Jazz Club Schedule:

Jazz Club - Thursdays 7:30 pm, Elk's Hall, 231 6th St. Courtenay MAP
No cover (donations welcome).

We’ve done it again!

The Brett Martens String Band is returns this Thursday for its second performance this year, in response to an overwhelming number of requests to have them back.  Last February the band played to a full house, and no doubt this will happen one more time. We are fortunate to be able to bring the band back to our stage for a return performance – such is its popularity!

Brett Martens is one of Vancouver Island's most astounding young guitar pickers; currently touring with The Marc Atkinson Trio, 'Caravan' with Daniel Lapp, and leading his new band The Brett Martens String Band. His zeal for music is addictive, passionate, and fun; his playing has been described as enlivening, creative, engaging, and exciting.

The band follows the sound of 'Django Reinhardt and the Quintette du Hotclub de France'; a musical style pioneered in the 30's when a very inventive gypsy living in France discovered American jazz.  His name: Django Reinhardt.  Known as 'manouche' or 'gypsy jazz', the sound is all acoustic and rich with delightful rhythm, melody and improvisation.  Because its origins are largely in France it is frequently known by the French name, "jazz manouche", or alternatively, "manouche jazz", even in English language sources. Brett states, "When first listening to Django, I was pleasantly perplexed; I had never heard anything like it! Guitar players, composers, improvisers and the like have much to thank from this timeless, two fingered genius" - Django lost the use of all but two fingers in his left hand. The String Band plays Brett's original compositions, alongside an array of tunes from different eras, and styles; all interpreted to fit a small string band.

Brett's compositions pull from his upbringing in classical and jazz, and dip into musette, bluegrass, latin and "just about anything that swings".  Alongside original material, the band plays many standards of the 'swing' era:  anything from romantic ballads, to "dance on the table" party swing.  Be it for the intellectual or the fire of the gypsy... the trio's music is moving.

Joining Brett are some fine musicians in their own right:  Jim Lambert on rhythm guitar and Tim Croft on upright bass.  Jim is on the top of the list for gigs in the Comox Valley; a great lead player as well as solid rhythm guitarist. As Brett commented, "The heart of the groove, in manouche, lies with the drummer... who’s in none but the rhythm guitarist".  Tim has been the backbone for many groups over the years, and it shows, "His sound is big and his ears even bigger; just what you want in a great bass player." 

Brett lives with his wife and daughter on Hornby Island.  "Writing, touring, playing and teaching are a big part of my life, and much inspiiration comes from living in such a wonderful part of the world.  When I think music, I think celebration of life; of joy, sadness, love, and all... everything summed up into 12 notes with a good tempo."