For 20 years, the Georgia Straight Jazz Society (GSJS) has brought a wide range of musicians—from New Orleans to New York, Montreal to Victoria, and yes, Campbell River to Nanaimo—to perform in the Comox Valley.
From New Orleans roots to a Comox Valley community
On August 23, 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, a city deeply connected to the origins of jazz. Valley musicians Bill Street and Dave Harvey organized a fundraising concert in the Native Sons Hall featuring numerous jazz bands; the proceeds were donated to Red Cross efforts in New Orleans. Soon after, the inaugural meeting of the society was held, ushering in two decades of vibrant jazz in the Valley.
Two decades, four venues
After incorporating as a non-profit organization in 2006, the society began presenting weekly jazz performances by Comox Valley jazz musicians at the Elks Club, which offered comfortable seating, tables, and a licensed bar. Most evenings featured a jam session that other musicians could join spontaneously.
In 2008, the board of directors adopted a more formal approach to concerts, introducing a small entrance fee and local press releases to promote the events. Attendance rose steadily, and the GSJS began selling memberships that provided a $5 discount on entrance fees.
“With over 40 performances each year, it earned a unique reputation as the westernmost stop on a Canadian coast-to-coast jazz tour”
A major milestone came in 2013, when the society moved to the Avalanche Bar & Grill. Renovations to the venue created a vibrant nightclub atmosphere; food was provided by Yiamas Greek Taverna next door. Audiences continued to grow, the diversity of the artists performing increased, and news of this exciting new jazz venue spread beyond the Valley.
The society gained national and international recognition, becoming one of only three venues in British Columbia offering a regular weekly jazz series. With over 40 performances each year, it earned a unique reputation as the westernmost stop on a Canadian coast-to-coast jazz tour.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of indoor venues in March 2020, ending live indoor performances. Despite this, the Georgia Straight Jazz Society maintained community engagement by hosting outdoor summer jazz concerts at The Gardens on Anderton.
When the Avalanche closed permanently after COVID, the society tried the Flying Canoe, the Little Red Church, and High Tide Pub, but found space tight at these smaller venues.
In 2024, the GSJS moved its concerts to 40 Knots Winery. This spacious, picturesque setting, with fine wine offerings, attracts an even larger audience than the Avalanche. It remains the society’s venue to this day.
Many musicians, including some Juno Award winners, have remarked how important the society is, because it sustains an expanding and evolving jazz-loving population that inspires performers to rise to ever-higher levels of musicianship.
Intrinsic to jazz is creative improvisation in the current moment. The interaction between musicians and audience in those moments generates a great deal of excitement and camaraderie. This is priceless.
More than just the music
Although the GSJS’s main mission is to “Keep live jazz alive in the Comox Valley,” the society is also an integral part of the community, having raised funds for local women’s shelters, cancer research, the Red Cross, the food bank, and Wounded Warriors Canada.
The society offers an annual bursary to a young local musician (from the Comox Valley, Qualicum, or Campbell River school districts) pursuing post-secondary studies in jazz music. Currently the Georgia Straight Jazz Society is sponsoring five young people enrolled in the Jazz Studies Program at Capilano University. A major fundraiser is planned for Christmas 2026 to support these gifted musicians, thereby ensuring that, here in the Comox Valley, we will be listening to the very highest standards of jazz music well into the future.
For more information or to get involved, please visit: www.georgiastraightjazz.com
