[Serttyfd]

The worst jazz news I've heard in a long time is that Mike Rud, one of the hottest guitar players in the country, is leaving town. For Ottawa of all places! I think he's only been in Vancouver about three years or so, but in that time he made an incalculable contribution to the scene here.

I'd been hearing rumours about this guy long before he showed up here. I remember hearing him the first time, within days of his arrival, when he sat in with Mike Allen at the Jupiter, and was blown away - all the great things I'd heard about him confirmed and then some.

Not sure but I believe Mike's from Edmonton originally. Before moving to Vancouver he'd been in Montreal for a number of years where he got his Master's degree in Music from McGill University.

Mike leaves November 8 when he joins his lovely wife Suanne and two little girls, Kelly and Abby, in Ottawa. Maybe he'll become Minister of Jazz.

This is a great loss for Vancouver jazz lovers.