A Montreal guitar hero and a Grammy-winning gospel group are headed to Saanich this fall for two outstanding concerts.
The Victoria Jazz Society recently announced shows by Juno Award-winning bluesman Steve Hill and The Blind Boys of Alabama – both of which are sure to enthral audiences on the Island.
Hill – who recently cleaned up nicely at the 2015 Maple Blues Awards, taking home four – is set to bring his intense live show to the Tally Ho Sports Bar & Grill on Friday, Oct. 16. The master fretburner is known for his high-octane original tunes, raucous renditions of Jimi Hendrix songs and multi-instrumental talent, playing a bass drum, snare and hi-hat while strumming out riffs and licks.
“Steve Hill is clearly at home on the stage, inviting audiences to catch a glimpse of musical madness in the form of blues and rock ‘n’ roll,” reads a press release from the jazz society.
Tickets to his show are on sale now and cost $19 in advance and for members of the Victoria Jazz Society or $22 at the door. The doors open at 8 p.m. And the show starts at 8:30 p.m.
A few months later, The Blind Boys of Alabama will put on their special holiday show at the University of Victoria’s Farquhar Auditorium, with songs off their 2014 Talkin’ Christmas! and Go Tell it on the Mountain albums. The Dec. 15 concert marks the gospel quintet’s return to the Island after eight years.
The boys have five Grammys to their name and have been performing together for more than seven decades.
“Over the past 76 years, the Blind Boys of Alabama have established themselves as an American institution and living legends of gospel music,” reads the press release. “Known for crossing musical boundaries, the Blind Boys create remarkable interpretations of traditional gospel favourites while collaborating with diverse contemporary artists such as Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Ben Harper, Peter Gabriel and Prince.”
Victoria blues and jazz songstress Maureen Washington is set to open for The Blind Boys. Last year, she won Best Jazz and Soul Artist at the Black Canadian Awards and was named Jazz and Blues Artist of the Year by Monday Magazine in 2013 and 2014.
Tickets are available now, priced at $36, $44 and $52. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.