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Jazz/funk band to play at Sunshine Music Festival in qRD park

Young musicians who have been busy performing and practicing together all year will perform at annual Palm Beach Regional Park event
Tanya Hill
Tanya Hill

Members of the jazz quintet The Kitchen Sink are getting ready to perform at this year's Sunshine Music Festival, which takes place on Saturday, August 31, and Sunday, September 1, at Palm Beach Regional Park in qathet Regional District (qRD).

On Saturday, bass player Nathanial Hargrave, pianist Aaron Schweitzer, guitarist Anthony Mulder, drummer Tai Brown and trumpet player James Leishman will take the stage to perform some jazz and funk classics, as well as some original tunes.

Schweitzer said the band got together two years ago while they were attending the jazz music program at Brooks Secondary School. 

"Paul [Cummings] brought us together," said Schweitzer. "Now we are doing our own independent thing together."

Cummings, a trombone player, Townsite Jazz Festival director and now retired Brooks Secondary School music teacher, was instrumental in mentoring a plethora of students in the Brooks jazz program for years.

"Paul had a lot of opportunities for us and he really got us all involved with performing," said Schweitzer. "That's a big part of the arts is to share [what you do]."

The Kitchen Sink has performed at the Texada Island Blues and Roots Festival, Townsite Jazz Festival and the Blackberry Festival this year.

"We got to perform on Lasqueti Island for the jazz fest this year," said Leishman. "That was a life highlight because it was so different, with so many people from the island at the community hall." 

Leishman said they stayed in a log house built using trees on the property by a husband and wife, who hosted the band. 

Sunshine Music Festival may be the group’s last gig together  for a while, as each member will be pursuing separate goals come September.

"It's kind of a unique thing because we are all friends and not just coworkers," said Schweitzer. "It's a lot of fun performing and getting to share the music with the audience."

Band members said musicians Chet Baker, Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans are some of their favourite jazz performers who are influential to them.

"I was into music before I moved here [to qathet] in grade 10," said Hargrave, who plays bass. "But when I saw that they [Brooks Secondary] had a jazz band, I thought that looked like fun and so I joined." 

Sunshine Music Festival will be held at qRD's Palm Beach Regional Park this coming weekend. For a full schedule and lineup, go to sunshinemusicfest.ca.

Local singer/songwriter C.J. Beachamp will also perform on Saturday.

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