The Georgia Straight Jazz Society presents Thursday night jazz at the Avalanche Bar at 9275 8th St. in Courtenay, featuring the electrifying Astrid Lyre Trio at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 12.
The fluid guitar lines of Astrid Lyre combine with the articulate, adventurous bass of Brock Meades and the dynamic drumming of James McRae to weave an intricate, improvised tapestry of close and playful interaction.
The Astrid Lyre Trio was a hit at last year’s Nanaimo International Jazz Festival, and has been refining and expanding the repertoire ever since. Along with Astrid originals such as Emery Board, they serve up swing on Charlie Parker’s Barbados and Sonny Rollins’s Oleo, and add intricate improvisations to the Beatles’ perennial, Eleanor Rigby.
A graduate of Capilano College’s jazz program on bass, Lyre honed her guitar skills with a two-and-a-half-year gig in the jazz club on Royal Caribbean’s flagship cruise liner, Allure of the Seas.
On her return to Nanaimo she added vocals to her guitar, composing and performing original tunes with jazz combos and her progressive rock group, Eleanore. Influenced by a wide array of players, from guitarist Julian Lage and saxophonist Lee Konitz to pianist Bill Evans, Astrid can soar on While My Guitar Gently Weeps, and sing out her special version of All Shook Up. She comes to us direct from a stint in the band for the musical Mamma Mia! in Chemainus.
Last season, appearing in John Lee’s exciting Next Generation Jazz Collective, Meades on bass impressed GSJS members with his fresh sounds. Meades lays down a firm foundation for Astrid’s trio, adding complex and intricate solo lines to the mix.
McRae is a familiar face on the Avalanche stage, appearing with the Nico Rhodes and Marty Steele bands, and Jennifer Scott, among others. A teacher and a master of many genres, McRae toured this summer with boogie-woogie pianist Jerry Story and spent Labour Day performing at the Island Blues Bash in Victoria.
Admission is $10 for members, $12 for non-members.
Visit www.georgiastraight jazz.com and select the calendar tab to see the superb lineup of acts booked for the 2019-2020 season (September through May). Members enjoy warm, safe, friendly gatherings each week, with a wide array of live jazz genres, and the option of adding affordable, wonderful food off the pub menu or the jazz night dinner special.
