February 15th 2018 at 7:30pm

Tijuana Brass - Tribute to Herb Alpert

Members $10, non-members $12

It's been over two years since Jake Masri infused his happy atmosphere with his Tribute to Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. This most popular show has become a recurring celebration of brilliant music, in the darkest days of winter!

Spanning a musical career of over 50 years, Alpert built a solid reputation as one of the most successful performing artists of the 20th century. Due to a growing demand for live appearances, the "Brass", consisting of the best LA session musicians, was formed in 1964 and soon became one of the highest paid acts in show business. Tijuana Brass awards and honors include five #1 Hits; twenty-eight albums on the Billboard charts; eight Grammy Awards; fourteen Platinum albums, fifteen Gold albums, and as of 1996 a total of 72 million albums sold worldwide. In the 1980s, Alpert created a Foundation in his name to support the California Institute of the Arts (in aid of youth arts education and environmental issues). He also donated millions towards expanding the School of Music at UCLA.

The "BRASS"

Band leader, trumpeter, Jake Masri was first attracted by the music of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass before taking up the trumpet at age 11. His passion for jazz is directly connected to artists such as Harry James, Miles Davis, Chet Baker, and Arturo Sandoval. Jake studied trumpet with Boyd Hood, Gerald Gerbrecht, and trombonist, Dave Robbins. Since moving to Comox in 2002, Jake has appeared with most of the local jazz ensembles, and is a great favourite at Thursday Night Jazz.

Guitarist Rick Husband, has performed extensively throughout Vancouver Island and is arguably the finest of our region's jazz guitarists. By integrating improvised lines with familiar motifs and genres, Rick is a master at communicating beautifully with his audience.

Keyboard master Michael Eddy is a welcome addition to, and well established with, the local music scene. Mike is the recipient of the Alberta Band Director of the Year and of the Alberta Excellence in Teaching Award.

Joining us on trumpet is local favorite Jay Havelaar. Jay is comfortable in a variety of musical styles and brings a distinctive voice to his trumpet in any setting.

Talented multi-instrumentalist Grahame Edwards is on bass. Well known in the local jazz scene, Grahame's first musical love lies with improvised music and he enjoys playing and composing his own jazz tunes. In addition to performing, he has taught both privately and within the Campbell River School District and enjoys sharing his music by conducting workshops and clinics.

Tom Timsley, usually the drummer with Sympatico, brings to the band a wealth of musical expertise and plays with both the energy and taste needed to perform this music.

For more information about the forthcoming shows during the remainder of this performance year, please browse the GSJS web site and select the calendar tab. More important, come on down to any of the shows and discover why Courtenay has the reputation as the friendliest and best jazz venue in British Columbia. You'll be glad you did!

GSJS showcases jazz live in the Comox Valley, giving music lovers an opportunity to enjoys local, regional and internationally-known jazz musicians.