Number 10 2002 Vancouver International Jazz Festival Diary
Day 5 Tuesday, June 25, 2002
Somewhat dismayed to find I’d missed an apparently awesome Dave Holland Quintet show previous night at Vogue. Had intended to stop by, but sometimes you just gotta ignore the plan and go with the gut, so only very minor regrets. The Mike Zachernuk Quartet started the day off nicely, with a sweet and swinging performance under semi-sunny skies (beats the hell outta rain) at the Pacific Centre outdoor stage. Standards mixed with some originals from Zachernuk, trumpet; Dave Sikula, guitar; Paul Rushka, bass; and Nino Di Pasquale, drums, were a perfect way to ease into the jazz day. Bummed to miss second set while racing around trying to find film and camera store that both eluded for a short time. Strange day. Müller/Lee/Zubot improv session at Western Front beckoned later. Hadn’t seen Torsten Müller (bass) yet since his move to town; have seen Peggy Lee enough times to know she’s always got something interesting to say through her cello; and the more I hear violinist Jesse Zubot in improv situations, the more I want to hear. And the thought of three stringed instruments in an intimate room like the Front? Yahoo. Now, you might think three stringed instruments wouldn’t leave a ton of room for variety in sounds or textures, but you’d only think that if you hadn’t been there: fingernails scratched on strings (drawing goosebumps), slaps, bowed screeches and taps, pluckings all heard in their purest sense with no amplification. That acoustic quality enhanced the intimacy incredibly. Unfortunately, the heat of the day caused head swirling and stomach churning, and ultimately, a need to leave the room. Could hear from more airy lobby, but lost sense of intimacy. Sigh. To Zubot & Dawson (Zubot, fiddle/mandolin; Steve Dawson, guitars; Andrew Downing, bass; Chris Gestrin, organ/keys/accordion; Elliot Polsky, percussion) at the Vogue for 8pm, to find packed house enjoying their rootsy stew of blues, folk and bluegrass sounds. They’re great musicians, but the music isn’t my cuppa.
Excited for Mike Murley/Ian Froman Quartet (Murley, tenor & soprano sax; Froman, drums; Chris Gestrin, piano; André Lachance, acoustic bass) at Studio 16, and rightly so. This was exactly the soothing my ears and soul needed beautiful, swinging jazz made by four terrific young players with great chemistry amongst them. It’s been one of the great treats of the festival, this getting to hear Murley and Froman several times in different groups, and it’s such a thrill when some of your favourite musicians whom you get to hear regularly here in Vancouver get together with visitors (though some claim can be laid to Murley and Froman through the Metalwood connection, I suppose - !) and make some magic. There were some kind of annoying yapping going in the back row, but someone shushed them up and we all got back to enjoying the show. Add this one to my ‘Best of Fest’ list.
Was still tripping to the above when François Houle’s new project, Cryptology (Houle, clarinet, electronics; Jesse Zubot, violin; Tony Wilson, guitar; Brad Turner, trumpet/piano; Jason Roebke, bass; Dylan van der Schyff, drums) took the stage at Studio 16 shortly after midnight. I’m afraid fell short on the ability to focus on this music that required active thought, and could only manage about 20 minutes before I had to have sweet relief that only the night air on a warm summer’s night (after a hot, bothersome day) could bring. At the midway point in the 2002 fest, am finding my musical cup running over frequently and early, almost to the point of distraction. Not sure if it’s too much music or not enough… but the only way to find out is to suck it up, carry on and follow the gut instinct. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go look for my sense of humour, which seems to have escaped me these last few days.
Diary Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
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Diary Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
Writer/Photographer Josephine Ochej is a regular contributor to The Jazz Review, the Westender and Coda Magazine.