Saturday, July 17, 2010

July 10, 2010 - Demon Rich

Rich Underhill is a very interesting cat! Founding member and stalwart keeper of the flame that is the Shuffle Demons, he's had dalliances with harder-edged acid jazz, larger ensemble work on his album "Tales from the Blue Lounge", and some unique introspections on "Moment in Time" and "Kensington Suite". He's been touring the jazz festival circuit this summer, most recently in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Rich is a talented composer and arranger, and a lot of fun to hang with! MC Mic Control and I had the good fortune to sit in with Demon Rich and the rest of the Shuffle Demons on "Spadina Bus" during their last stop here in Nanaimo about 5-6 years ago. More baritone saxes on stage than you can shake a stick at, and it is still one of the musical highlights of my life.


CHARLES MINGUS - MINGUS AH UM - BETTER GET IT IN YOUR SOUL
ALICE COLTRANE FEATURING PHAROAH SANDERS - JOURNEY IN SATCHIDANANDA - JOURNEY IN SATCHIDANANDA
GONZALO RUBALCABA - IMAGINE: LIVE IN AMERICA - IMAGINE
MICHAEL OCCHIPINTI - CREATION DREAM - RUMOURS OF GLORY
JOEL MILLER - TANTRAMAR - CHICKADEE'S OTHER SONG
PAT LABARBERA - FROM THE HEART - FROM THE HEART
INGRID JENSEN - AT SEA - TEA AND WATERCOLORS
RICHARD UNDERHILL - KENSINGTON SUITE - MEET ME IN THE MARKET
ELASHUK/RIGA QUARTET - ANY ANSWERS - ZOOT SUITE
SONNY ROLLINS - SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS - ST. THOMAS
BARRETT DEEMS BIG BAND - GROOVIN' HARD - GROOVIN' HARD
THE BUDDY RICH BIG BAND - BURNING FOR BUDDY VOL. II - IN A MELLOW TONE
GORDON GOODWIN'S BIG PHAT BAND - ACT YOUR AGE - GUMBO STREET
THE HUGH FRASER QUINTET - RED & BLUE - THANK YOU VERY MUCH
UZEB - BEST OF UZEB - 60 RUE DES LOMBARDS

Friday, July 9, 2010

July 3, 2010 - Government Debates

An odd subject, but then who would have thought that Vitamin J would get political? Towards the end of the show I played Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band and "Backrow Politics", followed by the Fred Stride Jazz Orchestra and "Opposition Party". It is interesting to hear how each of these composer/arranger/bandleaders verbalizes the notion of politics in a big band score. Lots of chatter, and some very interesting debates!

Keeping with the theme, make sure you get out in your community and support live arts and culture...and do what you can to fight against government funding cuts for the arts and cultural organizations. Arts and culture contribute to the livability of our communities, and give us life!

Bright Moments!


CHARLES MINGUS - MINGUS AH UM - BETTER GET IT IN YOUR SOUL
MIKE MURLEY & DAVID OCCHIPINTI - DUOLOGUE - NEST OF THE LOON
BILL COON & OLIVER GANNON - TWO MUCH GUITAR - HAVE YOU MET MISS JONES
CHET DOXAS - BIG SKY - L'ACADIE
ALEX CLEMENTS - WAITING FOR YOU - WAITING FOR YOU
PHAROAH SANDERS - KARMA - THE CREATOR HAS A MASTER PLAN (EDIT)
FREDDIE HUBBARD - NEW COLORS - RED CLAY
NIKKI YANOFSKY - ELLA…OF THEE I SWING - OLD MACDONALD
LEE MORGAN - THE SIDEWINDER - THE SIDEWINDER
THE IAN MCDOUGALL SEXTET - NIGHTS IN VANCOUVER - A NIGHT IN TUNISIA
GORDON GOODWIN'S BIG PHAT BAND - ACT YOUR AGE - BACKROW POLITICS
FRED STRIDE JAZZ ORCHESTRA - FORWARD MOTION - OPPOSITION PARTY
THE HUGH FRASER QUINTET - RED & BLUE - THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Saturday, July 3, 2010

June 26, 2010 - Louise Gibbs

I've had the good fortune to meet Louise Gibbs on a couple of occasions, both times at the Leeds International Jazz Conference, put on by the Leeds College of Music (LCM) in England. Louise is a Senior Lecturer at the LCM, where she heads up the Post-Graduate Programmes and teaches vocal performance, ensembles, and musicology. Her research interests lay in the areas of improvisation, jazz voice, and professional development.

On top of all this, Louise is also one heck of a vocalist! Her most recent album (with the wonderful Kirk Lightsey) "Everybody's Song But Our Own" gives the listener a strong taste of the unique musical communication between these two. They performed at The Venue at LCM back in late March of 2009 (a show I had the good fortune to see)...of the collaboration between Louise and Kirk, the noted British jazz writer Brian Paisley had this to say:

"... the mutual confidence in each other's ear has led, on both the album and the concert, to a high-wire act that takes more chances than anything I've heard outside the strictly avante-garde."

Keep an eye out for Louise Gibbs...in your favourite CD store and the finest jazz research journals!

Bright moments...


CHARLES MINGUS - MINGUS AH UM - BETTER GET IT IN YOUR SOUL
THE PAT COLEMAN - BOB MURPHY QUARTET - COME RAIN OR COME SHINE - COME RAIN OR COME SHINE
CHRIS DAVIS - BAILE BONITA - KING OF HEARTS
CARON - ECAY - LOCKWOOD - CARON - ECAY - LOCKWOOD - OPTIONS
LOUISE GIBBS AND KIRK LIGHTSEY - EVERYBODY'S SONG BUT OUR OWN - FOOTPRINTS
D.D. JACKSON - JUSTIN TIME RECORDS 25TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION - LE SHUFFLE
UGETSU - LIVE @ THE CELLAR - MAYBE YES, MAYBE NO
MARIA SCHNEIDER ORCH. - ALLEGRESSE - ALLEGRESSE
CHRISTINE JENSEN JAZZ ORCHESTRA - TREELINES - DANCING SUNLIGHT
MAYNARD FERGUSON - THE LOST TAPES VOLUME 1 - ELEANOR RIGBY
ROB MCCONNELL AND THE BOSS BRASS - LIVE IN DIGITAL - SQUIB CAKES
THE HUGH FRASER QUINTET - RED & BLUE - THANK YOU VERY MUCH
JACO PASTORIUS BIG BAND - WORD OF MOUTH REVISITED - TEEN TOWN

June 19, 2010 - The Phil Collins Big Band

Yes, some jazz purists must be quivering right about now, but this adventure has a rather interesting feel to it! Some of you know Phil Collins through his work with Genesis and his solo activity over the years, but the man does possess some rather serious jazz chops. His work with the fusion group "Brand X" in the latter half of the '70's is very tasty, and like many drummers he has a strong appreciation of the roots and heritage of the greats on his instrument. The Big Band album "A Hot Night in Paris" comprises mostly reworkings of Genesis and Collins' solo tunes, but there are also arrangements of standards such as "Milestones", and funk/rock tunes such as "Pick Up the Pieces". It is a fun listen...check it out!

Bright moments...


CHARLES MINGUS - THIS IS JAZZ 6 - BETTER GET IT IN YOUR SOUL
SHARON MINEMOTO QUINTET - SIDE A - SLEEPING PEACEFULLY
TILDEN WEBB TRIO - CELLAR GROOVE - LADY J
BRUNO HUBERT TRIO - LIVE @ THE CELLAR - MY ONE AND ONLY LOVE
MILES DAVIS - KIND OF BLUE (LEGACY EDITION) - ON GREEN DOLPHIN STREET
CAROL WELSMAN - INCLINED - LA FIESTA
CORY WEEDS QUINTET - EVERYTHING'S COMING UP WEEDS - THE POUR
PJ PERRY - NOTA BENE - NICA'S DREAM
STEVE JONES - CHESTER'S WALTZ - SERENADE FOR SILVER
KIRK MACDONALD QUARTET - SONGBOOK VOL. 1 - MANHATTAN GETAWAY
THE HUGH FRASER QUINTET - RED & BLUE - THANK YOU VERY MUCH
PHIL COLLINS BIG BAND - A HOT NIGHT IN PARIS - IN THE AIR TONIGHT
PHIL COLLINS BIG BAND - A HOT NIGHT IN PARIS - INVISIBLE TOUCH
PHIL COLLINS BIG BAND - A HOT NIGHT IN PARIS - LOS ENDOS SUITE

Saturday, June 19, 2010

June 12, 2010 - Joe Zabido

That's what it sounds like when Cannonball Adderley pronounces Joe Zawinul's name on Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. Zawinul had an unmistakable sound, from his early career with Maynard Ferguson, through the time he initially came to prominence with Cannonball, the incomparable Weather Report, and his later solo work. A very strong influence for many keyboardists, he was producing hip, vital music well into his seventies. Take a listen to one of his last recordings "Brown Street", with his group and the WDR Big Band...

CHARLES MINGUS - MINGUS AH UM - BETTER GET IT IN YOUR SOUL
AMANDA TOSOFF QUARTET - STILL LIFE - THE LOOK
BRAD TURNER TRIO - QUESTION THE ANSWER - THE STAR-CROSSED LOVERS
CHET DOXAS - BIG SKY - THE WALK WILL DO YOU GOOD
RANEE LEE - LIVES UPSTAIRS - FIRE AND RAIN
THE CRIMSON JAZZ TRIO - KING CRIMSON SONGBOOK, VOLUME ONE - 21ST CENTURY SCHIZOID MAN
PAUL DESMOND - THE BEST OF - TAKE TEN
KEITH JARRETT - SHADES - SOUTHERN SMILES
CANNONBALL ADDERLEY - MERCY, MERCY, MERCY - GAMES
RICHARD "GROOVE" HOLMES - THE VERY BEST OF PRESTIGE RECORDS - MISTY
CRASH - THE DOCTOR IS IN - NICK'S KICK
GORDON GOODWIN'S BIG PHAT BAND - ACT YOUR AGE - WATERMELON MAN
THE BUDDY RICH BIG BAND - BURNING FOR BUDDY VOL. II - BASICALLY BLUES
THE HUGH FRASER QUINTET - RED & BLUE - THANK YOU VERY MUCH
JOE ZAWINUL - BROWN STREET - BLACK MARKET

Saturday, June 12, 2010

June 5, 2010 - Ron Allen (a.k.a. Ashtar Ron Allen)

Where to begin...I've got to go back to where I first encountered Ron Allen...as a precocious 9th grade student playing in the Senior Stage Band at Applewood Heights Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario. Carbon dating of DJ Doc (or jumping into Mr. Peabody's Wayback Machine) puts us back in 1973. By the way, that's Ron, not Doc in the Senior Stage Band as a 9th grade student...Doc had to wait until grade 11 for that.

Ron was ahead of the curve, even back then. By the time he left AHSS in 1977 for a short stint in the jazz program at Humber College, Ron was playing solos and music that your humble correspondent is only now beginning to understand. He recorded his first album "Leftovers" in 1980, with such notable musicians as Claude Ranger, Buff Allen, and David Piltch. Later he moved into fusion with "Strangeness Beauty", his own solo project "Saxart Sees the World", and more of a new age bent with many of his flute-based recordings with the Avalon label. His musical journey has been long and varied, with a number of reinventions along the way.

If you get a chance go to YouTube and do a search on Ron Allen...there you will find a number of recordings of Ron on flute, tenor and soprano sax that will simply astound you with their musicality and technique. Thanks Ron, for sharing your encouragement and immense talent over the years...

Bright moments!


CHARLES MINGUS - MINGUS AH UM - BETTER GET IT IN YOUR SOUL
HUGH O'CONNOR - FOR THE FIRST TIME - IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS
STEVE KALDESTAD - BLOW-UP - A FLOWER IS A LOVESOME THING
RON ALLEN - TEMPTATION - BODY AND SOUL
TYLER HORNBY - ROCKY MOUNTAIN JAZZ COMPILATION - SIX MONTHS 'TIL FOREVER
MODERN JAZZ QUARTET - THE VERY BEST OF PRESTIGE RECORDS - DJANGO
DAVE TURNER - EARTH TONES - SKIP
OSCAR PETERSON - NIGHT TRAIN - HAPPY-GO-LUCKY LOCAL (AKA NIGHT TRAIN)
CASSANDRA WILSON AND JACKY TERRASSON - CBC'S AFTER HOURS 3 - COME RAIN OR COME SHINE
CHARLES MINGUS SEXTET WITH ERIC DOLPHY - CORNELL 1964 - FABLES OF FAUBUS

Saturday, June 5, 2010

May 29, 2010 - A Jazz Affair

Last night in Nanaimo was a very special evening...the 5th "Jazz Affair", this year following a "Chicago" (the city, not the band) theme. Starting off five years ago as the brainchild of Cynthia Cormier, this event brings professional musicians, high school bands, and an appreciative audience together to raise funds to support...well, here is the Mission Statement of the Friends of Nanaimo Jazz Society:

"Our mission is to promote arts and culture through music and to provide a nurturing environment for young jazz musicians to reach their full potential."

That says a lot, doesn't it? I had the honour and privilege of once again hosting the evening's proceedings, working with amazing volunteer organizers (thank you Tanya and Heather), sublime student musicians from the Jazz Academy at Wellington Secondary School (thank you Carmella Luvisotto and Steve Jones for the time and energy you share with the students), and stunning pros (Corey Christiansen, Christian Fabian, Ed Littlefield, and Ross Taggart...oh yes, Decadence too). It was a great night and very well-attended...thank you to all who support student musicians wherever you live!

Bright moments!


CHARLES MINGUS - MINGUS AH UM - BETTER GET IT IN YOUR SOUL
FABIAN ZONE TRIO - ACROSS THE TRACKS - MIGHT AS WELL BE SPRING
PJ PERRY CAMPBELL RYGA - JOINED AT THE HIP - I CAN'T GET STARTED
GUIDO BASSO QUARTET - SOUND OF JAZZ SERIES - IN A MELLOW TONE
STEVE JONES - CHESTER'S WALTZ - CHESTER'S WALTZ
GEORGE ROBERT QUARTET FEAT. MR. CLARK TERRY - LIVE AT THE Q-4 RHEINFELDEN - ON GREEN DOLPHIN STREET
FIVE PEACE BAND - FIVE PEACE BAND LIVE - SOMEDAY MY PRINCE WILL COME
HERBIE HANCOCK - HEAD HUNTERS - WATERMELON MAN
THE CLAYTON-HAMILTON JAZZ ORCHESTRA - LIVE AT MCG - SQUATTY ROO
GRP ALL-STAR BIG BAND - LIVE! - MANTECA
GORDON GOODWIN'S BIG PHAT BAND - ACT YOUR AGE - ACT YOUR AGE
THE HUGH FRASER QUINTET - RED & BLUE - THANK YOU VERY MUCH
NOJO - NOJO EXPLORES THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON - US AND THEM