It's been many years since Tony Morrison, saxophonist and flautist, last appeared at Georgia Straight Jazz Society's Thursday Night Jazz. Morrison was one of the founding participants in the Society nearly two decades ago, since his life has been stretched between Vancouver Island and Montreal, this is his long-awaited return to our stage.

"Originally, I played with Dave and Charlotte Harvey and Liam Grimm and many others from that bygone era but I ultimately starting to bring a group of my own a few years ago. Those intervening years have been a pleasure and a journey of growth. Though I have been geographically unstable lately, I always have a horn nearby and music on my mind. The crowd and venue have been steadily welcoming over the years and I feel extremely grateful to still enjoy the opportunity to perform here once again."

"We'll be playing some of my favourite standards with an eye for variety of feeling, key and tempo. There'll be ballads, blues, some Latin tunes and swing." Tony is proud to present his quartet.

"Parksville-based Gary Lovell pianist and vocalist is extremely busy. He's fun to play with, and very lyrical, astute, and interactive in a group setting, and one of my favorite musicians. He sings with mesmerizing vocals and plays lyrical melodic solos."

"Wayne Finucan, percussionist, is now Vancouver Island-based after a terrific career in Winnipeg and Vancouver. Wayne is full of joy and pep, and it's a delight and a privilege to play with him. What I like most, is you can tell as Wayne plays, he always has the melody and even lyrics in mind. He's had an illustrious career in musi since playing in his early years during the sixties with jazz legend Lenny Breau."

"And I've been blessed to team up with Richard Kilburn, upright bass, after his 50-year career, mainly in New York, playing with jazz notables including Mose Allison, Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Gerry Mulligan, Diana Krall, Chet Baker and many more. Richard is another illustrious Island-based (recently relocated to Parksville) who has added to the jazz-rich inventory of local musicians."

Admission to this concert is $15 for members, $20 for non-members. Annual memberships ($20) will be for sale at the door. Doors open at 7:00 pm.

You're invited to visit www.georgiastraightjazz.com to look at the calendar of diverse and amazing jazz performances between now and the end of August. If you're new to the valley and love live music, give us a try: 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.