Jeni’s Picks for the week ahead Dear Picks People… happy, merry, joyous holidays everyone.  Please check my website for additions/updates during the week. And remember to also check with venues for schedule changes. They do happen!  WISE Hall – Petunia & The Vipers This event runs from December 23, 2019 until February 10, 2020. Petunia and the Vipers are back for another season on Monday nights in the Lounge! Live in the Lounge presents Petunia and the Vipers Monday Night Residency To May 18,  2020 $10 cover cash at the door Libra Room – Jeff Younger & The Sensitive Gentleman with Shannon Scott By Donation December 23, 2019 9:00 pm The SG’s last gig ever at the Libra Room! A final, chill and especially fun night at The Libra! Original songs, a few choice covers of Lucinda Williams and Peppermint Harris tunes, and especially sweet hangs/good vibes. The beautifully rich and richly beautiful songs of Shannon Scott  with a rare and short solo set to kick things off. Jeff Younger – guitar/vocals, Ron Samworth – guitar, Bill Briscall – bass, Max Ley – drums Blue Martini – Jason de Couto Organ Trio December 24, 2019 7:00 pm Led by Jason de Couto this cooking trio plays a mix of jazz, funk, Latin, and blues, channelling influences ranging from Dr. Lonnie Smith and Jimmy McGriff, to Larry Goldings and Joey DeFrancesco. With guitarist/saxophonist Adam Rohrlick, drummer  Joel Fountain Cover t.b.a. Rio Theatre – Pain & Glory December 26, 2019 5:30 pm Oscar-winning Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar‘s PAIN AND GLORY tells of a series of re-encounters experienced by Salvador Mallo (a career-best performance from Antonio Banderas), a film director in his physical decline. Some of them in the flesh, others remembered: his childhood in the 60s, when he emigrated with his parents to a village in Valencia in search of prosperity, the first desire, his first adult love in the Madrid of the 80s, the pain of the breakup of that love while it was still alive and intense, writing as the only therapy to forget the unforgettable, the early discovery of cinema, and the void, the infinite void that creates the incapacity to keep on making films. Pain and Glory talks about creation, about the difficulty of separating it from one’s own life and about the passions that give it meaning and hope. In recovering his past, Salvador finds the urgent need to recount it, and in that need he also finds his salvation. With Penélope Cruz, Cecilia Roth. Tickets $13 **Also on December 28 at 7p.m.** MOV – Pay What You Can Nights PWYC December 26, 2019 5:30 pm Experience MOV’s intriguing exhibitions including Haida Now: A Visual Feat of Innovation and Tradition, Wild Things: The Power of Nature in our Lives and There is Truth Here: Creativity and Resilience in Children’s Art from Indian Residential and Day Schools. Admission is by donation after 5 pm on the followings evenings in December: Thursday, December 26, 2019 (5-8pm) Friday, December 27, 2019 (5-9pm) Saturday, December 28, 2019 (5-9pm) Red Lion Bar – Johnston/Hood Duo By Donation December 27, 2019 7:00 pm Every Friday …Ron Johnston on piano and Cameron Hood on bass, with rotating guests from the jazz community, serve up several sets. **Also on Saturday, same place, same time** Frankie’s Jazz Bar – Michael Zilber plays the Music of Billy Strayhorn This event runs from December 27, 2019 until December 28, 2019. All About Jazz calls leading San Francisco saxophonist/composer Michael Zilber “one of the true masters of modern jazz saxophone, his prodigious talents evidenced by his recordings and live performances are truth.” For these 2 shows at Frankie’s, he’ll be joined by Seattle greats Marc Seales piano and Jeff Johnson bass, Vancouver’s Bernie Arai drums, and special guest and Ellington/Strayhorn authority Alan Matheson on trumpet. Billy Strayhorn, Ellington’s composing partner for 30 years, is widely considered one of the genius composers of jazz, and this stellar group of musicians will be putting their own twist on some of his most beautiful pieces. Cover $ 17.50 Tyrant Studios – Connections Ensemble December 27, 2019 9:30 pm Led by saxophonist Jamie Hicks, funk-fusion band Connections Ensemble has prepared a special set for our end-of-the-year party, including the music of Bob Reynolds, Jeff Lorber Fusion and Hicks’ own original compositions. Jamie Hicks – Saxophones Jancis Bautista – Keyboards Alvin Brendan – Guitar Brad Pearson – Electric Bass Tyler Murray – Drums Cover $10 cash at the door Jazz at the Pat – Daryl Jahnke Quartet By Donation December 28, 2019 3:00 pm Daryl says his musical objective with this groupis to cover all kinds of “pop” standards with a jazz revisioning. Tunes from Stevie Wonder to Rolling Stones to Sting. Kristian Alexandrov – piano/keys Laurence Mollerup – bass Joel Fountain – drums Daryl Jahnke – guitar Jazz at Tangent Cafe – David Blake Trio By Donation December 29, 2019 6:00 pm Ring in the New Year a couple of days early with David Blake’s trio playing original winter classics. David – guitar, Paul Rushka – bass, Bernie Arai – drums Libra Room – Ender Bender By Donation December 29, 2019 7:00 pm The Libra Room is closing. One final celebration for all the musicians, staff, and music lovers who have been coming out over the last 20 years. An all-star line-up of old school Libra Roomers playing all night long from 7pm-12am. It’s going to be a reunion of epic proportions featuring: ★ Tom Wherrett Trio – playing the LR since 2002 ★ Queso Blanco – reunion show!!! ★ Monica Lee – official record holder for playing the LR the longest ★ Brown Paper Bag – More than 10 years on the LR stage ★ Tim Sars Band – East Van Royalty! ★ The Mojo Factory Blues Revue – LR supergroup featuring the King of Sunday night, Jesse Waldman ★ Siobhan Sloane-Seale – talented songwriter Very Special Guests Include: ★ Khari Wendell McClelland ★ Andrea Superstein ★ Michiko McGibney ★ the one and only Bruno Hubert   Cafe Deux Soleils – Ilhan Saferali/Lucas Dubovik Quintet December 29, 2019 8:00 pm Originals, standards and surprises. Trumpet: Ilhan Saferali Saxophone: Lucas Dubovik Piano: Benjamin Sigerson Bass: Benjamin Boardman Drums: Alexander Marr $10 cover Frankie’s Jazz Bar – Laura Crema & Sharon Minemoto present Stardust December 29, 2019 8:00 pm Join Vancouver musicians, vocalist Laura Crema and pianist/composer Sharon Minemoto as they present STARDUST:The Songs of Hoagy Carmichael. Musician, Songwriter and Actor, Hoagy Carmichael is regarded as one of the finest popular music composers of the 20th Century, most noted for writing classic tunes, “Stardust”, “Georgia”, “Skylark”, “Heart and Soul”, “The Nearness of You” and “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening” which won him an Academy Award for best song in 1951. With Conrad Good on bass. Cover $16 Memorial Jazz Space – V.IV PWYC December 29, 2019 9:00 pm VOLUME IV OF JAZZ @ MEMORIAL Vancouver’s independent DIY Jazz Space dedicated to helping artists and music enthusiasts by featuring upcoming, local talent every month. Marshall Herridge Group Marshall Herridge Brandon Lin Matt Skepast Andrew Skepast David Hodgson Group David Hodgson Todd Stewart Evan Gratham Parker Woods Water Street Cafe – Mike Allen Trio December 30, 2019 7:00 pm Tenor saxophonist Mike Allen’s affinity for the sax-bass-drums trio format is on full display on his 2019 CD release “Just Like Magic” (Cellar Live) featuring Peter Washington-bass and Lewis Nash-drums. Recorded at Van Gelder’s world-famous studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Mike’s trio music is a blend of melodiously swinging standards and originals played with an ear to thoughtful interaction and groove $5 cover per set Memorial Jazz Space – Alpas Collective By Donation December 30, 2019 9:00 pm A show of music that will consist of jazz, similar to jazz, and not-so jazz With Raphael Agustin (back from Montreal) – bass Ilhan Saferali: Keys/Trumpet Julian Ferrer: Drums --

"Jeni's Picks" is a curated list of eclectic events that I feel are of particular interest to my readership. If you know of an event of interest, let me know and I'll consider it for inclusion.

Jeni Mastin, JenisPicks.com