It’s been a wonderful few weeks of fireworks, parties and activities for Jasper in January, and although all good things must come to an end, the send off planned for the final weekend shouldn’t make anyone sad. 

For anyone heading to Papa George’s for the annual Snow Ball Grand Finale, the Paul Keeling Quartet will be churning out the jazz-inspired tunes into the night. 

Keeling is no stranger to Jasper, and has been visiting here since 1989, when he arrived from the U.S. and decided not to leave. He got a job playing piano at the Jasper Inn and stayed in town for a year and a half before moving on. 

“During that period I made life-long friends and did a lot of exploring, a lot of it off-trail, in the remote backcountry,” Keeling said. “I now live in Vancouver, but Jasper continues to be a kind of personal Mecca for me.”

The musician has some unfinished business in the Athabasca Valley that keeps bringing him back. 

“I make a pilgrimage here whenever I can to check in with the mountains. There are still a lot of hikes that I hope to do,” he said. 

This will be his first time at Jasper in January, and one of the few times he has visited town when it was the chilly first month of the year. 

“I have never taken part in the Jasper in January festivities. In fact I have rarely ever been in Jasper in January,” he said. 

Keeling will be performing favourites from his debut record The Farthest Reach, which features a photo of Big Bend in Jasper National Park on the front cover by local photographer Peter Lynch.

After the dinner is over and folks are ready to get on the dance floor, Keeling plans to switch the tempo up to some funk inspired tunes. 

“The music is exciting, dynamic and most importantly, grooving,” Keeling said. 

With roots in jazz tradition and many other influences, Keeling’s collaboration with a quartet of “top-notch” musicians will be a great night of music not to miss. 

“I think we will blow the roof off the hotel.”

The Paul Keeling Quartet will play at Papa George’s Restaurant on Jan. 29. The evening will begin with cocktails at 6 p.m. with dinner to follow at 7 p.m. The dance floor will be hopping at 9 p.m. The evening will be a fund-raiser for the Jasper Ski Team.