By Pat Selman
Top drawer jazz is on the menu in Crofton Aug. 19.
Celebrated jazz saxophonist P.J. Perry makes his annual visit to the Cowichan Valley on Sunday, leading an all-star quartet as part of the continuing series, Pat’s House of Jazz at the Osborne Bay Pub starting at 2 p.m.
Known as Canada’s Mr. Bebop, Perry will perform with bassist Neil Swainson, keyboardist Tony Genge and drummer Hans Verhoeven.
Perry, of Edmonton, has performed with countless jazz greats, from Dizzy Gillespie to Michel Legrand, Kenny Wheeler to Ellis Marsalis. In 1993, he won a Juno Award for Best Jazz Recording for his album, My Ideal. He was awarded the Order of Canada two years ago.
He’s perhaps best known as the lead alto saxophonist with McConnell’s Boss Brass and with the Tommy Banks Band.
At age 76, Perry continues to perform across Canada as a studio musician, jazz soloist and a regular performer for CBC radio and television, as well as a recording artist with Justin Time Records.
Swainson, originally from Victoria, began playing in his home town in the ’70s, backing visiting musicians such as Herb Ellis, Sonny Stitt and Barney Kessel, and working regularly with flutist Paul Horn in Victoria.
He moved to Toronto in ’77, where he remains a leading player in the local jazz scene.
He’s perhaps best known for his relationship with the late pianist George Shearing, with whom he recorded numerous albums and worked with a number of artists including Mel Tormé, Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson and Diana Krall.
Genge, a composer and arranger with a doctorate in from State University of New York, has performed and recorded with leading Canadian and international jazz artists, including vocalist Joe Coughlin and Paul Horn. He is home in Victoria on sabbatical as a professor of music at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S.
Verhoeven, an instructor in the jazz program at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, is recognized for his authenticity and his joyful playing. As the go-to drummer on the mid-Island, he has played with a wide variety of artists, from bassist Brandi Disterheft to trombonist, pianist and composer Hugh Fraser.
NOTE: The regular Sunday afternoon jazz series at the pub, begins its sixth annual fall season Sept. 9 with a performance by Victoria vocalist Edie Daponte of her new show From Paris to Rio. Mark your calendars and make your reservations early. Daponte always sells out.
Tickets are $20 per person for Perry and $15 for Daponte. Reservations highly recommended. Tables will be held until 1:30 p.m. Call 250-324-2245 to reserve.
