Townsite Jazz Festival is just over a month away from its return to the qathet region, with a dozen events set to swing through venues large and small.
Noon-hour concerts are a new addition to the event this year, starting with the Walter Martella Trio on April 13 at Shinglemill Pub and Bistro. That evening, B3 organist Dr. Tony Genge will take the stage.
“Tony was here for our inaugural festival in 2018 and is so versatile we just had to bring him back,” said artistic director Paul Cummings. “His 7:30 pm show will be all-instrumental with a nod to some of his organ heroes, but for the late show he’ll shine the spotlight on drummer Kelby MacNayr, who’s put together a mean tribute to Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Nat Cole.”
Headlining artists for this year’s festival will include vocalist Heather Bambrick and bassist Jodi Proznick, both Juno nominees. Hailing from Canada’s east coast and now based in Toronto, Bambrick has been described as “what happens when Carol Burnett meets Ella Fitzgerald at a Newfoundland Kitchen Party.”
“She’s one of those personalities who has the power to connect with an audience right from the get-go,” said Cummings, “You’ll swear you’ve known her your entire life.”
The Jodi Proznick Trio will not only back Bambrick for her 7:30 pm performance at Max Cameron Theatre on April 14, but also perform their own set at the Shinglemill earlier that day.
Cummings anticipates that most concerts will sell out by the end of March. The festival’s newest event, Jazz and Charcuterie, did so before the end of February. A reimagining of the former Brooks Jazz Dinner, the event will combine visiting and local high school ensembles with professional artists in support of the Brooks Music Department.
Audiences will have additional chances to hear students as ensembles from Brooks Secondary School in Powell River, Reynolds Secondary in Victoria or Gleneagle Secondary in Coquitlam open most concerts, creating invaluable opportunities to hone their craft in front of a live audience, and with their heroes looking on.
“We’ve heard time and time again what an immense difference this opportunity can make to the confidence of an emerging artist,” said Cummings. “And if general seating isn’t enough of an incentive to arrive early for a show, a chance to hear the students certainly is.”
After a noon-hour concert at Coastal Cookery by the John Lee Trio, and an intimate afternoon performance at the Patricia Theatre from Brazilian guitarist Celso Machado, the 2023 festival will conclude with a gala dance on April 15 at Dwight Hall. In yet another throwback to the festival’s earliest incarnation, Cummings has elected to bring back the Bruce James Orchestra.
“I’ve never seen Dwight Hall buzzing quite like it was the night they played here in 2018,” he recalled. “They’ve got the big-band sound dialed, and a repertoire of swing-era classics a mile long.”
Another treat for audiences will come in the form of an alumni jazz choir comprised of former School District 47 students and educators of the past 40 years.
Tickets are available online via Eventbrite. A full schedule of events can be found at townsitejazz.com.
