An Usher's View

2nd Night at the Jazz Fest

2011-06-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

2nd night out with my dear companion at the Jazz Fest. No big wins like opening night, but nothing bad either.

Started out at the Roundhouse with In the Country, interesting with very lovely voices and harmonies. Bounced to the Venue on Granville for Jaga Jazzist great band, reminded me a little of Frank Zappa at his brassy best.

I was not so much impressed by the venue (Venue) small version of the Commodore felt too tight nowhere to sit for a bit and an over packed dance-floor. My dear companion, who loathes the Commodore, declared it quite nice! :/

Final stop was the Vogue for Blonde Redhead. Opening for them was the Luyas, cool little band. Jessie Stein, the lead singer/guitarist hits the stage with plenty of energy. Very "art of noise" with a dose of industrial thrown in. I liked it. Blonde Redhead, very interesting stuff, very sensual, got the crowd up and crowding the stage. Not what I normally listen to but very cool.

Today we'll check out Koptor and I have tickets for Steve Earle!

Talk to you later.

Sunday June 26 - Jazz Vespers at 4 pm

2011-06-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm posting this on behalf of my dear friend Tiff:

Sunday June 26 - Jazz Vespers at 4 pm. This becomes a congregational participation event.

West Vancouver vocalist, Tiffany Hambrook, will lead an old-fashioned gospel sing-along service, fronting a five-piece band with Peter Vanderhorst at the piano.
It is expected that this will become an annual event.

A $10 donation will be appreciated.

Opening Night of the Jazz Festival

2011-06-25T08:40:00.000-07:00

Opening night at the 2011 Jazz Festival!

Brilliant night, started off with Peter Brötzmann FULL BLAST fierce, aggressive and skilled from the initial blast from Brötzmann's saxophone to the encore. My dear companion and I went out of the Roundhouse vibrating.

Jumped on the Canada Line and rode up to the Vogue Theatre, one of my favourite theatres in the world to see THE LOST FINGERS. Interesting gypsy jazz, using old pop tunes as a base, fun but not really our thing. Great crowd though, a mostly full house that was there to see them. bounced out of there to catch a bus to Performance Works on Granville Island .

We caught the show of the night there, Dan Berglund’s Tonbruket. Just wonderful! Propulsive, driving one minute, lyrical the next and pulling you with the whole way. Two standing ovations; one, long encore and a strong desire to buy a CD (which we did not see). Cab home and sleep, do it again tomorrow (today).

Go see some Jazz!

Tiffany at 'One of a KIND Stories'

2010-05-25T07:15:00.000-07:00

Went down to Organic Livings on 2nd Ave and Quebec to see Tiffany perform with Bill Sample and Richard Stokes.

Two short but nice sets bookending a share by Charles (Chip) Holmes and Wind Walrath.

Tiff is a great blues, R&B, and gospel singer with a lovely heart and has been a dear friend for many years. If you get a chance to see her do check her out.

12 Minutes Max

2010-05-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

This is the 38th presentation of 12 Minutes Max and it is a great one. Eight pieces, none more that 12 minutes, hence the name.

Personal favourites:

Them Kids by Sarah Ballard

Joyful, playful, great energy. Made me want to see more.

Untitled by Jennifer Clarke

Unsettling, very interesting use of loops, sound and voice.

Autonomic by Julianne Chapple

The performer's hidden face and expressive movement pulled me into that quiet place where I am just attending to the dance, no other thoughts.

the temperature of weight byKiri Figueiredo

Loved the swirling motion of the trench coats.

James Proudfoot did the lighting and I love James' work with light.

Go and see this tomorrow, Tuesday, May 18th.

Firehall Arts Centre
280 East Cordova Street
Vancouver, British Columbia

later

jack

Any Night

2009-10-14T23:05:00.000-07:00

In "Any Night" dream, nightmare and reality cut into each other and through each other. Characters appear and disappear or so it seems. Privacy, trust, love are all illusionary and real (what ever that might be).

I ushered for this play at the cultch's culture lab this evening and I'd have to say it was right up there with "True Stories" for engagement. One of the audience members said that she "... kind of forgot it was a play, I was so in it to it...", have to agree.

Four more performances, go and see "Any Night" and you can have nightmares too.

Jem Rolls At the Fringe

2008-09-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

Jem Rolls is one of the hardest working performance poets out there. Soaked in sweat 5 minutes into a hour long show, he just roars into his monologue/poetry/performance. He gleefully shakes language by the back of the neck and beats on your ears with rhythms, and burns images into the back of your head.

Jem is immediate solidly planted in the here and now. There are no books or cds for sale, no mp3s to download, just you and Jem, his performance and your memory.

Stories, images, poetry, memory.

There is a great review and article on Poets on Fire that I'd have to recommend.

Van Django at the Cellar

2008-08-31T00:19:00.000-07:00

I took my dear friend out for a birthday treat and we both got treated. I don't remember the last time I was in the Jazz Cellar but I think I've been missing something.

Room is pleasant, comfortable; service is stellar; food good (the salmon chowder was excellent as was the pasta w/ prawns, mangos, pineapple in a light cream curry sauce). Best of all was the music.

Van Django is a string ensemble that uses the sounds of Django Reinhart and Stephan Grappelli to start out from as the note on the The Cellar's website says:

Van Django is an acoustic string ensemble made up of four extremely talented and eclectic musicians. Their music is well-rooted in the gypsy jazz of 1930's Paris France, but beyond that it's all pure blue-skying: flights of dazzling fancy, driving rhythms and boundless creativity. Experience this foursome as they play their original compositions and quirky arrangements in an action packed musical universe they call, "acoustic string hot jazz!"

A great show and I will be back. But it's quarter to one, and I'm tired, and so to bed.

later

2008-08-04T22:37:00.001-07:00

@2 back from Dark Knight eahh! Okay but I could have waited until the rental

2008-08-04T10:48:00.001-07:00

Just up and trying ping some more

Titus Andronicus

2008-07-10T23:28:00.000-07:00

Very good, very violent and the scene with the rape and mutilation of Lavinia was brutal. No one left and no one seemed seriously discomfited although Monica complained that the woman beside her kept up a nervous laughter throughout.

Needless to say, everybody dies.

There was some talk on the way home about how issues and themes that would be revisited in later plays could be picked out. I liked the production, I usually do. Bard on the Beach does good work and I always come away feeling that I have spent my time well.

There was also a clear connection between the issues that Shakespeare was trying to deal with and our present varied predicaments. A failing (failed) imperial power, a ruling class addicted to plots and torture, an ignored and essentially powerless populace that gets trotted out for justification for decisions made behind closed doors and with no interest in its needs or desires. Wars, leavened with bread and circuses.

NINE POINTS TO NAVIGATE - The Brian Webb Dance Company

2008-07-06T22:10:00.000-07:00

First show I have ushered and seen at this years Dancing on the Edge. I was very strongly affected by this piece, less by the dance and far more by the spoken and sung word. This is a piece of remembrance, of fathers who were young enough to be influenced, changed, affected by the 1930's Depression and the 2nd World War; as my father was.

The two leads (David Webb and Sheir Somerville) spoke of their fathers with love, and understanding. Both of their fathers had been damaged in the Great Depression and the War, focused on providing for their families but finding it difficult to care for their families. I know that one. The silent father who struggles against the odds to make a living and support his family but who cannot speak or play with his children.

As I said a very affecting piece, using music, theatre, voice, and movement to remember, with love and understanding.

Susan Tedeschi at the Commodore

2008-06-25T00:59:00.000-07:00

Got in to catch the last 20 minutes of John Scofield, a couple of nice pieces and the one I walked in on he was just howling on.

The treat of the evening was Susan Tedeschi over at the Commodore, she was paired with Jim Byrne. I got in at about 10:30pm and she hit the stage seconds later, and she smoked. I was reminded of Bonnie Rait or Ellen McIlwaine but only reminded, Tedeschi has a look, sound and style all her own.

She is one to keep an eye on. Hope she does as well as she seems posed to.

Gordon Grdina's Box Cutter with special guest Fredrik Ljungkvist

2008-06-24T02:07:00.000-07:00

As Mark says, "Music so intense, you feel like you will go insane."

Another great show in the only venue that actually feels like a jazz club.

An Evening with the Cowboy Junkies

2008-06-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Well the Cowboy Junkies may not be the first group that you think of as jazz or blues, but they do make great music and that is what is important to me.

When Margo sings Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"

Hear that lonesome whippoorwill
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whining low
I'm so lonesome I could cry.

She owns me. I just fell head over heels in love with her take on that song. Later on "Lost My Driving Wheel" feels like an old traditional blues with it's repeated refrain:

I feel like some old engine that's lost my driving wheel
I feel like some old engine that's lost my driving wheel

Then a Niel Young cover "Powder Finger" and a encore that channeled the best of Lou Reed and the early Velvet Underground with a smoking version of "Sweet Jane".

I came home and put on the Trinity Sessions wondering why I hadn't been playing it every day for the past 20 years.

Charlie Haden's Quartet West and Iro Haarla Quintet

2008-06-21T23:24:00.000-07:00

My first concert of the 2008 Vancouver International Jazz Festival. I was going to go and see Beade Belle at Performance Works but some work related IT problems stopped me from getting out the door. I saw Charlie Haden a couple years back and walked out half way through the set because it was boring; either Charlie was off that night or I was because he was not boring tonight.

Great band: Charlie Haden's Quartet West with Charlie Haden bass, Ernie Watts tenor saxophone, Alan Broadbent piano, and Rodney Green drums. They all delivered great performances; strong solos and best of all they played together! I think one of my complaints last time was a repetitive approach to each song; group plays theme then every player has a solo and then reprise the theme - boring. This time they played together and kept the solos in check with Ernie Watts and Alan Broadbent doing some especially fine work.

Iro Haarla Quintet

Mostly Interesting stuff, very atmospheric but some good energy. I must admit I was nearly lulled to sleep at one point.

Swedish jazz pianist Esbjorn Svensson killed in accident

2008-06-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

Swedish jazz pianist Esbjorn Svensson killed in accident: "Swedish jazz star Esbjorn Svensson died in a diving accident this weekend, his manager announced on Monday.

Police are conducting a routine investigation of the accident that killed the 44-year-old pianist, said Burkhard Hopper, manager of the vibrant, award-winning Esbjorn Svensson Trio.

Svensson died Saturday while diving off a small island near Stockholm.

The composer and pianist was a prominent figure in contemporary jazz. He helped dissolve boundaries between traditional jazz and other genres, with his efforts including the introduction of rock-inspired electronic elements.

Svensson's trio had its international breakthrough in 1999 with the album From Gagarin's Point of View and had recently finished its 12th album, Leukocyte, slated for release in September.

Dubbed e.s.t., the trio often played in rock venues, attracted a host of younger fans and won acclaim and awards across Europe, including in Sweden, France, the U.K. and Germany. In 2005, e.s.t. became the first European jazz band ever featured on the cover of U.S. jazz publication Downbeat magazine.

Svensson is survived by his wife and two children. No funeral details have yet been released."

This is sad news indeed. I had been looking forward to hearing them this festival.

Been more than a bit slack in posting

2008-05-21T06:50:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted here for a while now but the festival season is starting up and that should generate some activity.

Nope nothing else just wanted to see if I remembered how to do this .

Vancouver International Dance Festival @ The Roundhouse 07/03/2008

2008-03-08T08:27:00.000-08:00

I ushered for The Roundhouse for the Vancouver International Dance Festival last night. I like the Roundhouse, the venue, the staff and in this case the presenter.

It was a long shift but worth it all in all, I mainly signed up to see Sarah Williams, who I remembered from Lee Eisler's JumpStart very fondly. I found that I would also be seeing Toronto Dance Theatre and Arts Umbrella Dance Company.

Arts Umbrella Dance Company, very young, as is to be expected from an Arts Umbrella company (A not-for-profit society for visual and performing arts for children based in Vancouver). I wasn't able to see them all that well as I was still doing door as people drifted in and out of the "free" (if you bought a $3.00 membership) performance (a good deal by the way and there are number of performances/companies to come. Check out the VIDF website under Performances>Cabaret Stage Performances for more details). What I could see was enough to make me want to go back tonight and take a proper look.

Toronto Dance Theatre doing Chiasmata was the unexpected treat of the evening. I have seen them in the past at this festival and liked them then too. Great dancers, great choreography and great music/soundscape. Amazing movement and emotional range, it captured me fully and completely. I'd say catch it if you can there is one more performance tonight (08/03/2008).

The Sarah Williams from Eisler's JumpStart, was not the Sarah Williams that we got, not a bad thing but it took awhile to get used to. In fact, I was feeling disappointed until I shook off the old memories and tried to see her fresh. Three pieces: "croque-monsieur"; "Patty.Tania.Paige. "; and "Glossy Poupée Says Can She ".

croque-monsieur I saw the least of, once again working the door and getting latecomers in, this is where I started to feel disappointment were conceptual and performance art oriented not the highly athletic physicality of my memory.

Patty.Tania.Paige.  I managed to get seated for this piece and while I thought the conceit was clever, the idea of identity changing and the ways in which that change connected or was driven by a person's public persona. Was Patty Hearst an heiress, a kidnap victim, a revolutionary, an FBI victim, a convicted felon, a wife, a sex addict? Or all and more. What did not work for me at first at least, was how the movement informed the idea.

Glossy Poupée Says Can She  This is were it clicked for me. Glossy Poupée reminded me of the bars and the women that worked in them from my bad old days. Rough side of town, exploitation without shame, fetishized pornography, fear. A parodied pornographic photo shoot that cut very close to the bone; a compelling look at the pain of a woman as she is made an object. With all the echoes of the disappeared women of the DTES and the murderous appetite of Robert Pickton.

Disturbing. One more performance. Might not be what you like but it might be what you need.

Long post for Saturday Sunday and Monday

2007-06-25T23:13:00.000-07:00

This is a long post and will cover Saturday, Sunday and tonight Monday.

Saturday

Michael Kaeshammer was excellent. I'm not that big on "boogie-woogie piano but Kaeshammer does a lot more than that and he has become a great showman. I most enjoyed his set and could have happily sat through another.

Holly Cole not so good. She seemed vague, scattered and kind of sloppy. I kept waiting for her to settle down and do the show but it never happened. I left before the encore got started and headed home. My companion had bailed earlier and had headed back to catch the second set of Tierney Sutton at Performance Works, a much better plan.

Sunday

Gordon Grdina's Box Cutter Nice set but I don't like Gastown as a setting, too much stuff going on, to many panhandlers, to many talkers and walkers no where to comfortably sit, still a nice set and Houle seemed very on.

Christine Jensen excellent set. Very meditative but not soporific. Very nice opening act for:

Olver Jones Again a nice set the man can play but not really my cup of tea.

Dhafer Youssef Went across to Granville Island and Performance works and caught the las 45 min of his set. Amazing Oud and cello and violins and tabla and his haunting voice. Acoustic with electronica underlays and powerful expansive strings. With a weird non-English heckler that were much upset him and confused most of the audience (or at least me and my best companion) to round out the night. This was the one that we talked about on the walk home.

Monday

SEKOYA Some interesting textures and rhythms, but not quite there yet. The sound was muddy and the vocals disappeared (which may have been intentional).

Bebel Gilberto

Entertainment Weekly opines that “her voice is the embodiment of breathy Brazilian cool,” while Billboard declares that she sounds “simply gorgeous.”

The above says it all breathy, cool, gorgeous. Not much in the way of music though. Kind of a "jazz/disco lite". Left after two songs and a lot of posturing. She was pretty (I think), being up in the balcony makes it hard to see sometimes.

Jackie Greene Looks about 14 and plays like the real thing. I only cought the last to songs of his set but best thing that I heard all night.

James Hunter Maybe just tired but white guy r&b just never quite made it for me, other than the Righeous Brothers. Didn't stay long enough to give him a fair chance but that's the chance you take when you let the bar make everybody cool their heels for 35 or 40 minutes, to sell more drinks. It makes us surly, sleepy and sober and you don't want to see us sober.

More tomorrow.

later

jack

The Tierney Sutton Band

2007-06-23T10:09:00.001-07:00

Yahoo!!

Get out and see Tierney Sutton and her band tonight.

I ended up out at Performance Works on Granville Island last night as much by accident as by design and that worked out well. Tierney Sutton and her band put on a great show (a long show too, started at about 9:15 pm and we hit the streets just before midnight with a 20 minute break to sign CDs).

Sutton is a powerful and varied singer moving from Frank Sinatra standards to "Ding, Dong the Witch is Dead" with amazing facility. And for me the standards worked better with most bands, I think it had something to do with Tierney's assertion that it was a band dictum that no standard should remain recognizable, which I thought they did an admirable job on.

The best part for me was the fact that they (Tierney Sutton vocalist, Christian Jacob piano, Kevin Axt bass, Ray Brinker drums) played together. No noodling solos on every song, just brief solos at the end of each set. The artists and the instruments worked to integrate their individual sounds together in a whole that was much greater than the parts. They also appeared to not be too cool to have fun, with each other, the audience, and the music. Yahoo!!

Great show and if I didn't have a hard ticket for Holly Cole I'd be tempted to go back to PW and Tierney Sutton tonight.