Jazz Series
Kenny Wheeler with “A” Band and NiteCap -CANCELLED - Please check back for a new guest artist
Musical Direction: Brad Turner (“A” Band) and Réjean Marois (NiteCap)
October 15, 2010 @ 8pm | $35/$32/$26
At the Kay Meek Centre
Canadian iconic trumpeter/composer Kenny Wheeler makes a rare Vancouver appearance. Blessed with a full, lovely tone and an astounding range, he sounds equally at home in fiery free jazz explorations or softer, more lyrical post-bop meditations. Wheeler has written over one hundred compositions and is a skilled arranger. At 80 years old, Wheeler remains a force to be reckoned with.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
December 7, 2010 @ 8pm | $44/$41/$26
At the Kay Meek Centre
New Orleans, long considered the birthplace of jazz, is considered one of the most fertile musical hotbeds on earth. The nucleus of all the activity is right in the French Quarter district, and Preservation Hall, certainly one of the most venerated music venues in the area,has been a leading exponent of preserving the roots of New Orleans Jazz. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band is the resident group of thisinstitution and they tour worldwide dedicated to nurturing and perpetuating the unique jazz style of their home. Many members'
lineage can be traced to the Fathers of New Orleans Jazz including Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong and Bunk Johnson. In spite of a turbulent history, the people of New Orleans have proven to be incredibly resilient and always transcend their circumstances with their joyful and life-affirming music.
Bill Mays’ Jazzy Nutcracker Featuring PJ Perry
December 12, 2010 @ 8pm | $32/$29
Here’s your chance to hear a jazzy twist on some classical and seasonal favourites. This jazz septet, led by pianist Bill Mays and featuring some of Canada’s best jazz musicians, celebrates the season with a program of holiday tunes by Bill Evans, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Claude Debussy, Thelonious Monk and a special jazz adaptation of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. These top jazz players put ‘hip’ back in Christmas with their exceptional skill, swinging arrangements, great ensemble playing and delightful solos. Bring the family for a night of swinging jingle jazz to get you in the holiday spirit. Featuring Bill Mays (piano), Neil Swainson (bass), Terry Clarke (drums), PJ Perry (soprano saxophone/flute), Phil Dwyer (tenor saxophone/clarinet), Campbell Ryga (alto saxophone/alto flute), and Perry White (baritone saxophone/ bass clarinet)
Tribute to Charles Mingus
With “A” Band, NiteCap and faculty guests
Musical Direction: Brad Turner (“A” Band) and Réjean Marois (NiteCap)
January 21, 2011 @ 8pm | $30/$27
Charles Mingus was a tireless innovator and is considered one of the most important figures in twentieth century music. In addition to his virtuosity on the bass, he was also an accomplished bandleader/composer. His career spans a fertile period in jazz starting with his early years touring with Louis Armstrong and Lionel Hampton; then by the 1950’s, he was playing and recording with Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Bud Powell and Duke Ellington himself. Dead by the age of 56, Mingus left behind an astonishing body of work that continues to live on through the Mingus Dynasty,Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Big Band.
Bill Charlap Trio
January 30, 2011 @ 8pm | $38/$35
One of the world’s premier jazz pianists, Bill Charlap is known for his extraordinary chops and fresh interpretations of the American Songbook. Born into a musical family, with parents Moose Charlap, a broadway composer and Sandy Stewart, a popular singer of her day,Charlap was already playing piano by age three. He was fully thrust into the jazz world by the late '80s when he joined baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan’s quintet and in 1994 was enlisted by alto saxophonist Phil Woods for his band. Joined by long-time bandmates Kenny
Washington (drums) and Peter Washington (bass), the Bill Charlap Trio will transport and astonish you with their 'over the top' playing and uncanny sense of each other.
Claudia Acuña
With “A” Band and NiteCap
Musical Direction: Brad Turner (“A” Band) and Réjean Marois (NiteCap)
March 4, 2011 @ 8pm | $32/$29
Chilean singer-songwriter/arranger Claudia Acuña possesses one of the most beautifuland compelling voices in jazz. While singing primarily in Spanish, her music crosses language barriers to communicate with power and resonance. Her latest release En Este Momento (At This Moment), showcases Acuña’s unparalleled talent for fusing maximum emotion into both Spanish and English lyrics while mastering the “essential elements of jazz with startling effectiveness” - The Los Angeles Times. Enjoy a night of Latin big band music featuring some Chilean heat with Claudia Acuña.
Emilie-Claire Barlow
March 27, 2011 @ 8pm | $32/$29
It is a delight to welcome back jazz vocalist Emilie-Claire Barlow to our series. Her energetic live performances and exquisite recordings are thrilling audiences the world over. The Toronto-based Barlow is getting recognized for her innovative arrangements of American Songbook treasures, rhythmic bossa novas and elegant ballads. A critic’s darling,Barlow has endeared herself as well to peers and audiences alike with her relaxed, polished demeanour, her charming humour and her incomparable voice. Truly an independent artist, Barlow writes all her own charts and produces her own recordings under her own label, Empress Music Group.
Ernie Watts
With “A” Band and NiteCap
Musical Direction: Brad Turner (“A” Band) and Réjean Marois (NiteCap)
April 1, 2011 @ 8pm | $32/$29
Two-time Grammy Award winner Ernie Watts is one of the most versatile and prolific saxophone players working today. In a career that has spanned more than 40 years, he has been featured on over 500 recordings by artists ranging from Cannonball Adderley to Frank Zappa. In addition to having two working quartets,Watts tours regularly with Charlie Haden’s Quartet West and most recently with vocalist Kurt Elling. All About Jazz reviewer Nicholas Mondello captures Watts prowess quite evocatively: “He breathes fire, can cool with ice, whip up a storm, and shape his sax sound in ways otherworldly."
Past Performances:
Mose Allison
July 26, 2010 @ 8pm | $38/$35
At the Vancouver East Cultural Centre
Tickets available at the Cultch (604.251.1363 | https://tickets.thecultch.com/) or Highlife Records (1317 Commercial Drive)
At 82 years old, Mose Allison, dubbed ‘the hippest man in America,’ is at the top of his game. With a brand new studio release, The Way of the World, the first in over a decade, Allison has never sounded betterin a storied career that dates back over half a century. Teaming up with maverick producer, Joe Henry, The Way of the World has been getting unanimous praise from critics and fans alike. “Too jazzy for pop, too poppy for jazz and too smartass for either.” — Rolling Stone