2004 Vancouver International Jazz Festival Diary
It came very close to there being no Day 7 this year. It was crash day. And I don't mean the band. I wish I did. Every year it happens. I reach the exhaustion-saturation plateau and just shut down. Nothing was getting in and certainly nothing was getting out. I've spent the last two days waiting for something to kick it away, and unfortunately am still waiting. Something extraordinary. I've heard a few really good concerts in that time, but no earth-shattering kaboom. I miss the earth-shattering kaboom. Maybe today.
André Lachance Trio -Tap Room at Granville Island Brewery
This had one strike against it merely because it was on Granville Island
on a national holiday when it seems everyone in Vancouver and all its
many suburbs descend on that tiny little piece of land in the middle of
the city and it becomes one giant ant hill of red-clad, face-painted flag-wavers.
My first note of the day: "Oy with the crowds". You really gotta
psych yourself up for this day and I fell short of that mark, too. But
Lachance on guitar with the always fantastic Chris Gestrin on keys and
a rare Brad Turner on drums was worth fighting the crowds for. And a very
considerable redeeming factor to this package was that it was in the GI
Brewery and a very considerate Jazz Warrior I know headed down early to
secure us a space in that crazy venue. Why haven't I talked about the
music? Cause it was difficult to connect with. The stage layout was remarkably
dumb - right by the door where everyone stood, and where everyone who
came in late got a front-row view, and completely blocked the others who
had come early to get a 'good spot' - and got shafted. Oh, and did I mention
everyone was standing practically on top of the musicians? That's gotta
be a good atmosphere to work in. To their credit, the boys cranked it
up and funked it out above the din, and that odd venue in the middle of
a hot sunny crazy afternoon felt like being in a club for a while there.
Of course, all that bitching aside, it's great there were so many pairs
of ears checking out Vancouver talent - these events bring new converts
every year. Good times and really good to hear Lachance on guitar, and
especially Gestrin, who I haven't had much opportunity to hear this fest
- or at least what I could hear of them over the din. Hopefully
we'll get another gig soon what with they're living right here. And yes,
it'll be very nice it some of these new ears show up, too.
Evan Parker Trio w/ Walter Prati & Giancarlo Schiaffini - The
Front
Escaped the Island as quickly as possible and ran to this gig.
I knew it would be packed, but holy way sold-out batman. I guess that's
to be expected on a National Holiday when everyone's got the time and
you've got musicians of this caliber all on one gig. I knew it was gonna
be a shit-kicker - it was in the air. There was barely a moment to ease
in and whammo, high-speed freight train antics. Intense doesn't even begin
to describe it. In fact I can't even begin to describe it, it was so huge
and overwhelming and in keeping with the day, shut me down during the
third piece. Time to go. It pains me to feel that and moreso to say it.
It was swirling all around me yet not getting in, and I knew there was
probably someone outside waiting for a precious space inside.
NOMA - The Cultch
I love surprises. Tom Walsh's NOMA was a brief respite from life as I
was living it. Walsh was one of the bright spots in this year's Time Flies
back in February, and I knew he'd be up to something good and bombastic
and way out front with his NOMA group. I'd read the program, but somehow
missed the double drums, double bass, double guitar part of NOMA. The
result was a remarkably in-unison, delightfully fresh, full-bodied genre-mixer
of grooves, almost rock guitar elements and improvisation, rising and
falling at the sole command of the creative, charismatic and confident
trombonist/leader Walsh.
Jerry Granelli: The V-16 Project - The Cultch
Was hoping for a lot here, particularly from Granelli Sr. and stunning
guitarist David Tronzo, who many will remember as one-fourth of NYC's
Slow Poke, which also features Vancouver tenor saxist-living-in-NYC Michael
Blake. (Blake, of course, is here with newest group Blake Tartare for
this year's fest, and is also featured with Veda Hille for this fest's
Hard Rubber Orchestra concert Sunday night). Aaaanyway. Got off to a great
start with Granelli standing over his drums in a blazing red shirt (he'd
just removed his "Yes, I'm Italian" red & white (or was
it silver?) silk scarf and hung it over one of his stands), ballet-move
swirling his drumsticks very purposefully like a Taiko drummer - a very
graceful image. Then he sat down and the guitarists proceeded to noodle
back and forth, trading solos-type of thing above the bass and drums.
Even with Tronzo on stage, that rock guitar god with a jazzer's soul,
I couldn't take the noodling. Yes, it was partly my mood, but I couldn't
take much of any of it.
Kate Hammett-Vaughan Trio - O'Doul's
Arrived for final brief set of traditional must-see event of one of my
fave singers at my fave neighbourhood jazz haunt and felt things let go
and relax a bit. Hammett-Vaughan has that disarming ability to put you
at ease that is a performer's gift, whether she's charming you or breaking
your heart as she takes you along on her musical journey, and it's never
failed for these ears and soul yet.
Jam Session w/ Mike Allen Trio - O'Doul's
Well, the previous night's incredible session was a hard act to follow,
and I think this event was feeling the same as I was at this point. Kind
of at that mid-fest overload part. No matter what you do, you can't seem
to escape it. Anyway, a few jam session regulars were in the house and
a more subdued - if only in comparison to the previous night - session
was kinda nice, actually. To relax and just hang was the thing. Highlight
of this session unfolded like this. From the ladies' room I could hear
the sounds of a vocalist, and I thought, 'Oh, break time already?' figuring
someone had flipped the stereo back on for set break. When I emerged,
there, on stage, was bassist Adam Thomas delivering a surprising and very
swinging version of "How Deep Is The Ocean?" From the front
of the stage. At the mic. What a treat! The place went wild - well, as
wild as we could in our seemingly collective mellowness, but, I mean,
who knew? A great and unexpected turn of events. More please! And soon.
Got your own opinion on what went down? Visit the Jazz Forum.
Day 7
Thursday, July 1, 2004
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Writer/Photographer Josephine Ochej is a regular contributor to The Jazz Review, the Westender, Planet Jazz, and Coda Magazine.