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February jazzy in Crofton

Jazz is back with a roar in February at the Crofton Hotel pub.
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Cheek to Cheek

Jazz is back with a roar in February at the Crofton Hotel pub.

Starting with Feb. 12, there’s a trio of Sunday afternoon shows coming down the pike.

Talented multi-instrumentalist John Lee picks up his bass to pay tribute to a legendary jazz musician in a show billed as “John Lee: In the Spirit of Ray Brown”.

Lee, back on the Island since last summer from his studies at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, will be joined by pianist Nick Peck and drummer Kelby MacNayr.

Sunday’s performance is part of the Jazz at Crofton series, which runs from 2 to 5 p.m. each Sunday. Musicians are invited to join in a jam session during the last hour.

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Mid-Island trumpeter Dave Stewart and his septet pay tribute to jazz legend Miles Davis at the Crofton Hotel Pub on Sunday, Feb. 19.

The program, entitled “Seven Steps to Heaven”, suits both the number of members in the group and one of the Miles Davis tunes you’ll be hearing.

Great show for those who love cool jazz, Stewart says, adding, “I have arranged a selection of music, for a septet and a quintet, from his career spanning from 1955 to 1961.”

Stewart will be joined by alto saxophonist/clarinetist Claudio Fantinato, tenor saxophonist Dan Craven, trombonist Jeff Agopsowicz, pianist Chad Geekie, bassist Rob Uffen and drummer Wayne Funican.

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Cheek to Cheek, featuring three of Victoria’s most talented vocalists, sold out at its recent debut at Victoria’s iconic Hermann’s Jazz Club.

Now the three — Edie DaPonte, Susannah Adams and Kristina Helene — will reprise the show at the Crofton Hotel Pub on Sunday, Feb. 26.

With an all-star backup trio featuring pianist Jan Stirling, bassist Joey Smith and drummer Damian Graham, the three will each offer her own interpretations of the Great American Songbook.

DaPonte, with her sultry tones and soulful singing, was nominated as Vocalist of the Year at the 2016 Vancouver Island Music Awards. The house singer at Sidney’s Beacon Landing Lounge, she specializes in the supple rhythms and seductive lyrics of bossa nova and Latin songs.

Adams is playing to critical acclaim around Victoria and launched her career when she was picked to open the Victoria Jazz Festival’s concert series in Centennial Square. She is noted for her joyful and adventurous vocal improvisations of jazz standards.

Kristina Helene, noted for her lush vocal stylings, performed regularly at the Empress Hotel’s Bengal Lounge before its closing last year.

Admission for this show is $20.