A jazz series of three monthly live performances starts at 2 pm on Saturday, October 25, in the Rainbow Room of Rodmay Heritage Hotel.
“Big bands travelling back and forth across [the Strait of Georgia] to perform has been a tradition dating back to Powell River Company’s band of the 1920s,” said hotel manager Joan Campbell. “We are taking advantage of the hotbed of live jazz that exists in upper Vancouver Island and in particular, the Comox Valley to recreate this tradition.”
Kicking the series off is the seven-piece jazz combo Ralph Barrat and The Sharp Seven who will feature songs of Frank Sinatra and Duke Ellington. Barrat, with his distinct vocal style reminiscent of the Sinatra era, belts out favourite standards, specifically arranged for the band, such as Take the A Train, Mack the Knife and others from the golden era of jazz.
Sharp Seven has been performing on the island to “fabulous” reviews. Members include Greg Bush on trumpet, professor of Jazz Studies at Vancouver Island University (VIU); Michael Eddy on keyboard, holder of the distinguished Associate in Piano Performance; Grahame Edwards on stand-up bass; Troy Lucas on tenor sax, holder of a music degree from VIU and primary band arranger; as well as Rob Peterson on drums. Peterson is event collaborator and a veteran musician of the Comox Valley jazz scene.
Guest vocalist Clancy Sindlinger has lived in Powell River for the last seven years. She started her jazz education on piano under the tutelage of Walter Martella.
Sindlinger hopes to continue performing and studying jazz after high school.
Her early jazz performances include playing tenor sax with the Dunkin Donuts ensemble, after which she was awarded the M.V. Thorsell trophy for excellence in Elementary Jazz. She has won several other awards including best jazz solo (vocal) performance at the 2014 Kiwanis Festival for the Performing Arts. She loves singing jazz standards and has favourites of her own from artists including Stan Getz, Jane Monheit, Vince Guaraldi and Carole King.
The fall jazz series will continue November 22 and December 20, all at 2 pm. Refreshments and snacks will be available.
The series is supported by Underwriters Insurance Agencies Powell River.
All tickets are $15 and can be purchased in advance at Rockit Music and Rodmay Heritage Liquor Store. Seating is limited to 80.
