Number 2
April 27, 2001
THEN…
WELL, SO MUCH for trying to get to U2 AND Medeski, Martin &
Wood. I'da thought it would be harder to get into U2, but MMW took
the prize for being packed-to-capacity with no sign of anyone one leaving
or getting in! Oh well, U2 was a concert experience of a lifetime. It's
easy to forget how consistently great they have been over the years, at
least until you put together a song list capturing a lot of the best material
they have produced and pack it into one exhilarating, intense, emotional,
heart-pounding concert. The most amazing thing to note about that show
is just how incredibly intimate it felt for being in a 19,000-seat stadium.
The stage design with the heart-shaped walkway that went halfway down
the floor really leant itself to a kind of access to the band that wouldn't
have been possible with just a traditional stage set-up. After that, I
really wasn't that disappointed to not go to another show - wasn't quite
ready to replace the U2 experience so fresh in the mind and invigorating
to the spirit.
TRIPPING…
DIVERSIONS. DIVERSIONS. WHAT else can I possibly ever say
about Diversions? Lots! It was soooo great to hear the trio live again,
despite the back-of-the-mind melancholy accompanying the thoughts of leader/saxophonist
Jon Bentley leaving town shortly. There is a real mystic quality to this
group, what with those long, meandering, looping songs of Bentley's leading
you somewhere deep inside yourself. It's been a long time since I've had
one of those almost out-of-body - or maybe just out-of-conscious - experiences
where I completely forget where or what I am, and go into a hypnotic state.
I'd forgotten about those trips cause it's been soooo long, but I was
blissfully reminded at Diversions' gig at The Cellar Thursday, April 19.
On one hand I would love to have heard more of the group's own amazing
compositions - for example, their Eastward Bound was music as drug:
a majestic, purposeful, slow, sure-footed movement causing certain descent
into a mind-captivating, deep-breathing trance. But then we might've missed
out on the far-out outing provided by their take on Mingus' Nostalgia
in Times Square. My notes from this song, which, somehow simultaneously
make no sense and all the sense in the world in that conscious/subconscious
way:
Loose, tightening grooves, winding, getting tighter, picking up speed, getting you all head-spinney, twisty turning blobs, stops, catches itself, and goes, 'Ya!', hits it, grabbing momentum in mid-air, snagging it and making it its own, manipulating it, warping it, forcing it to comply - trippy centre-of-cymbal scratches, low-bottomed Moog drones, jagged Fender Rhodes calls, fluttered, echoey sax whirly reverberating fans for a middle break so successfully gone, building into an anxious suspension of belief ride you can't get off and don't want to, cause you want to see what's on the other side. What IS it? It's a startling rush to the finish after an interlude of not even really knowing where you've been other than having the feeling you've left yourself for a while. Yowzer.
These three are continually growing and improving as musicians and songwriters, and one good thing afforded by infrequent gigging as Diversions is that they then bring those experiences to the group and you can hear their progress. It's a remarkable gift to be able to watch these guys who you already are amazed by, become even better. Oh, what I would do for a recording of that night's show…
INTO THE FIRE…
NEXT NIGHT METALWOOD absolutely smoked the Cap College Performing
Arts Theatre, and if you don't believe me, ask any of the audience who
provided a snappy standing ovation at the end and demanded an immediate
encore. Then there were the flames literally rising off the band…
oh right, those were projected onto the screen behind them… but sheesh,
they may as well have been physically on fire cause they were, figuratively
speaking. Yep, that hot. And you know, it's simply impossible to single
out any one of the quartet as being particularly 'on' that night cause
when you start comparing you go from one to the next and can't decide
cause they were all so on! Ian Froman was pounding those drums even harder
than, well, even HE can; Chris Tarry literally made people weep with the
solo that opened his new tune You Be The Monster (I'm NOT kidding);
Brad Turner blasted out some sneaky, snaking gorgeously melodic trumpet
work in tandem with Mike Murley's warm tenor and soprano sax soaring.
An excellent show, probably the best I've ever heard Metalwood, making
me look all the more forward to their three scheduled Vancouver International
Jazz Festival shows in late-June.
NOW…
LOTSA GREAT STUFF coming up in the next while, leading us up to Jazz Fest
time (56 days and counting at this posting!)
THE ALLEYWAY JOINT known as 1067 will have some fine experimentation in the house this Friday, April 27 with saxophonist Coat Cooke, Chris Kelly on electronics and samplers, Chris Tarry on electric bass, and Skye Brooks on drums. Just relax and breathe it all in. You know the place. No? Check out the calendar page elsewhere at vancouverjazz.com and get with it. 9pm doors. 10pm show. $5 plus $1 membership at the door.
THE BRUNO HUBERT TRIO sees the final night in a month-long Friday-night stand at the Sugar Refinery on April 27. If you haven't been down for this one yet, swing yer ass on by for great tunes in a relaxed, funky atmosphere. See my previous column for more details. Already got plans? So what. Go after! Bruno (Fender Rhodes) & the boys . (Karlis Silins, bass; Jeff Sulima, bass) will carry on til about 2:00am, maybe later if yer good. 10pm start. Cover $5.
SOMETHING A LITTLE more straight-ahead perhaps, yet very high on the quality factor? Try alto saxist P.J. Perry in at The Cellar Friday and Saturday, April 27-28. From Edmonton, where he's built a widely revered career recently capped off nicely by a recording he did with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Perry will be supported by the very fine Ross Taggart on piano, André Lachance on bass and Dylan van der Schyff on drums. Should be yet another fantastic weekend at the Cellar.(Two sets per night: 9pm & 11pm. $10/set. Reservations highly recommended, 738-1959. The 9pm set on Friday is already sold out as of April 26!
AFTER THAT WINDS up on Saturday, April 28, you can still pop down to the Sugar Refinery for the last night of JazzMatik's month-of-Saturdays gig. Again, see previous "jazzie" for details. (Mike Zachernuk, trumpet; James Danderfer, tenor sax; Karlis Silins, bass; and Jeff Sulima, drums). 10pm-2am or 2:30! $5 cover.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2 is a day marked on the calendars of jazz fans all over. Coastal Jazz & Blues announces the full Vancouver International Jazz Festival (June 22-July 1) line-up that day, and it is almost upon us! For recently announced shows at the Vogue and the Orpheum, see the main page of this site and after May 2, check out CJBS's jazz fest page link above for details and pick up a festival programme at music and book stores, etc. for the finer details. Even though the official festival announcements happen next week, peeks around at various musicians' and local venue websites indicate some stellar visiting musician gigs to look forward to, along with the awesome stuff in our own backyard. I will leave you with the following hints: Dave, Seamus, Bump, Joshua, Rosenwinkel, Mob. Go forth and surf!
THE FABULOUS CHRIS TARRY TRIO returns to The Cellar on Thursday, May 3. Now, maybe it's cause Chris is such a nice, laidback guy that he's not more hyped up than he is, but man, should he be! He is one consistently excellent performer and songwriter who forever seems to be on the move, musically speaking. Aw, just go hear for yourself. Chris Tarry, electric bass; Darryl Jahnke, guitar; Bernie Arai, drums. 8pm. Reservations, 738-1959.
MAN, THERE'S A lotta good stuff happening at The Cellar this week. Friday, May 4 the owner himself takes the stage as part of the Danderfer/Weeds Quintet featuring The Cellar's Cory Weeds on alto sax; James Danderfer on tenor sax; plus Tilden Webb on piano, Jody Proznick on bass and Paul Townsend on drums. This new group's repertoire includes originals by Danderfer and Weeds, as well as material by Hugh Fraser, Dexter Gordon, Cannonball Adderly, Joe Henderson, Johnny Griffin, Wes Montgomery and Kenny Garrett. Danderfer and Weeds have an interesting kind of opposites attract and complement thing going on: Danderfer's got a whole lot of romance in his soulful tone and Weeds' fire is channeled through the fast and furious. Interesting combo covering the angles. Paul Townsend's percussion is always a delightful smorgasbord of sounds and oh boy, a new bassist and pianist (to these ears anyhow!) to check out! 8pm. Reservations, 738-1959.
NO, THE CELLAR is NOT paying me to promote their shows, although that IS an idea… it's just that it's pretty much THE jazz club in town, now, innit? That doesn't change Saturday, May 5 with the return of Emergency Broadcast System. That's gonna be some kickass (Can I say that in jazz or even jazz-related circles? Guess I just did) fusion, electric jazz a la Weather Report, Miles Davis and Chick Corea. The kickass part is, of course, Randall Stoll on drums; along with the very talented Chris Gestrin on keys and Andre Lachance on what I expect will be electric bass. We don't get to hear the versatile Lachance on the nearly electric enough, so grab this Chance. 8pm. Reservations, 738-1959.
"THE JAZZ MESSENGERS", a tribute to the great Art Blakey, goes down the weekend of Friday-Saturday May 11-12 at The Cellar. This is gonna be a smokin'set of shows featuring Brad Turner, Jon Bentley, Dennis Esson, Ross Taggart, André Lachance and Bernie Arai. But more on that next time! Thinking about making reservations now is a good idea. Actually making them now is a better one! I think this will be a sell out for sure.
Related links:
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The Cellar
Diversions
Metalwood
Medeski, Martin...
Jazz Festival
jazzie archive:
2002
6 Jazz Fest Diary
Writer/Photographer Josephine Ochej is a regular contributor to The Jazz Review, the Westender and Coda Magazine.