May 26th at 7:30pm

Jennifer Scott & Rene Worst

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

Thursday Night Jazz at The Avalanche Bar follows a well established tradition this week. It's the sixth year that Jennifer Scott and Rene Worst have played the closing concert of our performance year. It all started when the 2010 Vancouver Olympics were scheduled, and the Society received a request from Jennifer and Rene: could they play a Thursday night concert, because they wanted to escape from the madness of Vancouver? The result was one of the most memorable jazz evenings, where two of Canada's jazz greats, played "for the hat" before a packed house. It was so successful that they have made a repeat appearance - as the final act - each year since; every time to a capacity audience. Well, Jennifer and Rene are back; we are honoured to have them on our stage once more at 7:30pm.

Jennifer Scott is a singer and pianist born in Vancouver, BC, Canada. She specializes in jazz, blues, and world music. She is considered one of the more important jazz artists working in Canada and the United States today. As well as being a highly rated performer, she arranges and writes jazz and pop tunes, with several CDs containing a combination of original tunes, tunes she has arranged, and more traditional numbers. She has also appeared on numerous CBC recordings and has worked with many other musicians both live and in studio.

Rene Worst has been a professional bassist since 1971. His virtuosic and supportive bass playing has been a Canadian treasure for many years on both acoustic and electric basses. He is as gifted on fretless as he is on acoustic - a rarity in the industry. Rene was educated both in Canada and the US. He is one of the founding members of the noted fusion band "Skywalk" and has anchored and produced six recordings with them. He is also a highly regarded producer.

What makes this appearance even more special is the context: earlier this year their lives were disrupted once again by Rene's recurrence of health complications which resulted in his recent surgery. So this spring has become yet another rebirth in their remarkable career together. Those readers who have experienced these wonderful artists need no further encouragement to see the show, but the added bonus is to catch the warm glow that Jennifer and Rene exude, and the afterglow created by their emotional renaissance. If you think this sounds a bit spiritual, come and hear the music for yourself: it doesn't come any better.

For a sampler, visit JenniferScott.ca and listen to the mp3 tracks.

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