Jazz week begins tomorrow, Saturday, as the popular lead-up in restaurants and other venues to the June 8 to 10 weekend for the 17th annual Gibsons Landing Jazz Festival.
Classical guitarists Axel Loitz and Dan Richter are at Gibsons Library at noon Saturday, and the Steve Giltrow Quartet performs at Benjamin's at 7 p.m. On Sunday, June 3, vocalist Pat Collier is joined by Anna Lumiere on keyboard at Chasters for fine singing and dining.
On Tuesday, singer Verna Chan and bassist Paul Steenhuis appear at Sita's Spag Shack, and on Wednesday, the Nikki Weber Quartets (including Pops and Punks) visit Wheatberries at 7 p.m.
Thursday, June 7, sees Luci and friends return to Leo's. There is no cover charge for restaurant concerts, but reservations are recommended.
The weekend begins with breezy jazz from three fun guys, Graham Walker, Kevin Crofton and Andy Amanovich, otherwise known as Martini Madness. Drink the cocktail and dance the music at the Kinsmen's Hall, on Friday (June 8) at 8 p.m.
On Saturday morning at 10:45 a.m., jazz trumpeter and pianist Alan Matheson presents an exciting overview of the history and lineage of the jazz trumpet, including 15 archival film clips of famous trumpeters. Register for this one at [email protected].
Matheson hits the stage again at Saturday's Dougall Park venue with Walter Martella, a pianist, trumpeter, accordionist, conductor and composer of great versatility.
The Coast's Rakish Angles, a very professional string band, open Saturday's events in Dougall Park at 12:30, followed by Matheson/Martella and the Gord Grdina Trio.
Tunnel Six is a sextet comprised of some of the most notable rising jazz musicians from the U.S. Pacific Northwest and eastern Canada. The unique collective was formed when its members attended an international workshop in jazz and creative music at the Banff Centre in Alberta. They hope to connect to their audiences through the strong and intuitive story-telling elements of their improvisations.
The vivacious chanteuse Deanna Knight and the outstanding musicians of the Hot Club of Mars wowed the audience a couple of years ago. They're back to close the show in Dougall Park on Saturday. The Hot Club of Mars is a direct descendant of the Kitsilano Kat Kickers, one of the first groups to play hot swing around Vancouver in the late '70s. The current members still do gypsy jazz, the contemporary name for the musical genre created by Django Reinhardt and his Quintette du Hot Club de France in the '30s and '40s.
Three amazing saxophonists dressed in wacky clothes, a crazy dancing drummer and a killer upright bass player make up the Shuffle Demons, ready for the Saturday evening dance at Roberts Creek Hall. Warning: they might pop up in the audience beside you and are subject to other zany antics. The Shuffle Demons have released six albums and seven videos in their 23-year career.
The Jazz Group of Seven plays the music of the jazz giants from the last half of the last century at Benjamin's on Saturday evening. With great soloists and fine ensemble work, they are all Coast musicians: John Frederickson, trumpet; Carl Montgomery, alto sax; Howard Anderson, tenor sax; Bryan Airth, trombone; Steve Giltrow, guitar; John Parker Toulson, bass; and Tim Enns, drums.
Ali Milner, who plays at Leo's Tapas and Grill for Sunday brunch, is new to Coast jazz fans but not new to music. "It's been an incredible year for me," said the 21-year-old, describing the warm response when she appeared on CBC's Cover Me Canada and reached third place in the competition. Now living in Vancouver, Milner has been performing for years. She loves pop and soul, and has been greatly influenced by jazz and rock.
The price is right for Sunday's free concerts at Winegarden Waterfront Park. Hear the Creek Big Band, Celso Machado and the Anagram Quartet of Anna Lumiere, Graham Ord, John Rule and Paul Steenhuis with special guest Howard Anderson on tenor sax and vocals. The day closes with Jazz Vespers at St. Bartholomew's Anglican Church at 4 p.m. with Steve Giltrow and Boyd Norman.
