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Jazz musician joins Char’s Landing

Saxophonist Ryan Oliver will also be holding a workshop at Alberni District Secondary School
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Ryan Oliver will join Char’s Landing on Thursday, Nov. 22. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Young Alberni Valley musicians will have a chance to join a jam session with Juno-nominated saxophonist Ryan Oliver when he visits Port Alberni this week.

Oliver will be presenting a workshop at Alberni District Secondary School at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 22, followed by a concert at Char’s Landing starting with his jazz quartet at 7:30 p.m. Ryan will encourage a few of the students he works with in the afternoon to bring their instruments to the concert and join the group for a tune to jam.

Oliver honed his craft living on Canada’s west coast, and in Amsterdam, Toronto and New York. He has maintained a busy schedule as one of Canada’s most in-demand saxophonists, recently releasing Strive!, featuring jazz legend Victor Lewis.

Over the last 15 years, Oliver has toured the world with legendary Canadian group The Shuffle Demons. He is also a member of Juno-award-winning Aboriginal rock performer Derek Miller’s band, and appears on Miller’s most recent recording, featuring Stevie Ray Vaughn’s rhythm section Double Trouble and musical icon Willie Nelson. He has received numerous Canada and Ontario Arts Council grants for touring, recording and education and was nominated for the 2013 Prix De Jazz at the Montreal Jazz Festival.

Oliver currently teaches saxophone to students throughout Vancouver Island and instructs several student and adult jazz combos in Victoria. He has worked as an adjudicator for the Fraser MacPherson Scholarship and the Victoria and Powell River Jazz Festivals. In 2017, Oliver took over as the Executive Director for the Comox Valley Youth Music Centre (CYMC) a non-profit music education organization based in Courtenay. The clinic at ADSS is part of CYMC’s BC Arts Council-supported Youth Outreach initiative.

Thursday’s concert starts at 7:30 p.m. at Char’s Landing. Tickets are $15 in advance and are available at the Rollin Art Centre, by phone (778-421-2427) or online (www.brownpapertickets.com).