Dave Stewart Sextet – Roaming for Miles
1969-12-31 | Vancouver Island Conference Centre :: 101 Gordon Street Nanaimo,
at the Shaw Auditorium, 60 Commercial Street, Nanaimo

BACKGROUND
A number of years ago I decided to form a jazz quintet, I had come across some very talented jazz musicians who shared a love for playing jazz and the time was right. The Jazz Sextet is the most recent “group” incarnation, the will be performing arrangements based on traditional jazz standards. Members of the group all love jazz and are pleased to share our artistry with enthusiastic Vancouver Island jazz audiences.

THE MUSICIANS
Dave Stewart: Trumpet, is an active musicians he is currently a member of the Arrowsmith Big Band, the Dave this Sextet, and the Island Brass Quintet. Earlier this year he performed in the Schmooze Theater Company production of Chicago in Nanaimo. He has received accolades and awards as a former high school band and choral teacher, provincially, nationally and internationally. Dave continues to teach privately, at summer music programs and recently at Vancouver Island University.

Claudio Fantinato: Alto Saxophone, originally from Port Alberni, Claudio went on to study music at Malaspina University College (VIU), and later Berklee College of Music. For the past 25 years, he has continued to perform in a wide variety of musical groups including big bands, small jazz ensembles, rock and pop bands and musical theatre. Currently he is playing lead alto sax for the Arrowsmith and Clarinet in the Andrew Homzy jazz ensemble. He recently started the Sea Wind musical instrument company with Phil Dwyer, specializing designing and building saxophones.

Dan Craven: Tenor saxophone, has had the privilege of sharing the stage with many top musicians such as Phil Dwyer, Arnie Chycoski, Ian McDougall, P.J. Perry, Don Thompson, John McDermott, Campbell Ryga, Mike Herriott, and others. In 2007 Dan joined Phil Dwyer’s Sax Summit, which first launched in 2002 with the release of Sax Summit on CBC Records, and has recurred in various incarnations throughout the country since then. Dan currently performs with, Oceanside’s Arrowsmith Big Band. He has performed frequently around Canada’s West from Victoria to Fort Nelson. Dan currently teaches at the renowned Kwalikum Secondary school music program. He has worn many hats with the Comox Valley Youth Music Center, facilitator, Big Band leader and Saxophone teacher, and has served the local jazz community as clinician, honour band conductor and guest performer at the Comox Valley Big Band Challenge. He brings the benefit of extensive performance experience to his students. A 2001 recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence, he is an educator.

James Darling: Piano, received his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from VIU and has studied piano with Phil Dwyer, Bob Murphy and Steve Smith. He has spent a decade working on cruise ships in lounge bands, showbands the NMA big bandand played keyboards in the Chemainus Theatre’s production of Rock Legends. Most recently James has been the keyboardist of the high energy dance band Johnny Inappropriate.

Rob Uffen: Bass, has become and active jazz performer in the Nanaimo, Qualicum Beach areas, he currently performs with the Andrew Homzy Jazz Ensemble, Arrowsmith Jazz band and thas performed with a number of Jazz Combos. Rob has been involved in the Canadian jazz scene as a double bassist, guitarist, composer and educator for 40 years. He earned his B.F.A. as a guitar player in jazz performance from York University in 1978 and went on to study double bass with Michel Donato, Don Thompson, Joel Quarrington and Gary Peacock. Rob taught music in the Ontario public school system and at the Queen’s University summer jazz programme for high school students and continues to teach privately. Rob has performed and recorded throughout Canada, U.S.A., Italy and Germany, the U.K. and New Zealand with a diverse range of musicians including Kenny Wheeler, Joe Lavano, Billy Hart, Bill Frisell, Don Thompson, Bernie Senensky, Brian Dickinson,the Blen Miller Orchestra and the Orange Devils and many others. As well as performaing in the Dave Stewart Quintet, Rob performs in the Arrowsmith Big band and the Andrew Homzy’s NOLA Nighthawks.

Wayne Finucan: Drums, is one of the most active musicians in the Qualicum Beach/Nanaimo area, he plays in numerous groups as a multi-instrumentalist and singer. His musical career began in the late fifties jazz and rock scene in Winnipeg. He played on more than 300 tv shows including Music Hop where he played with the legendary guitar player Lenny Breau and one of Canada’s top jazz bass players, Dave Young. He owned a well-known recording studio and film production company and played in nightclubs and on tv shows during the 70’s and 80’s. In 1990 he moved to Vancouver and worked as a sound mixer for 15 years on dozens of shows including Highlander, Stargate and Battlestar Galactica.

https://www.porttheatre.com/events/dave-stewart-sextet-roaming-for-miles
