tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-378190462009-07-09T21:20:02.536-07:00web site of the Vancouver Jazz Society . . . a compendious guide to jazz culture around Vancouver.Brian Nationnoreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-21512201311517291572009-07-09T08:48:00.000-07:002009-07-09T21:19:59.051-07:00

Len Dobbin, best friend of jazz in Montreal and the world, died last night after suffering a stroke while sitting at a table at the Upstairs jazz club in Montreal waiting for Ray Anderson to perform. He was 74.Dobbin was a passionate advocate for the music, having spent his entire adult life writing and broadcasting with great intelligence, insight, and knowledge about the music he loved. He was

Brian Nationnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-18850137232221763332009-07-05T02:39:00.000-07:002009-07-05T03:35:31.952-07:00

Heading into the home stretch, great performances from Enrico Rava, Stefano Bollani, Hugh Fraser, Chucho Valdes, Ray Anderson, Christy Doran and other heatwave heroes; some nice afterhours surprises at O'Douls. Here are the offerings for the last day of this years festival, expecially recommended: lots of free stuff at the Roundhouse complex/David Lam Park.‏July 5th, 2009‏‏‏Ugetsu‏‏Jul 5‏‏David

Nou Dadounnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-81803181655266886132009-07-03T01:04:00.000-07:002009-07-03T01:31:39.459-07:00

Some amazing shows in the last few days, Kenny Werner, John Stetch, Vieux Farka Toure, Jimmy Cobb & crew... lots more to come, here's today's sked, get out and support live music.(Blank lines begone!)‏July 3rd, 2009‏‏‏The Contemporary Lovers‏‏Jul 3‏‏Granville Island - Market Stage - Free‏ ‏‏‏Scott White Quartet‏‏Jul 3‏‏Tom Lee Music Downtown City Stage - Free‏ ‏‏‏The Dawn Pemberton Jazz

Nou Dadounnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-21895833313902429742009-07-01T22:11:00.000-07:002009-07-03T01:37:41.949-07:00

The beat goes on with most venues quiet today for the Canada Day Celebrations and festivities at Granville Island.Sonny Rollins' performance at the Orpheum on Monday night was definitely a highlight so far. I heard a few people groan when Sonny was first announced that he'd been here just year before last but Sonny followers know that when Sonny is energized, he can give one of the most riveting

Nou Dadounnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-72562698967330543882009-06-29T00:41:00.000-07:002009-07-03T01:43:10.970-07:00

The Festival continues with some spectacular music after a very successful opening weekend. Some more hard decisions loom, too many choices ...(and I thought I figured out how to get rid of all the blank lines!)Jun 29, 2009‏‏‏Amanda Tosoff Quartet‏‏Jun 29‏‏Tom Lee Music Downtown City Stage - Free‏ ‏‏‏Jim Byrnes & The Sojourners‏‏Jun 29‏‏St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church - Free‏ ‏‏‏Yuji‏‏Jun

Nou Dadounnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-9505520911110603982009-06-25T22:00:00.000-07:002009-07-03T01:54:47.924-07:00

The 10 day marathon known as the TD Canada Trust Vancouver International Jazz Festival gets underway today. Listed below are some of the gigs for Friday June 26th with links back to the artist and venue descriptions.A few general festival notes:Jeanette Lindström's concert originally scheduled at Performance Works and her workshop have been cancelled.José González's concert originally scheduled

Nou Dadounnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-33916924682757142852009-05-29T09:17:00.001-07:002009-05-29T09:25:31.987-07:00

Friday/Saturday and Sunday, Tix $15 / students no cover on Sunday! This weekend is gonna be a fun one at The Cellar. Tenor saxophonist Steve Kalestad has put together a band featuring some of he peers and old teachers. The group features JESSE CAHILL on drums, JODI PROZNICK on bass, KEVIN DEAN on trumpet and ANDRE WHITE on piano. For those of you that are unfamiliar with KEVIN DEAN and ANDRE

Cory Weedsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-10220176869580922752009-05-03T09:46:00.000-07:002009-05-03T15:25:34.430-07:00

When soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy visited Vancouver in March 1976 for his solo performance at the Western Front, we spent an afternoon eating, drinking, and talking at a little restaurant on Robson St. He was one of the brightest, most erudite and articulate men I'd ever met. So it meant something to me when, among many other things, he mentioned that he thought CODA Magazine was the one of the

Brian Nationnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-49114499773503763902009-04-28T08:42:00.000-07:002009-04-28T08:45:50.781-07:00

"Thomas Marriott is irrepressible"-The Seattle TimesMay 8th and 9th, Seattle Trumpeter will be in Vancouver with collaborators, drummer MATT JORGENSEN and alto saxophonist MARK TAYLOR. Rounding out the quintet will be Vancouver's own BRAD TURNER on piano and PAUL RUSHKA on bass.Trumpeter Thomas Marriott is one of the most exciting musicians to emerge on the national jazz scene in more than a

Cory Weedsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-62869506785006277452009-04-03T19:37:00.000-07:002009-04-08T18:03:37.122-07:00

Dear friends,Certainly most of you have all heard the sad news of Jack Velker's passing by now. His memorial service will be on Easter Sunday, April 12th, at the Unitarian Church at 49th & Oak (949 W. 49th Ave), 4 pm - 6 pm. Certainly Jack's circle of friends was far, far bigger than those of you in my address book, so please do pass this info on to whomever you know would like to be there.Jhan

Brian Nationnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-37634198445772627012009-03-25T00:32:00.000-07:002009-03-25T22:33:13.410-07:00

The curtain has been pulled back a little farther on this year's jazz festival lineup with the announcement of the series at the Centre for the Performing Arts. Looks like it's going to be another action-packed fest:Friday June 26th 2009: David Sanborn plus The SojournersWith his recent "Here and Gone", David Sanborn has recently returned to his R&B and blues roots and his early inspirations

Nou Dadounnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-54879804369305050262009-03-24T18:43:00.001-07:002009-03-24T18:47:15.840-07:00

RECESSION BUSTER AT THE CELLAR!. Starting April 7th, The Cellar will feature Soulful B3 Organ Grooves with musicians like CHRIS GESTRIN, CORY WEEDS, JESSE CAHILL, CHRIS DAVIS, TONY FOSTER, JOE POOLE and many many more. There will be NO COVER CHARGE, $3.75 RUSSELL BEER PINTS and on select evenings we will have wine tastings. It's gonna be a fun hang so c'mon down, relax and check out some

Cory Weedsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-62909623531071631762009-03-15T00:16:00.000-07:002009-03-15T00:48:16.432-07:00

San Francisco Jazz CollectiveRan into a friend the other day (another music nut) and we started chatting - I asked him, "Hey are you going to see Dave Douglas next week?""Dave Douglas? Where's he playing?""He's playing with Joe Lovano and Miguel Zenón, that alto player who was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant last fall. And Robin Eubanks, the trombone-playing member of the Eubanks

Nou Dadounnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-36767071654879569522009-02-23T08:17:00.001-08:002009-02-23T08:20:53.438-08:00

The Cellar is doing its best to make the great nightly jazz more accessible to all students. We are starting with a NO COVER POLICY FOR STUDENTS on WEDNESDAY NIGHTS. All we ask is that you make a minimum $10 purchase (pints are $3.75 and appies are $8).We will also be extending the NO COVER POLICY TO SELECT EVENTS. You can check out our website for those announcements. The FIRST ONE however

Cory Weedsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-35384224217681529882009-01-29T15:35:00.001-08:002009-01-29T15:36:35.478-08:00

Part of the concept behind CROSS BORDER JAZZ is that the concerts are recorded exclusively for CHASIN THE TRAIN, a 60 minute radio program hosted by Cellar owner Cory Weeds. The show airs every MONDAY from 11:00 AM to NOON on 102.7 CFRO-FM. The musicians are paid for a 'one time use' radio broadcast.On January 24th, vibraphonist extraordinaire JOE LOCKE teamed up with UGETSU featuring BERNIE

Cory Weedsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-39019609239576235762009-01-21T13:18:00.000-08:002009-01-21T15:42:19.158-08:00

It is with great sadness that I let you all know that David 'Fathead' Newman succumbed to pancreatic cancer yesterday. He was diagnosed last year and has been battling hard ever since. Born in Texas in 1933, he would have been 76 on February 24.Over the 8 years I have had the Cellar I had the opportunity to become good friends with both David and his wife Karen. They made 5 stops at The Cellar

Cory Weedsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-25831162571975562682009-01-07T11:05:00.000-08:002009-01-09T19:19:33.623-08:00

Bill Smith has just added his 1973 interview with Anthony Braxton to his ever-growing archive of historical interviews.Anthony Braxton interviewed by Bill SmithPost comments in the Jazz Forum

Brian Nationnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-84195327242150010952008-12-31T12:46:00.000-08:002008-12-31T13:07:17.167-08:00

When Arnie Chycoski passed away in September we lost one of our greatest musicians and human beings, whom many considered one of the best lead trumpet players in the world. Some of us in Vancouver were unable to attend Arnie's memorial as it was held in Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island. One of those, aside from myself, was Sharman King. When I spoke to Sharman a few days after the service he told

Brian Nationnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-79199241347442790862008-12-31T11:11:00.000-08:002008-12-31T11:12:19.926-08:00

featuring, from New York City,Joe LockeSaturday, January 24th1:30 to 3:30, $10 (including a pop, coffee or tea)all ages and levels welcomeCellar Restaurant and Jazz Club3611 W. Broadway St. Vancouver BC V6R 2B8 604 738 1959 (phone) 604 738 1944 (fax) Joe Locke

Brian Nationnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-83926661424179710782008-11-24T21:31:00.000-08:002008-11-24T22:34:46.665-08:00

From New York, saxophonist Grant Stewart and pianist Tardo Hammer are doing a clinic/performance at the Cellar, 3611 West Broadway Saturday November 29th, 1:30 to 3:30, $10 (including a pop, coffee or tea)~all students will receive 10% off at Prussin Music on day of clinic~RESERVE NOW by calling 604-738-1959 or email reservations@cellarjazz.comTardo HammerFor more than a quarter of a century jazz

Cory Weedsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-23117766261744096302008-11-10T21:23:00.000-08:002008-11-11T01:09:58.300-08:00

As McCoy Tyner approaches 70, it would have been very easy for him to rest on his considerable laurels. As the pianist in the John Coltrane ensemble that has become known simply as "The Classic Quartet", as the progenitor of a rhythmic block-chord approach to the piano that has become widely adopted, his fame was assured. Instead he has continuously reinvented himself pulling in African and

Nou Dadounnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-4814455557510058822008-10-19T20:25:00.001-07:002008-10-19T20:47:10.800-07:00

In celebration of their fiftieth anniversary, and inspired by Art Kane's ultra-famous Harlem jazz photo (coincidentally also fifty years old) CODA magazine commissioned photographers in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver to assemble their respective jazz musicians and others involved in jazz locally, for spectacular group portraits.Vancouver jazz photographer and graphic designer, Steve Mynett,

Brian Nationnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-18932802456883758872008-10-12T23:30:00.000-07:002008-10-19T21:35:32.969-07:00

In Part 3 of her magnum opus United States I-IV, Laurie Anderson states, "Listen, I've got a vision. I see myself as part of a long tradition of American humor. You know - Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig ....". For better or worse, Laurie Anderson has spent most of her career labeled as a Performance Artist - probably the only performance artist most people can name.In much the same way that

Nou Dadounnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-69490970087355515152008-09-18T14:54:00.000-07:002008-10-14T09:57:59.584-07:00

OCTOBER 3rd & 4th marks the first concert in a 6 concert series called CROSS BORDER JAZZ. The series is co-production of THE CELLAR RESTAURANT / JAZZ CLUB and THE COASTAL JAZZ & BLUES SOCIETY. Originally scheduled for the opening concert were PHILADELPHIA SAXOPHONIST BOOTSIE BARNES and TRUMPTER JOHN SWANA. Due to some unfortunate health issues, neither musician will be able to make it. We are

Cory Weedsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37819046.post-5495569911268190642008-09-16T20:50:00.000-07:002008-09-26T11:41:56.244-07:00

Joani Taylor is one of Vancouver's premiere jazz vocalists, with a history that goes back at least thirty years. This weekend she celebrates the release of her newest CD, In My Own Voice. Cory Weeds used the occasion to talk at length, and in depth, with Joani about her career.Read the interview.The CD release part will be atThe Cellar Jazz ClubSaturday Sept 20 at 8pm.Post comments in the Jazz

Brian Nationnoreply@blogger.com