JAZZFEST: Best Bets For Fest 95 (fwd)

Jason W. King (jw2king@calum.csclub.uwaterloo.ca)
Thu, 22 Jun 1995 12:49:03 -0400 (EDT)


______________________________________________________________________________
Jason W. King http://calum.uwaterloo.ca/u/jw2king
jw2king@calum.uwaterloo.ca
...what is going on? And why are you being so nice to me?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 95 10:48 WET DST
From: eye WEEKLY <eye@interlog.com>
To: eye-music@bronze.interlog.com, eye-l@bronze.interlog.com
Newgroups: eye.news, rec.music.bluenote, tor.arts
Subject: JAZZFEST: Best Bets For Fest 95

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eye WEEKLY June 22 1995
Toronto's arts newspaper .....free every Thursday
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JAZZ FEST JAZZ FEST

JAZZOLA COLUMNISTS 'S PICKS OF THE
du MAURIER DOWNTOWN JAZZ FESTIVAL

by
TIM POWIS

It's not just me. The consensus, at least among the people with whom I
indulge in idle chitchat, is that this summer's du Maurier Downtown
Jazz festival is the best yet. The following previews deal only with an
almost arbitrarily chosen few of the artists I'm determined to catch.
Here's a more complete list of my picks...

Don't forget our web site at
http://www.interlog.com/eye/Listings/Jazzfest/jazzfest.htm .

*

There's no way around it -- opening night's going to be a bitch. At 8
p.m. on Friday (June 23), saxophonist David S. Ware's quartet will get
the evening off to a stentorian start with a free show at
Harbourfront's Molson Place.

After that, some executive decision-making will be in order. At the
same venue, Medeski Martin & Wood, the world's hippest organ trio, play
free of charge from 9 to 11. Meanwhile, a stone's throw away in the
Brigantine Room, harmolodic guitar master James Blood Ulmer comes on at
10:30 (also for free). "Uptown" at the BamBoo, M-Base saxist Steve
Coleman hits the stage at 10 with his powerhouse, hip-hop-influenced
band Five Elements. As if that weren't enough, a few doors west at the
Rivoli, from 10 until closing time, there's a very intriguing triple
"alterna-jazz" bill featuring UI, The Denison Kimball Trio and Tortoise
-- these bands include current and former members of such indie-rock
combos as Eleventh Dream Day, The Jesus Lizard and Laughing Hyenas. If
it's any help, Medeski and company will be back in T.O. on July 19 at
the El Mocambo. (You'll have to pay for that one, though.)

The next day (June 24), for a mere loonie you can catch guitarist Sonny
Greenwich with his Universal Language Band in the Big Top at King and
John. That night Greenwich plays the Pilot, and the virtuoso jazz slide
guitarist Dave Tronzo (who's played with Wayne Horvitz and the Lounge
Lizards, among others) brings his trio to the Rivoli.

On Sunday (June 25), local tenor saxist Glen Hall plays for free at
noon on the Toronto Star Stage in Nathan Phillips Square. The great
bassist Dave Holland's quartet plays for a loonie at King and John from
5:30 to 7:30. Then you can take a romantic stroll up to Queen, hang a
louie and drop by the Rivoli, where saxophonist/pianist Charles Gayle
starts screaming for the Almighty at 8. After that, you'll likely want
to go home and experience the bliss of silence.

Monday night (June 26) I'm tied up with family business, but I'm hoping
to slip away in time to check out at least part of a set by the English
reedman Evan Parker, who plays the Rivoli at 9. Tuesday (June 27)
things get complicated again. Pianist and composer Anthony Davis makes
an exceedingly rare local appearance at the Glenn Gould Studio in the
CBC Building at 8 p.m. with a band that includes local sax legend David
Mott; a Music Gallery performance by the Double Wind Cello Trio with
experimental guitarist Jim O'Rourke gets underway at 8. An hour later,
pianist Geri Allen begins a set at the du Maurier Theatre Centre. At
the Rivoli, the local trio of saxophonist Bill Grove, pianist Bob
Fenton and drummer Graeme Kirkland starts at 9:30 p.m., followed at
11:30 by the Euro-duo of Han Bennink (drums & whatever he finds lying
around) and Steve Beresford (piano, trumpet and whatever he finds lying
around). Bennink was amazing last summer with both the ICP Orchestra
and Clusone Trio. On Wednesday (June 28), piano sensation Cyrus
Chestnut plays at 9 at the du Maurier Theatre Centre, after which I'm
hoping to catch a bit of the Toronto tenorman Mike Murley's Quintet at
the Pilot. My picks for June 29-July 2 will be in next week's issue.


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