Classical & Jazz Radio
Classical & Jazz Radio Toronto! CJiJ.fM 24-hour member-supported radio! Program Highlights - BBC.NEWS Daily Cfassica{!Music Mon.-Fri. 1 a.m. to 3 J>.m. Sun. 1 a.m. to 7 p.m. including: 1!i"nrlu c!lfRusic Records in Review \ Opera JAZZ "The Jazz Scene" with Ted O'Reilly Mon.-Fri. 3-6 p.m. Sat. 6 a.m.-Noon, 7-10 p.m. "Jazz with Bob Parlocha" Mon.-Fri. 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Sat. & Sun. 10 p.m.-1 a.m. PLUS... . Big Bands, Swing, Folk, Blues & World Music Special! New on-air promotional opportunities for arts organizational Contact us at: Telephone: 416~595-0404 1-888-595-0404 Website: www.cjrtfm.com CII-FM ~AZZ ~NOTES As a new contributor to WholeNote, it seemed like a good idea to introduce myself in this issue, although I must confess I find it easier to talk about other musicians rather than myself Scots born, I grew up in Ayrshire, although there are those who would question the growing up part! I first discovered jazi through listening to the radio - the Voice of America, the American Forces Network in Germany and , of course, the BBC. Although I subsequently attended the Glasgow School of Art and graduated after four years, the seeds had been sown. I think it would be very revealing to do some research into just how many former art students over the years have ended up in the . music business. I arrived in Canada on the 4th of July, 1964 and was at the ' Colonial Tavern listening to some of my jazz heroes that same evening! The saxophone is my · chosen instrument and the masochist in me decided that the soprano would be the hom in which I would specialize. If I am known at all in the music world it is as a swing/mainstream player, whatever that means in this age when the word jazz itself has become almost indefinable. I entered the jazz life as a traditional player, having wrapped my ears aroi.md the wonderful sounds made by Louis Armstrong, Jolumy Dodds and Jack Teagarden, to name only years, to embrace the sounds of Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Omette Coleman, Miles Davis, Jolm Coltrane and so on. But in my playing style, although I listen to just about everything, I have remained close to the tradition: When I'm not listening to jazz, classical music is love, (I wake ·up each morning to CJRT). If you haven't already done so, please come out and hear me some time. Oh, by the way, I'm also dedicated to puns and playing with words in generaL You have been warned! I am the Artistic Director of du Maurier Downtown Jazz, now going into its 13th. year. It will fill Toronto with jazz for 10 days from June 25th. to July 4th., but more of that at a later date. Some of the performance highlights to look out for in February include: Two more concerts in the CJRT -FM Sound of Toronto Jazz series. On Februmy 8th the Kenny Kirkwood Quartet will be featured and on February 22nd the John Sunmer Quintet takes the stage. Ted O'Reilly will start the proceedings .at 8:00pm at the Ontario Science Centre Auditorium, 770 Don Mills Road, 416- 595-0404. Admission is .00 and parking is free. · Grace Church crossover. There is an interesting evening of music plaru1ed for the 13th, 8:00pm at Grace Church on-the Hill, 300 Lonsdale Road in Forest Hill Village. Moe Koffman and a frio along with. 80 choristers of Grace Church onthe-Hill will offer a crossover. concert blending choral music With jazz. Tickets are .00 and .00 for students and seniors; available by calling 416-488- 7884, ext 17, or at the door. Mellifluence, a quartet led by Paul Pacanowski on woodwinds, will perfonn a concert of Contemporary Jazz Music Stmday 14th 3.00pm at Pekao Gallery, 1610 Bloor Street West, 416-588- 7952. Admission is .00 and that includes a glass of wine. Jazzamatazz: the Evolution of Jazz, featuring pianist Joe Sealy will be presented on February three of my early idols. ~ 21st., 1:OOpm, a Harbourfront I then proceeded, over the Centre Cushion Concert, in the ONLY COMPREHENSIVE CLASSICAL CONTEMPOR.A.RY CONCERT LISTING SOURCE Brigantine Room, 235 Queen's Quay West, 416-973-3000. Admission is .00. The Ford Centre: On February 24th. at 8,00p.m. at the Ford Centre for the Perfomling Arts, in the George Weston Recital Hall, 5040 Yonge Street, vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater is scheduled to appear. Tickets are from .00 to .00 and the number to call is 416-870-8000. If all the January bills have left you a little light in the pocket, but you still want to go out and hear some jazz, there are some freebies. u of T Small Jazz Ensembles: For example the University of Toronto Faculty of Music continues with its series of Small Jazz Ensembles playing standards and student compositions. The dates are February 3rd., lOth. and 24th., the time is 8:00p.m. and the location is Walter Hall, 80 Queen's Park, 416-978-3744. CBC 2, 94.1 fm: If I may add another personal note, beginning February 5th. at 9:00pm, and numing for 6 weeks, I will be the host of a new radio progranm1e on CBC 2, 94.1 fm. The show is called "Travellin' Light" and is a look at the story of jazz from a musician's point of view, with anecdotes and some of my favourite recordings. Each week I will take a look at a different aspect of jazz, drawing on my own experiences and those of many friends in the business - a light~hearted pot-pouri which will, I hope, be entertaining as well as informative. If you don't listen your radio will self destruct!. QUICK PICS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 Feb. 23 12:00 noon: Vancouver Cha.mber Choir · Feb 23 8:00: Stuttgart Chamber . Choir Feb 25 8:00: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir; Toronto Children's Chorus Feb 26 8:00: Stuttgart Chamber Choir/Elmer lseler Singers Feb 27 8:00.: Bell' Arte Singers Feb 27 8:00: Canadian Singers Feb 27 8:00: Oriana Singers Feb 27 8:00: MacMillan Singers CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
The CANADIAN CHIL DREN'S OPERA CHORUS presents its fimdraising gala Anchors Aweigh Cabaret & Silent Auction, April 14th at Harbour Castle Hilton. Preview performance from CCOC's '99 production of The Pirates ofPenzance, benefit appearance by soprano Gaynor Jones, gourmet dinner, silent auction, music by Protem jazz trio. Tickets: 0, corporate tables available. 416-366-0467. The CANADIAN MUSIC CENTRE annom1ces that, thanks to a generous gift from ·M. Joan Chalmers, Canadian League of Composers' Award-witming broadcaster David Olds and his program CANADIAN CUR- RENTS returns to CJRT-FM begitming 6:00pm January 17. The 48-part series, a collaborative venture between CMC and CJRT, will feature music composed and mostly performed by Canadians. The 56th rumual KIWANIS MUSIC FESTIVAL OF GREATER TORONTO runs from February 6 - 20, 1999 at over 25 venues. Come and hear the stars of tomorrow perform! Competitors will participate in musical disciplines ranging from piano, voice ru1d strings to speech, non-western instruments, early music, orchestras and choirs. Infonnation about competitions and venues: 416- 487-5885. Music is the tie that binds - black tie, that is! 3o unite the POLISH CANADIAN SOCIETY OF MUSIC with two other professional assocations, engineers and doctors, for a first-ever grand carnival ball. "Cutting a rug" with the acclaimed Toronto Sinfonietta orchestra, this extravaganza marries musicmaking with fundraising ... reason to celebrate! TAFELMUSIK BAROQUE ORCHESTRA marked the midpoint of its 1998/99 touring season with performances at this year's Bermuda Festival in 1 January. In September the orchestra toured Germany and Switzerland; in December they completed their fourth tour of Asia; and in the spring they will embark on tours of the USA and Europe. The TORONTO CIDLDREN'S CHORUS and founder/music director Jean Ashworth Bartle are d~lighted to announce their receipt of the 1998 Lieutenant Governor's Award for the Arts, an award of,000 in recognition of the choir's exceptional initiative in developing private sector and community support over a three-year period. TheTORONTOSY~HONY ORCHESTRA has completed a five-city tour of Florida, January 26 through 30, 1999. Guest piano soloist Stewart Goodyear joins Music Director Jukka-Pekka Saraste and the Orchestra for performances in West Palm Beach, Miami, Naples, Sarasota and Orlando. Repertoire includes music by Beethoven, Rachmaflinoff, Sibelius and the TSO's Composer Advisor, Gary Kulesha. Stephen Ralls and Bruce Ubukata: two pianists: this month's cover, continued from page 4 school to promote them as performers in: Canada. When the gigs didn't come they decided to create their own series-three concerts in the 1985 season. And since the vocal recital was not one of the more popular types of musical events with Toronto audiences they decided to reinvent. the form, presenting the music in a literary context - short excerpts from letters, poems and novels - to help the audience understand the music and the period from which it crune. The idea was a hit, and now · they regularly fill all 500 seats at Walter Hall for their Sm1day afternoon series. Colleagues in New York and London tell them they are doing extremely well drawing this size of crowd. Ten years ago they added to this, series another, the recital series, now at the Glenn Gould Studio, which presents the music without the commentary. (Early bird WholeNote readers will have the opportWlity at the end of January to attend both types of concert at the Aldeburgh Connection's Poulenc weekend, in honour of the composer's lOOth birthday. I asked them about Poulenc. Their answer was that it is it1creasingly apparent that he is a major composer. He was dismissed during his lifetime as, at best, a minor master, often acussed of sentimentality. What is now evident is that he developed a unique ru1d recognizable voice that appeals increasingly to audiences and performers alike. Among his accomplishments were his settings of difficult, stirrealist poetry by his contemJ>O:' raries, such as Paul Eluard and Louise De Vilmorin. His oeuvre also has a tremendous range, from songs and chamber works to operas, such as The Dialogues of the Carmelites, and a range of expressiGn, from the ribald to the austerely religious. The Aldeburgh Connection's January 29 Gletm Gould Studio recital will feature several song cycles as well as chamber music, including songs accompanied by instrmnental ensembles. The January 31 Walter Hall concert will present songs with piano accompaniments played by Ralls and Ubukata and, of course, readings from letters, etc. to bring the backgroWld to life. Another initiative they have taken is the introduction of a yom1g artists series, presenting talented singers who are still at school. The next in tlus series will take place on February 5th with Carla Huhtanen, soprano, and Scott Belluz, baritone accompanied by Bruce Ubukata at Walter Hall. Given Ralls and Ubukata's track record promoting yom1g singers - the Aldeburgh Connection list of allUlllu reads like a who's who of internationally-renowned Canadian· singers - none of us could go too wrong 1 attending this one. In the final analysis, promoting yom1g singers is the end toward wluch these two men dedicate· their considerable gifts as pianists, their entrepreneurial and administrative panache and their highly original and imaginative artistic vision. I asked Stephen about his vision for the U ofT Opera School, which he has directed since tl1e fall of 1996. "It is" he Ubukata, as an accompanist, has probably worked with hundreds of yom1g soloists. As well, he has been the accompanist of the Canadian Children's Opera Chorus for as long as ru1yone can remember. His influence on the development of the young in this capacity is probably incalculable. replied, "to give our students as \, . 1\WJ' J (' . 1 much opportunity as possible to ~ ...._ \ perfonn in that wonderful theatre Itt 217 Danforth Ave. J (tl1e Macmillan Theatre)." Since j (BelweenChester • the beginning ofhis tenure the ~ &Broa!Mew) ! mounting of two major opera (416)406-1641 performances per season has " been restored - reduced to one a season several years ago because · of budget cuts. Other performance opportunities are also provided - workshop productions and the opera teas - and fimdraising has been taken on in a big way. Allotl1er change has been to present operas in languages other than English. Because their graduates frequently move on to international careers it is essential tl1at tl1ey are well prepared to sing in all the languages of opera. The production of"Les Dialogues des Cannelites", for exrunple will be in French with English "surtitles". Specializing in the Sale of New and Used Compact Discs Featu;ing Classical and Jazz Offering Gift Certificates,. Trade-Ins and -~~ Special Ordering ~- - ·:P" 0 I TORONTO'S ONLY COMPREHENSIVE CLASSICAL & CONTEMPORARY CONCERT LISTING SOURCE
