Volume 7 Issue 1 - September 2001

the festival (planned

the festival (planned for May 31- June 22, 2002). Highlights . include Krysztof Penderecki conducting the Toronto premiere Of his Credo and a new work of his, especially written for the Toronto Children's Chorus. · The St. Petersburg Chamber Choir is scheduled to perform the Vespers by Rachmaninoff and Howard Dyck will conduct a 250- voice choir and soloists including Ben Heppner in a performance of The Book with Seven Seals, by Franz Schmidt. Also featured are choirs from Cuba and Senegal. For tickets and more information, check out the RTH/MH website at www.roythomsonhall.com. A full announcement of festival events will be made at the beginning of November. Next month, the season~s choral picture becomes much' clearer in WholeNote's annual MEMBER PROFILES supplement. Choirs take note. The deadline to participate is September 10. f\s always, I'm available at dunnbeckwith@sympatico.ca if you have questions or co~ments. 4. HEAR &NOW- New Music by Paul Steenhuisen With the summer comes a break from the plethora of new music events in Toronto, the virtual cessation of weekly (or more) gatherings of familiar faces at concerts. So the summer season becomes a time of uninterrupted• concentration for composers, engaged in writing the new pieces that will now be premiered throughout the coming season. I love hearing new work. Witnessing · recent pieces, we are involved in a beautiful kind of unfiltered hearing. As our own time passes into history, its works will become "representative", so it is only here and now, in the moment, that the number of pieces and types we hear is at its most varied - less filtered, unbridled and wilder. I appreciate this opportunity to witness. I am freer to like a work or not, less constrained to conform to a Pianist Eve Egoyan, St George the Marzyr, September 29 refined and cle.ar view the way a retrospective musicological definition of the zeitgeist eventually will. There is always more out there in the moment worth hearing than hi'story will tell. ARRA YMUSIC celebrates the life of former Artistic Director Michael J. Baker, at the Music Gallery's new home, St. Georgethe-Martyr Church, on Sunday Sept 16, the first anniversary of his passing; Performing music he wrote spycifically for the ensemble, the concert also features the launch of " In Paradisum: The Music of Michael J. Baker", a new Artifact Music CD consisting of the music he composed for choreographer James Kudelka. Following the concert, the evening continues just down the road at The Rivoli (Side Bar). The concert will include Animated Shorts 1 & 2 (1984), La vie de boheme (1993), red brick (1991), The Waldo (1989), Twins (1992), and Columbus (1988). Of The Waldo, a virtuosic marimba solo . written for Rick Sacks, Baker wrote: "The marimba player uses the instrument to trigger far-away electronic events that subtly shadow the music he is playing. Mr. Sacks, who is an avid science fiction fan, suggested tl\e title after a story by Robert Heinlein. Because of this story, the term 'waldo' is now commonly used to describe a mechanical extension of the human body." Twins, and red brick are from Baker's multidisciplinary work Big Pictures, which "dwells in the realm of the possible - the understanding of possibilities ... becoming an artist, or making a · work of art. It is therefore about the process of transforming images or patterns from the familiar to the poetic." On Sept 29, Eve Egoyan also performs at St. George-the- Martyr; new pieces by Aliison Cameron, Stephen Parkinson, Martin Arnold (Rat-Drifting), JohnAbram (Carnival Evenings), and Rudolph Komorous (The Chinese Box), and Linda C. Smith's "Bloom", which Egoyan evocatively described as "the essence of a piece - fragrant, wafting, transparent". Bloom was written for composer Udo Kasemets following the performance of his extensive work 80 Flowers, based on the poems by Louis Zukofsky, and also refers to listening to 'the resonance of chords when played on the piano -the bloom of the strings' vibration. Arnold's Rat-Drifting takes its name from the colloquial term "rat-running'?, the practice of driving through residential side streets to avoid congested main roads. For Arnold, it's. "a happy metaphor for a kind of musicmaking: it has all that off-thebeaten-track stuff going for it but, more significantly, it suggests taking an activity to a place where it isn't intended, using something in a way it isn't meant for, unintentionally disturbing . someplace comfortable". Last, I draw your attention to four other concerts: R. Murray Schafer's Palace of the Cinnabar Phoenix (see my interview with Schafer on page 14); the St. Lawrence String Quartet's performance of Miracles in Mud by Jonathan Berger, a faculty member at Stanford University, October 4, at the Faculty 0f Music and later that day in a Music Toronto concert in the Jane Mallet Theatre; the Sept 15 TSO/Toronto Film Festival's Dracula: Nosferatu silent film presentation with liveto-picture orchestral performance; and, Sept 22, Earshot's Sleight of Hand, featuring new works for piano by Denning, Farah, Good, Hannah & Matey, performed by John Farah, piano. 10 Wholenote SEPTEMBER 1, 2001 - OcTOBER 7, 2001

y Jim Galloway September Song Generally in WholeNote we look relentlessly ahead at coming events, but this· is a quick look back - to August 20 when The Top 0' The Senator was fi lled with friends, fans, and admirers of Rob McConnell. Rob is on the recovery road from another bout of ill health - he has not enjoyed the best of it over the past few years. The evening was an outpouring of good will for a musician who has made a huge contribution to the Canadian music scene as well as helping to put Canada on the . international map. Rob's Tentet, minus Rob, was on hand as well as Tenor Madness. Rob 's contribution, typical McConnell dry wit, was one chorus of "Everything Happens To Me" .Best wishes, Rob, for a full recovery and many more years of your music. Guelph Club activity heats up as the weather cools. However, we are not quite finished with festival fever because one of the· big happenings this month takes place Wed Sept 5 to Sun Sept 9. The eighth annual Guelph Jazz Festival unfolds. Over the years this event has become a major part of the calendar and it is the . place to be this month for contemporary creative music . A formidable array has been booked in a healthy mix of international and Canadian artists . Of particular interest is the appearance of pianist Andrew Hill, awarded last year the Critics' Choice A ward by the Jazz Journalist Association. Multi-instrumentalist, Joe McPhee is another strong presence and I also like the pairing of guitarists Bill Frisell . and Kevin Breit, and Breit with · percussionist Cyro Baptista. Congratulations to the organisers for the foresight and imagination to put together such a challenging event. The fu ll lineup can be found under "Further . Afield" on pages 26-27 of our Concert Listings. The festival also includes a range of colloquium/forum-type activity which can be found on their website at www.uoguelph.ca/ - ·azzfest. For jazz as for other genres, Toronto '!!Is one of the major markets in North America, which means that we are "on the circuit" for the big name acts which come and play concert halls . And a good thing, too; but it is the week to week activity in clubs and smaller concert venues · which makes this a "jazz town". This month is a ,perfect case in point. There's not much in the large concert halls, but that does not mean any shortage of good music in the smaller "lifeblood" venues, ranging from churches to neighbourhood bars. Two clubs, The Montreal Bistro and Top 0' The Senator regularly feature a blend of out of town guests, mainly from the States, and local musicians, while the others, most notably The Rex, give much needed prominence to mainly Toronto musicians. (Compare this to the lull which falls over Montreal as soon as the jazz festival is over; you could fire a cannon without hitting a high note!) This month alone, in clubs, you can enjoy a wide spectrum of jazz ranging from The Hot Five Jazzmakers at C'Est What on a Saturday afternoon to Kenny Wheeler at The Montreal Bistro, Benny Green at the Top 0' The Senator or Hugh Fraser at The Rex. And the season's just beginning. (A little plug for your humble scribe; I'll be at the Bistro for the week of Sept 25 with ace clarinet player, Allan V ache.) Here's GALLOWAY'S QUICK CRUISE through the month's local scene Sept 01 Jazz.FM. Doug Watson 5. See concert listings. Sept 01 · Rex .. David Ryshpan, Hugh Fraser 5 Sept 01 · Rhodes Club· Nonnan Amadio, Arlene Smith & Bob Price Trio Sept 02 · Rex · Josh Brown 3, Jay Boehmer 3 Sept 03 · Rex · Carey West & "Monday's Millionaires, Lina Alhimano "4" Sept 04 · Montreal Bistro · Dave Young 5 Sept 05 · Rex · Chris Gale 4, Thyron l. Whyte 5 Sept 05 · Rhodes Club· Mark Zaret & Pat Collins Sept 06 · Rex · Kevin Ouain's "Palookaville Glee Club" Sept 06 · Rhodes Club· Fred Duligal & lan Bargh· Sept 07 · Rex · Melissa Stylianou 3o, Bob George . & Chris Robinson 4 Sept 07 ·Rhodes Club· Gary Benson & Pat CoHins Sept 07 · McMaster University School of the Arts · Salome Bey. See Further Afield, page 26 Sept 08 · Jazz.FM. Danny Marks Combo featuring Josh T oal. See Concert Listings Sept 08 · Rex · laura Hubert 6, solo piano t.b.a., Chris McCann 4 Sept 08 · Rhodes Club · San Murata, Neville Bames, & lenny Boyd 3 Sept 09 · Rex -Ken Aldcroft 3; Chris McCann 4 . Sept 10 · Montreal Bistro · Moe Koflman Memorial Jazz Scholarship Fund Raising Concert Sept 1 0 · Rex · Carey West & "Monday's Millionaires", Lina Allemano "4" Sept 11-15 · Montreaf Bistro · "D.E. W. East" and Reg Schwager Sept 11-16 · Top 0' The Senator · Bonnie Brett & Melissa Stylianou' s 'Bosom Buddies' Sept 11 · Rex · "Swing Street", Classic Rex Jam Sept 12 · Rex · Chris Gale Quartet, Trn Shia's "love Orchestra" Sept 12 · Rhodes Club · lan Bargh & Frank Wright Sept 13 · Rex · Kevin Ouain's ·"Palookaville Glee Club", "T ed' s Warren Commission" Sept 13 · Rhodes Club· Danny McErlain & laurieBower Sept 14 · Rex · Melissa Styflanou Trio, "Ted's Warren Colll11ission" Sep 14 · Rhodes Club · Roy Patterson,Jim Vivian 2 Sept 15 · Jazz.FM · Paul Grosney. See Concert listings. Sept 15 · Rex · Maureen Kennedy 3, solo piano tba, "Jake & The Blue Midnights" Sept 16 · Christ Church Deer Park - Jazz Vespers: Earl Seymour Memorial Saxophone Quartet. See Concert listings. Sept 16 · Rex · Rob McBride 3, John Pelosi & "The Code" Sept 17 · Montreal Bistro · liz T ansey 4 Sept 17 · Rex · Carey West & "Monday's Millionaires", Lina Allemano ''4" Sept 18-22 · Montreal Bistro· Kenny Wheeler 4 et Sept 18 · Rex · "Swing Street", Classic Rex Jam Sept 19 · Rex · Chris Gale 4, ''Swing Street" with special guest Kelly Jeflerson Sept 20 · Top 0' Senator · Susie Arioli Swing Band Sept 20 · Rex · Kevin Ouain's "Palookaville Glee Club", "Rhythm & Truth Brass Band" Sept 21 ·Top 0' Senator· Johanne Blouin Sept 21 · Rex · Melissa Stylianou 3, Kirk Mac· donald & Pat laBarbera's "Tribute to Cottrane" Sept 22 · Top 0' Senator · Jeril Brown · Sept 22 · Rex · Nick Ali Trio, solo piano t.b.a., Macdonald & laBarbera's "Tribute to Coltrane" Sept 22 ·Acoustic Harvest· Chris & Ken Whiteley. See Concert listings. Sept 22 · Jazz.FM. Anna Romain. See Concert listings. Sept 23 · Top 0' Senator · Ouartango Sept 23 • Rex · Django Sept 24 · Montreal Bistro · Priscilla Wright 4 Sept 24 · Rex · Carey West &"Monday's • Millionaires", Lina Allemano "4" Sept 25-29 · Montreal Bistro · Jim Galloway/ Allan V ache 5 Sept 25-30 · Top O'Senator · Benny Green solo Sept 25 · Rex · "Swing Street", Classic Rex Jam Sept 25·26 · Oakville Centre. Canadian Tribute to Glenn Miller. See Concert Notes. Sept 26 . Rex · Chris Gale 4, Dan McCarth Sept 27 · Rex · Kevin Ouain's "Palookaville Glee Club", Glen Hall5 Sept 28 · Rex • Melissa Stylianou Trio, "Bosom Buddies" Sept 29 · Rex ·laura Hubert 6, Jim Hillman's "Merlin Factor" Sept 30 · Rex · Freeway Dixieland Septet, Jim Hillman' s "Merlin Factor" • Sept 30 · Christ Church Deer Park. Jazz Vespers. George Koller, bass; Julie Michels, vocals. See Concert listings. The Venues The Rex: 416-598-2475 The Rhodes Club: 416-968-9315 The Montreal Bistro: 416-363-0179 To O'The Senator: 416-364-7517 SEPTEMBER 1, 2001 -Oc TOBER 7, 2001 Hear the colour of • Jazz