BY MALCOLM HOLT

Special to the Record

鈥淲ow! We get the second gig at the new venue on Fifth Street. I love The High Tide pub,鈥� says Larry Ayre about his band鈥檚 upcoming gig on Jan. 18 at the Georgia Straight Jazz Society鈥檚 popular new home. 鈥淚鈥檒l play acoustic and electric guitars and sing some blues and standards. The repertoire will be varied as usual; acoustic and electric blues as well as Latin instrumentals, some with the classical guitar.

鈥淎nd I鈥檝e got the extremely accomplished Steve Wallace with me on acoustic bass. On drums, I鈥檒l have Bob Vail Grant, a player with great musicality and feel. Both Steve and Bob were with me at our GSJS gig last February.鈥�

Ayre has played and taught in the Comox Valley for over 30 years. He was leader of The Larry Ho Blues Show and then Larry Ho鈥檚 Jive Five. He continues to play blues and swing with a passion, but not exclusively. He also loves playing South American music on the nylon string guitar. There is a rich history of early Brazilian musicians who inspired the creators of Bossa Nova. In the first set the band will play pieces by Reis, Lauro and Segreras, arranged for a small group setting, as well as some more familiar bossas. And then for something quite different, but not unexpected - a set of jumpin鈥� and jivin鈥� blues.

Ayre offers high praise for the other two-thirds of his trio on this musical voyage from Rio to Chicago.

鈥淚 am extremely fortunate to be able to play regularly with Steve鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is difficult to say enough about his musical career, across Canada and around the world. He鈥檚 played with the greats! Suffice it to say, if you haven鈥檛 heard this guy, you are in for a treat.鈥�

Grant is a fantastic drummer with a natural feel for the blues, and an alumnus of the Larry Ho Blues Show. Ayre is looking forward to making music with him again.

鈥淣o one plays the Blue Light Boogie shuffle like Bob.鈥�

Grant has toured with many blues artists, most recently Harpdog Brown.

Admission is $20 for non-members and $15 for members. 2024 Memberships will be for sale at the door. Music starts at 7 p.m.

Food will be available from the pub menu until 8 p.m., and drinks will be available throughout the two-hour show.

For more information about the wonderful array of artists featured in the calendar for Thursday Night Jazz, visit .

Malcolm Holt is the vice-president of the Georgia Straight Jazz Society