chris wong in sync

Electronica has been on my mind a lot lately. I’ve been thinking about electronic sounds and danceable grooves because they’re so pervasive. How pervasive? Consider the following:

My six-year-old son and two-year-old daughter both recognize and get excited about music by Moby whenever they hear it. In the artists with one name department, they would much rather listen to Moby than Raffi.

At the music school where saxophonist Jon Bentley teaches, he has observed what students do when they can choose from a roomful of instruments. “They just make a beeline right for it [the turntable],” says Bentley, whose band Diversions has a sound that some have labelled electronica. “That’s the new cool instrument to play.”

Coastal Jazz & Blues Society presents “New Groove .01” Mar. 23-24 at the Commodore. The first night features fiery guitarist Vernon Reid and Masque, along with Metalwood–groups that have worked with turntablists and combined jazz, rock, funk, electronica and other styles. (Dirty Dozen Brass Band will also be on the bill.)

The next night focuses more directly on electronica, involving funk, jazz and other genres, from Montreal’s Bullfrog featuring turntablist Kid Koala, Herbaliser DJs (who will also spin Mar. 23 at Sonar) and Doris the Funkasaurus. The two nights will be a preview of a sizeable electronica component in this summer’s jazz festival. Groups such as Cinematic Orchestra and Toronto’s the New Deal will play at venues including Sonar, the Commodore and Performance Works as part of the festival’s New Groove series.

The March shows and festival plans won’t impress those who would like Coastal Jazz and Blues to present more traditional jazz. But John Orysik, Coastal Jazz and Blues media director, says the forays into electronica are consistent with the organization’s mandate to present jazz in a wide variety of new and traditional forms. “The spirit of jazz is to evolve,” says Orysik. “This [jazz meets electronica phenomenon] is something that’s an exciting development on the scene right now.”

Ian Menzies, one of the founders of now-dormant Mo Funk Records, notes that the idea of combining jazz and electronic sounds isn’t exactly new. But Menzies thinks it’s a good time for Coastal to go further into electronica because audiences are more attuned to it and artists are better at creating it. Luke McKeehan, another Mo Funk partner who now books Sonar and runs the Nordic Trax label, says electronica has progressed to the point where it has appeal for both a jazz festival crowd that wants a “listening experience” and people who simply enjoy clubbing.

I think this programming by Coastal Jazz & Blues is valid. Music that effectively combines electronica and jazz extends the jazz-rock fusion that Miles Davis and others pioneered, so there should be a place for it.

But let’s make some things clear. Most of the jazzy electronica CDs I’ve heard–such as the New Deal’s This is Live (Sound & Light/Mo Funk) and St. Germain’s Tourist (Blue Note)–lack the compelling improvisation you get from purer jazz. The liner notes to This is Live proclaim that the music was “improvised live” with “no sequences, samples or overdubs.” But that improvisation lacks harmonic depth. At this point in the music’s development, it’s more about creating a killer groove, which might not be enough to satisfy jazz fans.

Then there’s Metalwood, which does fuse high-level improv with electronica-inspired textures and juicy grooves. I look forward to hearing what the band does with this approach on its Universal Music debut, with guests John Scofield, Mino Cinelu and DJ Logic. The only thing is, while DJ Logic has enriched recordings by elite musicians like Scofield, Medeski, Martin & Wood, and Vernon Reid (on the guitarist’s forceful Mistaken Identity album), the turntablist didn’t really enhance Metalwood’s music when he performed with the quartet at the Cellar in January. Even in the skilled hands of someone like DJ Logic, spinning and scratching don’t necessarily result in profound sounds.

Finally, I admire Coastal’s refusal to present music according to neatly defined categories. But I hope this year’s festival does indeed offer an ample amount of more traditional jazz. Just as there’s timeless value to Cuban music that hasn’t substantially changed in years from the Buena Vista Social Club stars, who will perform July 5 in a post-festival Coastal show, straight-ahead jazz still has a lot to offer in this age of electronica.

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A friend joked about having to go up Mount Ararat to hear Kurt Elling at the Capilano College Performing Arts Theatre. Some people think the journey to Cap College involves a significant trek. But it’s a false perception. Aside from being a short drive from Vancouver, the theatre presents many concerts worth attending.

The next one on Mar. 23 will be a tribute to Benny Goodman. The Cap College A Band led by Brad Turner and the NiteCap vocal ensemble will perform at the tribute. Next up will be a Mar. 30 show featuring Tango Paradiso. The local tango quartet, along with two dancers, will perform tunes from its soon-to-be-released debut CD. Finally, Dee Daniels will perform Mar. 31 with a quartet including Turner, the A Band and NiteCap. The vivacious singer’s shows at Cap College the last two years sold out, so act fast.

For tickets, call 990-7810.

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Toronto’s Carn-Allemano Quintet will perform Mar. 22 at the Cellar. Trombonist William Carn, who has performed with Kenny Wheeler, and trumpeter Lina Allemano, who has played with Dave Holland and the all-female big band Diva, lead the quintet. Call 738-1959 to make reservations.