Vancouver International Jazz Festival 2011 Diary – DAY 2 / Saturday, June 26, 2011

Posted on | June 26, 2011 | No Comments

by Josephine Ochej

Day 2 – Saturday, June 26, 2011

What do you do when your ears are full after Day 1 and you’re maybe a bit of an obsessive personality and can’t stop listening to the discs by the earth-shattering kaboom artist you heard the previous night? Shake it off and hope like hell. The experience of such intense musical pleasure on Day 1 had the same effect as the annual festival overload that usually hits around Day 6 or 7, maybe 8. Funny how I manage to block that out of my music-loving mind.

Marianne Trudel @ Performance Works, Granville Island

To each their own. One of ye olde truisms about art that popped into my head as I walked into this gig. There is simply no accounting for taste. It just is. An older, uhm, gentleman who had paused (inexplicably, it turns out, given his comment) in the doorway on his way out and therefore blocking it, said, ‘Bloody awful’ to my ‘Excuse me’. I wonder now why he couldn’t have just said, well, nothing at all would have been preferable, but if he had to say something, maybe ‘I didn’t like it’ or ‘It wasn’t to my taste’. I’d have agreed with him on that point, because while the musicians were fine players, the music was just not my cuppa, either. Enjoyed hanging out for the hang factor, though. Often that’s enough.

In the Country @ Roundhouse – Performance Centre

Back to his day job, bassist Roger Arntzen

After finding some confusion as to who was actually playing in this time slot (programme differed from website), I was very excited when I got confirmation that the Norwegian trio In the Country was a late substitution for the cancelled Médéric Collignon and the jus de Bocse (France). [Note: Check the Festival’s official site for any scheduling changes or substitutions http://www.coastaljazz.ca/ OR the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/TD-Vancouver-International-Jazz-Festival/352631849710]. The group made light of their addition to the fest gig, saying that in spite of their booking agent they ended up with a gig at the VIJF anyway while on their three-week tour of North America, and they’d relegated him back to his day job – playing bass (Roger Arntzen, oddly, not one of the Vancouver jazz dynasty Arntzens, I believe).
Was shocked (though the mics really should’ve clued me in, had I looked that closely) and rather pleasantly surprised by the haunting three-part vocal harmonies (Arntzen, along with pianist Morten Qvenild and drummer Pål Hausken) of the first piece, which started with the words ‘So afraid’. So unexpected. So lovely. Spare, subtle, sneaking. I love surprises. Well, this kind anyhow. Soft swishes of broom-style drum brushes. Lovely. Second piece called ‘White Out’, a weather reference pianist Qvenild felt we as Canadians would understand. More toward classic piano trio stuff with some snowed-in-like-I-can’t-imagine angst cropping up. A few minutes into the third piece, somewhere after the bird tweeting sounds, it was feeling maybe just a little close to new agey for me. Onward…

Jaga Jazzist @ Venue

What Jaga Jazzist could’ve been…

If you didn’t know where Jaga Jazzist was from, a quick listen would be enough to tell you they were not from around here. In fact, they rather seem like they’re from another planet entirely. These ears are simply mad for that ‘crazy Euro sound’, as I lovingly refer to it; the energy, the all-at-once untamed appearance while actually being under great control… Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh sweet sweet sounds. And Jaga Jazzist is a fine example of this. There was so much going on, such an aural feast of rising and falling waves that, with nine instruments, could’ve just been chaos (which would’ve been its own set of fun, perhaps). But this super-tight, super-cool nine-piece Norwegian group took a very appreciative crowd on a beautiful controlled rollercoaster ride, piece after piece. What a blast to hear where things would dip, what would drop out and who’d come in – a very pleasurable kind of musical seek and find. What a blast! Perfect room for it, too – big, high stage in a nightclub setting with a cool light show (though perhaps a little too dark, over all). Wish the balcony had been open, too.

What Jaga Jazzist was – who’s in?

The best thing about the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, for me, has always been the sheer variety of music presented, including the many foreign acts imported to expand our musical horizons – and so much of it for FREE. Free! Sure I’d love to be hearing this stuff in Oslo or Stockholm or Amsterdam, but since I am not there, I am absolutely thrilled to be here to get the chance to hear these cats as part of my jazz festival experience (not to mention the gigs throughout the year that Coastal Jazz puts on), and find some new music to love, as I have each and every year of this fest that I’ve attended (from somewhere around ‘93 or ’94, I think). My musical taste has expanded and grown, and it is largely due to access to the free concerts at the fest. I thought I’d heard Jaga Jazzist at a previous festival and wasn’t so sure my memory of that gig was a good one, but I’m very pleased, in this case anyway, that my memory is terrible.

Robert Glasper Trio @ Performance Works, Granville Island

Popped in to hear a few tunes of this to find that Performance Works had become an absolutely jammed, standing-room only sauna that brought on memories of the Canada Day madhouse concerts (though at least in that case the big glass windows on the side are usually open). Can’t complain about being hot, though, cause I’ve been so obnoxiously complaining about being cold. So let’s talk about the music. Glasper’s Trio (Glasper, piano; Derrick Hodge, bass; and Mark Colenburg, drums) has a beautifully solid connection that (as with all the good ones), they madke look so loose and easy, hooking them together, led by Glasper’s elegant piano; it’s enjoyable stuff that you don’t have to work hard to find pleasure in. Kinda soul soothing actually. Suspect that had it not been so warm and packed in that room, and had they not played ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ (apart from Kurt Elling’s jazzy take on Joe Jackson’s ‘Stepping Out’, and I have issues even with that, it’s rare that I can stand pop or rock music that has been given the ‘jazz treatment’), and had I taken that seat that the very nice volunteer told me was free somewhere toward the front, I might’ve found it very easy to sit and let that luscious piano trio wash over me.

Almost forgot to mention how nice it is to have the bar in the lobby of this venue, where previously it was in the corner of the room near the backstage area and could be distracting. It helps make it a true concert setting, if perhaps not doing much for bar sales.

Jazz Fest Factoid #1

André Lachance may be the hardest working man this jazz fest (again? Probably). With gigs as a leader and a player/sideman every single day from Day 1 through Day 10, the stalwart Vancouver bassist/guitarist is in major demand. Which is no surprise to anyone who’s had the pleasure of hearing him play. Look him up.

Category: General

Vancouver International Jazz Festival 2011 – 20 Questions for… JON BENTLEY

Posted on | June 25, 2011 | No Comments

by Josephine Ochej

Everyone knows by now it’s only 10 questions.Here’s the latest in the 20 Questions installment, for your informational pleasure, a little history, a little observation, some reminiscences about Vancouver International Jazz Festivals past, and maybe just a thing or two you didn’t know about some of our most treasured Vancouver musicians.

JON BENTLEY (tenor saxophonist)

Jon Bentley, possessor of one of the most gorgeous sounds these ears have ever heard

(photo by Josephine Ochej)

At what age did you start playing an instrument and what was it?

I started playing alto saxophone in elementary school at the standard age that kids start to learn acoustic instruments. That was a while ago!

Do you still play the first instrument you started on? What others do you play?

Yes, still playing the saxophone. I have played upright bass professionally in the past as well.

What has been the biggest surprise you’ve experienced about playing music as a career?

It seems to get harder and harder just to meet your basic costs for survival. It wasn’t great when I started playing professionally, but now it is the worst I’ve ever seen it. I didn’t ever have any grand ideas of making lots of money playing music, but I did think I would be able to get by without too much trouble. Everything in Vancouver goes up in price every year except what you make on gigs, which is at the core of the problem for me.

If you could travel back 5, 10 (20?) years, what’s something you wish you knew about music or even the business that must happen for music to be heard?

I guess I didn’t foresee the current drastic drop in recorded music sales. I have taught some students recently who have never purchased any music in their lives, accessing it all for free online. This creates a very different economic reality for musicians who previously relied on sales of their recorded music to supplement their income.

What are your thoughts, in general, on Vancouver’s jazz scene?

Lots of great musicians, but not many places to play that pay a reasonable guaranteed amount of money. I don’t think that scenario is restricted to only Vancouver, though. That said, there are many players here who just love to play, so there are always opportunities for setting up sessions/door gigs to put yourself in new musical situations.

What musician(s) or genre might your audience be surprised to find you a fan of? And why are they worth checking out?

I try to keep an open mind about as many different genres as I can. At a very formative age while just beginning jazz studies, my music school prof Brad Turner gave me some advice that I still value greatly and in turn try to teach to my students today. He encouraged me to try to be open to different styles of music and participate in as many genres as possible. Taking in all of these influences and experiences can give your own musical voice more depth and interest. I would drop by his house and he’d be playing AC/DC albums, which was great for me to witness considering the jazz purist vibe that can sometimes overwhelm an impressionable student at a jazz school. So to answer the question, I have a particular fondness for samples, synths, and electronic music. We live in an electronic age, so it really resonates with me. Flying Lotus (Steve Ellison) is a favourite of mine, in particular the album “Los Angeles”. Coincidentally, I believe he is the nephew of Alice Coltrane.

What’s happening in your musical life, currently, and what are you working toward in the relatively near future?

I’m just trying to enjoy every musical experience that I am part of and not take anything for granted. I’m always trying to improve as a saxophonist and musician through whatever means are available. There always seems to be some gigs on the horizon to look forward to, so I’m thankful for that.

Tell me about a memorable gig you had at a previous Vancouver International Jazz Festival?

Having Kenny Wheeler play with my quintet at the Cultch was an amazing highlight for me. We played a bunch of his great music and the crowd was really appreciative towards Kenny, so it was cool to see his jazz legacy acknowledged in that way by the Vancouver audience. Ken Pickering and the rest of Coastal Jazz were instrumental in helping me to put that gig together, so I am very thankful to them for that experience

Tell me about a favourite gig you heard at a previous Vancouver International Jazz Festival?

I was fortunate enough to open for Wayne Shorter’s quartet one year while playing with Chris Gestrin’s Stillpoint band. After our set, I stood on the side of the stage just behind the curtain about 10 feet away from Wayne’s band and it was a pretty unbelievable experience. I often think about that set of music and how much they interacted musically through listening so intently to each other. The pace of how the set developed was remarkable to me.

What gig(s) (other than your own) are you looking forward to at this year’s festival and why?

Seamus Blake with Jacek Kochan sounds like an interesting gig to check out. I’ve been a huge fan of Seamus’ playing for many years; he is one of the all-time greats in my opinion. Another set to check out is JP Carter/ Peggy Lee/ Ingrid Laubrock/ Tyshawn Sorey. Two of Vancouver’s outstanding creative improvising musicians with some international flavour.

THE 411

WHO: Jon Bentley (tenor saxophonist)

Peggy Lee Band: – Peggy Lee (cello), Dylan van der Schyff (drums), André Lachance (bass), Jesse Zubot (violin), Jeremy Berkman (trombone), Ron Samworth (guitar), Tony Wilson (guitar), and Jon Bentley (tenor saxophone)

Kate Hammett-Vaughan – Kate Hammett-Vaughan (voice), André Lachance (bass), Chris Gestrin (piano), Tom Foster (drums), Jon Bentley (tenor saxophone).

Wilson/Lee/ Bentley – Peggy Lee (cello), Tony Wilson (guitar), and Jon Bentley (tenor saxophone)

ON THE RECORD: Peggy Lee Band – “New Code” on Drip Audio, available at http://dripaudio.com/releases.php?release=18

ON THE WEB: http://www.jonbentleymusic.com/

WHERE & WHEN:

Peggy Lee Band @ Performance Works, Granville Island, Friday, July 1 @ 5:30pm. ** FREE GIG ALERT **

Kate Hammett-Vaughan Quintet @ Performance Works, Granville Island, Saturday July 2 @ 2pm. ** FREE GIG ALERT **

Wilson/ Lee/ Bentley @ The Ironworks, Saturday July 2nd, two sets: 10:30pm & midnight.

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For more on the players mentioned here, many of whom have multiple gigs (and even multiples upon multiples, in some cases) at the 2011 Vancouver International Jazz Festival, go to the official festival site (http://www.coastaljazz.ca), type the artist’s name into the search bar, and all of their gigs, including all personnel, will magically appear.

Category: General

Vancouver International Jazz Festival 2011 Diary – DAY 1 / Friday, June 25, 2011

Posted on | June 25, 2011 | No Comments

by Josephine Ochej

Day 1 – Friday, June 25, 2011

If the Festival ended now, I would be hungrily satisfied with that. Hungrily, of course because when you find musical bliss, you can’t help but want more more more… all the time, more. Satisfied because, the amazing music that filled these ears, mind and soul (unexpectedly, though there was hope, great hope even, given the delightful agenda and stellar musical credentials involved,) but one can never quite plan 100% on reaching nirvana. More on that in a bit…

There is nothing but clichés running through my head, and I’m really (exhaustedly) sorry, but déjà vu on boomeranging repeat is happening all around lately. The night that was Day 1 of my Vancouver International Jazz Festival 2011 experience was no exception, at least in generalities: Vancouver in June-July. Check. Unpredictable weather in Vancouver in June (sigh). Check. Jazz festival. Check. Lots of familiar faces at gigs, aka The Usual Suspects. Big check. Me – hey, check! (Almost kinda can’t believe I’m here, but here I am.) It’s been a few years since I’ve attended this Fest, though, and changes, large and small, abound. Change or die, that famous ‘they’ says, and it’s kind of hard to fight anyway, so why bother. More on that as we go along 10 glorious days of my favourite anytime anywhere anyhow anywho Festival.

Peter Brötzmann – Full Blast @ Roundhouse Performance Centre

This is where it happens…

First-gig-of-the-festival excitement (hell, more like nerves!) hits as I approach the Roundhouse. I take it as a good omen for the coming days that I run into the Festival’s Artistic Director Ken Pickering on the way there and we commune over how awesome iPhone photos are (along with the Stage Manager) at the venue.

I walk in and see Festival photog Chris Cameron; anytime he’s in the house, I just want to pack up my camera and go cause I know he’s got it well covered. Looking around it’s not a bad house, size-wise. I look over at the gently lit floor-level stage, butterflies in stomach, excited anticipation for the music that will take place there over the next 10 days. Then the players take to the stage of this, the most-revered listening room of the Fest, as far as creative/improvised music goes, and the Reed man Brötzmann immediately blows the incessant chatter out of my mind with his (sorry, but it fits all too well) aptly-named trio. I mean, he kind of has to live up to that name, really. Or is the name really living up to him? Hmmm… he is rather a force of a nature… Whichever, he/they did. Him first. During the first few pieces, over steadily rumbling electric bass (Marino Pliakis) and rolling drums (Michael Wertmüller) with delightful, unpredictable and often beautifully beastly skronks and flutterings and scale-climbing moans in the first two pieces. The third saw Brötzmann take his gorgeous silver clarinet from snake-charmer into rhinoceros; the man’s a veritable zoo unto himself, exhibiting something we call mastery with amazing technique of quick tongue flutters and rising and falling animalistic cries emanating from the shining silver bell that is reflecting, causing light itself to dance across the floor in front of him and onto first rows of the audience as he lifts and lowers the instrument as if trying to tame the apparently uncontrollable beast…. Phew. As if one needed more, and even if one didn’t, electric bassist Marino Pliakas took his blasting turn with some serious string-attacking rock god distortion, pulverizing what was left of the cobwebs Brötzmann cleared out previously. I wondered if maybe he was testing the audience. I think we passed – as quiet a house as ever at the Performance Centre. I’ll admit it, my heart was racing. Off to a helluva start and I wasn’t entirely expecting that – at least not so soon. Hoping, but not expecting. A seriously intense hour, of which about 45 minutes was just right for me, especially for the first gig of the Fest. (And the rest sounded great from the outer room.)

Peter Brötzmann – Full Blast (indeed)

Day 1, Concert 1 and I am Home again. Musically, spiritually. Ahhhh. I exit the gig and decide I need a peek at the familiar courtyard (back) entrance by the train roundabout in order to complete the excited anticipation for the Fest’s second weekend, the eagerly anticipated Roundhouse Weekend of three stages, no waiting. It’s a construction zone. Not a change I can be pleased about, but there it is. I wonder where will people congregate in order to watch people congregate? One of my fave parts of the Roundhouse weekend (Sat July 2 – Sun Jul 3) is the social aspect between sets, during sets, hanging out in the (sun? please?) in that courtyard. Maybe that other courtyard between the building and David Lam Park will do, and that may make it easier to find those Usual Suspects, too. Ok, so maybe it’s a change I can live with.

Dan Berglund’s Tonbruket @ Performance Works, Granville Island

On their debut CD, Sweden’s Dan Berglund’s Tonbruket (group and debut album name one and the same), the inside photo shows four guys looking artfully off in different directions. But if you look even slightly closely, you’ll see what appears to be a huge scarf entwined around all of their necks, linking them somewhat inextricably. An apt metaphor for the music of this almost unbelievably (sorry) super-awesomely-tight-knit band. A true band that hammer-over-the-head-obviously plays so very much together and has a stunningly rare palpable indelible connection as if the very blood running through their veins were all the same, that is the launching pad for a unified take-off into the musical stratosphere. It’s like they weren’t even aware they had an audience until they finished and took their eyes off each other and broke the connection. Fascinating to watch. Thrilling to ride along. And this was a rocket ride I did not want to get off – two sets were not enough. I could’ve gone three and four and again the next day… they looked like they were wanting to as well on their magical Canadian debut concert this night. Ah, but to begin at the beginning…

Dan Berglund of Tonbruket

Swedish group e.s.t. (Esbjörn Svensson Trio) was a festival favourite in previous years (and, no big secret, a high-on-the-list personal fave), and, as fans know, leader Svensson died in a tragic diving accident just over three years ago. Even though that trio was named after Svensson, it contained three very talented players. This is further evidenced in bassist Dan Berglund’s current Swedish group Tonbruket, a word that means ‘sound workshop’ in Swedish. (Not to mention it’s fun to say.) In spite of writing pages and pages of notes during last night’s two sets at Performance Works, I almost don’t even know where to begin. There are not enough adjectives or superlatives to describe such a capturing and carrying-away of heart and soul by a sometimes subtle, sometimes overt blending of sounds and tones and textures. How do you describe magic? Isn’t it by its very essence indescribable? A subjective feeling or experience unique to each individual? Perhaps all-encompassing covers it? I’m willing to go just about that far… I heard bits of surf guitar, blues, country, jazz, sounds that transported me to the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s with maybe even echoes of where Bowie might’ve taken something like ‘Warszawa’ had he been amongst jazzers and did I hear Beach Boys or some echo of California surf sound? Maybe even some Doors…?? Where WAS my mind during that transportation? Altogether gone, in a mind-blowing and unabashedly enticing, exciting Other World. I think (and I know I’m gonna be thinking about this for some time to come, it’s that lingering…) the genre-defying magic’s in the mix of all these varying influences, and the delivery is on a wave of pure, unbridled emotion. Berglund’s quartet of fantastic players – Berglund on bass; Martin Hederos keyboards/violin; Johan Lindström on guitars, including lap steel; and drummer Andreas Werliin – is clearly carrying on the tradition of no-fear feelings expression that he, Svensson and drummer Magnus Öström (as e.s.t.) did so mesmerizingly. And yet there’s more: where there was a distinct current of sorrow (having never been to Sweden -yet- I can’t say for sure, but I suspect it’s partly that Northern Europe dark, brooding, long winter moody thing that, unfortunately, Canadians can so easily relate to) apparent through much of e.s.t.’s music, Tonbruket weaves and displays much joy through their music, such as on one lightly floating piece that chugged along like a wee toy train called ‘Lilo’ that Berglund wrote for his daughter. But it was really all about the grooves. Easy-to-fall-into grooves that had seemingly the entire packed house tapping toes, swaying, head-weaving… completely rapt. What a thrill to be a part of that, but then to also close your eyes, and be alone with the music, watching images on the screens on the blacks of your eyelids, inspired by the waves of ease-in mellow lulling, leading seduction that busts out into mad, weaving, looping transporting grooves, building, climbing into a swirling, enveloping cocoon of luscious before gently setting you back down on Earth with a mellow afterglow. Astonishingly, almost every piece had that experience – if you were only willing to jump off the edge with them… the faith was in the catch, and catch they did, and carry right away off into the ether. I mean, really, is there anywhere better one can be?

The awesome blur that is Martin Hederos, with Dan Berglund of Tonbruket

And yes, I bought the CDs. Both of them. (Debut “Dan Berglund’s Tonbruket” and most recent, “Dig it to the end”). Unusual for that to happen at a gig, but they made me do it. What was that thing I said about more more more…? http://actmusic.com

Now what?

What to do after that experience? How to face the inevitable regaining of footing on Earth without crashing down into the depths of despair? Of course… wrap one’s self in the warm, inviting environs of The Ironworks where the Rich Halley Quartet featuring Clyde Reed was already on stage. I hit mid-mellower piece, and it was just the perfect end to the night to just let Halley’s tenor (still my fave instrument, bar none) and Reed’s warm bass wash over me for a short while.

I couldn’t help but notice the room seemed somehow bigger. A lot bigger. I do believe they’ve knocked the wall back, way back, allowing for much more audience space aka roominess as opposed to the very (sometimes too) cozy previous incarnation. One of the very welcome changes to discover and enjoy.

Last Call…

Popped by O’Doul’s for last call (and loving that that came just before 2:00am, a rarity in this town brought to you this time of year by the Jazz Festival) to see what was happening. A decent crowd, if not the packed bar I was expecting, but was told by a staffer that traditionally, the Saturday nights are the big nights (aka crazy jammed with people, players and scenesters) for the late-night jam (which is happening 12 midnight – 2am EVERY SINGLE NIGHT OF THE FEST…. The TRUE jazz time, folks.) Let the back wall hold me up for a bit, but then realized that there were (undoubtedly) gorgeously comfy beds upstairs and I really needed to crawl into one.

Good Night.

To have had that experience on Day 1, at first left me a little worried for the remaining nine days of this 2011 edition of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. What could possibly be better than that? Why even try? Were the questions running through my head as it hit the pillow. Ultimately, though, to have reached Musical Nirvana on that level, even just once during these 10 days of musical plentitude is a massively huge gift to fill the heart and fuel the soul (for a little while, anyway…)

Category: General, Jazz Festival

Vancouver International Jazz Festival: 20 Questions for… PEGGY LEE

Posted on | June 24, 2011 | No Comments

by Josephine Ochej

Ok, so it’s only 10 questions. But to some busy Vancouver -and Vancouver-connected- musicians about to embark on Jazz Festival season, it might have felt like 20. So, here, for your informational pleasure, a little history, a little observation, some reminiscences about Vancouver International Jazz Festivals past, and maybe just a thing or two you didn’t know about some of our most treasured Vancouver musicians.

—-

The intense focus of cellist Peggy Lee

(photo by Anne Fishbein)

At what age did you start playing an instrument and what was it?

I started with piano in grade two, I guess that would make me seven? And also picked up guitar a year later. Cello came quite a bit later, when I was 12.

Do you still play the first instrument you started on? What others do you play?

Yes, I play all of these for my own enjoyment and also for writing. I’ve only done a couple of things publicly on piano, things that I’ve written.

What has been the biggest surprise you’ve experienced about playing music as a career?

I don’t think that I expected writing music to feature so prominently in my musical life. When you study classical music, these things -performing and writing- are kept so separate. It was only when I started to play with improvisers that I started to get the writing bug.

What are your thoughts, in general, on Vancouver’s jazz scene?

In general, I think that we have a very diverse but open and supportive community. I feel grateful to have landed here.

What musician(s) or genre might your audience be surprised to find you a fan of? And why are they worth checking out?

Well, this isn’t necessarily a surprise, but lately I’ve been revisiting Mary Margaret O’Hara. I got her album “Miss America” when it came out in the late 80′s and loved it, the songs, the band and of course her uniquely creative vocals.

But over the years I didn’t really hear much from or about her until just this past December, I had the great privilege of getting to play a couple of shows with her up in the Yukon and she completely knocked me out both as a person and as an artist.

So now I’ve been obsessively digging up everything I can to listen to and I found this great track on Garth Hudson’s All Canadian Tribute to the band [“Garth Hudson Presents a Canadian Celebration of the Band”].

Mary Margaret does “Out of the Blue” and it staggers me and I told her so but the funny thing is she hasn’t heard it, isn’t interested…. that’s an artist who is completely oblivious to any of the notions of success that most of us entertain.

What’s happening in your musical life, currently, and what are you working toward in the relatively near future?

I’m writing a lot for my band and for a theatre piece that’s being developed right now. We just had our first workshop and I’m very excited about it.

Tell me about a memorable gig you had at a previous Vancouver International Jazz Festival?

I loved the first gig Dylan [van der Schyff] and I played with Michael Moore. We played a short set but established a sound and an understanding right from the start and that set was released by Spool on a CD called “Floating”. We’ve had several gigs since then and have always managed to find that feeling.

Tell me about a favourite gig you heard at a previous Vancouver International Jazz Festival?

Tim Berne’s “Bloodcount” at the Discovery Theatre made a huge impression, just the patience and the power of that band.

What gig(s) (other than your own) are you looking forward to at this year’s festival and why?

I’m looking forward to the Roundhouse free weekend. Hoping to catch two of my favourite trumpet players, Brad Turner and Kevin Elaschuk with their bands.

THE 411

WHO:

Peggy Lee Band – Peggy Lee (cello); Jesse Zubot (violin); Jon Bentley (tenor sax); Jeremy Berkman (trombone); Tony Wilson (guitar); Ron Samworth (guitar); André Lachance (bass); Dylan van der Schyff (drums)

Wilson/Lee/Bentley – Tony Wilson (guitar); Peggy Lee (cello); Jon Bentley (tenor sax)

ON THE RECORD: Peggy Lee Band – “New Code”. Wilson/Lee/Bentley – “Escondido Dreams”, both on Drip Audio, available at http://www.dripaudio.com/

WHEN & WHERE:

Peggy Lee Band @ Performance Works, Granville Island, Friday July 1 @ 5:30pm ** FREE GIG ALERT **

Wilson/Lee/ Bentley @ The Ironworks, Saturday, July 2, two sets: @ 10:30pm & @ midnight

As part of Torsten Müller’s Distant Relatives @ Performance Works, Granville Island, Friday, July 1 @ 3:45pm ** FREE GIG ALERT **

Improvised meeting with J.P. Carter, Peggy Lee, Ingrid Laubrock and Tyshawn Sorey @ The Ironworks, Sunday, July 3, two sets: @ 10:30pm & @ midnight

—-

Category: General

Vancouver International Jazz Festival: 20 Questions for… KEVIN ELASCHUK

Posted on | June 23, 2011 | No Comments

by Josephine Ochej

Kevin Elaschuk puts some soul into it

(photo by Josephine Ochej)

At what age did you start playing an instrument and what was it?

Maybe 7 or 8: the recorder.

Do you still play the first instrument you started on?

Not really.

What others do you play?

Trumpet and Flugelhorn.

What has been the biggest surprise you’ve experienced about playing music as a career?

I’m not complaining but I thought I’d be making a better living in music by now. Still paying dues, I guess.

If you could travel back 5, 10 (20?) years, what’s something you wish you knew about music or even the business that must happen for music to be heard?

I wish I’d taken trumpet lessons at an earlier age; had a lot of chops’ issues to overcome.

What are your thoughts, in general, on Vancouver’s jazz scene?

The scene is starting to improve a little. I wish there were more legitimate jazz clubs that featured the varied types of jazz and groups and players that we have here. There are some fantastic players here that deserve to be heard more.

What musician(s) or genre might your audience be surprised to find you a fan of? And why are they worth checking out?

Johnny Cash, Tom Waits, Patsy Cline, sometimes kd lang. Often great phrasing, personalities; they sound like humans.

What’s happening in your musical life, currently, and what are you working toward in the relatively near future?

I am leading a trio, quartet and a quintet presently featuring musicians like André Lachance, Bill Coon, Ross Taggart and Joe Poole. I have recently enjoyed playing with Campbell Ryga, Brad Turner and Darren Radtke. I am considering doing a “chamber jazz recoding with some of my cohorts”. Hopefully it’s not a torture chamber.

Tell me about a memorable gig you had at a previous Vancouver International Jazz Festival?

I really enjoyed playing with Peggy Lee’s Film in Music at Ironworks last festival. Great writing, ensemble-playing and improvising.

Tell me about a favourite gig you heard at a previous Vancouver International Jazz Festival?

Can’t really single out one gig. Many great performances by local groups. Also Wayne Shorter, Dave Holland, Tiny Bell Trio, various great European improvisers and ensembles.

What gig(s) (other than your own) are you looking forward to at this year’s festival and why?

Brad Turner quartet (great players). Lincloln Center Jazz Orchestra. w/ Wynton Marsalis (I’ve never heard these guys live). Marianne Trudel Septet (nice piano player and writer and two of my favourites are playing with her, bassist André Lachance and Trumpeter Lina Allemano).

Peggy Lee Band (Great writing, great players who improvise). Tony Wilson 4tet (Tony’s a great player, writer and improviser. He’s real. Wish I was playing with him.

The 411

WHO: Kevin Elaschuk Quartet – Kevin Elaschuk (trumpet and flugelhorn); Bill Coon (guitar); André Lachance (double bass); Joe Poole (drums and cymbals).

ON THE RECORD (most recent recording): “Any Answers” – esq [Elaschuk’s group with: Dave Say (tenor & soprano saxophones); André Lachance (guitar); Paul Rushka (bass); Stan Taylor (drums).] Available at http://www.cdbaby.com/

WHEN & WHERE:

Kevin Elaschuk Quartet @ O’Doul’s Restaurant & Bar, Thursday, June 30 @ 9pm: Kevin Elaschuk (trumpet and flugelhorn) Bill Coon (guitar), André Lachance (double bass), Joe Poole (drums and cymbals).

Kevin Elaschuk Quartet @ Roundhouse Exhibition Hall, Sunday, July 3 @ 5:00-7:30pm: Kevin Elaschuk (Trumpet, flugelhorn); Ross Taggart (tenor saxophone); André Lachance (bass); Joe Poole (drums). ** FREE GIG ALERT **

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Category: General

Vancouver International Jazz Festival: 20 Questions for… AMANDA TOSOFF

Posted on | June 22, 2011 | No Comments

by Josephine Ochej

––––

AMANDA TOSOFF (Pianist)

of AMANDA TOSOFF QUARTET FEATURING BRAD TURNER

At what age did you start playing an instrument and what was it?

I started piano lessons when I was seven years old. My mom often played classical pieces at home, so I was inspired by her to start playing and immediately knew that music was something I wanted to do forever!

Do you still play the first instrument you started on? What others do you play?

I do still play piano. While I was in high school I dabbled with the flute, sax and trumpet, but I never practiced them enough to get to a high level. Piano seemed to stick!

What has been the biggest surprise you’ve experienced about playing music as a career?

My biggest surprise was that music could even be a career. I had no idea that I could support myself doing something that brings so much joy and meaning to my life. So many people complain about how hard it is to make a living playing jazz and that it isn’t possible, and I won’t argue that it is an easy career path. It takes a lot of work and dedication, and I have to remind myself of this everyday in order to keep moving forward and not get discouraged. It is incredibly rewarding to be able to support myself doing something I am so passionate about.

(photo by Angela Fama)

If you could travel back 5, 10 (20?) years, what’s something you wish you knew about music or even the business that must happen for music to be heard?

If I could travel back 20 years, which was exactly when I started taking piano lessons, I would tell myself not to waste time and to practice more! I’ve only been in the business of music for six years and I have been very lucky to surround myself with people willing to share their knowledge about music and the business. I suppose that I do wish I had learned more business skills in school, including as grant writing, tour planning, preparing one’s taxes etc. That would have sped up the learning process!

What are your thoughts, in general, on Vancouver’s jazz scene?

I moved to Toronto almost two years ago, so I have been out of the Vancouver scene for that time. I miss everyone there and adore so many of the city’s artists. I really feel that the scene is special and that there are great people making amazing things happen; Cory Weeds of The Cellar Jazz Club is one example. There is no club like The Cellar here in Toronto (although I love the clubs and scene happening here, too!). My only criticism about Vancouver if that it is so isolated from other larger centres. This makes touring and getting your name out there more difficult, from what I can tell. I am always surprised that more musicians here in Toronto haven’t heard of Vancouver’s gems, and I think there needs to be more cross-pollination. If only our country wasn’t so huge!

What musician(s) or genre might your audience be surprised to find you a fan of? And why are they worth checking out?

Well, I am guilty of mainly listening to jazz, so that’s no surprise to my audience. I have been trying to check out other genres, since I realize there is so much to learn from every style of music. I have been checking out musical theatre and movie versions of show tunes, since that is how I research the tunes I play. That’s also no surprise, though. I love to see where these tunes came from, I think it is important to know the context of a tune and learn it from its original source.

What’s happening in your musical life, currently, and what are you working toward in the relatively near future?

Well, I released my third record last fall featuring my longtime band from Vancouver: Evan Arntzen on sax, Sean Cronin on bass and Morgan Childs on drums. I also had the privilege to hire some special guests on the recording including BC-born, NY-based trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, and Toronto’s Kelly Jefferson on sax and William Carn on trombone. The music ranges in style and influence, but is definitely modern jazz. I was excited to have Ingrid play effects on a few tunes and add some larger horn sections to a few compositions.

Since that, I have been performing in various contexts, both with my own groups and as a side man here in the east, in addition to a long cross-Canada tour we undertook in the Fall.

I also had the opportunity to spend almost three months in NY, thanks to a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. I studied with renowned pianist and composer Phil Markowitz and took the time to absorb as much of that magical city as I could. Now, I’m working on ideas I gathered while in NY and am hoping to write a bunch of new music and record another record sometime in the next year or so.

Tell me about a memorable gig you had at a previous Vancouver International Jazz Festival?

The most memorable gig we did was opening for Bobby Hutcherson and Renee Rosnes at the Centre for Performing Arts in 2006. I remember being incredibly nervous since that was the biggest gig I had ever been asked to do. I remember that my bandmates played amazingly and that it was a really fun experience. Plus, it was exciting to meet Renee Rosnes for the first time, as she has always been one of my heroes.

Tell me about a favourite gig you heard at a previous Vancouver International Jazz Festival?

I heard Oscar Peterson when he came through the last time – not sure what year it was. He was my first love and is the reason I fell in love with jazz, so, that was a special concert. Even in his later years, he played wonderful, mind-blowing, swinging stuff!

What gig(s) (other than your own) are you looking forward to at this year’s festival and why?

Well, I am afraid that I’ll be in and out of Vancouver during the festival this year, so I may miss most of it. I may try to catch some of my local favorites while I’m there: Peggy Lee’s band on July 1 and Brad Turner Quartet at the Roundhouse on July 2nd. I’d love to see Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, too!

THE 411

WHO: Amanda Tosoff Quartet featuring Brad Turner – Amanda Tosoff (piano); Brad Turner (trumpet); Evan Arntzen (sax); Sean Cronin (bass); Morgan Childs (drums)

ON THE RECORD (most recent recording): “Looking North” – Amanda Tosoff, 2010. Available on CD baby and http://www.amandatosoff.com

ON THE WEB: http://www.amandatosoff.com

WHEN & WHERE: Thursday June 30 @ 2pm–4pm. Performance Works, Granville Island. ** FREE GIG ALERT **

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For more on the players mentioned here, many of whom have multiple gigs (and even multiples upon multiples, in some cases) at the 2011 Vancouver International Jazz Festival, go to the official festival site (http://www.coastaljazz.ca/), type the artist’s name into the search bar, and all of their gigs, including all personnel, will magically appear.

Category: General, Interviews, Jazz Festival

Vancouver International Jazz Festival: 20 Questions for… MICHAEL BLAKE

Posted on | June 21, 2011 | No Comments

by Josephine Ochej

MICHAEL BLAKE (Saxophonist – Tenor, Soprano and Alto)

of “MICHAEL BLAKE’S CANADIAN CLUB”

At what age did you start playing an instrument and what was it?

I was about nine when I took some violin lessons but I didn’t do very well. Switched to piano when I was 11 and played that for a few years.

Do you still play the first instrument you started on? What others do you play?

Yes I compose, transpose and arrange all of my music at the piano. My main instruments are the tenor and soprano sax and now I’m playing more alto, too. I double on clarinet and play a little flute and melodica, as well.

What has been the biggest surprise you’ve experienced about playing music as a career?

I never thought I’d be traveling so much. I am most surprised by the positive response to some music that I think is often really strange and challenging to understand. Jazz/creative music whatever you want to call it, when the audience is hip, the musicians really dig that.

If you could travel back 5, 10 (20?) years, what’s something you wish you knew about music or even the business that must happen for music to be heard?

Well, because of the Internet we can hear almost anything whenever we want. Even 5 years ago the situation wasn’t the same. In a perfect world some regulations on mp3 sales and distribution would have been nice. I am pretty frustrated that the value of my work is so random. In ‘jazz’ the magic is in the moment, so every moment is an opportunity to discover something special. It’s both exhilarating and daunting.

What are your thoughts, in general, on Vancouver’s jazz scene?

What I like about the scene is the closing of the divide. It used to seem like: bop blasters over here, free jazzers over there. And those in between were kind of stuck. Now I think we – and if I may so bold to say that my generation did a lot to bring this about – we showed a new way to play jazz, which embraces all ideas and approaches to improvisation.

What musician(s) or genre might your audience be surprised to find you a fan of? And why are they worth checking out?

Old reggae and ska. Le Studio One and all that. I just love the grooves and the heart and soul those guys put into it…

(photo by Andrea Boccalini)

What’s happening in your musical life, currently, and what are you working toward in the relatively near future?

I have a trio with Hamid Drake and Ben Allison, which is wonderful new group. We hope to record this fall. I’m playing and teaching a lot in Italy. The band I have playing at the festival is really special and so far playing with them – earlier this year at 1067 – was a highlight. I’m determined to sing and play keys so my next project will be about my love for soul music.

Tell me about a memorable gig you had at a previous Vancouver International Jazz Festival?

I’m fortunate to say they’ve all been really special in one way or another. My first ever performance was at the first festival with vocalist Kate Hammett-Vaughan. There was a nice review (my first) and I really appreciated being apart of that. I was pretty bummed in the mid 90’s when I had MMW backing me up at Performance Works and there wasn’t a B3 provided. I felt out of control about everything that day. Of course it probably still sounded ok. In the last few years I’ve had a few exceptional concerts: There was a fun Slow Poke gig in the Park. I played a with John Korsrud’s Hard Rubber Orchestra at the Cultch. I played with Blake Tartare at the Roundhouse. And it was just a few years ago I returned with Tartare and performed with my Canadian brothers in a collaborative double bill.

Tell me about a favourite gig you heard at a previous Vancouver International Jazz Festival?

Oh, that would have to be going to see Miles in 1986. My brother and I ate some mushrooms beforehand and though nauseated through The Yellowjackets; things really came alive when Miles came out. Ha! We were so blown away by his presence. Then after some time Wynton walked out and things got weird for a minute. But then Miles just kicked him off the bandstand and hit another groove. At that moment I said to my brother, “I think we just witnessed jazz history.”

What gig(s) (other than your own) are you looking forward to at this year’s festival and why?

I’m sorry to say, with only 2 days in town and my 2-year-old daughter to visit, I won’t see anything!

THE 411

WHO:

Michael Blake’s Canadian Club – Michael Blake (saxophones); Dylan VanderSchyff (drums); Chris Gestrin (Rhodes and moog); and Brad Turner (trumpet)

ON THE RECORD (most recent recording): “Hellbent” – Michael Blake (saxophones); Calvin Weston (drums); Steven Bernstein (trumpet); Marcus Rojas (tuba); and Charlie Burnham (violin). Available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/MichaelBlake1

ON THE WEB:

http://www.michaelblake.net/

WHEN & WHERE:

Tuesday, June 28 @ 2:00pm. Performance Works, Granville Island. ** FREE GIG ALERT **

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For more on the players mentioned here, many of whom have multiple gigs (and even multiples upon multiples, in some cases) at the 2011 Vancouver International Jazz Festival, go to the official festival site (http://www.coastaljazz.ca/), type the artist’s name into the search bar, and all of their gigs, including all personnel, will magically appear.

Category: General, Interviews, Jazz Festival

Vancouver International Jazz Festival: 20 Questions for… CORY WEEDS

Posted on | June 20, 2011 | No Comments

by Josephine Ochej

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CORY WEEDS – Saxophonist (Alto and Tenor), Radio Host, Club Owner, Impresario

of “THE NIGHTCRAWLERS”, “C.T.A.S.”, & “CORY WEEDS WITH THE TILDEN WEBB TRIO”

At what age did you start playing an instrument and what was it?

Three years old and it was piano.

Do you still play the first instrument you started on? What others do you play?

I only use the piano to write with and mess around on. Now I play pretty much only saxophone.

What has been the biggest surprise you’ve experienced about playing music as a career?

I guess that I could actually make it a career but also how rapidly the industry changes, especially in the last ten years.

If you could travel back 5, 10 (20?) years, what’s something you wish you knew about music or even the business that must happen for music to be heard?

The obvious answer for me is I wish I knew how rapidly things were going to change. As for what we need to do for the music to be heard is educate the young people on this music called jazz!

What are your thoughts, in general, on Vancouver’s jazz scene?

Vancouver’s jazz scene is full of so much diversity and richness. There are so many wonderful musicians in this city who are writing, arranging and playing so beautifully. We are very lucky.

What musician(s) or genre might your audience be surprised to find you a fan of? And why are they worth checking out?

I like cheesy pop music. Just because it’s cheesy doesn’t mean its bad however. Take John Mayer for instance. He is such an incredible talent.

What’s happening in your musical life, currently, and what are you working toward in the relatively near future?

I’m very excited to be releasing a record with my good friends, Tilden Webb on piano, Jodi Proznick on bass and Jesse Cahill on drums. In October, I will be doing a small tour ending with a recording featuring Mike Ledonne on organ, Oliver Gannon on guitar and Jesse Cahill on drums. We’ll be playing the music of Hank Mobley and in September, I will find myself in the studio with guitarist Bill Coon, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash.

Tell me about a memorable gig you had at a previous Vancouver International Jazz Festival?

Without question the outdoor stage in Gastown with my band Crash featuring Dr. Lonnie Smith.

Cory Weeds grooving on the magic at that 2004 Crash with Dr. Lonnie Smith Gastown gig

(photo by Josephine Ochej)

Tell me about a favourite gig you heard at a previous Vancouver International Jazz Festival?

The Renee Rosnes Quintet with Chris Potter. I believe it was in 1997. Unforgettable.

What gig(s) (other than your own) are you looking forward to at this year’s festival and why?

Christian McBride Inside Straight, to hear spectacular vibraphonist Warren Wolf. McBride’s album Kid Of Brown with this band was one of last year’s best releases by far.

THE 411

WHO:

The NightCrawlers – Chris Gestrin (Rhodes), André Lachance (Guitar), Jesse Cahill (Drums), Pepe Danza (Percussion), Brad Turner (Trumpet), Cory Weeds (Saxophone).

The Creed Taylor Appreciation Society (C.T.A.S.) – Chris Gestrin (Rhodes), André Lachance (Guitar), Jesse Cahill (Drums), Pepe Danza (Percussion), Brad Turner (Trumpet), Cory Weeds (Saxophone).

Cory Weeds with The Tilden Webb Trio – Tilden Webb (Piano), Jodi Proznick (Bass), Jesse Cahill (Drums), Cory Weeds (Alto Saxophone).

WHEN & WHERE:

The Night Crawlers with the Big Band Sound @ CBC Studio 1, Friday, June 24 @ 5:30pm ** FREE GIG ALERT **

Creed Taylor Appreciation Society @ The Cellar, Friday, June 24 @ 8pm & 9:30pm

The Night Crawlers @ The Cellar, Wednesday, June 28 @ 8pm & 9:30pm

Cory Weeds with The Tilden Webb Trio @ The Cellar, Thursday, June 30 @ 8pm & 9:30pm

ON THE RECORD:

‘The Many Deeds Of Cory Weeds’ – Cory Weeds Quartet with Joey Defrancesco, available in Canada through Outside Music, iTunes, eMusic, cellarlive.com http://cellarlive.com, cdbaby.com http://cdbaby.com; in Japan through Gats Productions; in the United States through Allegro Music.

ON THE WEB:

http://coryweeds.com/

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For more on the players mentioned here, many of whom have multiple gigs (and even multiples upon multiples, in some cases) at the 2011 Vancouver International Jazz Festival, go to the official festival site (http://www.coastaljazz.ca/), type the artist’s name into the search bar, and all of their gigs, including all personnel, will magically appear.

Category: General, Interviews, Jazz Festival

Vancouver International Jazz Festival: 20 Questions for… ANDRÉ LACHANCE

Posted on | June 19, 2011 | 2 Comments

by Josephine Ochej

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ANDRÉ LACHANCE – Guitarist, Bassist (double-bass and electric)

of “QUATUOR ANDRÉ LACHANCE” (and many, many other groups…!)

(Photo by Isabelle Moisan)

At what age did you start playing an instrument and what was it?

Around the age of seven, I started taking piano lessons for four years. I was lucky to have a really good teacher who divided our lessons in ear training, rhythm, technique, sight singing, etc. It was a good foundation.

Do you still play the first instrument you started on? What others do you play?

Once in a while, to mess around; I go through phases of playing it more. It’s useful when I’m teaching. I mainly play double-bass, electric bass and guitar. I had a not-so-memorable three-year stint as back-bencher 3rd clarinet player in the high school concert band.

What has been the biggest surprise you’ve experienced about playing music as a career?

- Just when I get complacent about it or if I feel like I’m stalling, time and time again, I hear something, or someone makes me fall in love with it again.

- How fast it has changed in the 20 years I’ve been in it. Recording methods, the rise and fall of CDs, seeing entire segments of the work field like jingles, session work, jobbing casuals almost disappear or get restructured.

- The fact that the gig and recording incomes have not increased at all since I started, in fact going downwards in some cases and not keeping up with the cost of living at all.

- I caught the last few years of being able to be a working professional musician without a cell phone or Internet or Facebook or ipods and somehow, it worked. We made it to gigs on time, booked rehearsals and found ways to have access to recordings we hadn’t heard before. We had to physically go look for them. But it’s a much different environment nowadays for the younger players.

If you could travel back 5, 10 (20?) years, what’s something you wish you knew about music or even the business that must happen for music to be heard?

- Turn up or get a bigger amp (just kidding…). People are going deaf from noise pollution. There’s too much sound compression in iPod earbuds, video games and the way pop music is mixed nowadays is numbing the ears. I read a really interesting article a couple of years ago that talked about how the conductors at the Conservatory in Paris were raising alarm bells. A lot of the 18-20 year old classical players coming in weren’t able to distinguish dynamic changes in the quiet range such as going from ppp to pp.

- I think most musicians and promoters are still figuring that one out. The answers from 10-15 years ago (like Diana Krall jewelry commercials at a time when Universal music and Blue Note were putting lots of money into jazz artists) aren’t really relevant anymore.

What are your thoughts, in general, on Vancouver’s jazz scene?

I feel better about the state of it than I did two or three years ago. The East side is happening. There are a lot more self-produced shows, house concerts and a few new places like El Barrio, that have centralized the community a bit, kind of what Rime had done for a couple of years and the Sugar Refinery, of course, and other rooms before that. There was a low spot for a few years for sure, the lowest I’d seen since being here, in terms of chances to play and general morale among the community but it’s been picking up in the last year or two. Facebook has really helped in being able to promote events. As long as there are always venues and ways to pay the rent so we don’t end up with virtual careers…

We have a lot of amazing musicians here, keeping it alive and moving forward, even if we seem to be losing some of the good younger players to other cities out East and I sure don’t blame them.

The surreal and escalating costs of living here, combined with totalitarian liquor laws controlling venues and the not-so-gradual abolition of arts funding at the provincial and federal levels are going to be a hell of a challenge in the coming few years though.

What musician(s) or genre might your audience be surprised to find you a fan of? And why are they worth checking out?

I don’t mind a bit of Johnny Cash once in a while. Hank Williams, Sr., too.

What’s happening in your musical life, currently, and what are you working toward in the relatively near future?

I’ve been doing a fair bit of playing with Kevin Elaschuk in different groupings and some trio shows with Jon Bentley and Dylan van der Schyff. I just got back from Québec City where I recorded two CDs playing guitar in Guillaume Bouchard’s group. I go back there two or three times a year and have been in that band for four years. I’ve been dividing my time between guitar and double-bass. I want to record my electric quartet in the near future.

Tell me about a memorable gig you had at a previous Vancouver International Jazz Festival?

I’ve really been blessed there, as there have been many festival gigs that have been memorable over the last 18 years, but off the top of my head, opening for Wayne Shorter’s Quartet at the Centre with Stillpoint was an honour, to be up there playing that music with my buddies. The concert at the Cultch with Kenny Wheeler and Jon Bentley’s Quintet was really special, too. The space where his sound comes from is something I’d never felt before. There’s been some amazing nights of music at Ironworks, too, with Brad Turner’s Quartet and Peggy Lee’s groups, the kind of gigs that remind me why I do this.

Sometimes it’s a particular moment in a show. There’s about two choruses of ‘So What’ that I got to play with Harold Mabern at The Cellar a few years ago that changed the way I hear. He opened a channel to other dimensions, a deep timelessness that is hard to describe. Those couple of choruses came from somewhere else. There were church bells from the 1600′s in his fourth chords.

Tell me about a favourite gig you heard at a previous Vancouver International Jazz Festival?

Again, too many to list here but off the top of my head:

- Anything with Han Bennink in it.

- Dave Douglas’ Tiny Bell Trio double bill w. Tim Berne’s Bloodcount at the old Studio 16 in the mid-90′s. That was a special night.

- Wayne Shorter Quartet at the Centre. I saw it from the side of the stage. The whole show was incredible and so strong, with all chakras firing but there was a point, for about 10 seconds, Wayne played this one note on the soprano that is the purest, most heartfelt and focused note I’ve ever heard. Way beyond music and physics of sound, that note was about love and healing.

- Joyce at Performance Works two years ago. Gorgeous, everything, her voice, the songs, the band, those amazing Brazilian grooves.

-Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock duo at the Vogue about 8 or 9 years ago.

What gig(s) (other than your own) are you looking forward to at this year’s festival and why?

I’m not going to have the time to catch a whole lot of what I’d like to see but the late night shows at Ironworks are always fun. Too bad there’s less of them this year.

THE 411

WHO: Quatuor André Lachance – André Lachance (Guitar); Brad Turner (Rhodes); Chris Gestrin (Moog Bass); Joe Poole (Drums).

WHEN & WHERE: Quatuor André Lachance @ Roundhouse Sunday, July 3 @ 1:00-3:00pm. ** FREE GIG ALERT **

PLUS other shows with Brad Turner Quartet (3 gigs), Cat Toren Band, Peggy Lee Band, Kevin Elaschuk Quartet (2 gigs), C.T.A.S., Marianne Trudel Septet and Kate Hammett-Vaughan.

ON THE RECORD (most recent recording artist appears on): ‘It’s That Time’ (Brad Turner Quartet, available at The Cellar Jazz Club and http://cellarlive.com/

ON THE WEB: http://andrelachance.com/

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For more on the players mentioned here, many of whom have multiple gigs (and even multiples upon multiples, in some cases) at the 2011 Vancouver International Jazz Festival, go to the official festival site (http://www.coastaljazz.ca/), type the artist’s name into the search bar, and all of their gigs, including all personnel, will magically appear.

Category: General, Interviews, Jazz Festival

South Delta Jazz Festival & Jazz Workshop

Posted on | May 18, 2011 | 1 Comment

by Jared Burrows

It hardly seems possible, but another year has flown by and preparations are well underway for another South Delta Jazz Workshop and Jazz Festival, our 8th annual event held July 5-9. The Workshop is a summer music program focused on jazz improvisation and small ensemble playing. The Festival provides a variety of jazz concerts and events centred around and easily accessible to the community that supports us. Students learn to play jazz through intensive small ensemble rehearsals, daily faculty concerts, masterclasses, ear training and improvisation classes in a fun and friendly environment that nurtures our student’s unique talents and abilities. Both audience members and students get a chance to develop relationships with our amazing group of teacher and performers from Vancouver, the US and the UK. The teaching component of SDJW and many of our concert events take place in and around the very relaxed riverside community of Ladner Village.

The Workshop is open to players of any instrument and singers age 12 and up, but jazz camp isn’t just for kids! Adults are very welcome at SDJW and we always have a strong contingent of mature players around. For many of our students, SDJW is a great opportunity to take a week off from their regular jobs and just focus on music. Musicians of all levels from beginner through college and university are welcome. We provide a fun and friendly environment that nurtures each student’s unique talents and abilities. Registration is open now.

Our schedule of events this year is looking good. As you can see, we feature the SDJW faculty musicians in a variety of contexts as well as providing a jam session and two student outdoor concerts.

Tuesday July 5 – Brad Muirhead and Faculty Band. Free noon concert @ Ladner Community Centre.
Wednesday July 6 – Dr. Ed Orgill and Faculty Band. Free noon concert @ Fisherman’s Hall, Ladner.
Wednesday July 6 – SDJW senior students. Free concert @ Diefenbaker Park, Tsawwassen, 7pm.
Thursday July 7 – Rob Kohler and Strings. Free noon concert @ Ladner Community Centre.
Thursday July 7 –Open Jam Session @ Petra’s Koffee Kafe in Tsawwassen, 7pm.
Friday July 8 – Bill Clark and Faculty Band. Free noon concert @ Ladner Community Centre.
Friday July 8 – Art in the Garden @ Delta Community Music School, 1-5pm.
Friday July 8 – SDJW Octet with guest, Len Aruliah @ All Saints Anglican Church, 7:30 pm. Tix $10 @ door
Saturday July 9 – SDJW Student Concert and Picnic @ Delta Hospital Grounds – 12 noon – 3pm.

I’m really excited about the great musicians who will be in residence at this year’s workshop. We have a really diverse and exciting group of musicians coming to play and teach. My old friend, Bill Clark (trumpet), will be making a visit from New Mexico back to his home turf, Rob Kohler (bass) will be up from LA, and Dr. Ed Orgill (saxes) will be coming all the way from Westfield College in Massachussetts to join us for his second visit to SDJW. Our usual core faculty will be there too of course: Brad Muirhead (trombone), Stephen Robb (piano/clarinet), Stan Taylor (drums), and me (guitar). UK-based saxophonist and composer, Len Aruliah, was here in Vancouver earlier in the spring and will be coming back in July to put together a concert of music arranged especially for the SDJW Faculty Octet.