It’s time to tell you about the late shows—now that I have been to four in a row. Yes, that means getting home after midnight each time, and yes, I’m feeling it. But no regrets. It’s probably a good thing I don’t live in New York, where I could be doing this all the time.
Unfortunately I missed Alex Goodman’s quartet Tuesday night, but I heard this young, talented band played some great music. I mentioned Ernesto Cervini in Wednesday’s post and the intriguing twist of having a drummer as lead in the band. Well, a musician has explained to me that in jazz music, the roles of drums and bass are reversed from the more familiar rock format: the bass keeps time, while the drums add colour and nuance. Now, that makes sense! With this band, I noticed a finer balance and subtler ensemble work than in groups led more traditionally. Cervini composes, first, with amusing, idiosyncratic sources of inspiration (the mysterious three-toned signal preceding announcements on the London-Paris bullet train, for example), but the result is, to my ear, complex pieces whose appeal lies in delicate melodies and subtle, extended transitions. The stories behind the compositions added an element of fun to the whole show.
Even though I’m not much of a pessimist, I nevertheless feel a little sceptical, after one great show, about the next one. But there was no need to be worried about disappointment Thursday night: Even without Seamus Blake, who couldn’t be here due to delayed flights, Jacek Kochan’s concert was another stunning show. Boy, did this band deliver as a trio! Like the Cervini quartet, the Kochan group is led by the drummer, but also like Cervini, this fact seemed to add more subtlety to the balance of the players, not less. At times I thought this music was playing a bit with the boundaries between rock and jazz, and I really liked this.
Then Friday night there was Hutchinson Andrew Trio. And before I rave about the music, I will rave about the venue—the Esplanade lobby. There was some kind of genius behind the setting, which people at the evening show glimpsed: yards and yards of copper silk wrapped around and draped between the foyer pillars, with the instruments positioned underneath; red lights projecting a leaf-and-vine motif across to produce a dappled golden light… Need I say more? With the lobby furniture surrounding the musicians and tables further out, it was an incredibly lovely setting for listening to music.
And then there was the music. Maybe I can best convey the effect of this concert by telling you that when it was over, I walked out without talking to anybody, without saying goodbye to friends, and utterly forgot even to buy a CD. (Which makes you wonder if the band is really serving its own long-term interests, playing such great music!) I hope others were more grounded than I was and had the good sense to get a CD; and I hope I know some of them, because I really want to listen to this music again. And again. For a few tunes they invited Lethbridge saxophonist Dave Renter to join them—unrehearsed. It was fabulous.
If you’re keeping count, you’ll realize that I’ve described three of the four late shows and I’m already running out of words. The truth is, each night I took fewer and fewer notes, my cerebral resolve gradually defeated by the music. Which is what music is all about, isn’t it? I forget this, sometimes, when facing music I’m not confident I understand—as if grasping it mentally is the point. (It’s not.)
Last night, Jonas Kullhammar’s quartet wowed us, first, with their music. And then with the humour and charm of saxophonist-lead Jonas; if you think jazz fans are a serious lot, you should have seen 50 of us doubled over with laughter, reduced to guffawing by Kullhammar’s one-liners and anecdotal introductions. (And his pleas to buy CDs after explaining how much he has spent in therapy during the six years that he has been waiting for a return invitation to Medicine Hat.) I’ll admit to shedding a tear or two—it was that funny. I suppose lesser players might have been upstaged by all this comedy—but not these ones. One piece, a ballad composed by the band’s bass player, was all the talk at intermission; several of us were looking for it on the CDs available for sale, but it has not been recorded yet. —Something to look forward to!
And off I go to the final show: URBANdivide at the Esplanade this evening, likely indoors due to the forecast. This festival doesn’t wind down; it goes out with a bang. -CGS
Afternoon jazz jam in the Studio Club at the Esplanade
The Don Berner sextet at Mauro`s
"I-vanna dance the night away with Lyle at the transit terminal parkade"
The Jonas Kullhammar quartet at the Studio Club's late-night show - Torbjorn Gulz on piano, Kullhammar on sax, bass player Torbjorn Zetterberg, Jonas Holgersson on drums
By Friday morning I thought I had reached my saturation point. There had been so much good music, and I had been to two late shows in a row, and I just wasn’t sure what to do with anymore.
Then I decided I simply wasn’t drinking enough coffee.
So I went to every festival event for the day. The Marc Atkinson Trio on the Esplanade rooftop was simply a glorious concert. The sun was shining; a beautiful breeze kept things comfortable; and one faithful JazzFest supporter was provided roving shade with his umbrella for those seated at tables without. (Thanks, Daddy B!) Listeners were kicking off their shoes and putting their feet up—if there was an empty chair near them, that is, and there weren’t too many. By the time the trio moved into some island-style guitar, I was already imagining our rooftop as a little oasis far, far away from the daily grind. Now, “island style” may be a personal reference point; or perhaps there are correspondences between Spanish guitar technique and the kind of guitar I associate with island music. The point is, it’s the easy sounds and rhythms that just carry you away and make life seem only beautiful. Ultimately, the variety of musical styles this trio incorporates into its repertoire makes boundaries meaningless—and that is a good thing, trust me. By the time they were playing their last tune, I think the audience had already decided not to let them go. One more song… Play us one more song!
The evening show began with Verismo—a Calgary band whose name means (I think you can choose the one you like best): bucolic opera, a brand of espresso machine, a metal band from the U.K., or “truth” in Italian. As described in the JazzFest brochure, this is straightforward jazz by accomplished musicians. The sax duo was an interesting element here, different from other bands I’ve heard at JazzFest, except of course the big bands. Two very different players whose alternating unison, parts, and solo created texture and variation and interest.
Then Sinne. A concert that defies words. (But I will try.) Vocally breathtaking and unexpected at every turn. Warm and sophisticated and captivating, performer and music alike. Original and surprising without ever leaving you feeling off balance or unprepared. Sinne performed disarming renditions of familiar tunes (no one will soon be forgetting her sultry, expansive version of “The Sound of Music”) and original compositions by Sinne herself, and the show was pure magic—beginning to end. If we are so fortunate to have this artist come to Medicine Hat again, I will say unequivocally: You do not want to miss her.
Now (I’m writing this Saturday morning) I have surprised myself by making it to a third late show, and I intend to catch tonight’s too. Without going into detail at this point—still a little saturated—now with music and caffeine—I must say that if you haven’t made it to one of these late venues yet, you are really missing something. I can’t quite put my finger on how JazzFest selects the bands to put in this venue, but there’s a reason, and it’s a good one. Check out Jonas Kullhammar tonight. Based on what I’ve heard the last three nights, you’ll be very glad you did. -CGS
The Marc Atkinson Trio - Joey Smith on stand-up bass, Brett Maartens on acoustic rhythm guitar and Marc on lead guitar
Bizzy and The Bee Threez performing on the patio at Earls - Darren Bourne on Hammond B3, vocalist Bizzy Bourne, Jimmy Johnston on drum kit, Jae Cho on bass
Verismo's evening performance in the Esplanade theatre - Derek Stoll on piano, Pat Belliveau on saxophone, bassist Kodi Hutchinson, Jeremy Brown on Sax, and John De Weal playing drums
Sinne Eeg
Danish vocalist Sinne Eeg performing in the Esplanade theatre with her group: Nikolaj Hess on piano, Joshua Ginsburg on bass, and Jochen Rueckert on drums
Late-night performance in front lobby of Esplanade theatre - clockwise from bottom left; Karl Schwonik, Kodi Hutchinson, Chris Andrew, Dave Renter
Jesse Peters trio - Jesse on keyboard, Matthew Atkins on drums, Travis Switzer on bass guitar - entertaining a super crowd at the Local Public Eatery
My JazzFest day began by dropping in on the Alex Pangman workshop. She sang several pieces that she had performed in her Wednesday evening concert, which was wonderful. Whenever I leave a great concert, I am overcome with wanting more (which is why I tend to leave with a CD!), and getting to hear these pieces again, live, was just an unexpected treat. My personal favourite was a Betsy Smith tune that she sang at both performances, a blues piece interpreted with a swing and with tango sections.
Between songs Alex chatted a bit, musing on the “melting pot” of jazz, the music of the ’30s, how the new technology of microphones changed the music, and what it’s like to sing these songs in the 21st century. If you were at the evening concert, you saw how immersed in both the music and the character of the songs Alex was, and so it was interesting to hear her talk about her process in choosing what to sing.
The Medalta show last night was HOT. In every way. Due to weather the organizers moved it inside and kept the doors open to the courtyard, where some people opted to sit and mill. I know there were concerns about sound, for a band like this in an enclosed space is not ideal. But I’m certain that no one gave it a thought. The music was fabulous! And for ambience—there was no sacrifice. Medalta has created a one-of-a-kind space, and it really worked for this band, in my opinion. The dance floor was full the whole night.
The Dave Renter duo playing at Tumbleweeds
"I-vanna have a glass of red wine please"
The Alberta Latin Jazz All-Stars performing at Medalta potteries - l. to r. Chris Andrew, Aldo Aguirre, Jorge Nunez, Raul Tabere, Rubim de Toledo, and Luis Tovar
"Cutting the rug" to the beat of The Alberta Latin Jazz All-Stars
Conga line at the Thursday night dance party
"I-vanna play the drums!"
"I-vanna hang out with the band"
Late night show at The Studio Club - Dave Restivo on piano, Chris Jennings on bass, Jacek Kochan on drums
Alex Pangman and her band relaxing after an amazing performance
Aytahn Ross, reviewed by Adam M., age 9, at Tuesday’s school show, and passed on to me by one of his teachers tonight:
“This guy is impossible not to watch!”
We love Aytahn!! Be sure to get to the parkade show early to see him perform (new tricks and old faves, I’m told) before the Battle of the Bands commences!
It’s late Wednesday night as I write this, and boy, was it a full day. I caught the end of Hal Miller’s presentation and had the opportunity to chat with him briefly (most specifically about Medicine Hat’s chances of bringing Bob Belden and his “Miles Español” project to town!). Then Alex Pangman’s show with my daughter—such a fun, beautiful concert! And Ernesto Cervini’s impeccable quartet at the late show. Since this is a JazzFest blog, I’ll spare you details about field trips, birthday shopping, dog walking… though if I were Cervini, I’d probably be composing a song about each one of these right now, in particular the three-tone bark of our new canine family member and the rhythmic tapping of his claws on the window when I tried leaving him in the van at one stop… More on Cervini later!
Enjoyed the 3 final clips in Miller’s presentation—in particular the last one, which he chose deliberately to bring us down from a rather long and frenetic 1969 Miles Davis piece. It was South African pianist/composer Abdullah Ibrahim on piano with Carlos Ward on saxophone, 1984, Copenhagen; a beautiful, melodic duet—moving, sweet, and simple. Hal set up the piece by saying that pieces like this are a reminder to composers and musicians to know when to stop, to know when a melody is enough.
I’m sure the jazz-timid would agree here. Sometimes, we just can’t find the melody—or the beat—and then we don’t know what we’re hearing. But, with a little help from Hal and tips along the way, as I said before, it all starts fitting into a musical landscape if you try it out.
Now, Alex Pangman’s show was all melody — tunes and characters and tales of life and love, of being blue and being happy. “Forgive me if I laugh,” she giggled at one point, after imitating a particular tone her saxophone player had used; “I’m just having too much fun!” Well, so was the audience.
And Ernesto Cervini: A drummer composing and leading the band?! (Jacek Kochan, who performs with his quartet tonight, is also a drummer-composer-lead.) I loved this music for many reasons—but this underlying fact added a fascination and a question that I’ll be taking to the Kochan show tonight, as well.
I hope you’re making it out to some of these shows! If you see someone with a notebook in front of her, pen between her teeth, eyes fixed on the stage—come and tell me what you think. I’m caught up in the music and forgetting to write notes—but would love to hear your take! –CGS
Lethbridge group HBO3 playing in the newly opened club-house at Paradise Valley Golf Course
Mandy Reider and her guitarist performing at the Patio Cafe on Wednesday afternoon
Alex Pangman with pianist Peter Hill at The Studio Club Wednesday evening
Alleycats fiddler (and tenor saxophonist) Drew Jurecka performing with Alex Pangman at the Studio Club Wednesday evening
Late night show at The Studio Club with Ernesto Cervini quartet - Adrean Farrugia on piano, Mark Cashion on bass, Ernesto Cervino in background on drums, and Joel Frahm on saxophone
When I was first asked to write for Jazzfest, we had discussed that the write up should consist of only a few paragraphs. After what I saw tonight, I knew that was going to be an impossible task. For those who were lucky enough to join us at the Kellylee Evans and Hilario Durán show, I’m sure you are with me when all I can say is “wow.” For those who couldn’t make it out, I’ll do my best at capturing the essence here in words of what was missed.
First of all, I have never been to a show at the Esplanade. And on this first day of summer, I was all smiles walking through those front doors. The festival pass is an opportunity I couldn’t pass up — the chance to see so many great performances is just too good to be true. With a father who once jammed with the Moody Blues, I grew up with everything from classical to bluegrass to blues and yes, of course, jazz. Music in all its forms was a major part of our family. Music. It is everywhere. And without it, where are we?
(Enough blabbering Morgan—back to the show!)
Aaanyways… As I walked through the doors to greet Lyle Rebbeck, it was the most beautiful evening in downtown Medicine Hat. There could be no better night for what I was about to experience. I’ll admit I was a little giddy when we first sat down. I mean, c’mon, who doesn’t love a good show?
It kicked off right away with Kellylee Evans and her band — Matthew Lima on bass, Giampaolo Scatozza on drums, and Dave Thompson on guitar. I wasn’t expecting to get into it right away; I had thought there may be some sort of introduction or whatnot, but I’m glad there wasn’t.
The band started… Slow, quiet, smokey tones filled the room. And then, there it was. The voice came from backstage for the first few seconds of the song, and it was perfect. I wasn’t expecting to get goose bumps so soon, but the tone of her voice gave me instant chills. Tantalizing. I continued to be swept away by how pure and clear and mesmerizing her voice is. She is what I would call a full body singer in the fact that she doesn’t just sing, she feels every beat and every rest with every part of her body. And you feel what she is feeling. It was written all over her face, and if you had a mirror you would probably see it on yours as well.
I could go on with how fascinated I was with what a performer Kellylee is. And her scat?! Incredible. The ad libbing may have been the icing on the cake for me, the sign of a true artist. You have to see it for yourself—the way she interacts with her band and mimics the instruments—yes, even the drums—was genius. Pure. Genius. She is a beautiful, pure, happy, barefoot, larger-than-life being, and just watching her brought a smile to my face.
Just when I thought the show couldn’t get better, it did. The second set had begun, and Hilario Durán’s Latin Jazz Band took the stage. I was more than excited for this performance and had my dancing shoes ready. They were everything I expected and more. My life in South America came rushing right back. Hilario was a true maestro of his craft and his band, complete with trumpets, trombones, all types of saxophones (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone), stand up bass, piano and some incredible percussion sections.
The show was full of many different sounds, and there was always something happening. The moment I thought I knew what was coming next, I was surprised by a new sound. My pen couldn’t reach the paper fast enough to jot down everything I wanted to say, and my eyes sure couldn’t keep up to where all the excitement was coming from for each particular verse.
One of the things I loved the most was that every member of the band had the spotlight at one moment or another. And every member was a master of his or her instrument. His special guest Jane Bunnett was not only an amazing soprano saxophone player, but an impeccable flautist as well. The brass section was incredibly sharp and quick. The saxophone section never missed a beat. The percussion section blew me away. But my all-time favourite part? Hilario on the piano. Watching him play had me mesmerized, and reminded me of my dad’s playing when I was younger. His fingers moved so fast that the notes that followed could barely catch up. As I said, a true maestro.
All in all, last night’s performance was—in a word—inspiring. It left me with a renewed sense of excitement. If they’re ever in town again, I’ll definitely be there. You’ll see me. I’ll be the one dancing in the aisle. –MVC
Kellylee Evans with her guitarist Dave Thompson
Kellylee Evans and her group performing at the Esplanade on Tuesday evening
Jazzfest's Ivana receives the admiration of Kellylee Evans (and vice-versa!) after her performance Tuesday evening
Hilario Durán`s Latin Jazz Band performaing at the Esplanade Tuesday evening
Hilario Durán's sax section: l. to r. Jane Bunnett on soprano, Luis Deniz on alto, Jeff King on tenor, Pol Coussée on baritone
Joaquin Hidalgo on percussion
When the Esplanade is bursting at the seams with some 650 children, you probably picture Bert and Ernie or Toopie and Binou taking the stage—not a world-class, 13-piece Latin jazz band. But today, over 1200 Medicine Hat children got to experience a variety of musical stylings from the Latin traditions, and this fact alone leaves me breathless with the possibilities, the expanded horizons these children just discovered.
Hilario’s musical prestige, and also that of his special guest, Jane Bunnett, is covered in the JazzFest brochure. Please read it. If your children were at this concert, you should know whose presence they were in for an hour today. They, too, deserve to know.
I’d like to tell you what it was like to be in the Esplanade witnessing this mass uniting of children and music. There was an Afro-Cuban chant; there was a Spanish love song; there were European melodies mixed with Cuban/African rhythms; there was an African lullaby, and a Peruvian song dedicated to a girl selling flowers in the street. There were drum solos during which all audience wiggling came to a standstill. There were percussion instruments I don’t know the name for—strings of bells, a wooden box, some kind of wooden vessel. There was a soloist who told the children, “This song is hard to sing because there are so many words”—he was singing in Spanish, and the children knew they would not understand the words—“but I assure you, they are beautiful words!”
And away we went.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There was plenty of squirming. Trips to the bathroom. “Sssshhh!!” Some seating rearrangements. There were also uproarious applause and cheering, sleepy bodies curled into seats, yawns, and little bodies on the edges of seats, fingers drumming on armrests, little hands trying to clap to the rhythms.
What do the children get from listening to unfamiliar sounds and rhythms, to songs whose words they don’t understand, to music they’ve never heard before and maybe, at times, don’t even like?
They get a bigger world. They get a notion—not one expressed in words, but one that thumps in their chests with the drums, that hums in their ears with the voice of the clarinet, the saxophone, the flute—that there are ways of being, ways of doing, ways of making, that they never imagined. –CGS
Aytahn Ross warming up students before second student show
Hilario Duran
Hilario Duran's band.
Hilario Duran's band.
Hilario Duran and his band.
Lyle Rebbeck introducing Hilario Duran’s Latin Jazz Band.Aytahn Ross warming up students before the first show.
Aytahn Ross warming up students before the first show.
Jazzfest “Ivana” (and Julie, Jessica, and Tom) greeting the students – where will Ivana turn up next?
Arrival of the first buses for the Hilario Duran student performance.
Hilario Duran, Yaelin Duran, and Joaquin Hidalgo.To get more exciting news and photos, be sure to join our Facebook page by clicking here.
Those who were at Hal Miller’s presentation of rare video footage of the “greats” of jazz already know what a fascinating cross-section was presented. For those who weren’t, here’s a bit of a recap.
(Minus 15 minutes at the start and an unknown portion I missed at the end. No guilt, thanks to my festival pass! Only sorry for what I missed…)
A comment Miller made near the end of his presentation sums up the tone of the evening: “Keep in mind,” he said kindly, “you’re not obligated to like everything you see.” His goal was to expose as much variation in the clips as he could, so that we can say “Hey, I heard Duke Ellington....No, I saw Ellington!” and then decide for ourselves whether we like him or not.
True to his word, he presented Betty Carter (1980s, I believe) and John Coltrane (1965) with an honest appraisal of their popularity: both an acquired taste, some would say, and controversial because of the reaches of their experimentation. (There would be other ways to say that.) In the Carter clip, Miller suggested we take note of the young trio accompanying her and how they “followed” her through an extended dramatic scat. This, truly, is something you must see to appreciate! And Miller was right on the mark. Young enough to be her grandsons, the band clearly adored their singer—and were putting every ounce of their youthful energy and skill into keeping up with her. Priceless!
As an aside: I am certain now, fully a year since hearing Ranee Lee at JazzFest 2010, that Betty Carter is a major influence on this new Canadian star. Making this connection on my own was my personal moment of epiphany this evening.
But back to Miller’s selections. Yes, we all are looking for the sound we “like.” It’s why we’re hesitant to buy tickets to hear musicians we don’t know. But I’m starting to throw this habit to the wind, at least when JazzFest rolls around each year. Because in the sheer variety and quantity of music offered in six festival days (never mind the quality) there is a landscape represented whose beauty lies in the relations between its elements—not in one element alone.
And having made that high-minded point, I will return shamelessly to the like/dislike model to tell you about a mesmerizing clip Miller shared. It was from the recording session for a medley-tribute to Miles Davis, produced by Bob Belden—who is described elsewhere as a musical “renegade.” ?! The project, titled “Miles Español,”explores the influences between Spanish music/culture and jazz, all through the medium of Miles Davis’s music. It is a culmination of world beat/fusion/jazz like I’ve never heard before. Have you ever been in the presence of something utterly new and unexpected—only to realize you’d been craving it since before memory? Voilà. Goosebumps.
Another aside: I am pleased to have discovered that, indeed, a documentary is being made of this material; it and the CD are to be released any time. Frankly, I will consider my purpose on earth accomplished if JazzFest can bring something of this project to Medicine Hat in the near future. No pressure, Lyle and esteemed members of the JazzFest Committee…
Tonight Miller showed… No, correction: tonight I heard and saw clips of a young Ella Fitzgerald; Miles Davis in Paris, 1957; Oscar Peterson in Holland, 1965; Duke Ellington in Paris, 1958; Joe Morello and Dave Brubeck in Rome, 1959; John Coltrane in Antibes, 1965; Blossom Dearie, 1985. And more. With conversational ease and a staggering but down-to-earth historical and musical background, Miller set up each clip with brief comments that put the artists in context and offered a few hints at how they fit into the landscape of jazz—and what there is to appreciate, whether or not we conclude we “like” the music.
So my festival experience is off to a great start. (Thanks, Hal!) I only wish I had a second chance at the Woody Allen flick Sweet and Lowdown; once seated in Miller’s presentation, I couldn’t tear myself away, even for a movie at the Monarch! Roger Moses tells me it was a very entertaining fictional biography in true Woody Allen style. A great 1930s soundtrack and lots of present-time narration interspersed with commentary by music buffs and critics (including Allen himself), all centered around a brilliant musician but fundamentally unlikable character. I was amused to hear that the movie does indeed leave you wondering whether Emmet Ray (main character) was real or not. If you try to answer this question with a little web research, you won’t find consistent answers! Sounds like the audience loved it.
You can see more of Miller’s film clips tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday from 12-2 p.m. at the public library. Wednesday, I understand, he will be taking requests.
Guess what I’ll be requesting? –CGS
