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JAZZ festival
Message Board > Show Reviews > JAZZ festival
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Sati
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Streets were packed last wknd for the free jazz in Gastown and other parts of the city. Everything I caught came off pretty safe - really well done, but safe. Next weekend I plan to sink my teeth in pretty deep though. There are some killer improvisers coming up, compliments of the fest. free!

I get to see big shows for the first time this year! The first band to really spark me was BENZENE (Chad Makela/bari-sax; Chad Macquarrie/guitar; Skye Brooks/drums and Tommy Babin/bass) at Ironworks last weekend. This band features 2 of my long-favorite local players playing with 2 guys who I can only assume are monsters around town. Its a densly packed, extremely heavy project, with lots of surprises from players whose character & skills you can't help but marvel at. Big, ballsy & exciting... this really has to be one of the most adventurous bands in town, but with everything flowing just right.

They were so good I risked showing up late & not getting into the sold out Ryan Shaw/Maceo Parker show at the Commodore, and I didn't even feel too bad about it. Benzene was worth it. I'll catch Ryan Shaw next time, he's young!
I wondered around kinda pathetically to different spots downtown wondering what made them jazz fest venues when they weren't featuring jazz??
and why people in Vancouver walk on the sidewalks when its a party and the streets are blocked off.
I ended up at a metal show which was great, but was way too tired to keep going.

Last night we had the audacity(!) to sit side stage of THE THING at the Roundhouse performance centre, a band which featured members of ATOMIC. It was the sweetest spot ever! We were just a few feet from the players so the drums were resonating THROUGH the body of the bass. From behind the bassist we got to hear the wood creak and groan as he worked it, and see the drop of sweat drip off his nose punctuating the end of his solo. The drummer's brushes were the most soft, lush and luxurious (yum!) I'd ever heard, and on top of that he was a fast, controlled player with a mean hit - exceptional!
And I don't think I've ever heard saxophone tone like that before, and I know I've never seen players as skilled as that - fast, gentle tongue & lip work and circular breathing... it was nothing less than a stunning display of (not too young!), fresh, vibrant talent and not one that anyone can afford to miss once you have a clue. Absolutely hot.

These are all players it'd be too easy to fall victim to and follow around like a puppy dog... speaking of, I saw an old friend that night and reminisced about how I used to just follow him around to all his free shows during the festival because at the time he was all I knew about jazz. This is the first time he's not playing sax in the fest, in like 10 years he said! I thought of that during The Thing and actually got a little sad. But its certainly not too sad, given his other successes which are stealing him away.

Went to catch Gord Grdina at the Ironworks afterwards... but again, I was way too hungry and tired to take it in properly. Its such a beautiful space and I appreciated the fact that we could sit back on a couch in the other room and have the show amplified our way so we didn't have to miss it. Sweet night.
Exhaustion. 3 hrs sleep. work. moving. more work & shows tommorrow. yay


And hey, if you're in Victoria, I heard that Dylan van der Schyff (vancouver drummer) is playing there tomorrow night (butcher/muller/vdschyff). His talents are well worth following him around for (which I've done in past!), so if you have any taste for improvisation, do it. - Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:29pm Edited: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:51pm
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