jazz festivals, Canada

Salt Spring Jazz Fest
June 19-21
Salt Spring Island, B.C.

Grassroots Festival Grows to International Stature

The third annual Salt Spring Jazz Festival runs June 19-21 on the lovely west coast island. Featuring two days of music in concert and educational settings, the grassroots festival is quickly growing to become an internationally recognized event, with artists this year coming from as far away as New York while showcasing some great local talent.

SALT SPRING JAZZ FEST SCHEDULE

JUNE 19

Pretzel Logic Orchestra (Victoria)
Moby’s Pub

Tribute to Steely Dan with Tom Bowler (guitar, vocals), Don McMeckan (guitar, vocals), Karel Roessingh (keyboards), Joey Smith (bass, vocal), Joe Kovacs (drums, vocal), Doug Awai (saxophone), Toni Hammond (vocals)

JUNE 20

Kat Danser (Edmonton)
The Local

Slide guitar player and vocalist Kat is known for her ’swampy blues’ style and outstanding songwriting skills.

Peter Taschuk Quartet (Salt Spring)
ArtSpring Theatre

Guitarist Peter Taschuk and trumpeter Derrick Milton form an all-Saltspring quartet to open for Ingrid Jensen Quartet. Joining them are Ian Van Wyck (bass) and Jose Sanchez (drums).

Ingrid Jensen Quartet - featuring Christine Jensen (New York, Montreal)
ArtSpring Theatre

Talented sisters Ingrid and Christine Jensen are from the west coast and have built their careers in New York and Montreal respectively. Trumpeter Ingrid and saxophonist Christine are joined by Jon Wikan (drums, percussion), Sean Cronin (bass) and Dawn Clement (piano),

JUNE 21

Sue Newman
Treehouse

Vocalist and composer Sue Newman is joined by Ian Van Wyck (bass) and Norris Clement (keyboards) for a night of jazz song.

Emily Braden Trio (Victoria)
Treehouse

Jazz vocalist Emily Braden is known for her work fronting multiple jazz trios including Sean Drabbitt’s Jaco Pastorius tribute band, as well as R&B, soul and Latin groups.

Jose Sanchez Cuban Dance Party (Vancouver, Salt Spring)
Treehouse

Master percussionist Jose Sanchez, who hails from Cuba, is joined by Antonio Delgado on keyboard, Fito Garcia on bass and Monik Nordine from Salt Spring Island.

for more info visit www.saltspringjazzfest.org

blues music awards

Blues Music Awards
2008 Winners

Event held for the first time in the birthplace of the blues

The Blues Music Awards ceremony was held in the Mississippi Delta, the birthplace of the blues, for the first time in their 29 year history earlier this week, when the prestigious event took place at the Grand Casino and Hotel in Tunica, Mississippi on Thursday, May 8th.

Honouring outstanding achievements in Blues performance, the Blues Music Awards (formally known as the Handy Awards) are considered by many to be the “Grammys” of the blues world and recognize excellence in blues performance and recording. Awards were handed out in twenty-five categories and were selected by the Blues Foundation member’s votes.

More than 65 nominees were confirmed to attend the event, many of whom performed throughout the evening, often in rare pairings for which the awards ceremony has become famous.

The previous night, the Blues Foundation held its induction ceremony for the Blues Hall of Fame, honouring the individual achievements of guitarists Hubert Sumlin and Johnny “Guitar” Watson, pianist Jimmy McCracklin, singer Jimmy Weatherspoon, pre-WWII string band the Mississippi Sheiks, and country blues performer Peetie Wheatstraw.

for more info visit www.blues.org

2008 Blues Music Award Winners

1. DVD - Kenny Wayne Shepherd – 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads

2. Traditional Blues Male Artist - Hubert Sumlin

3. Traditional Blues Female Artist - Koko Taylor

4. Acoustic Artist - Bobby Rush

5. Acoustic Album Bobby Rush - Raw

6. Pinetop Perkins Piano Player - Honey Piazza

7. Instrumentalist-Guitar - Bob Margolin

8. Soul Blues Male Artist - Bobby Rush

9. Soul Blues Female Artist - Irma Thomas

10. Soul Blues Album - The Holmes Brothers – State of Grace

11. Historical Album - Epic/Legacy – Breakin’ It UP, Breakin’ it DOWN

12. Contemporary Blues Album - Tommy Castro - Painkiller

13. Contemporary Blues Female Artist - Bettye LaVette

14. Contemporary Blues Male Artist - Tab Benoit

15. Instrumentalist-Harmonica - Kim Wilson

16. Instrumentalist-Bass - Bob Stroger

17. Instrumentalist-Drums - Sam Lay

18. Instrumentalist-Horn - Deanna Bogart

19. Instrumentalist-Pedal Steel- Robert Randolph

20. Best New Artist Debut - Diunna Greenleaf & Blue Mercy – Cotton Field to Coffee House

21. Song - “Gonna Buy Me a Mule” – Koko Taylor

22. Traditional Blues Album - Koko Taylor – Old School

23. Album - Watermelon Slim & the Workers – The Wheel Man

24. Band - Watermelon Slim & the Workers

25. B.B. King Entertainer - Tommy Castro

live jazz, Canada

Art of Jazz Celebration
June 4-8
Distillery District, Toronto

International & Canadian Jazz Legends to Headline Event

Organizers for the 3rd annual Art of Jazz celebration, ‘Global Jazz’, slated to run June 4-8 in Toronto’s Distillery District, have announced this year’s lineup of jazz greats.

Headline artists include Brazilians Hermeto Pascoal and Egberto Gismonti, The Cindy Blackman Quartet, Sheila Jordan & Steve Kuhn, Randy Weston & Billy Harper, Kelly Lee Evans, Elizabeth Shepherd and more.

Other highlights include clinics and workshops, including the ‘Jazz for Juniors’ program, as well as a tribute to CODA Magazine and Sackville Records founder John Norris, who has been named as recipient of the Art of Jazz Lifetime Achievement Award. Also receiving the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards are Brazilian multi-instrumentalists Hermeto Pascoal and Egberto Gismonti.

The Art of Jazz event will take place on three outdoor stages as well as venues in the Distillery District.

ART OF JAZZ SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

THURSDAY, JUNE 5

8:00 PM
Fermenting Cellar
Tribute Concert - Celebrating Jazz Icon John Norris

This historic concert honours founder of CODA Magazine and Sackville Records John Norris and features performances by the Wray Downes Quartet (with Reg Schwager, Dave Young and Ethan Ardelli), The Dan Block Quintet (with Mark Eisenman, Steve Wallace and Terry Clarke), a rare solo set by Randy Weston and a big band performance led by longtime Norris colleague Jim Galloway. Hosted by Toronto jazz presence and close Norris friend Ted O’Reilly, the evening will also feature guest performances by Phil Nimmons, Gene DiNovi and Andrew Scott and remarks about Norris by O’Reilly and Bill Smith.

FRIDAY, JUNE 6

7:30PM
Fermenting Cellar
Duo Series - Randy Weston and Billy Harper

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see this accomplished master of the jazz piano at close range with his very special guest, legendary tenor saxophonist Billy Harper.

10:00 PM
Fermenting Cellar
Afro Cuban Party

Don’t miss this event favourite! This jazz Latin dance party will feature a powerhouse band with special surprise soloists.

SATURDAY, JUNE 7

2:00 PM
Dancemaker’s Theatre
Duo Concert - Sheila Jordan and Steve Kuhn

Legendary vocalist Sheila Jordan and pianist extraordinaire Steve Kuhn offer up a unique duo sound with Kuhn’s evocative piano work providing the perfect match to Jordan’s masterful minimalist vocals.

8:00 PM
Fermenting Cellar
Tribute Concert

Hermeto Pascoal with the Art of Jazz Orchestra, conducted by Jovino Santos Neto
Multi-instrumentalist, visionary composer, musical maverick and Art of Jazz 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Hermeto Pascoal will premier new music written for big band performed with the Art of Jazz Orchestra conducted by Jovino Santos Neto.

SUNDAY, JUNE 8

8:00 PM
Fermenting Cellar
Tribute Concert- Egberto Gismonti

Winner of this year’s International Art of Jazz Lifetime Achievement Award, the prolific Egberto Gismonti will present a wide array of musical works drawn from a career that has spanned over 3 decades.

4:00 PM
Boiler House
Cindy Blackman Quartet

With a power and dexterity on the drum kit that shatters any sexual stereotypes about female instrumentalists, Blackman performs at the Art of Jazz with J.D. Allen on tenor sax, bassist George Mitchell, and young guitar sensation Fionn O’Lachlainn.

for more info visit www.artofjazz.org