Comox Valley quintet Centerpiece, featuring vocalist Charity Munro, brings a repertoire of swing, ballads, Latin and fusion to Pat’s House of Jazz at the Osborne Bay Pub on Sunday, Nov. 11.
A versatile band of virtuoso soloists, Centerpiece is led by bassist Dave Stevenson, who has performed with such jazz greats as P.J. Perry, Louise Rose and Phil Dwyer.
Stevenson studied music at Douglas College and the University of Victoria.
Munro is a dynamic performer. Besides singing with many jazz groups, she has covered everyone from Kiki Dee and Donna Summer to Steely Dan and Michael Jackson as well as Celtic music and even some R & B with Courtenay’s 12-piece band Time Well Wasted.
Guitarist Larry Ayre is a music teacher who studied jazz at York University in Toronto and classical guitar with Victoria Conservatory of Music faculty.
Drummer Mike Berman’s career began in the rock movement of the ’60s, recording a cult hit album Stone Circusin New York to multi-year gigs as house drummer at Jake O’Grady’s Roadhouse in Vancouver and Bourbon Street Grill in Maple Ridge, where he played with his jazz quartet StreetCats.
Rounding out the quintet for this gig is sax player Mike Butterfield. A music teacher most of his life, Butterfield‘s influences include Cannonball Adderley, Campbell Ryga, Dexter Gordon, Ross Taggart and Ryan Oliver.
The concert, beginning at 2 p.m., is part of the Pat’s House of Jazz series, presented by the Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society at the Osborne Bay Pub, 1534 Joan Ave. in Crofton. Admission is $15. Reservations are recommended. Tables will be held until 1:30 p.m.
Next on the performance schedule Nov. 18 is the NMA Big Band followed by the three-part harmonies of CanUS on Nov. 25.
The 19-piece NMA Big Band is now in its 51st year and features vocalist Needham for another show-stopping performance. Her voice is as big as the band and Needham’s soulful jazz vocals never fail to wow the crowd.
CanUS is a full entertainment package of jazz, Dixieland, swing and ragtime - the full gamut of the blues and New Orleans jazz. The Victoria jazz band has been operating for 15 years.
For information on any of the performances or to purchase tickets, contact the pub at 250-324-2245. It’s located at 1534 Joan Ave.
Visit http://osbornebaypub.com.