Gold, frankincense and myrrh have nothing on the funky grooves that B3 Kings will bring to town. The Vancouver-based jazz quartet arrives Monday, December 17, to play a repertoire of holiday favourites at Max Cameron Theatre.
“The whole focus of the band is to be fun,” said Cory Weeds, saxophonist for the band, “but we’ve got integrity as jazz musicians and we’re not going to get up there with Santa suits and clown around. We just get up there and hit.”
B3 Kings has been doing this Christmas act for the past nine years. It started out, as Weeds said, “on a lark,” but was very well received. Weeds owns The Cellar, a jazz club in Vancouver, and said that he wraps up for Christmas with an annual B3 Kings show. It is always sold out.
The quartet is anchored by Canadian vocal sensation Denzal Sinclaire. Sinclaire also doubles as drummer. He is known internationally as a jazz star and has had his praises sung by the likes of Diana Krall and Cassandra Wilson.
Hammond B3 organist Chris Gestrin is responsible for making this group as funky as it is with his wicked organ grooves and creative arrangements of the Christmas classics.
Weeds is perhaps best known for his work with the great Dr. Lonnie Smith and brings an unbridled enthusiasm to playing the saxophone.
Guitarist Bill Coon is as funky as they come but brings with him a wonderful jazz sensibility that really completes the quartet.
As ambassadors of jazz, Weeds said he’s on a mission to show people the music is fun and accessible.
In 2004, B3 KINGS went into the studio to record its first Christmas album. The quartet shared the bill with pianist Bruno Hubert of Bruno Hubert Trio and produced A Cellar Live Christmas. Jazzreview.com called it, “one of the greatest Christmas recordings ever.”
“There’s definitely a lot of tunes that we play for five minutes and no one recognizes it and then bam it smacks you in the face and you know it,” said Weeds.
Tickets are $26 for adults, $24 for seniors and students and $12 for children under 12. Tickets are available at Powell River Academy of Music box office, 7280 Kemano Street, 604.485.9633, or at the theatre on the evening of the performance.
