JAZZ NOTES by Jim
JAZZ NOTES by Jim Galloway A s I was beginning this J-\: month's anicle I received the dreadful news about the death of Brian Ogilvie. Originally from Vancouver, Brian was a rare talent, both on clarinet and saxophone, with a great love of the:: early forms of jazz. He made his home in Toronto for a number of years where he quickly established hill)self. The Ogilvie Brothers band with Don on guitar and Kenny on bass, became a fixture on the scene before Brian's move to San Antonio in 1992 and a place in the Jim Cullum Band. In 1995 he moved to New Orleans where he immediately became one of the "in demand" players. He appear.ed in festivals here as well as in the States and Europe and was playing at the Nairn Festival in Scotland on August 12th. when he collapsed. Brian died on the 14th of August without regaining consciousness. He was a member of my Wee Big Band until his move to the States and in that time he played his way into the hearts of everybody in the band and all who heard his music. Brian's big, warm tone and his concept of the traditions of the music were only two of the ingredients that made him special. He was also a good guy. His death, at age 50, is a profound Joss - Brian was the real thing and we all will miss him, but never forget him. (PORT)HOPE SPRJNGS ETERNAL Just when you thought it was all over for the jazz festival season, here comes another - this time it is the 3rd annual All-Canadian Jazz Festival in Port Hope, September 24 to 26. Necessity may well have been the mother of invention and the decision to make the Port Hope Festival 100% Canadian a mixture of budgetary concerns along with a sense of patriotism, but whatever, the event has a stellar Maple Leaf line-up of artists such as Ranee Lee, Francois Bourassa, Alain Caron, Christine Jensen, Renee Rosnes, Michael Kaeshammer, Alex Pangman and Pat LaBarbera - just some of the artists helping to turn the town into jazz city for a week-end. DowN Bv THE OLD MtLL. •• The Old Mill, built on the site ,of, the original 200-year-old King's 2-a Mill,is something of an institution in this town and not just as a hotel and spa. It has been a home for music for a long time. In 1921 it began to feature dancing to live music, albeit with a pretty small group, violinist Cec Ryder and pianist Nelson Hatch. When a new dance floor was added in 1929, the duo expanded to a nine piece orchestra. In more recent years it has been one of the few, if not the only place to go dinner-dancing, although the band became a small combo. Well, on the 24th of September it will be big band night again at the Old Mill when the last Friday in the month is turned over to the is a "Jazz Studies Benefit Concert " - PJ Perry and an all-star faculty ba nd with Alex Dean, Terry Clarke, Kirk MacDonald, Terry Promane, Paul Read, Chase Sanborn & Dave Young. Tickets for this special one-nighter are .00. The Rex continues its admirable support of local musicians, (with the occasional visiting firemen), in another jazz-filled month featuring literally dozens of bands over the 30 days which hath September. FRANK FALCO IS ONE of the best piano teachers in town. He is also a really good player, but one who has chosen over the years to "hide his light under a bushel''. To say that he has kept a low profile over the years is an understatement, but he has been coaxed out of his house and you can catch him on Sunday September 12th at Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge Street, at 4:30. With Frank you can hear Rick Wilkins on sax, Scott Alexander, bass and drummer Brian Barlow. Two weeks later at the same altar of jazz you can hear the solo piano of Marilyn Lerner. As you can see, lots going on, so please get out there and listen to some live jazz. You'll feel better for it. Happy listening! swing sounds of a big band. The.-----. series will kick off with my Wee Big Band and you are cordially invited. WELCOME To THE CLUB Summer is now lodged in the memory bank and we are into the fall season which. means that the club scene starts to heat up for the colder weather with visiting artists such as singer/songwriter Anne Hampton Calloway at the Top 0' The Senator late in the month, followed by one of our adopted favourites originally from Quebec, Renee Rosnes, who brings her quintet to the club t.o take us ·from September into October. Over at The Montreal Bistro, there are a couple of special events during the month. On Monday, September 20, a tribute to Duke Ellington will feature David Warrack and Friends - with Shakura S' Aida, Thom Allison, Bill Bridges, Duncan Hopkins, Michael Stuart & Don Vickery and a week later on Monday, September 27 there In the Jazz Listings Dave Buchbinder: catch Shu rum Bunun Sep 4, 11; and Oct 6 by Sophia Perlman While September is gearing up to be an exciting month for. jazz in the clubs, it is also going to be an equally exciting month in the concert halls - with a range of jazz performances happening in the Greater Toronto Area. The Toronto Progressive Jazz Concert Series presents eight concerts featuring world renowned jazz artists at various concert halls and clubs across Toronto, beginning September 11, with the Addison Groove Project at The 360. The series continues with performances by Soulive, and the Dave Holland Quintet performing in September, with performances by many others in October and November. (See our Co11cert Quick Picks for more details). Just when you thought you'd seen the end of the festival season, there two great opportunities to get out of the city and hear some great music this fall. The Guelph Jazz Festival (September 8-11) and the All-Canadian Jazz Festival in Port Hope· (September 24-26) offer a great opportunity to hear both some great established musicians as well as some incredible rising talent. Speaking ofrising talent, this month students are returning to classes at not one, but two renowned jazz programs in Toronto. On September 27•h, the UofT jazz studies program is holding a benefit concert at the Montreal Bistro featuring some of its faculty - including Alex Dean, Terry Clarke, Kirk MacDonald, Terry Promane, Paul Read, Chase Sanborn and Dave Young (Tickets through the University: 416- 946-3580). And of course, as always, the clubs are full of great Toronto jazz. For more information, please see the listings on page 52. SEPTEMBER 1 - OCTOBER 7 2004
Go Guelph: I Ith Jazz Festival Outdoes Itself BY PHIL EHRENSAFT I f your musical interests encom- pass avant-garde jazz and im- provised New Music, you most def- ticket prices to boot. A dream quarinitely want to savour year 11 of the Guelph Jazz Festival, Sept 10- ·Now to the superb music. There's a generous presence of avant-garde pioneers with modest tet with saxophonist Archie Shepp, trombonist Roswell Rudd on trom- 12. If your schedule permits, take bone, bassist Reggie Workman, three vacation days at the lead-in and drummer Andrew Cyrille headcolloquium where scholars and mu- sicians trade thoughts on the art leads a percussion quartet that inthat is the centre of their lives, in- eludes fellow jazz pioneer Famouterspersed with a generous dollop of concerts and musicians' work- shops. This celebration begins the afternoon of the 8th and runs through Friday, including Thurs- day evening where eminent saxo- phonist and composer Oliver Lake joins forces with Native American lines Saturday night. Cyrille also dou Don Moye and two master Ghanaian drummers. William Parker is both a top bassist and key organizer of the Down town scene. The seminal Chicago percussionist Hamid Drake and the remarkable Tuva vocalist Sainkho Namtchylak round vocalist Mary Redhouse. out the group. Free jazz bass pio- · Guelph 's an important player in fostering Canada's New Music. The artistic director Ajay I-Jehle and festival manager Julie Hastings Leandre in a duo with San Franwork hard to expose musicians from New York's Downtown neer Barre Phillips leads a trio. The bass cornucopia includes France's multidimensional Joelle cisco violinist India Cooke. Younger generations are not nescene, the nerve centre of avant- glected. Percussionist Suzie lbargarde jazz, and their European counterparts to this country's ex- ceptional talent. The festival's of- ficial launching of a new interna- ra, a very bright new light in the New York jazz scene, leads a trio. Drummer John Hollenbeck and Downtown vocalist Theo Bleck- . tional journal on improvised mu- man are full of surprises. The 4insic will provide parallel exposure for Canadian researchers. Within Canada, Guelph bridges derfully in Quebecite, the jazz opour musical solitudes. This year's Objects jazz collective features Yoon Sun Choi, who sang won- era premiered at last year's festileading lights from Montreal 's vi- val. Toronto's Barnyard .Drama, brant improv scene include Jean Derome, Joanne Hetu, Walsh, Michel Lambert and Thorn Gossage. The broad network of sponsors that Heble and Hastings recruited bodes well. The lead sponsor of this Ontario festival is none other than Quebec's premier featuring vocalist extraordinaire Tom Christine Duncan and drummer/ turntablist Jean Martin is quite ca pable of holding its own in the company of this distinguished Downtown New York talent. The above is just a sample. For a full schedule, call 519-763-3155, or financial institution, Desjardins! go to www.guelphjazzfestival.com . • Featuring some of Toronto's best jazz musicians with a brief reflection by Jazz Vespers Clergy Sunday, September 12 • 4:30 RICK WILKINS, saxophone; FRANK FALCO, piano; SCOTT ALEXANDER, bass; BRIAN BARLOW, drums Sunday, September 26 - 4:30 MARILYN LERNER, solo piano Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge Street (north of St. Clair at Heath St.) 416·920-5211 Admission is free. An offering is received to support the work of the church, including Jazz Vespers. • all-canadian a FESTIVAL oort hope September 4. 25 & 26. 1004 Mapf !.eeV.r.oove Salute to Canadian Composers Montreal Smokes Alain Caron Franois Bourassa Michel Donato's Hot Club Trio The Canadian Premiere of RNQ Daytime Concerts Memorial Park 12.00 noon -6.00p.m. Sat u r d·a y Blow Your Own Horn Jazz Parade Kevin Clark • Pat LaBarbera Quintet Alex Fangman • Roberto Occhipinti Sextet Daniel Barnes Trio ·Moe Koffman Tribute Band Young Jazz Showcase · Sunday Peter Dent Quartet •Brian Barlow Brass Quintet Karin Plato Quartet• Michael Kaeshammer Christine Jensen Quartet• Young Jazz Showcase www.allcanadianjazz.ca Great Jazz' all Weekend in Port Hope Canada's National Jazz Festival Tickets Headliner Concerts . Night Club Cover $10 Memorial Park: Daypass Weekend , under 12's free. Tickets 1-866-565-5009 Online at www.capitoltheatre.com and at the gate for Daytime Passes Port Hope is' one hour east of Toronto on the 401, exit 461 SEPTEMBER 1 - OCTOBER 7 2004 WWW.THEWHOLENOTE.COM 29
