Thursday October 4th 2018 at 7:30pm

Jeff Drummond Trio

Members $10 , non-members $12

Closing September jazz nights, the Georgia Straight Jazz Club delighted in the innovative performance of drummer John Lee and organist Dr. Tony Genge that explored a dialogue between these two outstanding jazz musicians. With the advent of fall, it's time to settle into more local, but no less exceptional music in a cool, smooth jazz vein when we proudly present Comox Valley musicians Jeff Drummond and John Hyde with Victoria's Kelby MacNayr. This energized trio deftly explores jazz standards and originals ranging from traditional to modern styles.

Guitarist Jeff Drummond wears multiple hats. Musician, educator, composer, producer and engineer, he has explored many musical genres, toured North America and the UK as a bandleader, and as a guitarist, he has worked with various artists spanning the genres of jazz, rock, R&B and roots music. Drummond has appeared on high profile national television and radio programs and garnered countless recording credits. Also well known as a "studio guy", he has years of experience producing, engineering and performing on recordings with highly acclaimed artists including Tariq, Cam Penner, Dojo Workhorse, Sue Medley, Gavin Brown, Ron Lopatta and Ian Tyson.

As bandleader, guitarist and primary composer for the groove based jazz trio Sinistrio; he also served as engineer and co-producer for all four of the group's CDs including the album The Perfect Human that was nominated for best instrumental album at the 2014 Western Canadian Music Awards. The following year, in collaboration with John Hyde, the CD Spoondrift was featured at the Georgia Straight Jazz Club. Recorded at Dove Creek Studios in the Comox Valley, the album is comprised of mostly originals performed in a laid back mellow style, a completely acoustic format of relaxed and ambient instrumental guitar and bass music in the jazz idiom.

Bassist John Hyde, well known to GSJS audiences, has a deep history performing with many local, national and international performers. In great demand both on the stage and in the studio, John Hyde's skilful and multi-faceted talent has seen him working with such notables as Marion McPartland, Bill Watrous, Oliver Jones, and Mark Murphy, vocal greats K.D. Lang and Jann Arden, Land's End Chamber Ensemble, New Works Calgary, and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as his work with Decidedly Jazz Dance and The Royal Winnipeg Ballet. John Hyde has continued to garner kudos for "perfectly centered pitch with beautiful tone and phrasing" as GSJS audiences witnessed last year in his duo performance with Juno nominated guitarist Bill Coon. Hyde's numerous recordings feature his playing, compositions, and collaborations with Ralf Buschmeyer, Verismo, as well as two albums of his own- John Hyde Quartet and Song of Seaview.

Drummer, composer and band leader, Kelby MacNayr, as audience members will remember from the Ryan Oliver Quartet's stunning season opener, is a must-see performer. Creative and dynamic, MacNayr has performed with some of the best in the ever-changing world of musicians in the Pacific Northwest including Phil Dwyer, Ian McDougal, Neil Swainson, Brad Turner, Miles Black, Tony Genge, and George McFetridge. Across the US, MacNayr has performed as a member of the Marc Atkinson New Quartet, George Colligan Quartet, NY pianist Misha Piatigorsky's (Canadian) Trio, the Scott White Quartet in Berlin, Anne Schaefer Band, the Storm Nilson Trio in L.A. MacNayr leads the Kelby MacNayr Quintet featuring some of the West Coast's leading jazz musicians. When he's not performing at Hermann's Jazz Club in his hometown, MacNayr is a faculty member of the Jazz Port Townsend Centrum Festival in Washington and on staff at Idaho's Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival.

Browse the Calendar page of our website for more information about the 2018 fall season's 16 jazz performances, and the 38 scheduled concerts in the forthcoming year 2019. That way, you will quickly realize why Courtenay has become a significant performance destination on the Canadian jazz scene.

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