That old saw “When it rains, it pours,” has never been truer, than when you take a quick glance at LB’s Pub’s line-up of performing artists for the next few days.
Tonight Simon Fisk, one of Calgary’s premiere jazz bassists is playing with an incredible local ensemble that includes former St. Albert drummer Sandro Dominelli, guitarist Drew Hazlett, saxophonist Dan McDonald, pianist Stephen Kijeck and violinist John Calverley.
“It’s gonna be a kind of jam session, but we’ll be playing my music and a couple of blues standards,” says Fisk. He is releasing two albums this year on his Plunge Records label – The Great Vehicle and Let Go as part of the Jerry Granelli Trio.
In the past two years, Fisk has toured the United States as well as discovering China, Mongolia and Nepal. “I’ve always been attracted to other cultures,” says Fisk who feels a special kinship to the Buddhist spiritual path.
In fact, The Great Vehicle follows the path of letting music happen rather than imposing a will on it, says Fisk. “I find as I get older, I’ve picked up the technique. I’ve picked up the craft. If the mind questions and judges what’s happening, this path helps to find openness in the music.”
Let Go was instead more of drummer Granelli’s project. (Granelli hit the big time after recording the original A Charlie Brown Christmas. “When he asked if I wanted to be a player in his band, it was such a big step for me.”
But rather than having prepared charts for Let Go, Fisk flew to Halifax where Granelli has a studio and jammed. He brought all his electronics and plugged them in. “The first three or four days were a horror. It was hard to figure out what music to make and the pedals were getting in the way.”
Finally they unplugged the electronics and played free stuff for a while. “We tried it again and it was completely different and it ended up on the record.”
Next week, Big Dave McLean, Canada’s godfather of blues plays a double bill at Mark Ammar’s Tuesday Night Open Jam and the Thursday night Songwriters’ Showcase.
Big Dave has contributed to the blues scene for about 40 years, influencing the likes of Colin James and singer Shaun Verrautt of the trio Wide Mouth Mason.
Ammar was first introduced to Big Dave at one of his gigs at Blues on Whyte. “He was a big guy, kinda mean-looking. But he’s like a big gentle bear, a very easy-going guy.”
Now a resident of Winnipeg, the quintessential bluesman has travelled from one corner of Canada to the next, losing count of all the stops and return visits.
“He is very respected. He’s looked out for a lot of people in the music industry and put them on the right road.”
Rounding out the evening with Big Dave are Jimmy Guiboche (guitarist) and the Sleepers (drummer Grant Stovel and bass player Chris Bezinski).
Ammar’s Tuesday jam starts at 9 p.m. and the Songwriter Showcase kicks off at 8:30 p.m. LB’s is located at 23 Akins Dr. There is no cover charge for the three evenings.
