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Volume 12 - Issue 2 - October 2006

  • Text
  • Toronto
  • October
  • Theatre
  • Choir
  • Concerts
  • Jazz
  • Choral
  • Arts
  • Singers
  • Symphony

Band Standcontinued from

Band Standcontinued from page 25Family banding was anothertopic which popped up with someregularity in chatting with band peopleacross the province. We heardsome fascinating accounts of howmany family banding relationshipsevolved. Brother and sister combinationsare relatively common, andhusband and wife duos are seen inmost bands. There are also intriguingvariations: where parents haveintroduced their children to the joysof band music or, even less frequently,instances where childrenhave led the way. Here again, letus hear from you. Tell us of a familystory-with-a-twist in your band.Never too late, online.While the print version of the banddirectory is now closed for anotheryear, it is never too late forthe WholeNote on-line directory.If your band was missed, or if youhave updated information for the directory,send it by e-mail tobandstand@thewholenote.com or bysnail mail to our mailing address.Within days this information willbe included in the on-line directory.Since the September issue went topress we have added three morebands to the directory, and are waitingdetails on a fourth:The Gloucester CommunityConcert Band (Ottawa)Jolene Savoie 613-851-7959The Plumbing FactoryBrass Band (London)Awaiting details of contacts andrehearsal information.Scarborough CommunityConcert BandEllen Faretis 416-724-8989West Elgin Community Band(West Lorne)Sharon Little 519-785-0797For the complete listings of theseand other bands, visit theWholeNote on-line directory atwww.thewholenote.com.Concert ListingsOver the past month five bands havesent us information on their concertscoming in the next few weeks.Keep sending us your latest bandnews.Sunday, October 15, 3:00 pmThe Hannaford Street Silver Bandopens its 06/07 season with AlainTrudel as guest conductor and trumpetvirtuoso Jens Lindemann asfeatured soloist.Tuesday, October 24, 8:00 pmThe Hannaford Youth Band/TorontoYouth Wind Orchestra concert(with Joe Alessi, soloist). Thevenue for this concert has beenchanged back to the Toronto Centrefor the Arts (George WestonRecital Hall).Friday, October 27 and Saturday,October 28, 8:00 pm TheEtobicoke Community ConcertBand launch the first of their "risingstars" concert series with"Etobicoke Swings", a toe-tappingprogram of vintage-1940's BigBand favourites featuring multi-talentedyoung Ernesto Cervini onclarinet, piano and drums.Sunday, October 29, 2:30 pmThe Oshawa Civic Band with cohostWhitby Brass Band perform ajoint concert with the SouthernOntario Composite Band at St.George's Memorial AnglicanChurch, 51 Centre Street South,Oshawa.Wednesday, November 22 ThePlumbing Factory Brass Band inLondon will start its twelfth seasonwith a St. Cecilia's Day concert.Check for details next month.(They have also been invited to bespecial guest performers for thelOOth anniversary of the SunderlandTown Hall Nov. 26th in Sunderland,Ontario).Finally, a correctionThe directory listing for The LincolnConcert Band in the Septemberissue erroneously shows theband as operating in Bowmanville.The website listing correctly showsthe community as Beamsville.J..1~ .......... HARKNETTMusical Services Ltd.MUSIC BOOKSBEST SELECTION OF POPULAR& EDUCATIONAL MUSICPiano - Guitar - InstrumentalMid-Town StoreBrass - Woodwind -String Instruments - GuitarBuy direct from the Distributor 416-423-9494AUTHORJZEDDEAJ..ERFOR:943 Eglinton Ave. E. (W. ofLeslie)Armstrong, Artley, Besson, Benge (Next door to Robert Lowrey's Piano Experts)Boosey & Hawkes, Buffet, ConnGetzen,Jupiter, Keilworth, KingMain StoreIbanez Guitars, Scher! & Ruth String Inst.www.harknettmusic.comBack to Ad Index905-477-11412650 john Street (Just North of Steeles)WWW. THEWHOLENOTE .COMJazz Notesby Jim GallowayA concerted effortMy Oxford Dictionary defines aconcert as "A musical performancein which several performers takepart." The derivation is probablyfrom the Latin concentare "to singtogether" (from con- + cantare "tosing") Its use in the sense of "publicmusical performance" dates from1689.So, technically, any time a musicalgroup performs in public, itis a concert.Now a gig is a term of uncertainorigin, first used by jazz musiciansin the early 1900s.So when is a gig not a concert?Is a performance in a jazz club,where the audience can drink andperhaps eat, simply a gig and nota concert? The group might beplaying exactly the same music asthey would play in a theatre performance- so what's the difference?Is it because there are other diversionswhile the music is played,such as the aforementioned and thecoming and going of patrons, oftenin the middle of a performance?In a salon the performance is aconcert, but in a saloon it's a gig?Certainly a bar such as The Rex,although it presents an astonishingamount of music every week, canbe a pretty noisy environment andnot exactly a listener's paradise.TO~ONTO HLL-STH~A classicChristmas Showof yesteryear,on tour!www.torontoallstarbigband.comContrast that with the late lamentedMontreal Bistro where the audiencewas asked to turn off cellphones and keep noise to a minimumwhile the music was beingplayed. Result? Perhaps the bestof both worlds - a near concert atmospherein the intimacy of a club.Is it a prejudice that prevents somepeople from going out to hear jazzin clubs?I ask the question partly becausemany of the WholeNote readers, Isuspect, are regular attendees atconcerts, but think twice aboutgoing out to clubs. If so, that's apity, since a lot of the best musicis made in the less formal atmosphereof a club. Granted, if youhope to see a Sonny Rollins orWayne Shorter, it's not likely tobe in a club - that is a simple reflectionof the economics of thebusiness.I find myself thinking about theold cliche of jazz gaining respectabilitywhen it entered the concerthall. It used to be that jazz was notconsidered to be "reputable" becauseof its association with gaminghouses and 'red light' districts.That, of course, is a thing of thepast. However, the move into concerthalls was part of a attempt tomake the music more widelyacceptable.The most famous exam-HRISTMllS~~ ~PECIAL\~ ~ '3(1«/t tk~IG ~HNDNovember 26 2 pmMarkham Theatre, Markham(905) 305 - SHOWDecember 9 2 pmRoxy Theatre, Owen Sound(888) 446 - ROXYDecember 16 2 pmSt. Lawrence Centre, Toronto(416) 366 - 7723

pie is the 1938 Benny Goodmanconcert at Carnegie Hall and I canremember in the 50s and 60s therole that the Modern Jazz Quartetplayed, always in tuxedos, in makingJazz 'respectable' to many 'seriousmusic' listeners. But I wonderhow many of you are familiarwith a much earlier event.James Reese Europe is rememberedfor forming the first AfricanAmerican military band which performedin Europe during the FirstWorld War, but prior to that, in1910, he formed the Clef Club inNew York City and was its firstpresident. This was a fraternal organisationwith offices on 53rdStreet, and through it Europeworked to improve working conditionsfor black musicians.At that time, hotels and restaurantsin the city and resorts werein the habit of hiring the musicians,not to play, but for menialtasks, expecting them to play for tips.As a result of Europe's efforts,that all changed. The employers ofClef Club musicians were requiredto pay a fixed salary, pay transportation,provide room and boardand hire musicians simply as musicians.He also introduced a dresscode for Clef Club musicians - bowtie for engagements booked in advance;dark suits for casual dates.Europe himself led one of theClef Club dance orchestras and in1912, they made history when theyplayed a concert at Carnegie Hall -the first band that included jazz inits repertoire to play on that historicstage, 26 years before BennyGoodman's famed concert.Now we have concerts with symphonyorchestra and jazz group,concertos for flute and jazz piano,jazz adaptations of J.S.Bach byJacques Loussier, Wynton Marsaliswho is just as convincing witha symphony as he is with a smalljazz group and on and on.Not that any of this gets me anycloser to answering the originalquery, when does a gig become aconcert. Any comments?James Reese EuropeFinally: a note of warning aboutthe potential dangers of music froman article I unearthed which waspublished in Weekly World News(January, 1996)Bocholt, Germany - A band musiciandied of a brain injury whenthe trombonist behind himjerked theslide of his trombone forward andstruck the trumpeter in the back ofthe head. Police say the tragedyoccurred as the Gratzfeld Collegeband was rehearsing the spiritedAmerican jazz classic, "When theSaints Go Marching In".The 19 year old trombonist "gotcarried away" with the music andstarted "gyrating and thrashingaround as he played."The rounded metal slide on hisinstrument hit the trumpet player droppinghim instantly to the floor."I believe the music is to blame,"said the band director. "I was pressuredto play that selection by schooladministrators. But I've always saidjazz is dangerous music. "Our musicianscan't control themselveswhen they play it. They move androck back and forth, creating chaos.If I had my way, American Dixielandwould be outlawed in Germany.I've been directing bands for 30years and I've never heard of anyonedying while playing a Germanmarch."Happy listening!Inside the Jazz Listingsby Sophia PerlmanBack to back bassists, andJune Garber's pianistic mixMarkham based vocalist June GarberThis month, on two consecutive nights, two amazing bassistsperform concerts - one in Toronto and one in Peterborough - andthey both happen to be named Dave. On October 13th,internationally renowned bassist Dave Holland (Tickets availablethrough ticketmaster). The following night, Dave Young appearswith his quartet as a part of the Kawartha Jazz Society's concertseason. Tickets can be purchased at Moondance Records or Title'sBookstore in Peterborough.Several CDs are also being released in Toronto clubs this month.David Braid releases his new album Zhen: David Braid Sextet LiveVol. II at new jazz hotspot Sopra, October 10th and 11th. Then,David Braid will be playing with saxophonist Tara Davidson as shereleases her new album at the Rex, October 13th. (Braid will also beat the Rex the following night with trombonist William Carn.) Andpianist Gordon Sheard releases his new CD Crucible at the Lulalounge - a mixture of jazz, R&B , Latin and world musics -October 12th.And speaking of pianists, Markham based vocalist June Garberperforms with a different pianists each time she performs at theAbsolute Lounge in Markham - this month, Richard Whiteman andBill King are both scheduled to play with this wonderful singer -(October 10th and October 21st respectively).Happy listening! Jazz club listings are on page 56.onIslington United Church Jazz Concert Series'25 Burnhamthorpe Road(one light west of Islington, north of Dundas1lini1onClimax Jazz Bandnilronrnn Saturday, October 28, 20068:30-10:30( TO BER 1 -Tickets .00 Call Bill or Rosemary Drinnanat 416-621-2897 for tickets or informationWheelchair Accessible and ParkingFeaturing some of Toronto's best jazz musicianswith a brief reflection by Jazz Vespers ClergySunday, October 15th4:30 pmTHE JOHN SHERWOOD TRIOSunday, October 29th4:30 pmTHE MARK EISENMAN TRIOChrist 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.Back to Ad Index

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