p
I

t's. not easy being
on the cutting edge
of music in Can-

ada.
"It's either McDonna the
Pop Tart or nothing," says
Coat Cooke, an avant-garde
jazz-oriented composer.
Cooke says this with a
hearty laugh; the Vancouverbased saxophonist and
composer - like others into
new music - is doing nicely
at what he likes.
Recently his fine compact
disc, Lunar Adventures : Live
in Seattle, made with one of
several groups he's been
part of for some years and
given a quality pressing by a
small Los Angeles label , got
a rave review i n a U.S .
music magazine.
But when he and fellow
musicians went on a
Canadian tour with their
unique blends of new (and
cross-pollinated) sounds, no
amount of persuasion ---..
press packages, tapes, follow-up phone calls - could
interest a single member of
the national entertainment
press.
Only CBC Radio, where
Cooke has appeared, has
shown much of an interest in
new music in recent years.
So, with other musiciancomposers, Cooke enjoys
and profits from, in part, participation in Vancouver Pro
Musica, an artist-run society
that brings together, supports and promotes artists
such as himself.
"It encourages dialogue keeps (the music) alive," he
says of the organization.
"There's so much that's dis-

barrier
couraging."
Cooke's Stellar Sax
Quartet ("structurally quite
different from a lot of kinds
of jazz") will appear June 24
at the Community Arts
Council on Davie Street with
two other Pro Musica
groups, New World Quartet
led by Patric Caird, another
sax ensemble, and the
Robert Dyck Trio of piano,
sax and bass.
·The evening will wrap up
a five-concert series, The
Vancouver Composer's
Showcase, organized by Pro
Musica member, pianist and
composer Mark Armanini .
Taking the pulse of Pro
Musica isn't easy. Mus ic
styles range through jazz ,
electronic (some so bizarre
"they're really sound scapes," says Cooke), world
music and classical.
"And there's quite a bit of
interaction - playing on each
other's pieces," Armanini says.
'We try to mix people up - to
break down barriers between
styles."
"We also try to bring more
people into the fold - to get
more people to contribute to
the community," Cooke adds.
While the society was
The eclectic jazz-oriented musicians involved with Pro Musica hope to show Canadians there are
founded in 1984, it became a
alternatives to standard commercialfare such as 'McDonna the Pop Tart." Laurie Hazell photo
composer's organization in
1987 and is now unique in · Adds Armanini: "I think
Pro Musica is tuned to the skills - subjects ranging - it's entertainment."
Canada.
composers since the '50s real world. When Armanini from writing a press release
The Monday concert, a
In an area of music where have existed mainly in uni- puts together a program, for to marketing a recording (a Pro Musica salute to the du
there isn't much money to versities. This is quite differ- example, he makes sure it's first commercial tape or CD Maurier Jazz Festival, at 837
be made outside teaching, ent than that. This is encour- like "a variety show - a may serve, if not as a Davie, begins at 8 p.m.
Pro Musica serves as an aging a sense of community changing scene" not only so money-maker, a "calling Tickets, $9 and $7 for
incentive, Cooke says, "to rather than exclusivity.
the music presented blends card", Armanini says).
seniors and students, are
hustle and work.
"We're trying to encourage well, but so the audience
"We're out there trying to available at the door.
"It's always struggling to people to participate more doesn't get bored.
operate just like any other
For more information
make it along - but it is trying - and hear what other peoPro Musica also encour- artist or business," Armanini about the organization, call
to provide a venue and oppor- pie have written - and get it ages an exchange of ideas continues. "It's not nec- Armanini at 222-9226.
tunity and say, 'Here it is."'
out to the public."
about business survival essarily an academic thing
- Alison Appelbe

Fate smiles
on Gastown's
street jazz
DANCING IN the streets is an
integral part of jazz festival programming in New Orleans, Montreal, Montreux, and other international centres. But it had never
been tried in Vancouver until this
year, when the organizers of the
du Maurier International Jazz
Festival and the Gasto wn Merchants Association teamed up to
present Gastown Jazz, two
afternoons' worth of live music in
the streets in the popular tourist
~

~.2:

----------••••••••••••

NOTEBOOK
...........................
district. Two stages were set up,
with two Gastown blocks barred
to traffic: the sun shone, the
music soared, and the crowds
poured in . Early estimates indicated that upwards of I 0,000
people per day thronged to hear
the music of blues guitarist Kenny
Neal, Claude Ranger's Jade big
band, the Boston trio the Fringe,
and more . The crowds, the
Gastown merchants, and jazz
festival organizers were ecstatic.
"When the Rebirth Brass Band
played, that entire block was
packed from one side to the
other with people dancing in the
streets," says jazz fest spokesman
John Orysik, "I had never seen
anything like it in Vancouver. And
the crowds were very sensitive.
They had come to listen to the
music, and there was no
rowdyism. But there was a whole
cross-section of the public present: jazz fans, people who had
never heard the music before, old
people, families with little kids, all
having a good time. "The success
of the Gastown program means
that it will certainly return next

'

year, and probably in an expan ed
form. "Its success has posed some
interesting questions about how
we 'II set it up next year," said
Orysik, who went on to suggest
that festival organizers may shoot
for even more of a street fair atmosphere, with mimes and other
entertainers. "And it's brought
down some barriers. We'd been
trying to do a street festival for
years, and we had always come up
against some roadblocks with the
city. Now everybody thinks it's a
great idea, and asks why hadn't
we done it earlier." ...MILTON
NASCIMENTO opened the
festival with a somewhat slick
show that heated up steadily when
he saw how enthusiastic the
crowd-which included an
unusually large and vocal contingent from his homeland-was
about his highly personal brand of
Afro-Portuguese folk-jazz-pop.
The musician, as always wearing a
trademark soft cap and loose
sport clothes, came off stage with
flowers and gifts, and excitedly
proclaimed Vancouver as the absolute highlight of his current
North American tour. He raved
about both the cechnical set-up at
the Queen E. and the carnival-like
atmosphere created by his fans,
old and new, and immediately
started huddling with jazz fest
folks about a return date. Current
estimate: five months from
now ... THE JAZZ festival's
designated after-hours room, the
Glass Slipper, has changed considerably from the bare, utilitarian
space that it was some months
ago. Gone are the enormously
uncomfortable bingo-surplus benches; in are comfortable chairs
and a bright collection of artist/
jazz guitarist Thomas Anfield's
paintings. The music hasn't changed, though: the Slipper is still the
place where you'll find the real
Vancouver underground of advanced and adventurous improvisers. And during the jazz
festival week they've been joined
by some heavy international
talent, too: one after-hours jam
saw locals the Taylor/Kane Explosion joined by the Jazz Passengers
and others. Music at the Glass
Slipper starts at I :00 a.m. through
Monday 0uly 2). ■