Marsalis rare treat for Island jazz fans
Trombonist and acclaimed producer will be joined in Nanaimo by Vancouver Island University Big Band
Though he’s one of the lesser-known musicians in the Marsalis family dynasty, trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis has earned his place at the table by becoming one of the best-regarded jazz producers of the past 25 years.
The 51-year-old performer and clinician, who as a producer has helmed recordings by brothers Branford and Wynton, in addition to albums by Harry Connick, Jr. and Marcus Roberts, also released a notable and politically charged jazz recording in 2016: Make American Great. He was joined on the recording by the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, the 16-piece, multi-generational New Orleans ensemble he founded in 2008.
Good news for jazz fans on Vancouver Island: Marsalis will make a rare appearance around these parts on Thursday at Nanaimo’s Malaspina University Theatre. He will be joined by the Vancouver Island University Big Band, under the direction of Greg Bush.
Tickets are a steal at $10 for students and $20 for adults.
They are on sale now at the Port Theatre box office (125 Front St.), by phone at 250-754-8550, or online at Tickets.porttheatre.com.
The Malaspina University Theatre is located at 900 Fifth St. on the VIU Campus. Vancouver Island festivals will once again become a going concern for music fans as producers ready their lineups for release.
Though no acts booked to appear have been announced, Nanaimo’s Longwoodstock Festival got ahead of the competition this past week by releasing its spot on the calendar.
The third annual event, which posted its best attendance to date in 2016, will take place Aug. 11-12 at various venues, including The Queens and Longwood Brewery.
Early-bird tickets are on sale now for $45 at Ticketzone.com.
For more information, go to Longwoodstock.com.
Metchosin favourite Jesse Roper joins two mid-Island acts for a concert at the Native Sons Hall in Courtenay next month.
Roper, who is readying his new album for release, will join Cumberland group Cozy and Campbell River’s Non Stop Talk for the April 28 event, part of the Vancouver Island Music Festival concert series.
Tickets are $20 at Bop City Records (211 Simms St., Courtenay) and Islandmusicfest.com.
The Native Sons Hall is located at 360 Cliffe Ave. in Courtenay. The Canada Council for the Arts has named Holly Bright of Nanaimo’s Crimson Coast Dance Society one of two winners of the 2017 John Hobday Award in arts management.
Bright joins fellow recipient Paola Poletto of the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto in receiving the award, given to arts managers in Canadian professional arts organizations. Each winner receives $10,000 for a future project. Bright’s winnings will go toward a mentorship project with artists and families of the Snuneymuxw First Nations near Nanaimo.
She will be presented with her prize at a public gala this year. The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television has presented Morgan Waters of Victoria with two Canadian Screen Awardss.
Waters won the two trophies for his mockumentary web series The Amazing Gayl Pyle. The show was named best original program or series produced for digital media — fiction, and best direction in a program or series produced for digital media.
Waters, who is originally from Colwood but now lives in Toronto, has earned several accolades during his career.
He won a pair of Gemini Awards for his work on the Showcase mockumentary Cock’d Gunns, which was preceded by a Gemini win for his own CBC program, The Morgan Waters Show.
Early in his career, the Belmont Secondary grad was a semi-finalists on Much Music’s nationwide VJ Search. He was also a host on the CBC teen show The X. Riff Raff will follow up his much talked-about show last year at the Upstairs Cabaret with a tour kickoff at The Queens in Nanaimo on April 13 — his only Vancouver Island date at the moment.
The comical rapper — notable for his gold teeth, pink suit and cornrows — is touring to support his latest album, Aquaberry Aquarius.
Joining him for the month-long, 18-date tour will be Canadian rapper Peter Jackson and DJ Afterthought, who produced Aquaberry Aquarius.
Tickets are on sale for $25 at Ticketzone.com.
The Queens is at 34 Victoria Cres.