Being a gentleman of a certain age, with a ruralistic bent, the hurry-up babble-on cityscape holds selective appeal. Our garden is in full bloom, delicious new crops of potatoes, snow peas and strawberries have arrived, and then there are the daily afternoon televised broadcasts of World Cup soccer. So to visit Vancouver for eleven days seems something of an inconvenience. However there are rare charms not part of our everyday life: the social gatherings, extended breakfast with out-of-town visitors, bars filled with late night chat, a plethora of shops, and the most obvious, a feast of previously unheard music.

It's likely readers think the critic lives a privileged existence being invited to festivals, but the truth is that it is often a run about chore. As always, too-muchness, an overload of joyful noise. So this year we decided to take a vacation, enjoy ourselves like regular folk, chuck the analytical critic guise aside and relish the music that tickled our fancy.

Ensconced in the Barclay Hotel, a suitably seedy establishment in the heart of downtown, it's soon apparent that we have not left the World Cup far behind. It's the quarter finals, Korea the host country defeats Spain at 6 o'clock in the morning our time, and the street parties begin. Robson Street erupts into celebration as jubilant fans drive up & down & up & down… car horns blaring. Although sleep has been shortened we are also caught up in the fervour, happy that unexpected turns upset the predicted. And anyway the music we had heard the night before is still with us.

Unlike many "city" festivals this one is spread about, music presented in a variety of venues in different districts. Our musical holiday is to begin on the east side, which boasts two of them; the Western Front an early evening concert space with the Ab Baars Trio, and the Vancouver East Cultural Centre (VECC), one of the evening concert halls, with the Frank Gratkowski Quartet.

Unknowingly the first concert set the standard for much of what is to follow, not only because of the brilliance of the music, but also the constructivist philosophy employed. Throughout the festival there were numerous "freely improvised" episodes, utilizing the pool of available musicians, many of which, to my ears, were decidedly non-events; unfocussed noodlings taking on a desultory air. In all periods of "jazz", styles evolve giving each a recognizable language, regretfully the elements that create them often become generic parodies. If the mid-sixties European improvised music is to be considered the milestones on which a new evolving language was based, then the tedious, leaderless posturing that occurred seemed to be merely a series of techniques developed from this history. In themselves many of these elements add greatly to the colouring of improvised music, but when they constitute its whole they seem of little importance and are mostly boring to listen to. Or it could be tunefulness and rhythm are now required for my pleasure.

The Ab Baars Trio with himself playing clarinet and tenor saxophone, the irrepressibly joyous bassist Wilbert de Joode, fortunately heard in a number of situations over the next four days, and the exuberant drumming of Martin van Duynhoven who was described by fellow drummer Raymond Strid as "that older Dutch guy with great chops", presented two projects. The first, a "non-generic exploration of specific Native American melodies and song types…" is inspired by his interest in Indian culture. For the most part the songs are simplistic melodies brought into new meaning with Dutch sensibility, a detailed understanding of the form: An Inuit throat singing duet between the tenor and bass, a haunting Cheyenne lullaby, a playful Hopi children's song, an unlikely reconstruction of Ray Noble's "Cherokee", and a very personal reading of Charles Ives' "Indians". By the way Ab was wearing moccasins.

The second project, "The Music of John Carter", took place at Performance Works on Granville Island, with local-hero François Houle added on clarinet. Once again superb performances of beautiful powerful songs descriptive of John Carter's abilities as a composer, but even more, exuding the qualities of him as a person. This respectful homage included a particularly charming clarinet duet clearly illustrating their quite different styles; François Houle sharply articulate, Ab Baars a more tender melancholy. He seemed to have history's angels in the form of Pee Wee and Albert, perched on his shoulder.

Reedist Frank Gratkowski's Quartet, comprising Wolter Wierbos (trombone), Dieter Manderscheid (bass) and Gerry Hemingway (drums) suggested, considering their individual reputations, more than was presented, illustrating that four extremely talented musicians do not necessarily constitute a unified whole. Of course there were great moments, how could there not be; but ultimately it echoed of Kelvinism, an out-growth of Braxton! I should like to hear this band again in more intimate surroundings.

Western Front has become the choice venue, an integral part of the music's history for the past thirty years. A gathering place for old friends. Two more concerts tickle our fancy: The Electricks with the much touted trumpet player Axel Dörner, reedist Sture Ericson, substitute bassist Wilbert de Joode and the wonderfully inventive drummer Raymond Strid, presenting a complex story, often unclear in its intent, but with patient listening resolutions are attained. In style, connected to the sixties, with the ghosts of Miles, Don Cherry, Albert and Trane lingering, the rhythm language of those days brought to life. Strid and de Joode — dare I call them a rhythm section — often shaping the content with their close listening joyfulness.

It was a delight to hear the organized, wide ranging compositions of the Gebhard Ullmann Clarinet Trio; two bass clarinetists, the leader and Theo Nabicht, plus the standard Bb clarinet playing of Jürgen Kupke, performing with humour and superb musicianship. They presented a number of the leader's compositions sprinkled with Nino Rota's "I Clowns", a comedy, "Animal Like Voices" utilizing only the mouthpieces, a joke version of "Tea For Two", a little gospel and the odd Klezmer moment. Superb!

Charlie Haden presenting "Nocturne" - living up to its description as "a musical composition of a dreamy character", and the corny show-biz production of the Vienna Art Orchestra, were heard at the Vogue Theatre. A very funky-fun double bill of Jane Bunnett's Alma de Santiago and Los Hombres Calientes were two of the mainly Latin based popular bands at the Commodore Ballroom. Our evening choice though is not these two major downtown venues, but the Vancouver East Cultural Centre.

First up cellist Peggy Lee's Band celebrating the release of a new CD, with a terrific crew comprised of Brad Turner (trumpet), Jeremy Berkman (trombone), Tony Wilson (guitar), Chris Tarry (electric bass) and Dylan van der Schyff (drums), performed fluid composerly music moving between a dramatic overtly theatrical powerhouse and sultry melodious funk. A lobby orchestra for the Big House.

Marilyn Crispell contributed her piano sorcery to two separate concerts. The first as the "opening band" for a silly jokey Italian duo of Gianluigi Trovesi and accordionist Gianni Coscia; the second as the guest of the NOW Orchestra celebrating its 25th Anniversary. In both cases her contribution was to enlarge and/or enhance the other's vocabulary. The duets with Danish saxophonist/ composer Lotte Anker were for the most part subtle tapestry weavings, a delicacy evoking a jazz sisterhood. A most personal dance, although not a secret, just whispered and available for all who could hear its perspicacious beauty.

The NOW Orchestra chose to present an evening of improvised music, which admittedly had some of us nervous as to the possible results. But from the opening Coat Cooke conduction, originating from a simple form, the orchestra slowly enlarged to its full power eventually becoming the first piano feature. Continuing through a series of vignettes utilizing the combinations of partial groups that exist within: Off went Garbo's Hat, dreaming awake into a magisterial brass trio misguided by a dubious opera diva, to a jazz quartet stealthily emerging from the shadows, blues drenched. (That's my daddy cries a child's small voice in the darkness). Sometimes there were too many hands clapping, bumping about on an over-crowded landscape, that as fortune would have it, settled into a peaceful crystalline ladies' choice. Guests have always added a certain strength to this orchestra and they benefited from the presence of Marilyn Crispell. Thank you for inviting us to such a Grand Celebration.

Over the years I have attempted to come to terms with the ideology of music for the masses, tried to believe that if only one person from the "Canada Day Celebrations" was converted to intelligent listening, then that would be enough. However the annoyance they create far exceeds my tolerance for the ridiculous government promoted nationalistic tourism. Unfortunately the ending to the festival, which includes many interesting bands, takes place in a terrible location catering to this general public. The result is that the subtle improvised music of British trombonist Gail Brand's Lunge is continuously interrupted by this moving unfocussed mass. The only events unaffected by this are the workshops which included the first ever Jazz Journalists Association discussion of the subject "Jazz: The Evolving Definition"!

This is a splendid city to dawdle in, and the weather permitted the luxury of a walkabout. Music was everywhere; a Shriners concert band lobbying in front a corporate monolith, a trio of street-boppers playing among the waiting bus crowds, the fine pairing of Dutch tenorist Luc Houtkamp & Vertrek "outside" for an amused general public - causing a small boy to dance and blow air trumpet, a CBC Radio taping of an old memory with British trombone legend Chris Barber, attracting the elderly polyester-pants folk - himself saying "If you have not seen me since 1954, thank you for coming again".

The random acts of joy had included the search for a good pint of Guinness, the yearly tradition of Larry's Garden Party - at which the host, photographer Laurence Svirchev married his Chinese bride Cheng Ying, and the final game of the World Cup with Brazil defeating Germany. All in all a fine vacation.

Recommended Listening:

• Ab Baars Trio: Songs - GeestGrondenCd GG 22 & A Free Step/The Music of John Carter - GeestGrondenCd GG 20
• François Houle 5: In The Vernacular - The Music of John Carter - Songlines SGL 1522-2
• Wilbert de Joode (solo bass): OLO - Wig 06
• Gebhard Ullmann Clarinet Trio Two: Translucent Tones - Leo CD LR 339
• Peggy Lee Band: Sounds From The Big House - Spool/Line 17

This review appeared in Coda Magazine, issue #306