All's fair in love and jazz: B.C. bassist Jen Hodge to release new album

B.C. singer and bassist Jen Hodge is known for her prohibition-era musicwith a moderntwist. Her new album,All's Fair in Love and Jazz, will be released Feb. 25.

Hodge first fell in love with music when she wasgrowing up in CourtenayB.C.Now she travels all over the continent to play bass and sing at various jazz festivals.

She's a founding member of the Company B Jazz Band, and a member of the musical groupBlackstick.

During a conversation on CBC's Hot Air, Hodge explained the title of heralbum comes from a phrase she coined during a music rehearsal party.

From party phrase to album name

"There was a jam party this night that most of us went to," said Hodge, laughing.

Someoneat the partypostedthe quote, "All is Fair in Love and Jazz,"on Facebook and attributed it to Hodge.

She thoughtthephrase hada ring of truth to it when describing jazz music, but also life.

"This philosophy that music and life and everything is kind of the same thing."

Hodge'smusical sound echoes that sentiment. On her new album, she is accompanied by her band, The JenHodge All-Stars.

Jazz renaissance

Hodge said traditional jazz is currently going through something of a renaissance.She said there aremore traditional jazzevents happening all the time, which wasn't the case when she was growing up in B.C.

"I've been playing traditional jazz since I was a teenager and it was definitely not very cool when I got into it," said Hodge.

"But it's timeless music."

Hodge was 11 years old when she first heard The Beatles, and she was enamoured with the energy and spirit of the music. Hodge wasenrolled in band class at the time and wasinstructed to select an instrument.

She wasn't able to choose her first choice, guitar, but she was allowed play electric bass.

Landed paid gig at 15

After only a few years, she landed her first paid gig at the age of 15.

"We started getting little local festival gigs around that time."

Because she couldplay the electric bass, Hodge was approached by extra-curricular music groups to lend her talents to the upright bass, or double bass.

Once she mastered that instrument, she moved from rock and roll to jazz. She felt she didn't have the skill tomove into classical music, and jazz felt like the right fit.

Hodge often gets her inspiration fromoriginal jazz recordings and has made a career out of making the old songs new in her own way.

With files from Hot Air