By Malcolm Holt
Special to the Record
Back in the early days of the jazz society, Ralph Barrat used to wow his audiences when he made his appearances with his own keyboard.
Over the years, he mastered the vocal style of Frank Sinatra and focused more on performing ballads with an accompanying band; that became his more established style. For many, the shift has meant that we never hear Barrat鈥檚 wonderful keyboard performances and his repertoire of jazz standards.
Well, this week Barrat is delighted to be back at the Little Red Church in Comox.
This time Barrat will be singing and playing his keyboard, and possibly a few on the church鈥檚 new piano. He will be joined by three of our region鈥檚 finest jazz artists: Cayleigh Borsboom on alto and tenor saxes, Don Mackay on electric bass and James McRae on drums. Each of these musicians generates excitement in their own right; it鈥檚 going to be memorable to witness how they draw even more inspiration and improvisation from each other. Come out to the show to witness this bound-to-be unforgettable evening.
鈥淚t will be all your favourite old standards and a few from the late great Mose Allison,鈥� said Barrat. 鈥淭hese players need no further introduction to our local jazz community as they have all graced the Thursday Night Jazz stage before. For me it鈥檚 a privilege: I am blessed to have this opportunity to play with them!鈥�
Since no food or beverages will be served, attendees are encouraged to bring your own food and drink.
Experience an amazing jazz performance in a warm, safe and friendly atmosphere. If you鈥檙e new to the valley and still exploring what鈥檚 new and exciting, you will be surprised to discover a jazz performance scene equal to any major city. Visit and select the Calendar tab to see the forthcoming acts in our schedule.
Georgia Straight Jazz Society is a non-profit organization. We minimize our admission charges to encourage our supporters to experience wonderful live music, whilst reimbursing the musicians with almost all our income, except for fixed costs, minimal overheads, and a regular deposit into our annual bursary fund for post-secondary music students.
This is your opportunity to discover why it is that 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. We feature local, regional, national, and international acts every Thursday at The Little Red Church.
Remaining 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 may also for sale at House of Colour, Courtenay and Blue Heron Books, Comox (cash only).
Malcolm Holt is the vice-president of the Georgia Straight Jazz Society.
