by Marion Boyd, South Okanagan Concert Society
As I write this, “the weather outside is frightful” but the promise of music delightful. On Friday, January 23rd, the new Venables Auditorium in Oliver will be the scene for an evening of jazz (think Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald and Diana Krall), some tasty Latin grooves, a bit of boogie (think Michael Kaeshammer) and some beautiful ballads when Penticton’s OffRamp Jazz Sextet rolls on stage at 7:30 pm. Hot and satisfying, this is a band guaranteed to lift midwinter blues.
Four admission flex pass tickets for only $70 are on sale at Beyond Bliss Esthetics in Oliver, Imperial Office Pro in Osoyoos or at the door. The flex ticket can be used in any combination. Four can go to one concert, snowbirds can share a ticket or one person can come to all four concerts. Single entrance is $20. Students 17 and under gain admission free and those needing a ride from Osoyoos can call Maureen at 250 495 7978 and arrange to come by bus.
OffRamp Jazz Sextet is the brain child of band leader and pianist, Justin Glibbery. He is also music director at Penticton Secondary School and artistic director for the Naramata Choir. Originally in 2010, Glibbery hand picked each member of OffRamp Jazz to form a local group to perform in the Penticton Jazz Festival. There was an excited audience response and before long the group was playing to sell out crowds at the Dream Café and the Vernon Jazz Club.
So who did Glibbery pick then and now? If you caught the recent Soundstage production of Les Miserables, you will know Aidan Mayes stunned the audience with her powerhouse voice as the tragic heroine, Fantine. She is the vocalist for OffRamp and teaches guitar and voice at the Maeve Lily School of Music in Penticton.
On drums, Mike Treadway alone is worth the price of admission to this ‘different’ kind of musical evening where musicians interact with the audience as they announce their pieces but also interact among themselves to decide what to play next. Treadway teaches drums and percussion at Steve’s Groove School in Penticton.
Stefan Bienz works his particular magic on upright Bass. He is a member of the roots duo ‘The Darylectones’ and he has played at folk, jazz, blues, bluegrass, country and rock festivals all over North America.
Larry Crawford, a professional sax player who performed for Sesame Street and with many of the “who’s who” of the Canadian Jazz scene was another of Glibbery’s picks. Crawford has performed with entertainment legends that include Liberace, Sammy Davis Jr., and Harry Belafonte. Joining him, also on sax is a founding member, Stan Sabourin, who, like Glibbery, teaches music in the Penticton School District. Sabourin recently took a leave of absence to achieve a Master’s degree in Saxaphone.
Come to our beautiful new theatre! Relax! Enjoy! This one is a “don’t miss”.
