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Join us at St Mary’s for a unique blend of exceptional jazz rooted in the context of meditation and prayer. This month we welcome the Ryan Oliver Quartet to open our 3rd season!
Join Juno-nominated saxophonist Ryan Oliver and his stellar Quartet as they delve into the spiritual music of John Coltrane in honour of Coltrane’s birthday. The group will perform an unforgettable set of some of Coltrane’s most riveting music.
Please see below for the bios of these fabulous musicians!
A collection will be taken in support of this ongoing series. Suggested donation $20.
Check out the full series here
About Jazz Evensong
Evolving out of two ancient services of prayer as the sun is setting—vespers and compline—the service of Evensong is an opportunity to put the events of the past day into perspective, to ground one’s body, mind and spirit in preparation for the restorative night of sleep, when in our dreaming, our subconscious will continue the creative work of making sense of our experiences.
Jazz, as Ken Burns says, is “a profound intersection of freedom and creativity”. So, whether you are a seasoned jazz lover or a newcomer to the genre, you will be sure to find something to speak to you at this unique and moving experience of making sense of your day. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this inspiring and intimate celebration of faith and music. All are welcome!
About the musicians
Ryan Oliver (saxophones): Juno-nominated Saxophonist Ryan Oliver steeped his concept and artistry in the creative fires of Amsterdam, honed his craft in Toronto and realized his dream of joining thousands of saxophonists at crowded jam sessions for several years in the jazz metropolis of New York City before returning to BC and the natural beauty of Vancouver Island. For over 15 years, Oliver toured the world with legendary Canadian jazz group the Shuffle Demons along with performing with a who's who of the Canadian jazz scene. He has been nominated for the Prix De Jazz at the Montreal Jazz Festival and for this year's Western Canadian Music Awards "Jazz Musician of the Year". His saxophone tone and musical world reflect the uniqueness of these scenes and his musical journey.
Dr. Tony Genge (piano) is a leading Canadian jazz pianist, organist, educator and arranger presently living in Victoria. He has performed with many leading Canadian and international jazz artists including Eddie ‘Lockjaw’ Davis, Joe Coughlin, Paul Horn, John Abercrombie, Randy Brecker, Jerry Bergonzi, Jeff Hamilton, Roberta Gamberini, Adam Nussbaum, Gene Bertoncini, Joey Baron, Randy Brecker, Peter Erskin, Larry Grenadier, Lew Soloff, and P.J. Perry. Tony taught jazz piano at St Francis Xavier University from 1989 to 2005. As a jazz pianist, his cool and swinging style references the great jazz piano tradition of pianists such Ahmad Jamal, Red Garland, Wynton Kelly, and Horace Silver. He has written on, and published studies and transcriptions of Red Garland and Wynton Kelly.
Louis Rudner (bass) is a native of southeast Michigan. He took up violin at age eight and began studying classical music as well as American traditional music. Inspired by the energy of the music from the 1960’s beginning with Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and Santana, Louis took up the electric bass to experiment with and explore a different sound palette. He studied the Double Bass under Rodney Whitaker, earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in jazz performance at Michigan State University. While in university, he immersed himself in the rich local music tradition and continued honing his craft in every pub, club and performance hall within reach. In addition to his love for music, he has a passion for the outdoors, and great cuisine from around the world. After several years playing music around the world and at sea, Louis is now based in Victoria. He is performing, teaching, and developing several creative projects at this time.
Joe Poole (drums) is gradually gaining an international reputation. Since earning his degree in Jazz Performance under the guidance of Oscar Peterson, Joe has been steadily honing his craft. His tasteful playing, sense of groove, rhythmic fluidity and creativity have led him to accompany many top musicians from the U.S.A, Europe and Canada, including: Ernestine Anderson, Curtis Fuller, Marcus Belgrave, Red Holloway, Houston Person, Don Thompson, Lew Tabackin, Guido Basso, Terell Stafford, Phil Dwyer, Brad Turner, Nick Brignola, Russell Malone, Bob Mover, Denzal Sinclaire, Scott Hamilton, Harry Allen, Richard Underhill, Jeff Healy, Champian Fulton, John Stetch, Jeremy Pelt, Danny Grissett, Dayna Stephens, Ned Goold, Taylor Eigsti, Dee Daniels, Jens Winther, Oliver Gannon, P.J. Perry, Tony Foster, James Danderfer, and Dmitri Shapko.