Malcolm Holt

Special to the Record

After a challenging and transitional season of live jazz each Thursday, the Georgia Straight Jazz Society presents its season-closing concert at 7:30 p.m., May 25, at The Little Red Church in Comox, when Nanaimo鈥檚 Marty Steele Quartet will return to our stage.

The show will include two 50-minute sessions with a short intermission.

Marty Steele is the undisputed master of playing the keyboard bass lines while playing organ, with more than 40 years of active and steady gigs. In his past travels he has shared the stage with Andy Williams, Jack Jones, and Trini Lopez, just to name a few. Twenty years ago, he had the opportunity of a lifetime to perform at Carnegie Hall. He has told us that he feels personally humbled to be playing our closing show.

He will be accompanied by his 鈥減ersonal drummer鈥� and good friend James McRae, long-time favourite saxophonist Claudio Fantinato, and Teighan Couch as the featured vocalist. Each of these artists is established in their own name, but Steele promises that this concert will include extra magic resulting from the exciting interplay of these fine musicians.

鈥淚 will be once again showcasing a mixture of the great jazz standards, originals, and smooth jazz, some of which you鈥檝e heard me play before,鈥� said Steele. 鈥淭he concert repertoire will encompass a wide variety of popular vocal and instrumental songs that everyone will remember - guaranteed to please everyone鈥檚 tastes - from well-known standards to great jams, plus a few of my original songs. We鈥檒l have a great show without being typecast into a specific genre. I鈥檒l be in a great mood for the gig, since it鈥檚 my birthday, and I promise we鈥檒l send everybody into the summer swinging!鈥�

Doors open at 7 p.m., and downbeat is at 7:30 pm. Admission is $15 for members, $20 for non-members. Memberships ($20) will be available at the door.

As this is our season closer, perhaps this is the best time to thank the hundreds of folks who have supported our efforts during the past year, whose participation has enabled us to survive yet another change in our regular venue location, and to become firmly re-established again with more than 200 new memberships in 2023. You have really helped to confirm the validity of the Georgia Straight Jazz Society in the community context and maintain our provincial and national reputation.

Please visit www.georgiastraightjazz.com to see the scheduled outdoor summer concerts at The Anderton Gardens during July and August, as well as the emerging 2023-24 performances on the new calendar.

Malcolm Holt is the president of the Georgia Straight Jazz Society