pat Collier with jazz favourites Bill Coon and Michael Creber and our very own Boyd Norman, bass and John Rule drums. It will be a perfect evening to get in the mood for a full weekend of live music.
Saturday morning, June 12 the Kinsman Hall in Dougall Park starts your day with a drum and movement workshop with the unique and exciting group, SWARM plus you get to play their sculptured hand-made instruments. If singing is more your thing, come and warm up those vocal cords at a workshop with the very accomplished Karin Plato.
Then, at 12:30 p.m., pull out your lawn chairs, let the kids loose in the fully-fenced and dog-free festival grounds, lay back and enjoy some of the finest sounds with something for everyone.
Deer crossing, the Art Farm is back by popular demand with an art installation by Diego Samper and puppetry by Sandy Buck.
Feature musical artists will be two time Juno award winner Brad Turner with his trio of Berni Arai, drums and Darren Radtke, bass, a 100th anniversary tribute to Django Reinhardt from Deanna Knight and the Hot Club of Mars, the crazy, theatrical and physically intense choreography of SWARM, the PK3 Jazz Trio with local drummer, Kristian Braathen and our very own Jazz Group of Seven. Fine food, crafts and fun for all will fill Dougall Park covered with big tents for the audience for all kinds of weather.
Saturday night is your chance to dance to big band classic music from the Creek Big Band at the old Club location on Gower Point Road or get ready for some polit-reggae-ska-rock from Newfoundland as the 10-piece band the Idlers will party the night away at the Roberts Creek Hall.
Sunday, June 12 has vocalist Karin Plato accompanied by Steve Giltrow performing for the Jazz Brunch Buffet at Leo's followed by an afternoon of fabulous live music, all free for the listening in Winegarden Park with the Celso Machado Trio, Walter Martella Quartet and the lively Rakish Angles.
Tickets are available at Gaia Fair Trade, MELOmania in Roberts Creek and WindSong Gallery in Sechelt or reserve on-line. For a complete schedule of Jazz Week and the Festival, bios of the performers and prices go to www.coastjazz.com. See more in our preview section on pages B4 and B5 of Friday's print edition of Coast Reporter.
