Honour for jazz trio
Montreal jazz fest win coincides with rave from DownBeat
Alberta jazz act the Hutchinson Andrew Trio has returned from the recently completed Montreal International Jazz Festival with accolades and an award that carries a lot of clout.
“We’re pretty excited,” says Kodi Hutchinson, the trio’s bassist. “This is a pretty big deal, especially for an Alberta band.”
The threesome, which includes Edmonton-based pianist Chris Andrew and Hutchinson’s fellow Calgarian, drummer Karl Schwonik, returned west after winning the prestigious TD Grand Jazz Award, besting nine other acts and ensembles from across the country.
The juried award carries with it a cash prize, recording time in a Montreal studio, a closing night concert, and an invitation to return next year. But more importantly, it holds an incredible amount of clout that comes from having the Montreal jazz fest name and reputation backing it up as well as a 30-year history that has given a boost to the careers of notables such as the Hugh Fraser Quintet and other Albertans such as the John Stetch Trio.
Hutchinson, who hosts weekly CKUA program A Time For Jazz, says he and his acoustic trio originally applied to merely perform in Montreal this year, but were asked by organizers to compete on the strength of their latest album, the fittingly titled Prairie Modern, which was released on his own label.
During the festival, the almost 10-year veterans had to perform an hour-long set, 30 minutes of which were judged by a panel made up of industry bigwigs. And then they went home to wait.
“I was so stunned I just sat there silent for a moment” KODI HUTCHINSON JAZZ MUSICIAN
“We’d seen the list of competitors we were up against, and there were some pretty heavy names on the list. ... We thought we did well, but we’re from Alberta, we thought, ‘Well, who knows what’s going to happen?’ ” Hutchinson says.
“And then the phone rang and it was Montreal, and the woman said, ‘You’ve won.’ I was so stunned I just sat there silent for a moment to the point where she asked if I was still on the phone.
“It was pretty big news for us and all three of us were shocked but absolutely elated.”
They’re emotions he also affixes to the other news the trio recently received — that the same album was named the editor’s pick for July in the online edition of jazz bible DownBeat magazine. The designation and accompanying glowing review is something Hutchinson describes as “very exciting and rare news for a Canadian band, let alone Albertan.”
And make no mistake: The musician’s recurring admission the band members’ provincial zip codes make the award and magazine mention all the more surprising speaks not of any sort of self-esteem issue but rather what he thinks is a greater hurdle for jazz musicians in the Prairies.
Yes, there’s the lack of gigs in some western cities, but there’s also that lingering idea that anyone making music of any worth would gravitate or relocate to more metropolitan centres. “We don’t feel that, personally,” he says.
“We’re very proud of where we’re from. We do realize that on a Canadian scale there still is that perception that if you’re from Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, where larger scenes are, you must be more valid than if you’re from smaller scenes.
“A thing like this really helps the cause of not only ourselves but our friends and other musicians from the Prairies.”