February 18th at 7:30 pm - Arrowsmith Big Band

Admission is $10 for society members, $12 for non-members.

The fabled Arrowsmith Big Band is delighted to be returning to Georgia Straight Jazz Society. The band, arguably the finest on Vancouver Island, is based in Oceanside, and has among its members some of the best jazz players on the Central Island. Soloists include Oceanside players Claudio Fantinato (alto and soprano sax) and Dave Stewart (trumpet), as well as Nanaimo's Greg Bush (trumpet) and Barry Miller (piano).

Originally formed over 40 years ago, the Arrowsmith Big Band has enjoyed several incarnations over the years. For the last 14 years the band has focused on big band jazz from established and emerging arrangers. For this visit, the band has selected charts in a wide variety of styles, from gentle big band ballads to driving swing.

The band always looks forward to performances in Courtenay. Due to some conflicting scheduling, the band found itself without some regular members, who had already committed to feature at the Envision Surrey Jazz Festival on the mainland. But thanks to the wonderful depth of talented musicians on the Island, the band is happy to be joined by Nanaimo's Lucas Smart on tenor sax and Dean Boland on trumpet, Rod Alsop from Ladysmith on alto sax and on trombone Courtenay's favourite, Jeff Agopsowicz.

Look forward to a great evening of big band jazz, in a convivial atmosphere. If you've never experienced Thursday Night Jazz, don't be shy: come on down and receive a warm welcome from music fans of like mind. If you have teenagers who would like to experience live jazz music, please feel free to bring them with you; the Avalanche changed its licence to allow a younger audience to appreciate the music too.

The full calendar for the 2015-16 season, and comprehensive information about the Georgia Straight Jazz Society is posted on this website. Alternatively, you can follow us on Facebook.

GSJS is committed to keeping jazz live, and allowing Comox Valley music lovers an opportunity to expose themselves local, regional and internationally-known jazz musicians.