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Both the Dave Holland Quintet and the Branford Marsalis Quartet could have easily sold out the MainStage space at the Toronto Jazz Festival had they each been the headliner act of their own show, so it’s a little strange that they should be shoved together in a double bill on Friday, July 3rd. Nevertheless, it’s hard to complain when you get to see that much talent and good music on display for the affordable price of $40 at the Toronto Jazz Festival, all in one night, even if the acoustics leave something to be desired.

The Dave Holland Quintet – Robin Eubanks on trombone, Steve Nelson on vibraphone, Chris Potter on alto/soprano sax, Nate Smith on drums, and Dave Holland on bass – opened the evening with a wonderful, energetic 75-minute set of original compositions from Holland’s albums. The set list included: “Step to It”, “Last Minute Man”, “Full Circle”, and “Lucky Seven”. The Dave Holland Quintet has a very eclectic sound, and at times, dissonant. Generally, this means there’s a lot going on at once, with Potter and Eubanks each carrying a bit of the melody – at the same time – and Nelson, Smith, and Holland sharing the rhythm sections. This tends to lead to a lot of complexity, and because of all the different instruments, each with what could be a standalone part, all together, gives you a rich variety of things to listen to. You can tune in and tune out of various different instruments, take your pick, and never be bored. Sometimes all this action leads to really rewarding and interesting dissonance and other times it ends up as just too busy. Sometimes I had trouble differentiating between the parts that Potter and Eubanks were playing, sometimes they blended together, and it felt like a bit too much mushiness. But the band really shone when its three stars took the stage with their solos: drummer Nate Smith, saxophonist Chris Potter, and bassist Dave Holland.

Drummer Nate Smith also played with Chris Potter in his “Underground” group at the Pilot on Monday, but it was in this concert with Holland where he really impressed me. Generally, when drummers take solos, they are so excited to finally be allowed to stray from just beat-keeping that they try to hit and bang as many drums and cymbals as possible in the smallest amount of time: this is their chance to make a lot of noise. But this approach lacks musicality; it’s just an unpleasant racket, the kind I usually can’t wait to stop. But Nate Smith, much like drumming greats Jack DeJohnette and Tony Williams, understands that less is more with drum solos. He hits a beat, he finds a rhythm to play with, and he lets the audience in on what he is doing. We can keep up, we can enjoy, and while it’s not “simple” it’s not overdone either: there’s music and clarity here. He also finds different pitches and tones to play with so that when his drum solo comes to an end, we can’t help but want more, or look forward to his next one. Smith is a great drummer and these are very, very few and far between.
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Although the great jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins (78), master pianist Dave Brubeck (88), and virtuoso double bassist Charlie Haden (71) may be senior citizens, they play as if they’re still young, and what a show they each put on in the last week during the Toronto Jazz Festival. Their sets may have been short, but every minute counted, and every minute was top notch.

Sonny Rollins, the epitome of cool, who made his name as a “saxophone colossus” on the album of the same name, opened the TO Jazz festival on Friday, June 26th, with his very tight band. He walked onto the stage with his ultra cool white jacket and sunglasses, ready to give the audience a run for its money. He opened his show with a whirlwind solo in “Sonny, Please” with so much energy, a little game of “name that tune” in his solo, and a whole lot of bop, that the concert probably could have ended after just the one song, and the audience still could have gone home happy.

But Sonny and his group entertained for seventy minutes, a short concert, but every minute was fine, finer than his last Toronto performance in 2007, which was longer and still great, but not quite this good. He may have run out of breath now and then, but that’s a minor qualm for a 78-year-old that can keep you smiling throughout the whole concert. And Sonny knows how to put on a show. As he takes his solo, ready to heat up the piece and the room, he comes downstage, centre stage, and starts playing away, dancing as close as he possibly can to the audience. Sure, he’s a showoff, but the totally loveable kind. At his last concert, I remember being annoyed that he let his band play too much – we were there for Sonny not for his band – but not so this time. He played his heart out with various hits like “In a Sentimental Mood”, “They Say It’s Wonderful”, “Nice Lady”, and “Strode Rode”. (more…)

What: Chris Potter’s Underground
When: Tuesday, June 30th at 9PM (Today!) (Monday’s show reviewed below)
Where: The Pilot at 22 Cumberland between Bay and Yonge (Map)
Tickets: $28 at the door – arrive early as seating is limited and first come first serve. Doors open at 8PM. Dinner is available at the Pilot.

(See end of Review for more Chris Potter listings for this week on Tuesday and Friday)

Starting at 9PM and finishing up at around midnight, Chris Potter’s Underground wowed the audience from start to finish at the intimate Pilot setting this evening, with two great sets of serious head-bopping, jiving music, that held your attention throughout, accessible to the jazz neophyte and a real delight for the jazz fan. The band played both original music off Potter’s albums and interpretations of other musicians’ work.

Chris Potter is a musician’s musician – about half the audience was music students from York, Humber, and UofT – he takes any piece and turns it on its head in so many different ways that make you listen and watch in anticipation, constantly engaged. His albums are good, but his performance here was stellar. I spent the whole concert bopping my head, swinging my shoulders, tapping my foot, tapping my hands, and at the apex moments, finding myself doing all of the above at once without thinking about it. It was a heck of a lot of fun and a heck of a good show.

Chris Potter’s Underground – with Adam Rogers on guitar, Craig Taborn on Fender Rhodes, Nate Smith on drums, and Potter on alto sax, soprano sax, and bass clarinet -played original tunes like the title song from “Underground” and Potter’s new album “Ultrahang”, new never-before played compositions like “Flight to Oslo”, old standards like Duke Ellington’s “Single Petal of a Rose”, and unexpected oldies with seriously imaginative turns like their melodic, swingy ballad of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me, Babe”.

What made the show great was not just the quality of the playing or the selection of the music, but the tightness of the band, the seamless transitions, and the incredible variations on the melody. While most jazz concerts follow the same old pattern of melody, sax solo, guitar solo, drum solo, keyboard solo, back to melody, and then new song and repeat, Underground has a new and exciting way of approaching performance, which is strong and engaging. However, it does get a little repetitive in nature by the nth song. (more…)

Thursday, June 18th was day 2 of the venerable 15-year-old North by North East (NXNE) Music Festival.

Spiral Beach, Burning Brides, Black Lips

My compatriot and I were making our way to Yonge and Dundas Square for the first of 3 nights of free concerts thrown by the festival at the square.

Though the concert at YD Square had been going on since 6pm that night, we were making a fashionably late arrival at 9:30pm. Unfortunately, that meant we missed the powerhouse and up-and-coming Toronto band Spiral Beach, who had kicked off the show at 6pm. As we arrived, the band Burning Brides were just finishing up their act, and there was already a slow-growing trickle of people arriving in anticipation of the Black Lips’ show at 10pm. We left to grab a quick bite to eat (sorry Burning Brides, food more important) and by the time we had returned the Black Lips show was already underway.

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What: The Toronto Jazz Festival
Where: Mainstage at Nathan Phillips Square, other concerts at the   Four Seasons Centre, the Rex, the Old Mill, Supermarket, The Pilot, and more
When: June 26-July 5th
More Info: http://www.tojazz.com/

Here you can find BlogUT’s picks for the must-see shows at this year’s festival. Check back for updates with reviews and festival coverage as the festival progresses.

Friday, June 26th @ 8PM (reserved seating) : Sonny Rollins at the Four Seasons Centre
The epitome of cool, even at age 79, the great jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins graces the stage at the beautiful Four Seasons Centre concert hall, for what should be an amazing show. He’s been making it out to Toronto every two years or so, with reasonable consistency, and I haven’t missed a show yet. His albums are amazing, but nothing rivals the sheer energy he brings to his live shows, which make you want to tap your foot, swing your shoulders, and maybe even get up to dance.

Monday, June 29th & Tuesday, June 30th @ 9PM: Chris Potter’s Underground at the Pilot
Tickets: $28 from Ticketmaster (buy online to be safe!), general admission seating

Saxophonist Chris Potter has been taking the jazz world by storm, with his great performances and innovative playing. His recordings are good, seen live he’s much better. A must see at the Festival.

Wednesday, July 1st @ 8PM : Dave Brubeck Quartet and Brandi Disterheft at Nathan Phillips Square
Tickets: $55 from Ticketmaster, general admission seating outdoors

Up-and-coming bassist and composer Brandi Disterheft and her group open for one of the great jazzmasters, Dave Brubeck. He’s not walking or talking too much, but boy can he ever play. Brubeck brought us such great hits as “Take Five” and “Crepuscule for Nellie”, always playing with uncommon and tough time signatures and timing in his music. Brubeck was at the festival last year, too. See BlogUT’s coverage of his performance.

Friday, July 3rd @ 8PM: Branford Marsalis and Dave Holland at Nathan Phillips Square
Tickets: $40 from Ticketmaster, general admission seating outdoors

Two great musicians in one night. Saxophonist Branford Marsalis (one of the best ones out there) and prog jazz bassist Dave Holland each perform with their respective groups, for what looks to be one of the greatest highlights of the festival. I believe this is Marsalis’s first appearance in Toronto in years, the last time being a small club concert at Top of the Senator, back when it was still around, when he gave a stellar performance. I saw Dave Holland (with Chris Potter, actually) play the prog jazz fest in Toronto several years back and it was fabulous.

Saturday, July 4th @ 8PM: Eliane Elias at Nathan Phillips Square
Tickets: $35 from Ticketmaster, general admission seating outdoors

She sings, she plays the piano, she composes, and she’s darn good at it, too. This show might be slightly more under-the-radar, but it’s definitely worth checking out. I saw her perform in NYC a few years back and it was a great performance.

Pass by Nathan Phillips square on July 4th and help Improv in Toronto give hugs to people all over the city. This sounds like it’s going to be the biggest hugfest yet!

Check out the teaser video and Facebook event for more info.

Oh summer, how wonderful you are… if you aren’t in summer school and have essays or exams to write. If you’re one of the fortunate souls that have free time this or next week/weekend, here are some events going on in the city that sound pretty exciting!

Worldwide Short Film Festival

295 short films from 46 countries! Short attention span? No worries, you get to see 5 to 22 films at each 90-minute screening.

Where: Various places around Toronto
When: June 16 – 21
Website: http://www.worldwideshortfilmfest.com

21st Telus Toronto International Dragon Boat Festival

Two full days of Dragon boat races by teams from all around the world, including some from the various clubs at U of T! Go and cheer them on!

Where: Toronto Centre Island
When: June 20 – 21 (Races generally happen in the morning and early afternoon)
Note: Watching the races is free, but you have to pay the small fee for the ferry to the Island
Website: http://www.dragonboats.com

11th Annual Taste of Little Italy

A lovely little festival celebrating Italian culture in Toronto!

Where: College St., between Bathurst and Shaw
When: June 19 – 21 (see site for opening and closing times)
Website: http://www.tasteoflittleitaly.ca

Beach Ribfest

Yum… Ribs…

Where: Woodbine Park
When: June 20-21
Website: http://www.beachribfest.com/

Toronto’s 29th Annual Pride Parade

Last, but not least is the annual and vibrant Pride Parade! Pride Week is from June 19 to June 28 and the Parade is but one of the various events happening to celebrate Pride in Toronto. Please see the website for more details.

Where: The Parade travels west from Bloor St. between Church and Yonge, south on Yonge St. from Bloor to Gerrard, and east on Gerrard St. to church.
When: The Parade begins at 2PM on June 28th
Website: http://www.pridetoronto.com

Yup, it’s that time again. Tomorrow, April 22, is Earth Day. It’s the day when we take stock of the dusty environmentalist resolutions we made last year and, shaking them off, dutifully recycle them for the coming one and make new promises: how we WILL use reusable bags and cups, we WILL use public transit, we WILL turn off the lights, we WILL use cold water to do our laundry. Or, going with the Earth Day Network version, how we will help create a billion acts of green, how we will make the no coal call, how we will help bring healthy food to our schools, and how we will promote environmentally aware attitudes on campus. Hopefully, it’s also the day when we get to pat ourselves on the back for the goals we did accomplish.

Either way, whether they’re rewards or reminders, there are a few events around Toronto celebrating Earth Day 2009. Tomorrow seems to be a day for corporate promotions: Starbucks lovers can bring their travel mugs to any participating Starbucks to be filled with free coffee, and Brita is giving away free water filters at Young Dundas Square (and you thought Christmas was commercialized!). Meanwhile, the city’s celebrations are happening this weekend. There’s the 20-Minute Toronto Makeover, where you are asked to contribute 20 minutes of your time to clean up your neighbourhood. More exciting is the Green Living Show at the Direct Energy Centre at the Ex, featuring green products (including new prototypes and designs), advice for an earth-friendly lifestyle, film screenings, speakers, entertainers, and more. It also features the 5 km Earth Run-Walk, benefiting ACER, The David Suzuki Foundation, and Evergreen. If you want to contribute but don’t feel up to doing the run, you can also always support these foundations’ teams.

What: Green Living Show
When: Fri., April 24, 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sat., April 25, 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sun., April 26, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Where: Direct Energy Center, Exhibition Place
Cost: $10.50 (online and mobile), $12 (at the door). Special prices for passes for multiple days. See their website for details.

What: 5km Earth Run-Walk
When:  Sun., April 26, 8:00 AM (Registration), 9:00 AM (Run)
Where:  Direct Energy Center, Exhibition Place
Additional info: please register if you would like to run.

What: 20-Minute Toronto Makeover
When: Fri., April 24, 2:00PM-2:20PM
Where: Anywhere you want!

Image from here.

The U of T Visual Studies Thesis Class is holding a concert to raise funds for their final exhibition. The concert features local artists Buck Starball and Maylee.

Check out their Facebook event for more details.

The arts and science student union (ASSU) is holding a townhall about how to overcome financial barriers to post-secondary education. Anyone and everyone who has worried about making or getting student loans, scholarships and bursaries is encouraged to attend. The ASSU townhall will explore “the relationship between tuition and access to postsecondary education, possible improvements to financial aid and changes to tuition fee structures that would enhance access, and the best ways to ensure that qualified students are able to attend.” Gathered at this event will be the collective knowledge of:

• Ian Clark, a professor with U of T’s School of Public Policy and Governance, and the former president of the Council of Ontario Universities
• Pam Frache, Education Director for the Ontario Federation of Labour
• Katherine Giroux-Bougard, national chairperson, The Canadian Federation of Students
• Ken Norrie, vice-president of research at the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario and former provost and vice-president, academic at McMaster University

What: Townhall Meeting on Overcoming Financial Barriers to Post Secondary Education
Where: Sydney Smith, Room 2012
When: 3:00- 5:00pm, Wed. Jan. 28, 2009
Cost: Free, though you probably indirectly funded it through ASSU membership
Who: Everyone
Facebook event: here
Contact:

Picture from here