10th annual Edmonton International Jazz Festival overflows with talent

Most music festivals need a wave of artists to attract the crowds. However, the 10th edition of the Edmonton International Jazz Festival has found powerhouse entertainment with two major artists.

Joe Lovano, one of today’s most heralded saxophonist/composers pairs up in a double bill with the eloquent cool stylings of Gregory Porter on June 30 at the Winspear Centre.

Use any adjective for the two Grammy Award winning artists such as “great,” “iconic,” “illustrious,” or “formidable,” and you’d be spot on.

A giant among giants, Lovano is one of the world’s premiere tenor sax players. He has earned praise for both his compelling saxophone tone and forward-thinking musical ideas.

Blue Note Records describes Lovano as a musician who “creates music that is brainy and brawny, earthy and urbane.”

As for Porter, he is a velvet-voiced jazz/blues/soul/gospel singer who wins hearts on both sides of he Atlantic.

The London Telegraph compares his mellow baritone to honey.

“You could take a bath in that voice and it seems like a lot of people around the world are happy to do just that,” writes Neil McCormick.

Edmonton Jazz Fest producer Kent Sangster adds to the praise.

“Gregory has a beautiful voice and is very charming. And Lovano has a long history in jazz. He was part of the Saxophone Summit with Michael Brecker and Joshua Redman of Tenor Legacy.”

However, the festival’s success hinges on more than just Lovano and Porter. About 70 events with 250 musicians at nine locations (both indoor and outdoor) are booked from June 24 to July 3.

Whether you are a hard-core jazz fiend or a first-timer, the 10-day festival tries to satisfy every taste. It unites everything from swing, practiced standards, bebop, vocal jazz, funk, avant-garde, contemporary, house, dance as well as drum and bass under the same umbrella.

Sangster continues to expand the boundaries of musical excellence whether it’s through intimate club shows, cabaret-style dance parties, free outdoor concerts and international touring acts.

His motto this year is “It’s not who you know. It’s who you don’t know.” And that is a pretty persuasive challenge to see first hand either new artists or established names.

Marquee concerts

There are two marquee events that Sangster is eager to publicize. The first is an intriguing combination of Japan’s Soil & “Pimp” Sessions with New York’s Moon Hooch On July 27 at the Myer Horowitz Theatre.

Soil & “Pimp” call their music “death jazz” packed with the funk and force of rock and roll. It is brand of jazz that’s rough around the edges and keeps the entertainment at a steady boiling point. The cool sextet is recognized for its aggressive form of alternative jazz that breaks the unwritten rules.

“They’re like the Shuffle Demons of the ’80s. They get dressed in these funky suits that are lot of fun.”

Instead Moon Hooch is a trio as committed to their music as environmentalism, veganism, philosophy and peace. They were discovered on a modest New York City subway platform playing dance party music. They’ve gone from busking to touring with They Might Be Giants, Lotus and Galactic.

“They’re really good musicians. They mix sounds, use electronics and jump on stage. They’re a group where younger audiences really connect.”

The second marquee event is a special tribute to Benny Goodman featuring Dave Bennett, Tommy Banks and former Legal singer Rollanda Lee. In this salute to the King of Swing held June 29 at the John L. Haar Theatre, Bennett reveals his extraordinary clarinet chops.

“It’s uncanny how much he looks like Benny Goodman,” Sangster added.

International acts

When a festival is mid-size and distant from other major centres, it can be expensive to import international acts, the life-blood for growth and expansion of musical ideas.

Fortunately with the Rochester Music Festival acting as a pipeline for international singers and groups, Edmonton is offering an eclectic variety of fresh faces.

One exciting group to perform at the festival is Hungary’s Djabe (means freedom). It is the number one jazz/world fusion band in Hungary and musicians compose their own jazz mixed with elements of Hungarian folk and African music. Djabe performs a cabaret series at the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre (OSPAC) on July 2.

Also from across the pond is Norway’s Arild Andersen Trio. Arild is hailed as an award-winning virtuoso jazz bassist and composer. Since 2007 he has toured with saxophonist Tommy Smith, founder/director of the respected Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and Paolo Vinaccia is an Italian drummer, percussionist, composer.

Apart they are much-in-demand musicians. Together they give jazz a new centre of gravity. The trio’s performance is June 29 at the Yardbird Suite.

The Yardbird

The Yardbird is one of Sangster’s favourite venues to program experimental or eclectic styles of jazz and this year it is a series of non-stop shows throughout the 10 days. Three special events are worth mentioning.

Jacky Terrasson Trio starts off on June 25. Born in Berlin to an American mother and French father, the cosmopolitan Terrasson is one of the most widely travelled jazz pianists.

A brilliant technician, his controlled velocity and fluidity on the keys combined with the sense of phrasing and knowledge of great composers such as Ravel and Debussy set him apart as one of the great jazz pianists of our time.

Later in the week on Canada Day, the Edmonton Jazz Orchestra once again makes its mark with special guests jazz trumpeter Bob Tildesley and guitarist Mike Rud.

“Bob has never been featured at the festival. And I realized it was a no-brainer. Bob is one of the most in-demand recording artists around. And Mike Rud won a Juno last year and he’s represented Edmonton extremely well,” Sangster said.

The third concert on July 2 is a stop on Oliver Jones retirement tour. The octogenarian doesn’t just play jazz. He is jazz.

Jones has lived a full life in the music community and left a shining impression of his great talent, warmth and humility. Gifted with amazing technique he first studied classical music before wandering into many varied musical styles. But jazz was always his first love and he continues to enthrall audiences wherever he plays.

Local artists

St. Albert drummer Thom Bennett as part of A/B Trio pounds the skins at CafĂ© Blackbird on Canada Day while another local drummer/teacher/record studio producer Sandro Dominelli and his trio kicks it up a notch on July 2 at OSPCA’s late night spotlight.

Audrey Ochoa, one of Edmonton’s most prolific trombone players helps to open the festival on June 24 with a blend of jazz, pop and world music. Former Edmonton jazz musician John Stetch, now currently based in Harlem, returns to his hometown on June 25 with a night of piano jazz. Both shows are presented at as OSPCA’s late night spotlight series.

Free concerts

Anyone who enjoys the casual outdoor atmosphere of jazz can drop by various shows throughout the festival.

On June 25, a pancake breakfast is held at OSPAC with entertainment from the Joel Gray Quintet playing traditional jazz. And then from 12 until 4 p.m., the Peter Belec Quartet takes over. Belec, a St. Albert musician, has carved a niche as a nimble guitarist.

“Peter is very thorough. I like his band. They do quirky rewrites of pop tunes and he’ll reach more people,” noted Sangster.

Sangster is also bringing back Jazz in the Park after a two-year absence. This time, it will be held in Big Miller Park next to the Yardbird Suite on July 2.

Additionally there will be a series of free concerts at Churchill Square in downtown Edmonton. The shows introduce Marc Beaudin, Magilla Funk Conduit featuring Brett Miles, the MacEwan Jazz Combo, Blue Moon Marquee, the Berner Brothers and the Becker Brothers as well as the John Sweenie 4Tet.

Sandro Dominelli, a true Canadian luminary, has participated in Edmonton’s jazz festivals for two decades. In that time, he’s watched more area musicians become sharper and gain a stronger foothold at the festival.

“I get more out of it as I grow older. I get more out of the music as I grow older. I realize how special and fortunate I am to play music especially in a city like Edmonton with our population. To have a festival here with Joe Lovano and Gregory Porter is incredible. I understand what it takes to put on a festival, what it takes to maintain it and I feel more privileged to be part of it.”

A full schedule of shows is available at edmontonjazz.com.