April 30, 2011
Hello, good morning, and welcome to the Saturday Morning News Post!
Readers, it’s been a terribly exciting week for me as I had the opportunity to play with stellar jazz musicians Campbell Ryga, Seamus Blake, Hugh Fraser, Jodi Proznik, and Craig Scott as part of Musicfest Canada (a highschool music festival) in Port Alberni where we were all adjucating for 3 days. With the exception of Jodi (who’s my age), I’ve been listening to these guys play since I was a kid, so having the chance to perform with them after all this time was truly nerve-wracking an honour.
But you know what else is exciting,… MY SHOW NEXT WEEKEND AT THE CELLAR. The poster says it all, comedy AND jazz together again. more…
April 24, 2011
Hello, good morning afternoon, and welcome to the Saturday Morning News Post!
Readers, it’s been such a crazy couple of weeks that I wasn’t able to write the SMNP. Let’s see, I finished the big band charts, recorded them (haven’t been able to listen to it yet), drove down to New York City for 4 days, and enjoyed concerts by the Phil Woods Quintet, Darcy James Argue’s “Secret Society” big band, and up and coming trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire. Had a great time, caught up with a few friends, with many more to catch up with next time.
Then,… went back to Montreal to pack up everything and move back to Vancouver. That’s right, more…
April 10, 2011
Hello, good morning, and welcome to the Saturday Morning News Post!
Couldn’t get the SMNP out on time because this week has been so crazy. Among other things, I directed the final McGill Jazz Orchestra III concert last Wednesday, worked on my own arrangements for a recording with McGill Jazz Orchestra I which seemed to require hundreds of emails to coordinate. Meanwhile, I’ve been trying to organize a recording with my trio back in Vancouver, which will be performing at The Cellar jazz club on May 6/7,… more information on this next week. more…
April 2, 2011
Hello, good morning, and welcome to the Saturday Morning News Post!
Readers, I am still deep in big band land with my Jazz Orchestra III final concert coming up this Wednesday (7:30pm, Tanna Hall, McGill) and my big band arrangement of the 5 part “Jelly Roll Suite” scheduled to be rehearsed this week and recorded a week from today.
Ah big band. If there’s some stigma attached to this ensemble within University music programs it may be because it is so strongly associated with a style. If you say “large jazz ensemble” it could be anything, but you say “big band” and inevitably Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and more…
