This year the Vernon Jazz Club – situated on the top floor of the Vernon historic landmark, Nolan’s Pharmacy, at the corner of 31st Street and 30th Avenue –celebrates its 25th anniversary as a "home" to famed jazz musicians delivering outstanding jazz music performances.
Residents of the Okanagan and visitors to Vernon are welcome to enjoy listening and dancing to an array of jazz music from legendary tunes to original compositions in a throwback atmosphere of a speak-easy.
The idea to create a jazz club came to fruition in 1999 as the brainchild of Tom Collins, Curt Latham, and Gerry Scholomenko.
Collins, a retired tradesman, had been dreaming and scheming about forming a jazz club. He discussed his idea with neighbour and retired Vernon physician, Latham, who was involved for many years with a jazz club in Vancouver.
"The goal was to find a spot where we could listen to music that wasn't too loud, couples could have a dance or two and local musicians would have a stage," said Collins.
Collins also played in a band with Scholomenko who was a secondary school teacher. In 1998, Collins met with Scholomenko over coffee at the Bean Scene to explore the idea of starting a jazz club. They even toyed with the idea of calling it Tom and Gerry's. They wanted a funky little place. This meeting ended with the birth of the Vernon Jazz Society.
By September of 1999, the first gig took place in the basement of the Sandman Inn with the Larry Crawford Quartet. The Vernon Jazz Society was incorporated in October of 1999 with the constitutional purposes of providing live jazz music and to support and promote jazz music locally.
In late 1999, a water pipe burst, and the club had to relocate from the Sandman Inn, so they set up shop at a couple of different venues.
The Coldstream Motor Inn for a few gigs, the Village Green, and the Elks Hall until the club finally found their forever home on the second floor of Nolan’s Pharmacy for a modest rental fee, naming it The Vernon Jazz Club (VJC).
The club offers a variety of jazz music, from blues to big band, to classics and standards, vocals, and instrumentals. All the musicians who have played at the VJC have expressed how much they love the atmosphere and the ambience of the venue. It truly is a magical place.
The club exemplifies where vision meets dedication, passion, and hard work.
They are privileged to be the beneficiaries of jazz music at this local gem because of the efforts, dedication, vision, and support of a large village. Longtime members, local businesses, boards of directors, volunteers, and loyal and enthusiastic audiences have championed and supported the VJC and its growth for the past 25 years and the club looks forward to another 25 years.
This fall, as it celebrate 25 years, the club pays tribute to those with a pioneering spirit, the Nolan Family and their support, and a community of volunteers. Without this support, Vernon would not have iconic jazz music legends eager to share their talents with Vernonites and visitors.
See the star-studded line-up at www.vernonjazz.com and join us for an amazing fall of jazz music and celebrations.
