The Georgia Straight Jazz Society continues its highly successful summer season Jazz in the Vineyard series at 40 Knots Winery when Marty Steele leads the Trebletones in a two-hour concert on Aug. 15 at 7 p.m.

鈥淭his will be a memorable concert. Brad Shipley on guitar, James McRae on drums, Orith Horwitz on vocals and bass, Claudio Fantinato on saxes, and myself on keyboards," said Steele.

"We will be playing an unusual hybrid mix of jazz, rock, and blues mixed seamlessly together that few other bands can do. Our set list will include mostly original tunes; eigh of mine, four of Orith's, and four jazz classics in different styles.鈥�

Steele is the undisputed master of playing the keyboard bass lines while playing piano, with more than 45 years of active and steady gigs. In his past travels he has performed with Andy Williams, Jack Jones, Trini Lopez, Martha Reeves with the Funk Bros., Glen Campbell, and even Stevie Wonder and John Fogerty, to name a few. In 2002, he had the opportunity of a lifetime to play at Carnegie Hall performing with a college quartet at a jazz vocal choir festival.

In Nanaimo, he helped launch the first Have You Heard series for the Nanaimo Jazz Festival Association and the first Nanaimo Night Market for the Chamber of Commerce.

He was the musical director and the composer in tandem with Bill Miner, the playwright/director/lyricist for the hugely successful revival of the Cult of Brother XII Broadway stage play for the past two years. He has put many different projects together, most notably the tribute to the great jazz/soul organist Jimmy Smith, of which he is a direct disciple of the legend adapting his style to the electric piano.

Originally from Port Alberni, saxophonist Claudio Fantinato studied music at Malaspina University College (VIU), and later Berklee College of Music. For the past 25 years, he has performed in a variety of musical groups including big bands, small jazz ensembles, and musical theatre. Currently, he plays lead alto sax for the Arrowsmith Big Band, and clarinet in Andrew Homzy鈥檚 NOLA Nighthawks. 

James McRae, drums, has played with a variety of players from Gerry Barnum and Miles Black to Marc Atkinson and David Essig. His passion for music defies easy categorization. He鈥檚 lived on the Island since 1986 and has long been an important part of the Vancouver Island music scene. In 2011 he released Slow Down, an album of original songs with a Brazilian flavour that received praise from across Canada and internationally.

He was the leader of a project re-imagining Gordon Lightfoot鈥檚 music in a jazz context as a CD titled Impressions of Lightfoot. 

Brad Shipley, guitar, makes his home on Gabriola Island when he鈥檚 not rehearsing and performing with a diverse makeup of musical projects on Vancouver Island. Sometimes a sideman playing guitar, mandolin, banjo and lap steel and sometimes a music director. He enjoys jazz and bluegrass, rock and roll and the blues, classical and musical theatre. Shipley is currently the music director of the Gabriola Chamber Ensemble.

Finally, singer, bassist, songwriter and arranger Orith Horwitz (Lady O) is a charismatic and natural entertainer who loves to bring people together. She resides in the Cowichan Valley and recently performed with her six-piece band Lady O & The Omen as part of the Discovery Series at the Port Theatre in Nanaimo.

While completing her music degree from Capilano University, Orith performed weekly with her jazz band The Grand Trine. For 15 years, the band was the face of the CTV鈥檚 2010 Vancouver Jazz Festival ad campaign, played exclusive concerts for the athletes at the Vancouver Olympics, and was nominated twice for the CBC鈥檚 Galaxie Rising Star award.

Wines, beers and wonderful food packages will be served throughout the concert.  Admission is $20 for society members, $25 for non-members.