TMChoir's Jean-Sébastien Vallée on large-choir community exchange; Vania Chan on Music and Mindfulness; "From Up Here" looks at Classical Life in "Zone 10"; Jazz jam etiquette; Esprit has you on the edge of your seat; Women from Space; a full slate of record reviews; all this and more.
PERFORMANCE - SPACED.D.
PERFORMANCE - SPACED.D. JacksonAN INTOXICATING ELIXIRD.D. Jackson’sPoetry Project atthe RedwoodANDREW SCOTTSUN JACKSONFor angsty teenagers (and I know this from personalexperience), relatably disillusioned literary characterscan provide a feeling of connection as the reader worksthrough their own age-appropriate sense of despondentennui. J.D. Salinger’s Holden Caulfield was (and perhapsstill is) the standard bearer in this regard. But it was, evenmore so, the work of Jack Kerouac (think October inthe Railroad Earth, backed by pianist Steve Allen) thatfor many proved to be an even more intoxicating elixir,introducing readers and listeners to not only hitchhikingand counterculture, but to jazz and poetry.Redwood: A December 2024 visit to East End Toronto’s RedwoodTheatre – itself a venue in revival – brought back some of those feelingsof connection in the form of an evening of deeply satisfying andambitious work from several accomplished Toronto poets, paired withmusic by the Ottawa-born, New York-based pianist D.D. Jackson.The historic Redwood Theatre, sitting at Greenwood and Gerrard, isnow, for those who have not yet discovered or rediscovered it, hometo a multidisciplinary centre designed to support an exciting artisticecosystem of music, dance, circus, comedy, theatre and film, withperformances in both the larger theatre, where Jackson’s concerttook place, and in some of the smaller lounge spaces (such as PatLabarbera’s appearance in the Redwood’s Tetra Listening Room at theend of January). Additionally, Tim Notter’s Orbit Room, which playedhost to so many great concerts for 25 years on College Street, nowhas a new home for its unique brand of Hammond-organ forwardprogramming.Kerouac and Allen’s “October in the Railroad Earth” onPoetry for the Beat Generation (Hanover Records 1959)All in all, ambitiousprogramming and good acousticsbode well for an excellentmusical future for the venue.The poetry project: D.D.Jackson’s “Poetry Project”is a case in point – a jointtenancy of prose and soundbetween the pianist andGeorge Elliott Clarke (Canada’sformer Parliamentary PoetLaureate, who that eveningcurated the poems, wrangledthe poets, read his ownwork and emceed). The eveningoffered a welcome celebrationof both mediums. DividedGeorge Elliott Clarkeinto two portions, the firstsegment featured readings from poets Ayesha Chatterjee, Bruce Meyer,Giovanna Riccio, C.P. Zemokhol and Clarke himself, broken up by stylisticallybroad interpretive piano features. The music, sometimes instrumental,sometimes featuring the pianist’s own singing, and sometimesutilizing the considerable talent of the evening’s vocalists, such asSammy Jackson and Yoon Sun Choi, was an exemplary testament tohow creative minds can fuse together disparate mediums for beautifullyimpressive results.The standouts were many, of course, but Bruce Meyer’s impassionedreading of a thoughtful requiem and Choi’s inspired interpretation ofZemokhol’s I Call were particularly modern, engaging and impactful.Through it all, the first set was notable, for this listener, for how skillfullyJackson played with the idea of influence.Sometimes the influence was direct; as when, forexample, Jackson accompanied a lyrical reading of a poemin a supportive manner designed principally to platformthe poet and amplify the poem’s message. At other times,the influence seemed more playful, as Jackson seemed toforeground an interpretive style of accompaniment repletewith rich chording and extemporized melodic lines thatacted as another poetic voice – a kind of playful counterpart.Finally, there was what I might describe as an “influenceadjacent” portion, when Jackson seemed to use theconsiderable creativity contained within the poems as aspringboard for his own improvisatory statements. It wasin these moments, when he appeared to afford himselfthe widest berth creatively, that the music took off in themost interesting of directions.GEORGE ELLIOTT CLARKE16 | February & March 2025 thewholenote.com
The Redwood Theatre, at 1300 Gerrard Street E., TorontoThe evening’s second set, equally engaging, featured a fleshed-outaggregation of Roberto Occhipinti on bass, Mark Hundevad doingdouble duty on drums and vibraphone, and guitarist Tom Fleming.This larger group supported the aforementioned singers, along withthe great vocalist Michael Dunston, through Jackson’s completePoetry Project, released by the pianist earlier in 2024. Impressive solosby all, tight ensemble work and a dynamic performance of DaylightShooting in Little Italy by the dependably wonderful Dunstonwere second set highlights. In addition to the great music, a specialacknowledgement is deserved for the wonderful Bösendorfer pianothat Jackson played so marvellously throughout, contributing much tothe evening’s proceedings.In addition to the enjoyable music and camaraderie of Toronto’sartistic community on display that December night, the evening wasnotable as a celebration of a great new listening room with a fine stage(and an even finer piano) now hosting creative shows such as this inToronto’s east end. A welcome addition indeed!Editor’s Note: See the review of Jackson’s Poetry Project in the vocalsection of DISCoveries and check it out in the Listening Room.Andrew Scott is a Toronto-based jazz guitarist (occasionalpianist/singer) and professor at Humber College, who contributesregularly to The WholeNote Discoveries record reviews.UPCOMING AT REDWOODFeb 4, 7pmThe Redwood Theatre Singers’sWorkshop a recurring singers’ workshopwith Latoya Hall-DownerFeb 8, 7pmCulchaworks presents Global Marley –a concert of Bob Marley’s hits, performedLatoya Hall-Downerby artists from across the globe who callCanada home, in an array of styles and genres other than Reggae.Feb 14, 7pmLovers’ Valentine Ball featuring The RossWooldridge Orchestra. Open to all loverslooking for an extravagant evening dancing,fancy dress, and good times.Feb 22, 7pmTriangle D’Or Cabaret’s A Kiss of Paris.Mystery, elegance and a dash of mischief.Your trip to Paris without the ticket.Mar 1, 7pmBRENDA BROWNRoss WooldridgeAn evening of blues by longtime Torontofavourite Jack de Keyzer and his bandMar 6, 6:30The Toronto Blues Society’s 10thJack de KeyzerAnniversary Healey’s HideawayCelebration. A screening of a 2014documentary about the Jeff HealeyClub (Toronto 2001-2008), and livemusic by The Celebration BandMarch 8, 15 & 22, 2pmOpera 202 Opera singers willdelight you with famous arias and a bit of context about theirplace in the repertoire. Expect music of Mozart, Puccini, and Verdiand more,Apr 4Frolick Theatre’s Live Karaoke, featuring the band By Request.Apr 11, 7pmTen Telecaster Tales. Rik Emmett, lead singer/songwriter/guitarist with Triumph, performs his latest project.Depending on which Redwood space a show is in, seating maybe limited, and some shows will sell out quickly. Be sure to checkavailability, and consider booking ahead.theredwoodthweatre.comMarkCassiusQuishaWintMEDIA SPONSORSKing & Simcoe, Toronto(416) 593-5600 x220With…The JordanKlapmanQuintetMichaelDunstonthewholenote.com February & March 2025 | 17
