Bobby Hales Big Band, 1976
From 1976, here are two clips from a CBC Vancouver broadcast featuring the Bobby Hales Big Band. Hales explains, The story behind the TV show is rather interesting. In days of yore, meaning the 50′s, 60′s, 70′s and 80′s, CBC TV and Radio all had huge budgets, compared to today, for Canadian entertainment. At the [...]
Bill Frisell and Greg Leisz at Christ Church Cathedral
Last Thursday at Christ Church Cathedral, Bill Frisell and Greg Leisz put on a concert that was much looser in terms of improvisation than most Frisell shows that I’ve heard in recent years, maybe ever. Frisell was quoted in last week’s Straight preview as saying that Greg was “the other half of his brain” and [...]
Greg Buium leaves Vancouver Sun
Two years ago I celebrated, in the Vancouver Jazz Forum, the addition of Greg Buium to the roster of arts journalists to appear regularly in the Vancouver Sun. . . . . the appearance over the last few months of writer Greg Buium in the pages of the Vancouver Sun is cause for celebration. Buium [...]
Kiwanis Jazz Festival Feb 17, 19 & 20
For working musicians, festival time starts about mid-June. For junior and senior high schools, February is Festival Month. Starting with the Envision Festival, next up is the Kiwanis Jazz Festival, then the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Idaho which Feb 21st. Throw in the annual BC Music Educator’s Assn. conference, and it’s pretty obvious that [...]
Time Flies / Song Room 6
A couple of great events took place over the last few days. The first was Time Flies, sponsored by Coastal Jazz and Blues. An annual event in February, this was arguably the best that I’ve attended. A switch of venue from The Western Front to Ironworks made for a much more intimate setting. Also, the [...]
Mike Reveley tribute
Three Generations of Jazz Musicians say thanks and farewell to Mike Reveley, founder of the Capilano College Jazz Studies Program When: Wednesday, February 28th at 8pm Where: Capilano College Performing Arts Theatre, North Van Cost: Free. Seats should be reserved in advance at (604)984-4951 On Wednesday, February 28th, musicians and fans of jazz will gather [...]
Vancouver New Music, Roy Kiyooka
From CBC News, Vancouver New Music wins $60,000 production award. Vancouver New Music, a group that fosters creation and performance of contemporary music, has won the $60,000 Alcan Performing Arts Award. The award, which rotates annually among music, theatre and dance, will enable the music society to create a set of compositions based on the [...]
61 years of Hot Air
Today at 5 on CBC Radio One Hot Air begins its 61st season. The Hot Air web site claims this makes it the “longest-running show on radio”. I’m not sure that’s true. The longest-running show on CBC? What about the Saturday afternoon Opera? Longest-running jazz show? Regardless, it’s a remarkable achievement. Bob Smith started out [...]
The Envision Jazz Festival Comes to Town
Jazz Education shifts into high gear next week as high school jazz programs from throughout the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley meet at the Sheraton Guildford Hotel in Surrey for the Envision Jazz Festival. This festival features High School Jazz Bands at both the Junior (Grades 8-10) and Senior (Grades 11 and 12) level [...]
Whitney Balliett
Whitney Balliett died this morning. Balliett was one of the most gifted and persuasive writers about jazz music. I guess I started reading his New Yorker pieces almost fifty years ago and I own half a dozen or so books in which most of them were collected over the years. Sometimes his writing infuriated me [...]
