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THE 2006 ART OF JAZZ CELEBRATION
It started with an idea by Jane Bunnett (a major soprano-saxophonist and flutist), her husband trumpeter Larry
Cramer, pianist-educator Howard Rees and jazz advocate Bonnie Lester. Together they formed the Art Of Jazz, a
nonprofit organization in Toronto, Canada whose goal is to help jazz through educational events, the formation of the
Art Of Jazz Orchestra, concerts, clinics and an annual five-day festival. I was fortunate enough to attend the first
annual Art Of Jazz Celebration.
Held in the historic Distillery District in Toronto, the main events took place at an attractive theater (the Young Center
for the Performing Arts), there were jam sessions at a large hall (the Fermenting Cellar) and clinics were conducted in
a smaller venue (the Gibsone Jessop Gallery). Although many of the musicians stayed at the Delta Hotel East in
distant Scarborough (so far away that it was referred to as Scarberia), all of the events took place on time with the
constant driving being undertaken by a small and hardworking crew of volunteers.
While there is no language difference, numbers often seem to have a different meaning in Canada then in the U.S.
Canadians use $1 and $2 coins (there are no longer any $1 bills), measure the temperature in Celsius (so 11
degrees is not quite as cold as it sounds) and cars often go 110 because speedometers are in kilometers. If you get
on a scale, you'll be in for a surprise!
Some of us joked about coming to Toronto to enjoy its summer weather for it was cold, windy and often rainy during
the entire week in late May. No matter, the jazz was worth it.
Due to a series of bizarre mishaps (when traveling to Canada, always have a passport or at least your birth
certificate!), I missed the Art Of Jazz’s opening Wednesday night party which featured singer Ranee Lee and many of
the other participants.
Thursday’s main event was a tribute to the great bebop pianist Barry Harris. 87-year old pianist Hank Jones started
the first of the two concerts with a solo version of “Oh What A Beautiful Morning” that was both complex and melodic,
a bit reminiscent of Art Tatum. Joined by bassist Earl May and drummer Leroy Williams, Jones encored with “On
Green Dolphin Street.” Next, the guest of honor performed an original ballad and an inventive medley that included a
waltz, a classical-type piece and “Prelude To A Kiss.” When Harris started “Easy To Love,” Jimmy Slyde tap-danced
in the audience. Slyde, who is 79, seeing that there were no steps directly to the stage, lifted himself onstage with his
hand so he could join Harris, quite a feat. Jimmy Slyde’s constantly changing and witty dance steps would have been
remarkable if performed by someone who was 49 much less 79, and he easily stole the show. Jones returned to be
part of a two-piano quartet with Harris on “What Is This Thing Called Love” and, halfway through the song, altoist
Charles McPherson joined in, turning the piece into “Hot House.” “All The Things You Are” featured McPherson and
Jones in a quartet, with the alto sounding at his most passionate. The closing number, which had all six musicians on
stage (and Leroy Williams sounding a lot like Max Roach in the 1940s), started out as “I Remember April” before
somehow returning to “All The Things You Are.”
The second show used the same format but an almost completely different repertoire. Jones played “Polka Dots And
Moonbeams” as his solo number and performed “Woody’n You” with the trio. Harris was featured on “The Summer
Knows” and played “Perdido” behind Jimmy Slyde who really tore the place apart. An out-of-tempo duet by Harris and
Slyde on “My Ideal” was quite humorous, featuring tap-dancing on the ballad which was turned into a waltz. Harris
sang/talked his own lyrics to “Embraceable You” while backed by pianist David Virelles (a fine talent from Cuba),
Jones and Harris collaborated on “Star Eyes” with McPherson making an entrance and the quartet dug into “I’ll
Remember April” and “Darn That Dream” with Jones sounding close to Bud Powell. Charlie Parker’s “Au Privave”
closed the show in heated fashion.
The next night’s tribute to Don Thompson was also very impressive. Thompson, a Canadian jazz treasure, is equally
skilled on vibes, piano and bass. In these two shows, he was featured on all three of his axes. Thompson and
drummer Terry Clarke were part of John Handy’s famous group that was the hit of the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival
and they were both long-time members of the Jim Hall Trio. Both altoist Handy and guitarist Hall were part of the
festivities (this was the first time they had ever played together), along with bassist Dave Holland and Phil Dwyer
(heard on tenor and piano). As with the Barry Harris show, the personnel changed with each song although in this
case the repertoire was very similar on both sets. While the first half was more emotional, Handy had trouble with a
sticking key on his alto, which was completely fixed in time for the slightly superior second set. “Birdbath,” Thompson’
s original minor blues with a bridge, featured all of the players with Dwyer on piano, Thompson on vibes and Holland’s
thunderous solo taking honors. “Basin Street Blues” had Handy playing soulfully while the Handy-Thompson-Clarke
trio swung “It Could Happen To You.” “Groovin’ High” had the opening lineup (without Dwyer) but was overshadowed
by an unaccompanied solo showcase for Dave Holland that was quite outstanding. Jim Hall was heard in a duet with
Holland on “Skylark” and with Thompson and Clarke on “My Funny Valentine,” showing that he is still one of the most
adventurous (and quietest) guitarists on the scene. Phil Dwyer stood in for Sonny Rollins, purposely sounding just
like him on “Without A Song,” a song that Rollins had recorded with Jim Hall 44 years ago for the famous The Bridge
album. During “In A Sentimental Mood” and an uptempo “If I Were A Bell,” Dwyer sounded closer to Michael Brecker
and the closing “Just Friends” featured the full sextet. The second set had “It Could Happen To You” replaced by “St.
Louis Blues” and dropped “In A Sentimental Mood” and “If I Were A Bell.” In both cases, the performances ended with
a long-standing ovation for Don Thompson, who was constantly given applause by the other musicians during the
heart-warming performances.
Saturday and Sunday had four very different duos. Altoist Sonny Fortune and drummer Rashied Ali played a truly
remarkable version of “Impressions” which lasted 108 minutes without ever slowing down. Fortune’s opening solo was
89 minutes, the longest improvisation I’ve ever seen. He never ran out of ideas, passion, logic or intensity, using
circular breathing now and then along with complex patterns. At the end of the piece when Fortune and Ali talked to
the audience, neither one was out of breath!
Sheila Jordan is one of the most beloved singers in jazz for she gives so much of herself to audiences. Teamed with
the brilliant and hard-working bassist Cameron Brown, her voice was heard in prime form on such numbers as Oscar
Brown Jr.’s “Hum Drum Blues,” “Mood Indigo,” a medley of tunes inspired by Fred Astaire, “Baltimore Oriole,” “You
Must Believe In Spring, ” “Better Than Anything,” “Dat Dere,” “Confirmation” and a medley of “Blue Skies,” “All Blues”
and “Freddie Freeloader.” A constant improviser, Sheila Jordan also sang about needing to get a good meal, her
appreciation of the string bass (on “I’ve Grown Accustomed To the Bass”), her life and Barry Harris (who was in the
audience) in addition to doing a brief imitation of Julie Andrews on “I Could Have Danced All Night.” She was visibly
touched by the long, enthusiastic and well-deserved standing ovation.
Pianist Kenny Barron and trumpeter Eddie Henderson were a logical matchup. On their first few numbers, Henderson
was mostly muted and, since the repertoire included “On Green Dolphin Street,” “All Blues” and “’Round Midnight,”
the set seemed in danger of being merely a Miles Davis tribute. However Henderson finally took the mute out of his
horn, sounding more like Freddie Hubbard, and Barron was in wondrous form on such numbers as “Infant Eyes,”
“Well You Needn’t,” “The Very Thought Of You,” an uptempo “Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise” and “Blue Monk.”
The final duet performance was by Ravi Coltrane and pianist Luis Perdomo. Coltrane, playing tenor other than one
appearance on soprano, has really evolved and grown through the years. His complex solos on originals and a few
standards (Ornette Coleman’s “Blues Connotation,” “Soul Eyes,” “Epistrophy” and “Evidence”), were quite original
while Perdomo showed that he is a rather masterful player himself. Their duets had the most advanced music of the
festival.
Other events that took place throughout the festival included late-night jam sessions by local players, outside
concerts (which were quickly moved inside due to the wind and rain) from unannounced local groups, fine moments
from blues singer-harmonicat-accordionist Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone, Sunday afternoon performances of Slim Gaillard
songs for children, and clinics conducted by Hank Jones, Barry Harris, Sheila Jordan, pianist Hilario Duran and
percussionist Francisco Mela. There was also a Saturday night salsa party with the New Orleans Soul Rebels (similar
to the Dirty Dozen Brass Band), Jane Bunnett’s Radio Guantanamo and two long sets from Ricky Franco’s Salsa
Orchestra, with guest appearances from the dazzling trumpet of Ray Vega. The erratic sound quality, a few overly
loud singers and an excess of non-jazz material kept this “Salsa Meets Jazz” night from reaching its potential although
it did attract an overflow crowd.
The final major concert of the weekend was the debut of the Art Of Jazz Orchestra. Conducted by John McLeod
(whose flugelhorn solos recalled Kenny Wheeler), the 17-piece big band performed modern mainstream originals
from a variety of top Canadians. Its lineup included such notables as Ray Vega, tenor-saxophonist Kirk MacDonald,
altoists Campbell Ryga and Luis Deniz, trombonist Tom Walsh, Howard Johnson (featured on both baritone sax and
tuba), bassist Keiran Overs, drummer Ted Warner and guests Barry Harris (who played his “Nascimento”), Jane
Bunnett (in the spotlight for Don Pullen’s “Big Alice”) and Don Thompson. As impressive as the two sets were, the
emotional highpoint was performed by a sextet (with trumpeter Larry Cramer, trombonist Tom Walsh, Thompson and
bassist Cameron Brown); a recreation of George Russell’s radical reworking of “You Are My Sunshine” with Sheila
Jordan which was last performed in 1962.
All in all, it made for a memorable festival. The first Art Of Jazz Celebration ranked favorably with the much larger and
more established Canadian jazz festivals. For more information on future events, contact www.artofjazz.org.