- Words by Tim Collins
There’s no doubt that Victoria is a hotbed of musical talent, and that fact has never been more on display as when CanUS & Friends takes the stage.
These incredible artists bring a monthly offering of traditional jazz to town when they take the stage at Hermann’s Jazz Club at 753 View Street in Victoria. The group appears the first Sunday of every month at 1 p.m. and you never know what surprises might be in store.
Of course, each of the musicians in the group represent the best of professional performers in Victoria and each of them is arguably a star.
Toni Blodgett has loved and promoted ragtime and traditional jazz piano in a career that has spanned more than 25 years.
Then there’s Alfons Fear on trumpet. He’s been performing, teaching, and recording music for more than 20 years and has performed with more prominent musicians than you can name.
Simon Stribling joins the group on trombone and his love of jazz is evident. Stribling started playing trombone at five and has performed for decades with a single-minded love of jazz, played from the heart.
And those are only three of the amazing jazz artists in CanUS & Friends.
They’re joined by Al Pease on reeds, Avram McCagherty on the banjo, Lauri Lyster on drums and Joey Smith on bass.
It’s only fitting that CanUS & Friends should play Hermann’s Jazz Club, of course. It’s been a fixture on Victoria’s music scene for more than 40 years and has hosted a host of musical greats, making it a landmark in the world of live performances.
You can see CanUS & Friends on Feb. 5 at 1 p.m. at Hermann’s and admission is only $20 in advance or $25 at the door. More information on performances at Hermann’s can be found at www.hermannsjazz.com.