Wednesday

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