By Malcolm Holt
Special to the Record
Catch the rhythmic and electric jazz trio sounds of Ultraviolet on Thursday, Nov. 30 at the Little Red Church. Ultraviolet is a groovy experimental music project that employs acoustic drums, electric bass, electric guitars (including the tap-style touch guitar), and pretty much a spaceship-worth of effects pedals and gadgets.
Drinking from an ever-flowing, far-reaching, and constantly shifting range of influences, Ultraviolet鈥檚 sound has been 鈥渉ard to pigeonhole.鈥� Their collective interest in spontaneous composition presents a palette of ever-evolving musical ideas unique to each performance.
鈥婾ltraviolet Trio consists of Oscar Robles Diaz (guitars), Brittany Bowman (bass and vocals), and Beau Stocker (drums). These three come from widely different backgrounds both geographically and musically speaking, and their respective paths have taken them to diverse corners of the world and allowed them to share their original music with international audiences. As a result, their combined touring curriculum boasts performance experience in Latin America, Asia, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Canada.
Oscar Robles is versatile musician from Mexico City who is currently based on Vancouver Island. He has been experimenting with tapping techniques on electric guitars, as well as, creating alternative ways of tuning them.
He made the leap to a touch-style instrument in 2008 when he acquired a Chapman Stick.
Brittany Bowman was born and raised on Vancouver Island where she has studied bass with jazz greats Ken Lister and Lee Ellefson. As fate would have it, her music career took flight when she ventured to Mexico in 2007 and met Oscar. Touring throughout the Mexican republic she was making fresh waves in an already established world-beat, jazz-fusion scene.
Beau Stocker, drummer, originally from Toronto Ontario, recently moved to the Comox Valley from North Yorkshire, England. He is a drum kit performer, educator, and researcher with interests in experimental music and cultural translation.
Ultraviolet Trio will be at the Little Red Church, on Thursday, Nov. 30. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the jazz fusion starts at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $15 for members, $20 for non-members. 2024 Memberships ($25) will be for sale at the door.
As a non-profit society, the Georgia Straight Jazz Society strives to minimize admission charges to encourage supporters to experience wonderful live music, whilst reimbursing the musicians with almost all the income, except for fixed costs, minimal overheads, and a regular deposit into our annual bursary for post-secondary music students.
This is your opportunity to discover why the Comox Valley has such an enviable jazz scene, and a nationwide reputation. Our primary goal is to keep live jazz alive in the Comox Valley. The GSJS features local, regional, national, and international acts every Thursday at the Little Red Church.
Tickets will be available at the door for Maureen Washington鈥檚 Dec. 14 concert : 鈥淎 Sprinkle of Jazz & Blues鈥� ($35 cash or credit). They are also for sale at House of Colour, Courtenay and Blue Heron Books, Comox (cash only).
Visit to see the calendar of great weekly shows between now and next May.
Malcolm Holt is the vice-president of the Georgia Straight Jazz Society
