Jazz pianist gives her audience what they want
Who: Laila Biali When: Saturday Where: The Bassment What: Though you can get music of all kinds at the SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival, there’s still plenty of jazz on offer. Jazz pianist and singer Laila Biali is playing the Bassment with a unique concert style. Dubbed Requestomatic, the shows finds Biali using her jazz knowledge to perform the best in pop, rock, soul and more. She invites audience members to submit song requests — in any genre — in advance and then performs her new arrangements each evening. Since starting Requestomatic in 2013, the concert style has become a signature. Her current tour of 12 North American cities is the first official Requestomatic tour. Songs can be requested on Biali’s Facebook page.
Biali’s most recent album is Live in Concert, which followed the studio release Tracing Light. She plays unconventional instruments like the glockenspiel, ukulele and sitar. She plans to release a pop-oriented co-production with her husband Ben Wittman later this year or in 2015. Biali will also debut a new jazz project of original music featuring songwriters like Ron Sexsmith. Her tour features Juno-Award-winning saxophonist Phil Dwyer, violinist Hugh Marsh, cellist/vocalist Kevin Fox, bassist George Koller and drummer Larnell Lewis. Who: Mac DeMarco When: Wednesday Where: Amigos What: Duncan, B. C., born, Edmonton-raised Mac DeMarco spent his formative years in bands with names like The Meat Cleavers, The Sound of Love and Outdoor Miners, but he’s having lots of success with his own name. Salad Days, recorded in a tiny bedroom studio, is getting lots of critical love since its release in April. Now based in Brooklyn, DeMarco recently gave an inside look into his bizarre creative world in the Pitchfork documentary Pepperoni Playboy. The 30-minute film shows the mad musician feasting at an over-the-top banquet with bandmates, playing in Asia and touring his studio. This might just be the weirdest show at this year’s SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival. Who: Sean Viloria When: Saturday Where: Capitol Music Club
What: If you need something to do after Ben Harper plays the Bessborough Gardens, Saskatoon musician Sean Viloria has just the thing. Sean Viloria and the Outcast Empyre is the latest offering from the tunesmith. The album mixes soul, funk, reggae, hip hop and blues and features appearances by Shaun Verreault, Scotty Hills, Tim Vaughn, Tonye Aganaba and more. The album is slated for a winter release. Harper is one of his biggest influences, Viloria said in an email, and inspired him to learn the Weissenborn slide guitar. He added he hopes people, including Harper, will join them after the jazz fest show. Tickets are $10 at the door or in advance. Local singer- songwriter Paul Kuzbik opens the show. Doors open at 9 p.m.