2003 Vancouver International Jazz Festival Diary
Day 7 already? How does that happen? Two kind of 'lost days' in the middle made it seem a little (gasp) endless, but now that the end is actually in sight and the musical mojo is riding high again, it seems so unfair that it will end. Thank god for the jazz community that Vancouver is the whole year through. Phew. Couldn't make it otherwise.
Joelle Leandre/India Cooke/Miya Masaoka
Got off to a tentative, quiet start that saw violinist Cooke's bow literally fly out of her hand during the first, very short piece - perhaps they sensed what was coming and were attempting to harness its wildness before giving way to the shocking intensity of it. In a show of unity, they all had a good laugh at it by flailing their bows about like a chorus of giant dragonflies whizzing above our heads. Laughter gave way abruptly to ferocity when Cooke charged head-on into the next piece with a fiery temptress solo dance that set the theme for a long, intense piece of frantic, deep-note bowing that vibrated through the body, and instrument-slapping percussive thumps that was distinctly unnerving and bordering on bewitching, especially when bassist Leandre's heavy breathing that evolved soon into a wordless vocal cry. (Yes, that's something of a run-on sentence, but if you were there, you'll allow me the luxury of mimicking the extended tension of the piece.) I forgot she could do that. What a gift her charismatic musical presence is. In fact, the anxious, edgy, troubled vibe ran throughout the entire set - it was tense and disturbing yet riveting. I felt an odd urge to run, but its strength forced me to stay put. The flame burned brightly and quickly - 45 minutes of the musical and physical heat in the steamy Western Front spent all of us. Brilliant.
And y'know, if I were a betting person, I'd bet on any show any time during the jazz fest at the Front to be a knockout session. Every time. The groups and the particularly the improvising pairings are a festival strong point and quite frankly, I don't see the need to even look at the program to know that at 5:30 every day I need to be at the Front. And so I have ventured to be. Sadly, just one left at this writing. Can't wait!
Brad Turner Quarter
Ahhh, a long-awaited BTQ gig. My fave local group (tied with the fantastic trio Diversions), who despite living here, don't play nearly enough -a testament to how busy they all are? An all-too-rare opportunity to see them on a big stage in a big room with great sound and it felt very much like a concert. What a joy to see Bruno Hubert sitting at the keys of a beautiful grand piano instead of the beloved Fender Rhodes. Nothing wrong with the FR - love the sound - this was just a rare chance to hear him and his unique contribution to this group in a different way. Maybe it was the heat of the day or just their mood, but there was a very low-key, kind of lullabyish mood to their set that was unexpected and really quite lovely. Perhaps a sign of the further maturing of this group, which has been together about seven years, combined with the fact that bandleader/composer Turner recently became a parent. Twice. At once. The five-song set (yes, too short, I know) featured new compositions including the set opener "What Is", which provided some classic Hubert: the man plays with such joy and care, not wasting a single note. Older tunes included the spunky "Scrappy" and the sweet "Small and Asleep", written a few years ago for drummer Dylan van der Schyff's wee one, but no doubt being shared by Turner's own wee ones now. Ah yes, Turner. Everyone always expects nothing but genius from the trumpeter, and he pretty much always delivers and usually piles some extra on top. This night was no different. He seemed to be very much enjoying the sound system and the room, and it was clearly evident in his thoughtful and complex trumpet work, which seemed to feature more lengthy solos than usual. Undoubtedly still high on the previous night's gig with Kenny Wheeler, a visibly and audibly inspired and moved Turner displayed a maturity and serious tone that is incredibly satisfying to this listener. A very understated and enjoyable performance from a terrific young group. Bravo, once again, to Turner for lingering on stage a moment after the final applause to extend an invitation to hear musicians like the ones they'd just experienced, year 'round in venues around town.
Bill Coon Trio
I love going to O'Doul's where jazz every night of the week. I'm loving it much more during this festival when the music is featured so prominently on that now well-lit stage that, with its black curtain, seems like a stage and not the place where a table normally goes; and much of the crowd at the bar and in the restaurant has come to hear the music, as well as enjoy the fine dining. Sure, O'Doul's was a restaurant first, but it actually makes a pretty good jazz club, too, and so I can only hope that the obvious success of the jazz festival events spills over to *the rest of the year with music as a main attraction.
Two sets of the soothing guitar-led Bill Coon Trio (Paul Rushka/bass; Blaine Wikjord/drums) was a lovely way to spend the mid-evening hours. The setting here, too, felt a little toward concert, but the intimacy level was very much gig as just about any seat at the bar afforded a view and there was no straining to hear over the din with increased music volume also being a much-appreciated addition to the fest activities. It was a treat to really HEAR Coon's always elegant guitar and arrangements cranked up just that little bit, with the energy of the group going along for the ride. Romance permeates Coon's sound, and his rendition of the classic "Darn That Dream" was just as special as the heartfelt, bouncy "Libation With Nation", a tribute that Coon introduced with kudos to this site's dedicated webmaster/editor/king Brian Nation (yay Brian!). One of the greatest things about Vancouver's jazz scene is just how supportive and communicative the musicians and music fans are, and it's frequently on display at these shows where artists thank supporters and draw the wider audience's attention to this great community.
Tony Wilson Septet
There are few words to describe the mystical, bordering-on-religious experience of this group that is so solidly spiritually connected to each other, and especially their leader, guitarist/composer Wilson. His respect of under-appreciated music, musicians and his gift and skill as a composer earns him the same in return from all who play with him, or hear him. He's such a natural musician that he seems to have been born that way. And yet I know that all his life's experiences are channeled into his music and one of the beautiful things about Wilson is he holds absolutely nothing back, and with his groups he further inspires the same in the players he chooses to play with. They all share the desire to seek the spirituality and soul in music, and very frequently get there by putting all they have into it. This night was a most memorable one with two long sets of quiet beauty so mesmerizing and highly emotional that I can still feel my breathing slow and go deep into that magical place where it affects you not only emotionally, but physically in a full-sensory experience. Everyone sounded terrific and played very personal solos, so it's hard to single out anyone in particular. I can't recall Kevin Elaschuk's trumpet sounding so forceful - he's always passionate, but he really, really meant it. On the tenor sax, Dave Say is like a magician, always pulling a new rabbit out of his hat with lots to say, and this night in the musical womb known as 1067 was no exception. One tune started with a spirited bass intro from Paul Blaney that resounded with thunder around the room. Hard to imagine the time I was puzzled by his vocalizing that frequently accompanies his playing (the 'zzzjuh zzzjuh' sound), and now to my ears it's just a natural extension of his style and sound that are unique to him. (Hmmm, maybe I'll 'get' Keith Jarrett's moans someday…) The final composition began with a… oh man, there aren't enough superlatives super enough to describe the all-too-short few earth-shattering minutes of violinist Becky Whitling's absolutely flooring intro. Even if you'd wanted to resist, there would've been no sense in trying. No longer under my own power, my eyes closed, deliciously awaiting the coming notes from the singing strings, and my breath caught and stopped, not ever wanting this ethereal beauty to cease. This is music of the highest order, everything music can and should be - soul and body unifying in absolute bliss. Do not miss this septet at Performance Works on July 1.
P.S. Listened to new Tord Gustavsen Trio's "Changing Places" (ECM) while writing this. Sadly romantic, this piano trio recording hangs in the air like a tear sitting atop the curve of a cheek waiting to roll down. Gorgeous and spare.
Diary Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
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Diary Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
Writer/Photographer Josephine Ochej is a regular contributor to The Jazz Review, the Westender, Planet Jazz, and Coda Magazine.