Tuesday Night Jazz at the Church Presents the Jen Hodge All-Stars!
Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Time: 7:00–8:30 pm
Location: James Bay United Church, 511 Michigan St.
Admission: by donation ($20 suggested donation, but all are welcome regardless of funds)
Fresh in from New York City, swinging bass player and dynamic bandleader Jen Hodge joins forces with some of the finest musicians on the West Coast!
Originally from Courtenay, BC, bassist and bandleader Jen Hodge made a name for herself on the Vancouver and Seattle traditional jazz and swing scenes before moving to New York City nearly a decade ago. Since then, she has toured the world and performed at some of the finest clubs and festivals in New York City and beyond.
On this special West Coast tour, Jen Hodge brings together some true all-stars from the Pacific Northwest, including Seattle guitarist Greg Ruby; Chicago tenor saxophonist—recently relocated to Port Townsend — the legendary Jonathan Doyle; and one of the most respected swing drummers on the West Coast, Victoria’s own Kelby MacNayr.
Jen Hodge is a Grammy-nominated bass player currently living in New York City and originally hailing from the Comox Valley. A versatile and passionate musician, Jen is in high demand for her rock-solid bass playing, consummate professionalism, and the warm, infectious spirit she brings to the bandstand. She is a fixture of NYC’s hot jazz community, frequently appearing in the house band at Mona’s Tuesday Night Hot Jazz Jam Session, hosted by multi-instrumentalist Dennis Lichtman, and performing both locally and internationally with artists such as Bria Skonberg, Jon-Erik Kellso & The EarRegulars, Danny Jonokuchi & The Revisionists, The Hot Sardines, Cynthia Sayer, and Eyal Vilner.
“Greg Ruby lives and breathes jazz guitar,” states Fretboard Journal. From acoustic swing to jazz manouche to surf music, Ruby inhabits many musical forms and brings his unique compositional voice to each.
Born in Toronto, Ruby spent his early years near Pittsburgh before moving to the Pacific Northwest in the late 1990s. At the forefront of the Django Reinhardt renaissance, he co-founded the seminal group Hot Club Sandwich and later joined Seattle’s Pearl Django. He has performed with jazz guitar greats including Howard Alden, Patrick Saussois, Frank Vignola, Gonzalo Bergara, and John Jorgensen.
By 2010, Ruby stepped out on his own, releasing Look Both Ways, an album of original compositions that Dan Hicks (of the Hot Licks) called “a soundtrack in search of a movie.” The album reached #1 on the Roots Music Review radio chart. In 2015, his attention turned to Seattle’s jazz roots with Syncopated Classic, a project restoring the lost compositions of 1920s jazz pioneer Frank D. Waldron. The album was awarded “Northwest Jazz Recording of the Year” by Earshot Jazz magazine.
His newest record, Lockdown in Paradise, is scheduled for release in 2026 — a surf guitar memoir exploring themes of love, loss, and hope.
Ruby is the Guitar Week Coordinator for the Swannanoa Gathering and has taught extensively, including at Django in June, DjangoFest NW, and the Seattle Jazz Night School. He has authored several instructional books and writes for Acoustic Guitar magazine. He currently lives in New York City.
Saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, and arranger Jonathan Doyle lives in Port Townsend, WA, in the Pacific Northwest, and continues to perform across the U.S. and internationally.
Jonathan began his career in the Chicago area, studying at DePaul University before turning professional in the mid-1990s. He has worked with groups including the Mighty Blue Kings, Four Charms, and many of Chicago’s leading improvisers, while also developing a deep connection to country blues and jug band traditions.
He later moved to Austin, TX, where he became active in the traditional jazz, swing, and roots music scenes, performing with artists such as Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel, and the Jim Cullum Jazz Band. His time in New Orleans included touring with Tuba Skinny, and he continues to collaborate widely across North America and beyond.
Jonathan has performed at major venues including the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, Preservation Hall, and Jazz at Lincoln Center, as well as festivals such as the New Orleans Jazz Fest, Chicago Jazz Fest, and WOMADelaide.
In 2021, his recording of “Sweet Is the Night” with The Fat Babies was featured in the film Passing (Netflix). He has also toured with the Grammy-nominated album Willie and the Wheel.
Drummer Kelby MacNayr is widely loved across North America, performing with many of the finest names in jazz. A passionate musician working across diverse traditions — including those of Cuba, Brazil, Portugal, and Zimbabwe—MacNayr brings depth and versatility to every performance.
Equally at home in traditional New Orleans jazz, straight-ahead swing, and contemporary settings, he has performed with artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Django Bates, Phil Dwyer, Louise Rose, and Tamir Hendelman.
MacNayr has appeared at major festivals across North America and studied with some of the world’s finest drummers, including Jeff Hamilton, Joe LaBarbera, Alan Jones, Russell Hartenberger, and John Fisher, with studies spanning Los Angeles, New Orleans, Cuba, Toronto, Vancouver, Portland, and New York City.
Tuesday Night Jazz at the Church admission by donation (suggested $20)
relax in the cosy and acoustically excellent sanctuary
of James Bay United Church for some very special presentationsTuesday Night Jazz at the Church is part of the Arts Ministry of James Bay United Church in partnership with the Victoria Jazz Community
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