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Volume 13 - Issue 3 - November 2007

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Join us for a FREE concert and open house to launchthe Art of Jazz Afro Cuban Jazz Workshop Series.Meet Jane Bunnett and enjoy the rhythms of someof Cuba's greatest musicians who will be teachingat the workshops starting in January 2008.When: December 6, 2007Where: Art of Jazz StudioThe Distillery Historic District,Bldg 74, Studio 202Time: 7:30-11 pmAfro Cuban Jazz Workshops SeriesJuno Award winner and Gram my nomineeJane Bunnett leads an Afro Cuban jazz workshopseries with members of her Spirits of Havanagroup and special guests. This 8 week workshopseries begin January 14, 2008.Learn from the mastersIndividual and group classesTo register and formore informationemail jazz@artofjazz.orgor call 416 840-7663.sizeable following l.:.'JCin the Germanspeakingworld.He was also gainingattention inViennese circlesas a jazz collectorand historian. Bythe mid 60s hewas also handlingthe affairs of alocal group, TheRed Hot Podsand the eventual Jazz/and in the heart of old Vienna: Axel Melhardttransition torunning a jazz club seemed almost inevitable.It became a reality in 1972 in a 500 year old cellar and over theyears has remained true to Axel's concept of featuring leading Austrianmusicians with a regular sprinkling of guest artists, mostlyAmerican. Over the 35 years the list of players is a Who's Who ofjazz that swings. Just a few of the names will give some idea -Howard Alden, Monty Alexander, Harry Allen, John Allred, ChetBaker, Dan Barrett, Joanne Brackeen, Bob Brookmeyer, RayBrown, Ray Bryant, Benny Carter, Doc Cheatham, Cyrus Chestnut,Arnett Cobb, Al Cohn, Kenny Davern, "Wild Bill" Davis, "Lockjaw"Davis, "Wild Bill" Davison, "Sweets" Edison, Roy Eldridge,Kurt Elling, Herb Ellis , Margie Evans, Art Farmer, Benny Golson,Johnny Griffin, Scott Hamilton, Gene Harris, Jon Hendricks, EarlHines, Art Hodes, Javon Jackson, Hank Jones, Oliver Jones, BarneyKessel, Lee Konitz, Diana Krall, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano,Junior Mance, Jay McShann, Brad Meldau, James Moody, NicholasPayton, Ken Peplowski, Bucky Pizzarelli, Alvin Queen, Zoot Sims,Ralph Sutton, Buddy Tate, Clark Terry, Lew Tabackin, StanleyTurrentine, Warren Vache, Allan Vache, Ben Webster, Teddy Wilson,Kai Winding and Phil Woods and on and on.But don't imagine that Axel has achieved all this on his own. Hiswife, Tilly, has been a tower of strength and a never-ending sourceof support and encouragement. Last month they celebrated 34 yearsof marriage and Axel freely admits that without her things couldnever have gone so well. They have a 23 year old son, Julius, whothis year has taken a more active part in the club, and a staff thatwould be the envy of any club owner.Another significant thing I have observed is the high percentage ofyoung faces in the audience. On any given night about half the audienceis on the sunny side of 30, many of them students and many ofthem tourists, but receptive to jazz and that, believe me, is a veryrefreshing sight.Axel has a fund of anecdotes, one of them concerning The PreservationHall Jazz Band and Willi Boskowsky, the world's most fa-Geo~ ,& Co. LimitedCONSERVATORS & PURVEYORSFeaturing some of Toronto's best jazz musicianswith a brief reflection by Jazz Vespers ClergySunday, November 4th - 4:30 p.m.THE KEVIN TURCOTTE QUARTETTribute to Clifford BrownSunday, November 1 Sth - 4:30 p.m.THE FRED DULIGAL QUARTETTribute to Colman Hawkins2020! Chun.:h St., Toronto. ON. MSB 1Y7 Email: ghcl@idirect.comTel: 416-363-0093, fax: 416 ·363·0053www.georgeheinl.comCanada•s foremost violin experts.Proud of our heritage. Excited about rhe future.Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge Street(north of St. Clair at Heath St.) 416-920-5211Admission is free.An offering is received to support the work of the church, including Jazz Vespers.WWW.THEWHOLENOTE.COM NOVEMBER1 - DECEMBER 7 2007Back to Ad Index

mous interpreter of Johann Strauss. Boskowsky, concertmaster withthe Vienna Philharmonic, for many years conducted the orchestra forthe annual New Year's concert and did so in the old style of themaster himself, with his violin held in one hand, conducting with theother and playing the appropriate passages. He died in 1991 , but hisreputation lives on and his influence is still profound.In the late 60s the Preservation Hall Band was booked to give aconcert in Vienna. The 2000 seat auditorium was sold out and so asecond afternoon concert was scheduled for the same day in a smallervenue. The flight was delayed - it happened even back then-andthe band had to go straight to the hall wearing the clothes they hadtra veiled in.Trumpeter Dee Dee Pierce was wearing a somewhat tattered t-shirtwith a tear under the right armpit and the rest of the musicians weredistinctly casual in appearance. Backstage, after the concert, WilliBoskowsky, in full formal wear came into the dressing room,walked over to Dee Dee, who had no idea who this intruder was,hugged him and proclaimed, "I have to dress like an ape to draw myaudience, but you fellows make wonderful music without any of thebullshit!"He also has an interesting story regarding Friedrich Guida, mostfamous for his interpretations of Beethoven, but also interested incontemporary jazz. In the early 70s Guida expressed a desire to playat Jazzland. This was at a time in his career when he was commandingvery healthy concert fees and, if the engagement was in Vienna,a suite at the Imperial Hotel available to him the week before andafter the engagement. At Jazzland he played for two nights at a tinyfraction of his normal fee and stayed in a small flat above the club!On the first night he played until 2am, but played very little piano,by far the bulk of the playing being done by the other musicians, butending the evening on a sonorous low B on the Bosendorfer, speciallyinstalled for the occasion. Axel was a little put out at howlittle Guida had played throughout the entire evening and suggestedthere was no real need to tune the piano just for the low B havingbeen sounded; Guida, perhaps feeling some guilt, did a completeturnaround on the second night and gave a dazzling display of differentpiano styles ranging from Errol Garner through Art Tatum toOscar Peterson!According to Axel however, he was unhappy because he did nothave an individual sound of his own when playing jazz and turned toavant-garde where he was more able to be an original voice.Incidentally, a footnote to the story is that the club now has itsown Bosendorfer!Jazzland - the little club with a big heart. Long may it continue.Happy live listening! Our jazz club listings are on page 49.On Operaby Christopher HaileLittle Shop on Main Street: Te-Amimfounder and artistic direclor HelenaFine; Edith Grosman, widow of Oscar-winning writer Ladislav Grosman(and herself a Holocaust survivor); and director Mark CassidyOPERA ONTARIO. On October 15, Opera Ontario announced thatit would continue its emergency fundraising drive until November 1.General Director David Speers notes, "There is a sense of real positiveprogress. If we can reach the 0,000.00 plateau by that date, wecan move ahead with a revised season that would include "Popera"(featuring tenor Richard Margison and soprano Adrianne Pieczonka),"The Magic Flute" (rescheduled from its original October dates) and"Madama Butterfly" in April. There is also the possibility of a BenefitSuper Recital featuring up to twenty of Canada's finest singers in thespring. I've received call after call from artists offering their services tomake sure we are successful in saving a company which has made itsreputation through the engagement and promotion of Canada's finestsingers. They see this as a way of repaying the company for thoseearly opportunities" .If the Opera is successful in moving ahead with the 2007-08 season,it will continue to fundraise through the season with the objective ofsecuring million and eliminating its long-standing cash deficit.Donations can be made to Opera Hamilton, #905, 105 Main StreetEast, Hamilton, ON, L8N 1G6. Tax receipts will be issued. Forfurther information please contact: David Speers, General Director,905 527 7627, x229, dspeers@operaontario.com.RICHARD BRADSHAW. On Thursday, November I, 2007 at 8pmthe Canadian Opera Company presents "Richard Bradshaw, 1944-2007: A Musical Celebration", a free concert honouring its late GeneralDirector, Richard Bradshaw at the Four Seasons Centre for thePerforming Arts. The concert salutes not only Mr. Bradshaw'smusical life, but the remarkable gifts he gave to his adopted countryanopera company of international renown and one of the finest operahouses in the world. Guest artists confirmed to date include baritoneRussell Braun, bass Robert Gleadow, soprano Joni Henson, sopranoAdrianne Pieczonka, bass Robert Pomakov, and mezzo-sopranoKrisztina Szabo. These Canadian opera stars join members of the COCEnsemble Studio and the acclaimed COC Orchestra and Chorus in amixed program of choruses, orchestral pieces, and opera arias- musicassociated with Mr. Bradshaw or music that he especially loved.Tickets are free and are available on a first-come, first-served basisonly at the Four Seasons Centre Box Office, 145 Queen St. W., as ofSaturday, October 27 beginning at Sam. Tickets are limited to two perperson, must be accepted as assigned and are not replaceable.HOLOCAUST EDUCATION WEEK. The 27th Annual HolocaustEducation Week, November 1-11, features three offerings of note tolovers of music theatre. First is the Canadian premiere of "The Shopon Main Street", a seven-character drama with music by Bernard SpiroBack to Ad IndexWWW.THEWHOLENOTE.COM 21

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