B3 Kings play funky jazz arrangements of Christmas classics at the Shadbolt, December 20 and 21
Helmed by Cory Weeds, the quartet characterized by the Hammond B3 organ has been hosting holiday shows since 2002
B3 Kings saxophonist Cory Weeds. Photo by Andrew Gerard
Shadbolt Centre for the Arts presents the B3 Kings on December 20 at 7:30 pm and December 21 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm
IN 2002, CELLAR Jazz Club founder Cory Weeds brought together a group of musicians to perform a Christmas concert at his underground jazz venue in Kitsilano, which unfortunately closed its doors in 2014. The crowd went wild for the show, so much so that it became an annual holiday tradition at the club.
Though the B3 Kings haven’t been performing as regularly in recent years, this season they have three shows in store for audiences at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts on December 20 and 21. The group consists of tenor-saxophonist Weeds (who has been running the successful Cellar Music Group label since his club closed), organist Chris Gestrin, guitarist Bill Coon, and vocalist-drummer Denzal Sinclaire.
The B3 Kings get their name from the Hammond B3 organ, which is a brand of electric organ originally created back in the 1930s as a smaller and lower-cost alternative to the hefty pipe organs that were most frequently found in churches. Jazz musicians began gravitating toward this more accessible variation of the instrument, and greats like Duke Ellington and Fats Waller pioneered its use in the genre.
Played by Gestrin, the Hammond B3 organ gives the B3 Kings an undeniable funky sound to work with. Gestrin is also the mind behind the catchy jazz arrangements of Christmas classics that audiences will be treated to at the upcoming cabaret-style concerts in Burnaby. There will be two evening performances and one matinee. 
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