When Jilli Martini made her first brief local appearance last March, as a featured singer in the Women in Jazz concert (in conjunction with International Women’s Day), she stunned the audience.

Two songs were not enough.

As a newcomer to the local scene, she was an unknown entity — invited to perform just a couple of songs. That was a tantalizing sample of this week’s Thursday night program offered by the Georgia Straight Jazz Society.

She takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. for a three-hour show at the Elks’ Hall. Also known as Jillian Gathright, she has swiftly earned recognition and popularity in the Comox Valley.

Gathright’s extremely broad taste in music is evident as she presents unique versions of a wide variety of genres. She makes each song her own with a voice that is tastefully seasoned by her decades of life experiences. She is proud to be accompanied by some of the Valley’s finest musicians, and always brings a relaxed and comfortable energy to her performances.

She has had limited exposure to the jazz genre and even less experience with it, but her performance is guaranteed to excite since she comes from a well-seasoned, predominantly blues/rock background.

A night of jazz is, in her words, “a definite stretch and a challenge that I welcome at this point in my singing career. I have decided to jazz things up, and I’m really ready for it!”

Accompanying her for this event are the following fine musicians who will perform two sets with different lineups. The first will consist of Mark Eikeland on piano, Grant McLellan on guitar and Blair Bentley on drums. The second set will feature Grahame Edwards on bass, McLellan on guitar and Bentley on drums.

Gathright will perform a couple of jazz standards, but for the most part her repertoire for this particular event will consist of predominantly blues and contemporary numbers done in jazz arrangements.

The third set will be an open gig, with other local musicians.

The Georgia Straight Jazz Society promotes an appreciation of jazz and offers live performances every Thursday, with no cover charge.

Society members are reminded that the AGM will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 3.

— Georgia Straight Jazz Society