B.C. Interior Jazz Festival starts today
As the B.C. Interior Jazz Festival co-ordinator, West Kelowna’s Craig Thomson has put together a stellar lineup of musicians and added a Thursday night concert to mark the festival’s 40th anniversary.
The event will attract up to 1200 musicians in over 50 groups including jazz combos, bands, vocals and choirs, eight professional adjudicators and one special guest artist.
“It’s an incredible event that presents incredible value to the general public,” said Thomson, noting jazz fans can get their fix coming to all the events every day of the B.C. Interior Jazz Festival likely for less than the cost of one concert ticket at the Vancouver Jazz Festival
A free opening night jam hosted by Capilano University goes tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Forum at 1317 Ethel St. in Kelowna. A second free jam goes Thursday night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Forum, followed by a ticketed concert from 8 to 10 p.m. with Thomson’s sextet, featuring Thomson’s new original music from his upcoming album release. E-mail Thomson at craig.thomson@sd23.bc. ca for ticket availability
For $3 a day, the public can visit the Kelowna Community Theatre in the daytime Thursday, Friday and Saturday and watch the up-and-coming student jazz musicians perform.
Over at the Rotary Centre for the Arts, the public can watch student jazz combos perform for free Thursday and bring along their instruments and take in free workshops on Friday and Saturday with festival adjudicators and local professional players.
“We’re producing really high quality young musicians here,” said Thomson, a music teacher at Mount Boucherie Secondary School. He urged people to see student musicians such as Bjorn Kriel, Alex Argatoff and Brodie Jones while they are still in the Okanagan, because they are going to hit the world stage and probably won’t be back.
He noted adjudicators love coming to the Interior Jazz Festival because there is an uncommonly high level of musicianship displayed by Okanagan students that doesn’t make sense given our population.
Vocalist and pianist Carol Welsman will return to Kelowna as the headliner in Friday night’s Jazz Masters concert at the Kelowna Community Theatre.
Welsman was well-received when she played the jazz festival a number of years ago and Thomson said there was a clamour for her to come back.
Welsman is a stellar musician with a great stage presence, said Thomson.
The Jazz Masters concert will also feature award-winning musicians including Greg Yasinitsky from Washington State University, trumpeter Brad Turner from Capilano University in Vancouver, vocalist/ trumpeter Rich Sumstad from Ontario, vocalist Janet Warren from Vancouver and vocalist Kinga Heming from Kelowna.
As well, the Michael Garding Big Band will be performing with Thomson taking a rare turn on the alto sax, killer trombone player Bob Rogers and many players from the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra including Dennis Colpitts on trumpet.
“What you’re getting is 20 of the best musicians around in one power ensemble,” said Thomson.
Every year, the Michael Garding Big Band slots in a couple of the best students from the area to come and join them with Mount Boucherie Secondary School’s young powerhouse Bjorn Kriel joining them on piano this year.
“It’s just astounding how good he is,” said Thomson.
As well, Yasinitsky has written a new original piece of music speciÀcally for the B.C. Interior Jazz Festival customized for the Michael Garding Band.
Tickets for the Jazz Masters concert cost $35 and can be purchased online at selectyourtickets. com or by phone at 250-762-5050.
The festival wraps up Saturday night with the student showcase that features the adjudicators’ picks. “It’s going to be a really interesting diverse show that shows all of the best aspects of the B.C. Interior Jazz Festival,” Thomson said. “It’s a super deal at $6 a ticket.”
For more information, go online to bcinteriorjazzfestival.com.