chris wong in sync

One of my most vivid memories from years of attending local jazz performances involves a concert at the Western Front featuring Claude Ranger. He’s the Montreal-born drummer who was once a force in the Vancouver scene. Aside from recalling his polyrhythmic vigour that night, I distinctly remember that a lit cigarette dangled from his mouth for long stretches of the show. So he was no role model, but Ranger looked and sounded like a hard-core player.

The other week, when I met Bruce Nielsen for the first time, the 37-year-old made a much different impression. Somehow he seemed more clean-cut than I expected. But if I’m comparing him to Ranger, then Nielsen definitely looks straight. With Nielsen, appearances also deceive. He’s a tremendous drummer whose style is anything but neat and safe. While Nielsen keeps steady time, he finds creative ways to actively express himself all over his drum kit.

The Vancouver musician belies assumptions in another way: he’s a drummer who also composes music, and does so with a lot of skill and feeling. Nielsen shows that ability on his second CD, Up for the Count. He wrote all but one of the tunes on the album. Nielsen’s writing must be good because he and his quartet members–tenor saxophonist Mike Allen, pianist George McFetridge and bassist Steve Holy–sound so at ease playing the songs, which emphasize swing and blues but leave open the possibility of taking the music outside of those more traditional elements. Allen, in particular, improvises with an affinity for the material that’s more satisfying than even solos on his own recent CDs.

At the Cellar last weekend during the CD release party for Up for the Count, the whole band played with intensity, just as they did on the recording. On the bandstand they tore through the title track to the album and slowly built up tension on “Dida”, which Nielsen energized with an authoritative solo.

Nielsen, who works as an elementary school teacher at both Emily Carr and Lord Strathcona, has been playing jazz in Vancouver since 1985. He studied with ace drummers in New York City and Banff. Along the way Nielsen got a music degree in composition at UBC, which partially explains his knack for writing. He released his debut album, Between the Lines, in 1992.

At one point Nielsen and McFetridge became roommates, which gave the drummer an opportunity to learn from the veteran pianist, who’s generally unrecognized for his inspired playing and composition. “He plays the piano like no one else,” says Nielsen. “He’s developed his own language.”

The roomies went on to play extensively together in groups including a trio with bassist Paul Blaney. Nielsen’s current band formed in late 1999. The quartet had done some gigs at the Jupiter and cut a demo before CBC Radio offered to record the ensemble for broadcast on Katie Malloch’s superb Jazz Beat program. Up for the Count consists of first and second takes from the CBC session, crisply produced by Neil Ritchie and Claire Lawrence.

If you can’t find Up for the Count in local stores, go to www.jazzpromo.com. It’s well worth picking up.

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After Bobo Stenson’s splendid concert at last summer’s jazz festival, I met the introspective but lyrical pianist backstage. It was surprising to learn that he had just recovered from a significant hand injury. If the Swede could play that expressively in those circumstances, then his performance at St. James Community Square with bassist Anders Jormin and drummer Billy Hart on Feb. 24–when Stenson will presumably be injury-free–should be a treat.

Russell Malone’s Mar. 2 show at Christ Church Cathedral is another good bet. The guitarist, who has successfully built up a solo career since leaving Diana Krall’s band, plays with straight-ahead gusto.

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Chutzpah, a two-week (Feb. 17-Mar. 4) showcase of Jewish culture at Norman Rothstein Theatre, looks promising. Among the event’s musical performers I’m interested in hearing is Jennifer Gasoi. The Vancouver vocalist, who sings both jazz standards and original music that incorporates various styles, will perform Feb. 20 (8 p.m.).

I’m especially intrigued by the festival’s finale on Mar. 4 (9 p.m.), when a 12-piece ensemble–including instruments ranging from trombone to the Chinese erhu–will perform world music by Moshe Denburg. This will be a rare chance to hear an entire concert of the culturally diverse pieces that Denburg has composed since the late ’80s. The program will include the final movement of “Reconciliations”, the high point of the second Westcoast Sacred Music Festival.

For tickets and information, call 257-5111, extension 293.

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The Vancouver World Music Collective’s premiere concert in January started late for a good reason: a large walk-up crowd was lining up to buy tickets. Hopefully the response will be as good for the collective’s second concert, Mar. 3 at Vancouver Community College’s King Edward campus auditorium (1155 E. Broadway). Collective members performing in the concert include Khac Chi Ensemble, Mad Pudding and Silk Road Music, along with guests such as Mei Han, Pierre Imbert, Randy Raine-Reusch and André Thibault. Call the Rogue Folk Club at 736-3022 to reserve tickets.