Mainly Clubs, Mostly
Mainly Clubs, Mostly Jazz! Something Resembling Fall COLIN STORY As the sticky, heady haze of summer lifts, the coming of autumn usually heralds a period of productive reorientation, a clearing of the mind, a collective refocusing of eyes on the road ahead. This year, of course, is not a usual year, and, rather than providing reassurance, many of the traditional markers of the changing season are inducing no small amount of anxiety. Teachers and students return to schools amidst a tumult of hopeful precautions, increased screen time and burgeoning case numbers; CERB, a lifeline for out-of-work gig-economy workers, including many musicians, is set to end; the prospect of seeing family and friends continues to be fraught with peril. (Alternatively: for those who wish to avoid spending time with their extended family, COVID-19 has provided an irreproachable excuse.) Throughout it all, however, Southern Ontario seems to be settling into an abnormal normalcy, a return to something resembling pre- COVID fall. One of the most exciting musical developments has been the reopening of many jazz clubs, under strict physical-distancing guidelines. Some clubs, like The Emmet Ray, have been open throughout the summer, for takeaway food and beverages, patio service and, eventually, dine-in service, with live music; others, like The Rex, stayed closed until they could reopen all at once, music included. This October issue marks the first month that listings have been available from individual clubs since March. If you check the Mainly Clubs, Mostly Jazz listings in this magazine (page 47), they may look a little sparse; there are a few reasons for this. The first reason: while many venues have begun to host live music again, the booking process is complicated, and, at the moment, not all venues have their schedules confirmed months (or even weeks) in advance. The Rex is one such club. Though The Rex is presenting two shows a day, their booking process – at least at the time that I wrote this column – is happening on a week-by-week basis. The second reason: some clubs, unsure of what the coming month will bring, are holding off on advertising and even announcements, lest regulations suddenly force them to cancel gigs (or cancel dine-in service altogether). The third reason: some clubs, including 120 Diner, N’Awlins and Alleycatz, have closed. Even at its best, working in the service industry is a precarious proposition. Restaurants and bars must make constant payments to Dave Young servers, landlords, repair technicians and food vendors, all of which (the payments) depend on an ever-shifting volume of customers. This column is called Mainly Clubs, Mostly Jazz, and the term “club” is used as a catch-all for a variety of different venues, but most are restaurants, and most are not large. Whether or not they’re charging cover – which typically goes entirely to the band – venues need patrons to order food and drinks in order to make money. Musicians need the same thing: without a critical mass of audience to play for, it may not feel worthwhile to play a live show, either artistically or financially. While necessary to public health and safety, the physicaldistancing guidelines that are in place mean that it is difficult for venues to get enough people through the doors for this whole set-up to actually work. While the August 20 announcement by the City of Toronto that 45 live-music venues – including The Rex, Lula Lounge, and Burdock – will be receiving property tax relief, the circumstances remain difficult for musician and venue alike. Going out to see live music – and enjoying dine-in service in bars and restaurants – remains a personal matter, and everyone’s health and safety is of paramount importance. For those who are planning to return to the clubs this month, there are a number of exciting shows that will be taking place. At The Rex, October starts off with a bang, with two nights of the Dave Young Quartet on October 2 and 3. While I suspect that he will be a familiar name to readers of this column, to those who may not know him, Young, at 70, has taken his place amongst the firmament of Canadian jazz, with a storied career that includes stints with the likes of Kenny Barron, Tommy Flanagan, Oliver Jones and Oscar Peterson. A swinging, confident player, Young is joined by trumpeter Kevin Turcotte, guitarist Reg Schwager and drummer Terry Clarke. Also at The Rex: catch saxophonist Alison Young in the 5:30pm slot and pianist Thompson Egbo-Egbo in the 9pm slot on October 1, and pianist Adrean Farrugia at 5:30pm on October 2. A full month’s worth of music is already in the books for Jazz Bistro, with an emphasis on Brazilian and Afro-Cuban music. Catch Farrugia again on October 9 with his Bossa Nova project. On October 21, Venezuelan-born, Toronto-based Eliana Cuevas will perform with Jeremy Ledbetter. Cuevas is one of Toronto’s most exciting Latin jazz singers, and she has recorded and performed with a who’s who of EDWARD NIXON 30 | October 2020 thewholenote.com
Bandstand Fall Fare JACK MACQUARRIE RICK CLIFFORD BRENDAN MARIANI Thompson Egbo-Egbo both North and South American musicians. Her collaboration with Ledbetter – to whom she is married – includes countless live performances and numerous studio recordings. Rounding things out on October 30, Cuban-Canadian pianist Hilario Durán appears with bassist Roberto Occhipinti and drummer Mark Kelso. Durán is a gifted, accomplished artist, able to combine technique and lyricism in deftly executed phrases. Outside of Toronto, where COVID-19 cases tend to be lower, Waterloo’s Jazz Room has also resumed service with a full slate of shows. On October 3, Sarah Thawer and The Squad take the stage. Thawer – an explosive drummer with a penchant for hardhitting grooves – is joined by guitarist Connor “Chino” Chan, keyboardist Todd Pentney, and saxophonist/ keyboardist Rob Christian. Toward the end of the month, keyboardist Bartosz Hadala’s band plays the Jazz Room. Where Thawer’s group plays improvisatory jazz influenced by hip-hop and neo-soul, Hadala’s grooves fall more squarely into the fusion category, with influences from the likes of Joseph Zawinul and John McLaughlin. Hadala is joined by saxophonist Luis Deniz, drummer Marito Marques Sarah Thawer and electric bassist Brad Cheeseman. Colin Story is a jazz guitarist, writer and teacher based in Toronto. He can be reached at www.colinstory.com, on Instagram and on Twitter. Here we are; fall has begun. Normally, by now we would have heard of all of the plans for the coming season including concerts, rehearsals and maybe some new member recruitment. This fall the focus is on closures. The most drastic one that we have heard of so far is the notice from the Toronto District School Board. Since the pandemic problems began, the board has locked the doors for all outside organizations. Now, the board has sent notices to outside organizations like bands, choirs and other renters of board facilities that they will remain locked out for the balance of the calendar year, and perhaps longer. So how are community music groups coping? Most are actively seeking alternative rehearsal spaces; some have given up temporarily. A few are trying to maintain some form of Zoom rehearsal, or at least social gatherings. One of the more interesting activities I heard about is that Resa’s Pieces in cooperation with New Horizons Band Toronto (two ensembles I have written about frequently in the past) were in discussions with Long & McQuade Music to plan a few online Zoom sessions of advice from specialists at L & M. Stay tuned on that one! How are groups adapting? While concert bands and similar large groups are basically shut down, smaller groups are adapting and new small groups are being formed. While most are simply rehearsing to maintain their skills and their social contacts, some are exploring small ensemble work for the first time. Rather than restrict their playing to in-house rehearsals, some have expanded their horizons and are performing on porches, on lawns, in driveways and even in cul-de-sacs where available. While some are simply Chris Lee and James Brown impromptu events for the enjoyment of the players, others have been well organized to raise funds to assist professional musicians who have few, it any, paid gigs during the pandemic. In some cases, listeners are charged an admission fee, in “While concert bands and similar large groups are basically shut down, smaller groups are adapting and new small groups are being formed.” UPDATED EVERY FRIDAY! Performance listings (live, livestreamed, hybrid, … free). Stay in the loop. The beat goes on at thewholenote.com Jack MacQuarrie JACK MACQUARRIE thewholenote.com October 2020 | 31
