Return of the Stern and Skylab Sounds @ Cellar Jazz June 5th

Wednesday nights are not usually a busy night for most venues, this last Wednesday [June 5th] at the Cellar Jazz in Kits was no exception, however what the audience lacked in numbers they certainly made up for in energy and participation.

Kicking off the night were recent imports from Victoria, Skylab Sounds; Skyla and Ozzie have just moved from the Island yet have already garnered a bit of a following in the city. Their funky/jazzy laptop beat oriented sound was a perfect fit for the Cellar, a venue that admittedly doesn't see too many laptops onstage. Skyla's vocals are well suited to the downtempo vibe and Ozzie's keyboard and bass foil fits nicely in their overall sound. They will certainly be coming back to the Cellar in the near future.

Return of the Stern is a band that I have been following for a few years now. I first put them on with High Society back around Christmas 2011 at the Media Club and was immediately impressed with their ability to groove. Although the line-up has altered some what since, the central core of Adam Baylin Stern on drums and Ryan Grimsey on keys has been consistent. With the recent addition of my former band mate Lorick Russow on tenor sax and Graham Holland the band have a more of a jazzy feel. Lorick's wacky street smart style is a perfect foil for the talented Ryan on electric piano. On a side note Ryan is a graduate of the Young Lions jazz school, having played in the class at age 12, so it was great to see some of that come to fruition on stage. This was the band's most prestigious gig to date and they certainly rose to the occaison. The Cellar is a perfect venue for them.

The future of Vancouver jazz lies in the hands of bands like these; not only within the music they create but in their ability to attract a younger audience. Music is always evolving whether people like it or not, new styles attract new audiences and new audiences keep venues like the Cellar alive. About 90% of the audience had never been to the Cellar Jazz Club before and that was also good to see.