live blues, Calgary

Lou Pride
Friday, May 9
Shamrock Hotel, Calgary

Singer Known as the Embodiment of Southern Soul Music

Chicago blues, gospel and soul singer Lou Pride performs in Calgary for one night only at the Shamrock Hotel on Friday, May 9th.

The concert, presented by local blues supporter Gerry Garvey and the Calgary Blues Music Association, is in advance of the artist’s upcoming performance at the 2008 Calgary International Blues Festival stage in August.

Pride’s classic voice has been said to serve as a Southern soul paradigm, embodying the greatness of Bobby “Blue” Bland, Z. Z. Hill, Bobby Rush, Little Milton, Johnny, and Johnnie Taylor.

Born May 24, 1950 in Chicago, Lou Pride grew up on the north side of the Windy City, where he attended and sang gospel at the First Baptist Church, where the pastor was the Reverend E.J. Cole (father of Nat King Cole). It was after seeing BB King live in concert that he was inspired to sing the blues.

Pride spent two years performing for troops in Germany with ‘The Karls’ before returning home to form a duet with a female singer who went by the initials JLC. The pair had a Sam & Dave-type act and got along so well they married, settling in El Paso, TX.

During the early 70’s Pride cut the acclaimed singles I’m Comin’ Home in the Morn’n and I’m Not Thru With You (Seumi Records) as well as Look Out on Love, We’re Only Fooling Ourselves, You’ve Got to Work for Love and Been Such a Long Time.

1979 saw the release of Pride’s first full length album, Gone Bad For Very Special Reason, on Black Gold Records (reissued in 1988).

Returning to Chicago, he was introduced to soul giant Curtis Mayfield, with whom he cut Gone Bad Again (1990) for the Curtom label. Following the acclaimed release came Love at Last (WMB, 1996), Twisting the Knife (Ichiban Records, 1997) and I Won’t Give Up (Ice House Records, 2000). Signing to Severn Records, he’s since released Words of Caution,/I> (2002), The Memphis/El Paso Sessions 1970-2003 (2003) and Keep On Believing (2005).

for more info visit www.bluescritic.com/loupride.htm

live jazz, Canada

Brad Turner Quartet
Saturday, May 3
Cellar Jazz, Vancouver

Vancouver Club Hosts Jazz Trumpeter

Vancouver’s Jazz Cellar features one of the nation’s top jazz players when trumpeter, pianist, drummer and composer Brad Turner appears tonight with his quartet featuring Bruno Hubert (piano), Andre Lachance (bass), Dylan Van Der Schyff (drums).

Described by Mark Miller as “a kind of Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett all rolled into one,” Turner has performed and/or recorded with such noted jazz artists as Joe Lovano, Kenny Wheeler, Michael Moore, Reneé Rosnes, Achim Kaufmann, John Scofield, Ingrid Jensen, Dylan van der Schyff, Mike Murley, Mark Helias, Charles McPherson and Gary Bartz. Brad’s groups have opened for McCoy Tyner, Roy Haynes, Wayne Shorter, Clarke Terry and Diana Krall.

As a leader, Brad has released five albums, four with his quartet, the most recent being the 2005 release What Is, and one with his piano trio, the 2004 release, Question the Answer, nominated for a 2005 Canadian Urban Music Award, and a 2006 Canadian Indie Music award. In 1997 and 1998 Brad won Juno Awards for Best Contemporary Jazz Album recognizing his work in the internationally established electric jazz group Metalwood. Winner of National Jazz Awards for Jazz Trumpeter of the Year (1999), Jazz Composer of the Year (2000 and 2002), Brad was awarded Musician of the Year for 2005.

for more info visit www.bradturnermusic.com

live jazz, Canada

Edmonton Creative Musicians Collective
Concert Four: Global Interchange
Srmila Mathur, Dr. Glen Halls

Concert Four: Global Interchange

Edmonton Creative Musician’s Collective presents Concert Four: Global Interchange as part of the Explorations Concert Series.

The evening’s concert will be in two parts, with set one featuring a recital of formal Indian Classical Music starring Srmila Mathur (sitar) and Ojas Joshi (tabla). Set two features the East-West Jazz Fusion compositions of Dr. Glen Halls, who appears in a five-piece ensemble with Mathur and Joshi along with guitarist Garry Keiller and percussionist Bob Fenske.

Featuring Edmonton’s most creative musicians, these concerts will explore the spontaneous, real-time aspects of new music creation; that which is challenging, unpredictable, transient, non-repeatable.

Sharmila Mathur is considered to be the leading sitar player and teacher in Alberta, and she has always had a keen interest in participating in western music and jazz. Glen Halls, winner of numerous national and international awards for composition, also studied Indian music in Calcutta with Ajoy Chakrobarty. Come and here the most innovative and refreshingly beautiful contemporary jazz in Alberta.

One of Canada’s finest jazz musicians, Halls is considered one of the most innovative pianist/composers of his generation. The Edmonton based artist received his Ph.D. in Composition from the University of Victoria in 1995, with his work garnering numerous national and international awards since that time. Glen also has a strong interest in Indian Classical Music, and has studied in Calcutta with vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakrobarty. Hall’s current research and creative interests include the spirituality of improvisation, eastern religion, and philosophy.

Glen is the founder of Deeksha Records and Spaceless Time Records, dedicated to the promotion of contemporary jazz and improvised music. He is also the founder of the new Edmonton Creative Musicians Collective- a new music society dedicated to the promotion of creative and improvised music in his city. Additionally, Halls is the founder, director, and principle composer of the new Edmonton Art Ensemble - a large mixed ensemble in the contemporary/avante garde jazz idioms.

As an educator Halls is in great demand, and has taught at the University of Calgary, the University of Alberta, Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton, and York University in Toronto, where he served as director of the jazz program and contemporary improvisation studio.

for more info visit www.freejazz.ca/explorations.html