It's wonderful to welcome Greg Bush into the Comox Valley jazz scene, in his own name. Greg is a weekly traveler from Nanaimo to Comox Valley in his capacity of the director of the Georgia Strait Big Band, and Courtenay is his regular beat in the cause of coaching and instructing our community band. This week he's coming to strut his stuff with four other accomplished musicians when he takes the stage for a two-hour concert at 7:00 pm. We feel honoured to welcome him back to our stage.

Originally from Montreal, Greg holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Concordia University and a Master of Music in Jazz Performance from McGill University. Prior to moving to Nanaimo to join the music faculty at Vancouver Island University, Greg was Director of Jazz Studies at Abilene University in Texas. In addition to his broad teaching experience Greg has also enjoyed a career as a busy freelance jazz trumpet player, arranger, composer, and conductor. He's had the good fortune of playing in big bands and orchestras that have accompanied many fine jazz artists and as the leader of his own groups has performed his original compositions in jazz clubs, concert halls and jazz festivals in Canada and abroad.

Steve Wallace is one of Canada's foremost jazz bassists. He was born in Toronto in 1956. Most of his career took place there and internationally, playing clubs, touring and recording with such American greats as Zoot Sims, Ray Bryant, Scott Hamilton, Rosemary Clooney, Woody Herman and many more.

James Darling, keyboards, holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Vancouver Island University and has studied piano with Phil Dwyer, Bob Murphy and Steve Smith. He has spent a decade working on cruise ships in lounge bands and showbands. More recently he has been the keyboardist of the high energy dance band Johnny Inappropriate, the pianist for VIU's Vocal Jazz Choir and the organist with the Duncan Symonds Trio.

Lachlan Craven is a swinging Canadian trumpet player with a unique vocality in his sound; Internationally performing musician Lachlan Craven is carrying the torch of American Music tradition on a pathway of innovation. Currently based on Vancouver Island, Lachlan has made appearances at notable venues in Vancouver, Toronto, Amsterdam, and Barcelona, and has shared the stage with the likes of John Lee, Simon Rigter, and Benjamin Herman's New Cool Collective Big Band. In 2019, Lachlan was selected to be a part of the Canadian National Youth Jazz Combo, where he performed at the Toronto TD International Jazz Festival. He has toured in Spain (2022) and Denmark, performing in the 2023 Copenhagen Jazz Festival. At the age of 17 he moved to Amsterdam to pursue his musical education and career and has completed his BMus at the Conservatory of Amsterdam as of summer 2023".

Nivedan Kaushal has been playing percussion for the last decade and is fascinated by the rhythmic traditions from around the world. He earned a minor in jazz from Capilano University. With influences from his studies in Ghanaian hand percussion and a passion for jazz, he brings a unique blend of styles to his drumming.

The High Tide has become an instant success and is extremely popular. Food from the pub menu's served until 8 pm and drinks are served throughout the performance. If you’ve never participated in the local friendly jazz community, why not find out for yourself why Comox Valley has a national and international reputation as a five-star venue.

Admission is $15 for members, $20 for non-members. 2024 memberships will be for sale at the door. Please select the Calendar tab to see the upcoming diverse range of jazz concerts between now and May 2024. Alternatively, see us on Instagram or follow us on Facebook.

You should know that, as a non-profit society, we strive to minimize our admission charges to encourage our supporters to experience wonderful live music, whilst reimbursing the musicians with almost all our income, except for fixed costs, minimal overheads, and a regular deposit into our annual bursary for post secondary music students.

This is your opportunity to discover why it is that the Comox Valley has such an enviable jazz scene, and a nationwide reputation. Our primary goal is to keep live jazz alive in the Comox Valley. We feature local, regional, national, and international acts every Thursday at the High Tide Pub in Courtenay.

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