We had a great gig at the Free Times Cafe last Thursday. Thanks to everybody for coming out.
Here’s a clip from that gig of us playing Since I’ve Been Loving You by Led Zeppelin.
Here’s another clip from our first gig on November 2, 2007. We’re playing Herbie Hancock’s Tell Me A Bedtime Story.
I heard some great jazz while visiting Montreal for CUSEC this weekend.
My friend Cam Britton, a great saxophonist on the scene, took me to a charming little basement club called Upstairs, where we heard a great gypsy swing trio led by Denis Chang with Éric Lemay and Simon Pagé.
The night had a very friendly atmosphere. They had a guitarist, pianist, and two violinists sit in over the course of the last set, and there was lots of chatting and swapping name cards after the show.
It was clear from the very first notes of guitarist/vocalist Lionel Loueke’s blistering set, tonight at the opening concert of the IAJE conference, that he is someone we will be hearing more and more from in the years to come. Loueke blends West African harmonies and rhythms with a modern jazz sensibility to create an exciting, unique sound that is turning heads in the jazz community.
The use of effects on both his vocals and his guitar playing was subtle, tasteful and only used to accentuate an already powerful statement. The thrill of the crowd was apparent the first time he used an effect that harmonizes his voice to give the sound of full choir.
Gregoire Maret sat in on harmonica to close the set, surprising the crowd with melodic lines that transcended the instrument. Maret plays a duo set with pianist Andy Milne tomorrow afternoon at the conference.
Loueke’s upcoming major label debut on Blue Note, KARIBU features his trio with extremely rare special guest appearances by Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter.
Welcome to Jazz Buzz. Toronto has one of the best jazz scenes in the world with amazing local musicians a lots of great acts passing through from just about everywhere.
Here’s a list of some of the exciting things happening in January, things we plan to write about as the month goes on.
Blogs are a great way for musicians to connect with their fan base. We hope to help you discover how great of a scene Toronto has by giving you a chance to get to know the musicians and their music better. In addition to our own thoughts on the music we’ll be posting interviews with artists along with video and audio recordings of their work.