BLJQ Played Frankie's Jazz Club Again

 The Bob Liley Jazz Quintet was featured once again at Frankie's Jazz Club in the Coast Hotel on Beatty Street in Vancouver on Thursday, March 21st from 8:00 to 10:30 pm. The large audience was very appreciative of our performance.

The band features some of the finest Jazz musicians in Vancouver, with Norm Quinn on trumpet and flugelhorn, Aaron Hardie on alto sax, Shannon Thue on piano, and Mark Bender on bass. As leader, I hold down the drum chair. We  entertained our sophisticated audience once again playing tunes once performed by some of the leading jazz lights of the day. 

In addition to the music, Frankie's features excellent cuisine. Come down and give us a listen when we're there next. After all, It's Jazz for the fun of it!

Sanctuary AllStars Played Jazz Vespers November 12

 

The Sanctuary AllStars, a 17-piece jazz band under the direction of drummer Bob Liley, featuring some highly regarded soloists and an amazing collective playing swinging tunes from the libraries of Count Basie, Thad Jones, and Maynard Ferguson, among others, once again performed during Jazz Vespers at St. Andrews-Wesley Church, Burrard and Nelson Streets in Vancouver, on Sunday, November 12 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm. This was a special performance for us because we were honouring Jamie Croil, a stellar trumpeter who performed with our band for several years before unfortunately being taken early on October 13^th.  You may have heard the band before because we have been playing here for the past 25 years. If you hadn't heard us before, we hoped you were in for a treat. In any event, it's hard to beat the experience of a live jazz performance, even though that was not the only focus of the afternoon. Parking underground was free behind the church, and admission was by donation. A good crowd came out to hear us. As we tell people, It's Jazz for the fun of it!

BLJQ Played Mission's Twilight Concert Series August 16

 Once again, the Bob Liley Jazz Quintet (BLJQ)  performed at Mission's Fraser Valley Heritage Park on Wednesday, August 16th, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. The pandemic took a toll on many performers and performances, and we are only just beginning to recover from this. Our last performance at the Park was in July, 2017, and it was very well attended and much appreciated. This concert attracted at least 200 attendees who were very appreciative. The restaurant and cafe at the park also seemed to be very busy.

BLJQ featured Norm Quinn on trumpet/flugelhorn, Aaron Hardie on alto sax, Roy Sluyter on keyboard, Mark Bender on bass, and Bob Liley on drums. The music we play reflects classic bebop jazz as performed by the leading musicians of the era.  The park has long been one of our favourite venues. We have played this venue several times before and our performances have always been enthusiastically received by the audience and rewarding for us. As we like to tell people, It’s Jazz for the fun of it! 

BLJQ Plays Frankie's Jazz Club

The Bob Liley Jazz Quintet was featured at Frankie's Jazz Club in the Coast Hotel on Beatty Street in Vancouver on Thursday, August 3rd  from 8:00 to 10:30 pm. We were very much looking forward to this gig, having performed several times at both The Cellar and at The Blue Martini jazz clubs, as well as having performed on a CBC 'Hot Air' radio show. 

We weren't disappointed! We had a large and enthusiastic audience who very much appreciated our performance. A good time was had by all! With any luck, a repeat engagement won't be too far into the future. A positive note addressed to Frankue's Jazz Club might help to make that happen.

The Sanctuary AllStars Played Trout Lake July 12th

Once again, after a long lay-off due to Covid-19, Bob Liley's 17-piece jazz band, the Sanctuary AllStars, played the Trout Lake Community Centre on Victoria Street in east Vancouver on Wednesday, July 12 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. This was an outdoor concert and, although a little breezy, the weather was great. Several hundred people seemed to enjoy the show, probably the largest crowd we had there, with many families enjoying the festivities. This is one of the best settings in Vancouver for an outdoor concert. They even have a snack bar. Parking was easy and they have great facilities for the kids. I'd like to thank everyone who came to the show. And remember, It's Jazz for the fun of it! Best of all, it was free!

BLJQ Does Lunch at Coventry House

 On Saturday, June 10, the Bob Liley Jazz Quintet performed at lunch for the residents of Coventry House, Vancouver. The attendees had probably not had a great deal of exposure to jazz during their formative years, so the quintet decided to provide some through their bebop performance. This was very well received by both the attendees and the staff, and we are pleased to have delivered some new perspective through our music. Good on ya, folks, and hang in there! Life does get better even though there are challenges along the way. If you want to make a donation to Coventry House to help change some young person's life, go to their web site.

The Long Dought is Finally Over

 After three years, many lockdowns, and many, many people who have suffered much more than we have due to COVID-19, the Bob Liley Jazz Quintet is back at Jazz Vespers on Sunday, June 5, from 4:00 - 5:00 pm. Our founding pianist, Roy Sluyter, has suffered some health problems, so we have been lucky enough to have Wayne Stewart, our former long-time pianist with the Sanctuary AllStars, join us for this performance. The rest of the band are the regulars; AAron Hardie, Norm Quinn, Mark Bender, and myself. Please come down and see/hear us at St, Andrews-Wesley Church, Burrard and Nelson Streets in Vancouver, on June 5, and listen to some classic jazz. When you're there, please come up and say hello. We love to connect with our audiences; they are the reason we continue to perform. Admission is by donation, and parking under the church is free. And remember, it's Jazz for the fun of it!

Racism is Learned

I don't normally use this site for this kind of material, but this is the time to do it. When he was about four years old, my youngest son, Will, and I went down to the swimming pool for a swim in the complex where we were then living. In the hot tub was a younger black man. Now, as a musician, I had worked with a lot of black musicians over the course of my career, and many black jazz musicians were my musical idols. I had lived in New York for several years and had lived and worked with many black folks there in the course of my daily life. However, having grown up in Canada, black folks were a very small part of the population here. At this point, we were living in Vancouver, and black folks were fairly rare here at that time. Anyway, on with the main story.

Will had seen black folks on TV, but had never encountered one before. I was watching his face; his eyes were getting as big as saucers! I decided to stand back and let things play out. Will got into the hot tub, and there was a ledge around the inside of the hot tub where this fellow was sitting. Will began slowly walking around this ledge, being watched carefully by the black fellow. After three trips around this ledge, having avoided any contact with the fellow, Will put his hand on this fellow's arm, and ran his fingers down it, all the while being watched by this fellow and me. Finally, Will said to him, "Your skin is black", to which the fellow replied, "Yes, it is". At this point Will lost interest in the hot tub and said, "Hey, Dad, let's get into the pool"! I happily agreed.

Revell (the black fellow) and I subsequently became friends. He was an ex-Navy Seal from San Francisco who was working as a stock broker in Vancouver. This was the second example of how I realized that racism is learned. I won't bore you with the first, which I encountered when I was about thirteen and was visiting my aunt in Detroit. Children are not naturally racist; just watch them. So, the question is, where do people learn racism? How do we put a stop to it?

The Sanctuary AllStars were back at Jazz Vespers

Bob Liley’s Sanctuary AllStars 17-piece big band  performed once again at Jazz Vespers (St. Andrews-Wesley Church, Burrard and Nelson Streets in downtown Vancouver) on Sunday, October 20^th from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm. However, there was a bit of a twist here. Because the Church is being seismically upgraded, it won’t be available for use for some time. Rather, we performed in the Salons, rooms that are part of the redevelopment project that was undertaken some years ago behind the Church proper. Feedback suggested that the sound was good (we were the first big band to play there) and that the jazz seemed more intimate. Many folks enjoyed both the ambiance and the performance. Come out and see us some time. And remember, It’s Jazz for the fun of it!

The Sanctuary AllStars Played Trout Lake July 3rd

On Wednesday, July 3rd, Bob Liley's Sanctuary AllStars 17-piece jazz band  performed once again at the Trout Lake Community Centre on Victoria Drive in Vancouver. This is a beautiful outdoor setting and it makes for a great family outing. We  performed from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, featuring big band jazz from our extensive repertoire played by some of Vancouver's finest musicians. We were pleased to see many of you there. It's a great place to bring the family and have a picnic, as many people did. The kids got to hear some music they probably don't get to hear much anymore. Best of all, it was a free performance. After all is said and done, It's Jazz, for the fun of it!

The Bob Liley Jazz Quintet Played Jazz Vespers Sunday, May 19th

After what seems to have been a long hiatus, the Bob Liley Jazz Quintet was back performing again at Jazz Vespers on Sunday, May 19^th. However, because St. Andrews-Wesley is undergoing an extensive seismic upgrade, this performance took place right across Nelson Street at First Baptist Church, 999 Burrard Street in Vancouver. We wish to thank First Baptist for accommodating Jazz Vespers during the renovations. Same programme, same time (4:00–5:00 pm), new repertoire. Many folks who enjoy jazz that puts a smile on their faces and sets their feet to tapping, came out to give us a listen. Remember, It’s Jazz for the fun of it!

The Sanctuary AllStars played Jazz Vespers again

On Sunday, October 28th, 2018, Bob Liley's Sanctuary AllStars performed at Jazz Vespers once again. Where? Why at St. Andrews-Wesley Church at Burrard and Nelson streets in Vancouver. What time? Generally from 4:00 to 5:00 pm. In fact, the band has been performing here since 1998, and this was our 30th performance. This is a 17-piece jazz band, featuring some highly regarded soloists and an amazing collective playing swinging tunes from the libraries of Count Basie, Oliver Nelson, and Bob Florence, among others. If you had heard the band before, this was all new material. If you hadn't heard us before, we think you enjoyed a treat. In any event, it's hard to beat the experience of a live jazz performance. Many thanks to those who came out to hear us. And remember, It's Jazz for the fun of it!

Sanctuary AllStars Played Trout Lake Once Again

On Wednesday, July 4th, Bob Liley's Sanctuary AllStars performed once again at the Trout Lake Community Centre on Victoria Drive in Vancouver. This is a beautiful outdoor setting  and it makes for a great family outing, The performance was from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm and we  featured challenging big band jazz from our 17-piece orchestra. Several hundred folks were there with their children and picnicking; however, rain unexpectedly descended during our second set and we had to cut the performance (and the picnicking) short.  We had a few swing dancers show up and they were cheated, too!  We were promised beautiful weather, but this is Vancouver, after all. Maybe we'll have better luck next time. Remember, It's Jazz, for the fun of it!

Sanctuary AllStars Play Jazz Vespers

Bob Liley’s Sanctuary AllStars 17-piece big band  performed once again at Jazz Vespers (St. Andrews-Wesley Church in downtown Vancouver) on Sunday, October 29^th from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm.  Based on audience response, this had to be one of our best Jazz Vespers performances yet. Lots of kudos to the band and the musicians after the performance, and a great reception after each tune. If you've heard us before, this was all new material; if you've not heard us yet, be sure to come on down some time! The energy is always better in live performance.We’d love to see you there. And remember, It’s Jazz for the fun of it!

Sanctuary AllStars Jazz Sampler

We have had a number of requests from folks who wonder why we haven't posted some music on this site. So, we are posting three tunes we recorded in 2013. The first of these is a Pete Coulman tune called 'Awakening Peach'. Pete was a highly respected Toronto teacher and composer who  produced a number of amazing compositions. This one features Al Guraliuk on flugelhorn. 

The second tune is called 'Quintessence' by Quincy Jones. This amazing ballad involves the whole band but features Max Todd on alto saxophone.

The final tune is called The Rocket and was written by David Wilken. This swings along nicely, thank you, and features Wayne Stewart on piano, Dave Phyall on guitar, James Hill on tenor sax, and Rob Peskett on trumpet. 

I hope you enjoy these. Just copy and load this link into your browser. Earphones are best for listening. And come out and hear us live some time. The energy is always better in live performances.

  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/nbsdl4jy9x20mmu/AACUa56KdsVAhYK_aSIJQVoLa?dl=0

BLJQ Plays Pat's Pub

On Saturday, October 14th, the Bob Liley Jazz Quintet played Pat's Pub, which is quickly becoming established as the place to hear great jazz in Vancouver. Pat's Pub is located in the Hotel Patricia, 403 E Hastings Street in Vancouver. It's a funky heritage place which harkens back to the earlier days of jazz with its smoke-filled rooms and great all-night parties. We performed our classic bebop repertoire from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm and the place was packed, with many folks staying for the whole performance. The band was on fire and the audience loved us. We would sure like to do a return engagement there. This is why we say, It's Jazz for the fun of it!

BLJQ Jazz Sampler

For the Bob Liley Jazz Quintet, we have two samples from a CBC 'Hot Air' program we did a few years ago. The first of these is 'Jeannine' by Duke Pearson, a pianist I first encountered when I was about twelve. The second tune is 'Little Sunflower' by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, also an American composer who plays a significant role in our repertoire. These tunes feature the members of the Quintet: Norm Quinn on trumpet; Jerry Cook on tenor saxophone; Roy Sluyter on piano; Mark Bender on bass; and yours truly on drums. We hope you enjoy them.

Just click on this Dropbox link. 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/r5hifxqc471on5v/AACyTCAEt82MTy9gypu8Wje_a?dl=0

Jerry Cook Moves On From BLJQ

After ten terrific years you begin to expect some changes in any musical aggregation and ours is no different. Jerry Cook, our excellent tenor saxophonist and all around great guy, has decided that BLJQ won't feature in his upcoming plans. Jerry is a working musician and needs to go where the income is likely to provide more versatility and flexibility for his family. We will all miss Jerry and have very much enjoyed the talent, professionalism and humour that he brought to the band.We wish him well in his future endeavours. However, we have been fortunate to recruit Aaron Hardie to join our little group on woodwinds. Aaron is another fine sax player and has worked with us on several previous occasions. We are fortunate to be able to engage Aaron and look forward to working with him as the band moves into its fall 2017 season.

BLJQ Played Mission July 12th

BLJQ (under the direction of our stellar trumpeter Norm Quinn and with Stan Taylor on drums) played Mission's Heritage Park last Wednesday evening from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. There was no admission charge and lots of free parking. An enthusiastic crowd enjoyed the performance. Many folks brought the family and had a picnic on that beautiful day. It's the most beautiful outdoor concert venue in the Lower Mainland. Come and give us a listen sometime. After all, It's Jazz, for the fun of it!

Upcoming Outdoor Big Band Jazz Concerts

Bob Liley's Sanctuary AllStars have two upcoming concerts for those who enjoy big band jazz. The first of these is at the Kitsilano Showboat by the Kits Pool in Vancouver on July 1st, Canada's 150th birthday. We are delighted to have been invited back here again to celebrate this auspicious occasion. The concert starts at 7:00 pm and goes 'till 9:00 pm. However, there are events for people of all ages going on throughout the day in this beautiful setting, so check them out.

The second concert takes place on July 5th, outdoors at the Trout Lake Community Centre on Victoria Drive in Vancouver. This concert starts at 6:30 pm and finishes around 8:30 pm. Again, this is a lovely setting with lots to do. Bring the family and have a picnic while listening to some great big band jazz. Both of these concerts are free, and you don't get a lot of that these days. We hope to see you all at these events. Make them part of your celebration of summer (finally!). And remember, It's Jazz for the fun of it!