L.V.J. Trio

Vern Isaac (Vernon Clarence). Saxophonist, vibraphonist, bandleader (b Pittsburg, Tex 21 Oct 1913, d there 16 Dec 1999). He traveled widely in the United States from 1929 to 1947, playing alto or tenor saxophone with such eminent jazzmen as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Fletcher Henderson, before founding an ambient music group in Philadelphia, Three Jacks and a Jill. This ensemble, which included bassist Charles Biddle, later performed in Montreal and toured Quebec. Remaining in Montreal until 1973, Isaac was a member (or conductor) of orchestras in Montmartre and Rockhead's Paradise. During the same period he also toured Ontario and the Maritimes with various groups - notably the LVJ Trio with Jimmy Valdez (organ) and Lem Neal (drums). In 1973 he moved to Ottawa where he soon became a mainstay of local jazz. In 1976 he founded a swing orchestra of 12 musicians (brass, rhythm section, himself playing the vibraphone and several saxophones); from then on he performed at many jazz shows in Ottawa and was a regular participant in the Ottawa International Jazz Festival and the FIJM throughout the 1980s.The Big Bamboo(1968, Vintage SCV-130) by the LVJ Trio andLive! Downstairs San Antonio Rose(1984, VIC Records 235) recorded by his orchestra. His playing on the latter record has earned him praise for "a slightly growling sound and a well-turned half-swing, half-bop style that forms the finest element of [the orchestra's] interpretations" (Globe and Mail, Toronto, November 15, 1984).