Distinguished musical group will perform March 8 at Imperial Theater

Three extraordinarily talented, award-laden musicians are set to provide Sarnians with some world-class entertainment on Wednesday, March 8 as they take center stage at the Imperial Theatre.

Percussionist Jim Gelcer, pianist Paul Hoffert and bassist James Koller – collectively known as the Jim Gelcer/Paul Hoffert Trio – will be wowing local music lovers with an eclectic and varied show filled with singular, inimitable compositions drawn in part from their two critically-acclaimed albums, as part of the Sarnia Concert Association’s 2022-23 season.

Hoffert, one of the founding members of the seminal 1970s Canadian rock band Lighthouse, is a prolific composer, author, academic as well as a recipient of the Order of Canada. Gelcer, a renowned jazz drummer, producer and composer, has lent his talent to artists ranging from rocker Lee Aaron to the Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band. Bassist Koller is a multi-instrumentalist with an ear for jazz and world music, who has performed for musicians including Peter Gabriel, Holly Cole and Chaka Khan.

Together, these three living legends of Canadian music complement each other’s musical gifts by breezing through intricately arranged classical and jazz pieces seamlessly. Their 2018 album, Jim and Paul play Glenn and Ludwig, saw the group play thoroughly scintillating, jazz-infused, original versions of Beethoven music through the lens of Canadian icon Glenn Gould.

For their first-ever concert in Sarnia, the Toronto-based group plans on showcasing their one-of-a-kind sound, Gelcer said.

“Paul and I have released two albums,” he said. “The first was released in 2011 and it was a straight ahead jazz trio and our second, most recent album is the jazz-Beethoven one. We’re going to be playing selections from both of those albums and we’re going to throw in a few little other surprises.
“I don’t want to give away too many surprises, but there might be some homages to Lighthouse as well,” he said with a laugh. “That’s all I’ll say about that. But there’s definitely going to be some jazz-Beethoven as well as some jazz standards or at least our interpretations of those. And then there going to be some jazzy version of pop tunes as well.”

The concert will be engaging, Gelcer said, with banter between songs and interaction with the audience. Audiences will be pleasantly surprised by the set list as well, he added.

“We’ve put together a really eclectic set list and we hope it will be engaging for the audience,” he said. “I really think it will be – as I look at it, it list looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun to play live.”

Past Sarnia Concert Association president David Nichols said they are thrilled to be hosting a concert with three such cherished and accomplished musicians. Audiences will be impressed by the sheer range of the Jim Gelcer/Paul Hoffert Trio, he said, and they will be invigorated by their exhilarating sound.

“We’re a classical presenter, so we’re always looking at ways to tie in the classics with the biggest variety of music we can find,” he said. “The SCA’s biggest marketing plus, at least from my point of view and I think that of the board, is that we’re a group that brings in the greatest variety you’ll ever find in a concert series.
“So if we can do that in an individual concert, then that’s ideal,” Nichols added. “It’s not very often that you’re going to hear somebody do arrangements of a Beethoven symphony for three guys in a jazz trio. They have just fabulous arrangements of music and this is probably one of the most varied programs we’ve ever brought in. I think the audience will just love them.”

Tickets for the Jim Gelcer/Paul Hoffert Trio’s March 8 concert are available at the Imperial Theater Box Office (168 Christina St. N.), by phone at 519-344-7469 or online at www.imperialtheatre.net. The show begins at 7:30 pm

For more information about the Sarnia Concert Association, visit www.sarniaconcertassociation.ca.