Following last week鈥檚 amazing show by Comox Valley musicians, the Thursday night jazz season at the Avalanche Bar continues this Thursday at 7:30 p.m when Victoria鈥檚 Gord Clements Quintet will treat us to a show featuring great 1950s jazz compositions.
The quintet has been together since March of 2015 and has played, in addition to many other projects, two sold-out shows at Hermann鈥檚 Jazz Club that re-created and celebrated the historical instrumental recordings produced by Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker in 1952 and 1953. The chemistry between these two legendary musicians became iconic of the evolution of jazz from bebop to the birth of cool. The songs are primarily originals by Mulligan, as are all the arrangements.
Mulligan was a significant arranger, working with Claude Thornhill, Miles Davis, Stan Kenton, and others. His piano-less quartet of the early 1950s with trumpeter Chet Baker is still regarded as one of the best cool jazz groups. Mulligan was also a skilled pianist and played several other reed instruments. Several of his compositions, such as Walkin鈥� Shoes and Five Brothers, have become jazz standards.
For Thursday鈥檚 tribute, Gord has added guitar to the baritone sax, trumpet, bass and drums combination that these recordings featured. The arrangements are exactly reproduced but the improvisations are from the band. The exciting chemistry comes from the father and son team on baritone sax and trumpet, 30 years of collaboration between multi-reed player Gordon Clements, guitarist Rob Cheramy and bassist Joey Smith, as well as the youthful presence of trumpeters Olivier Clements and drummer Dave Emery, both of whom hold jazz degrees from Humber College University in Toronto and have a wide reputation in multiple genres across Canada.
The music swings and sings with elegant harmonies, melodies that are both complex and simple along with a wide range of sensual textures produced by combining the baritone saxophone and trumpet with lush guitar voicings and infectious grooves from Joey Smith鈥檚 upright acoustic bass, and drums. This special event is unquestionably a singular opportunity to hear music which made history.
Admission is $10 for members and $12 for non-members. If you鈥檙e weaning yourself into jazz music, this will be a terrific show to experience some of the most powerful essences of modern jazz. It will also offer you a chance to experience the warm and friendly atmosphere in the best of all B.C.鈥檚 jazz venues.
For more information about upcoming shows in the 2017-18 season, please visit geogriastraightjazz.com.
