This week's jazz concert at The Little Red Church in Comox features the amazing modern jazz music of bassist Mark Godfrey, a brilliant young musician who has quickly become one of the new faces in Canadian jazz. Mark will be performing here as the westernmost concert on his national tour across Canada with his group, the Mark Godfrey Quintet.

Hailing from Southwestern Ontario and currently living in Toronto, he has established himself as a mainstay in the city's jazz community. As a composer, Mark's music is "sophisticated, yet accessible" (Ted Parkinson, WholeNote Magazine) and his most recent album has been described as "a highly persuasive mix of forward-thinking original music" (Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen).

Mark is known for his strong sound and rhythmic presence on the instrument; his accolades include the 2019 Emerging Jazz Artist of the Year Award by the Toronto Arts Foundation, the 2021 JUNO Award for Vocal Jazz Album (Sammy Jackson/With You) and the 2014 Grand Prix de Jazz (Pram Trio/Montreal Jazz Festival).

Composing and performing for many years with his contemporary jazz group, Pram Trio, Mark's work as a co-leader, bassist and composer has garnered international recognition. His versatility on both electric and double bass has given him the opportunity to record and perform with a variety of other Canadian jazz artists over the last decade including Kellylee Evans, Joanna Majoko, Jesse Ryan, Jake Koffman, and the Toronto Jazz Orchestra.

On February 21st, 2020, Mark released his album "Square Peg" his second release as a leader. It found him taking a quintet through 10 originals that he wrote during a four-year period while frequently traveling between Toronto and New York in a 2006 Dodge minivan.

Godfrey's band is an assembly of skilled and cohesive musicians - a group with a distinctive verve and sparkle, a big full sound, instigative drum work from Nick Fraser, wonderful unison blowing interspersed with intricate interlacings from the saxophonists Matt Woroshyl and Allison Au. With compositions ranging from hard hitting swing grooves to odd meter improvisations, Mark's quintet takes you on an enjoyable and turbulent joyride from start to finish.

This is your opportunity to discover why it is that the Comox Valley has an enviable jazz scene, and a nationwide reputation. Our goal is to keep live jazz alive in the Comox Valley, and we feature local, regional, national, and international acts every Thursday at affordable prices. Admission is $15 for members, $20 for non-members. Doors open at 7:00 pm. Downbeat is at 7:30 pm. 2024 Memberships ($25) will be for sale at the door.

Tickets will be available at the door for Maureen Washington's December 14th concert : "A Sprinkle of Jazz & Blues" ($35), and they're already for sale at House of Colour, Courtenay and Blue Heron Books, Comox (cash only).

Please select the Calendar tab to see the upcoming diverse range of jazz concerts between now and May 2024. Alternatively, see us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/georgiastraightjazz/, or follow us on Facebook.

The Georgia Straight Jazz Society endeavours to feature fine jazz performances of all genres, in an effort to sustain live music, and further the art. This is your opportunity to listen to live modern jazz music from the leading edge. Don't miss it!