THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 33 OCT. 28-NOV. 4, 1988

Jazz Fest Fever

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IN CONCERT

Local musicians battle public inertia

O

PROUDLY PRESENTS

By Alex Varty

bsessed by the outdoors, and still young
enough to be unsure
of its musical tastes. Vancouver Is not an easy city
In which to promote contemporary music, particularly
modern music without a
strong commercial bent. So
the Coastal Jazz and Blues
Society, the people who bring us our wonderful summer Jazz festival. and the
New Orchestra Workshop,
an artists' collective of some
of our most talented and
committed creative musicians, had a problem. The
Society had a list of artists
that they wanted to bring to
town. all of whom rewesent
the very best in their respec.
tlve fields, but only one of
whom was In any way
"bankable" at the box office.
The Workshop had a roster
of member players whose
work is strong and original
. and worthy of public support, but who didn't have a
venue in which they could
bring their art to the public.
The solution?
Vancouver's time-honoured way of battling public indifference and grantingagency inertia: a festival.
Time Flies, an unusual
meeting of the entrepreneurial and artistic spirits. will
take over the city's musical
agenda for the first five days
of November, enlivening our
cold and rainy nights with an
eclectic sampling of international and local innovators.
in what the organizers are
billing as "a celebration of
contemporary jazz and improvised music".
Celebration Is an apt word:
seems like everybody Involved In this program will have
cause to celebrate. The
Coastal Jazz and Blues gang
will be able to get some of
their favourite visiting artists into town, in a situation
where at least some attention will be paid to the more
obscure of the immigrants.
Vancouver's musicians, as
represented by the New
Orchestra Workshop's members and affiliates, will
New Orchestra Workshop's
members and affiliates, will
get to show that they can
hold their own on the same
stages as the Imports; and
the listener will have access
to a great variety of stimulating sounds during a time
that Is traditionally rather
slow on the concert circuit.
So who's coming?
The undeniable star of the
festivities will be tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker.
a remarkable musician who
has consistently been able to
strike a balance between
massive commercial success
(for a jazz artist, anyway ... )
and sustained critical
respect. Brecker is no innovator, but he has been
able to Incorporate the more
approachable elements of
the great saxophone pioneers John Coltrane and
Sonny Rollins Into a personalized style that Is warm
and powerful. witty and
serious. He's got a great
sound and awesomely impressive technical abilities,
and unlike most of his jazzpop peers he can also Improvise like mad. In full
flight, Brecker can reel off
chorus after chorus of Impassioned, Intensely human
melodies: he works In an
electric context. but keeps
the spirit of post-bop Jazz
alive at all times.
Helping Brecker out will be
a fine edition of his touring
band, including Mike Stern,

SATURDAY
OCT. 29
86 ST.

MUSIC HALL
MCA RECORDING ARTISTS

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·~~~
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available at all A&B
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Renowned saxophonist Michael Brecker will be a definite
draw at the Time Flies music festival.

probably the most bop-con- funky tenor saxophonist
versant of contemporary fu- who fronted the latln-jazz
sion guitarists, pianist Joey dance band Rio Bumba.
Calderazzo, and electric Hammett-Vaughan pays her
bassist Jeff Andrews, young rent singing standards with
faces who sound tasteful and a Billie Holiday touch in
assured on Brecker's most various restaurants and
recent Impulse record re- bars. Working with the New
lease. Long-time John Orchestra Workshop has
Scofield sideman Adam allowed both artists to inNussbaun, always an im- dulge their more individualpressive player, is on drums. is tic aspects.
Opening .for the Brecker
band's Commodore appearime Flies then moves
ance on November 1st will
to the Vancouver
be Lunar Adventures
East Cultural Centre
possibly Vancouver's most for a three-day run, kicking
creative fusion ensemble.
off with an all-CanadiaD
Their fusion Isn't the quichedouble-bill of local pianist
and-cocktails electric lounge Paul Plimley and the
jazz of the cabaret set,- nor Is - Montreal-based Jean Beauit the crypto-metal bombast det Quartet.
of the passe Mahavlshnu
Pllmley may well be the
clones. Instead, It's an at- best performing pianist In
tempt to fuse the harmolodic Canada today. He's certainly
lessons ofOrnette Coleman's the best I've heard, with a
challenging work with the robust approach to the keyspatial freedom of '60s board that might border on
acoustic jazz and the driving physical comedy if he
electricity of rock. Ron Sam- weren't so compellingly inworth's deft manipulation of tense about It. When he isn't
electronically altered guitar pummelling the keys,
timbres, and Clyde Reed's though, Pllmley mixes a
rich-toned electric upright quicksilver keyboard articubass lines cushion the wilder latlon that rivals Art
flights of saxophonist Coat Tatum's legendary dexterity
Cooke and drummer Gregg with a 21st century melodic
Simpson (a 20-year veteran approach born out of Cecil
of Vancouver's most probing Taylor and modern "serljazz ensembles). The impro- ous" music, yet steeped In
visatlons are chancy enough exclusively Pllmleyesque ecto encourage edge-of-chair centriclties and flourishes.
attention, but the strongly At the moment. he's promelodic themes that trigger bably the West Coast's prime
them are also sweet enough candidate for International
not to Immediately alienate Jazz acclaim, and he's althe more conservative listenways a rivetting performer.
ers. There would be a place
Jean Beaudet, also a
for this band In pop music if pianist. shares many characpop weren't so relentlessly
terlstics with Plimley, aldumb. Or Is It deaf?
though his individual style is
After the electrified rushes
not quite so fully evolved and
of opening night, things sethis rhythmic sense Is not as
tie Into a groove with a Jazz acute. He is, however, an
party at the grunt gallery,
equally gifted composer. a
featuring singer and New Orwriter of powerful. moving
chestra Workshop organizer melodic lines, and as a bandKate Hammett-Vaughan's leader he has assembled an
new band, and the latest ver- ensemble of Montreal's flnslon of saxophonist Bruce est, Including the kinetic
Freedman's Chief Feature.
percussionist Michel Ratte,
This should be a good opporthe extravagantly hard-drlvtunlty for people Interested
ing saxophonist Yannlck
In Vancouver's new jazz Rieu, and the big-toned
community to meet and sobassist Normand Guilbeault.
ciallze with Its principals,
We missed their appearance
while viewing some pro- at last year's Jazz festival.
vocative contemporary art.
but on the evidence of their
Bruce Freedman and Kate
recent LP release, they'll be
Hammett-Vaughan are both an exceptionally dynamic
best known for things other live act.
than their creative Jazz
All of the Time Flies conwork. For years Freedman certs will have their Intense
was recognized as the hot,
SEE PAGE JS

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AFTER ALL
IN CONCERT - SAT. OCT. 29 - TOWN PUMP

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