JAZZ FOR ALL TASTES
As musicians of all stripes struggle to find performance opportunities, three of the city's most accomplished saxophonist bandleaders have cooked up some great options for fans of jazz and blues.
It's no surprise Dave Babcock is currently straddling two different bands — and sounds.
“I'm excited at both possibilities,” he says, “and just being able to perform live again means so much when you haven't been able to. That shared experience is the real payoff.”
There's a new, weekly Saturday Jazz Matinee at Spotlight Cabaret that sees the reedman-singer fronting his Jump Trio with Chris Andrew on keys, Rubim de Toledo on bass, and Jamie Cooper drumming. They play two sets at the venue, 8217 104 St., reservation tickets are $12 at spotlightcabaret.ca.
It's a continuation of the jump orchestra concept Babcock fashioned more than 20 years ago with a repertoire that combs through retro jazz classics with that bouncy jump spirit, occasional ballads and originals, too.
Babcock then reignites a bluesy angle with The Nightkeepers — together on and off for the past decade, the band taps classic rhythm and blues, leaning into vintage Texas and jump grooves, and adding more original tunes. His Rockin' Highliners compatriot Alex Herriot picks guitar alongside David Aide, a.k.a. Rooster Davis, on keyboards, bassist Harry Gregg and Cooper's drums again. Babcock is a versatile player but the saxophonist excels in bluesy jazz and the Nightkeepers are a great inspiration to that.
The Nightkeepers shows are virtual-only in keeping with the Yardbird's current policy and both sets run 7-9:30 p.m., with tickets $10, and $8 for students/seniors at yardbirdsuite.com.
Like so many, Babcock faced a new realization of how precarious a musical career can be through the pandemic period.
“The music business has never been easy, but I didn't have a plan B,” he says, “so it's a struggle to not be able to do what you love to do and a quadruple whammy: you can't play, can't earn a living, can't see your fellow musicians and friends, or your audience. You can practice or write or record but you need to get out. There's practice shape and there's game shape, engaging with an audience, getting back into the swing of it.”
Babcock contributed to new recordings for the likes of Dana Wylie and Sammy Volkeov, and sorted out his personal archive built up through the course of some four decades. Taking up meditation helped him move forward through the dark days and the inevitable downtime of these past months. Eventually he hit a new realization.
“Going forward, I want to concentrate more on the music I want to play, with the people I want to play with, the more creative, musically focused shows,” he says. “The longer you're around, the more you realize that this is a precious thing, and you make it a priority.”
BIG BAND JAZZ
Talk to Don Berner and you quickly realize how much he loves big band music. Along with his serious artistry as a saxophonist, his studious knowledge of the genre suggests the second season of the Don Berner Big Band will really be something to hear when it kicks off Oct.16 in a concert called Back With Basie.
That's William (Count) Basie (1904-1984) for the uninitiated, one of the greatest bandleaders from the golden age of jazz big bands.
“The Basie band essentially created modern rhythmic concepts in jazz,” Berner says. “One reason they made you feel so good was because they crafted the contemporary idea of swing. They were going for 40 or 50 years so there are different ideas of the Basie sound but I'm trying to represent each part of that spectrum.”
He notes that popular audiences are most familiar with the Basie band on Frank Sinatra's live album Sinatra At The Sands and some of that repertoire will be included in the set list, like Fly Me To The Moon, alongside Basie instrumental staples like One O'clock Jump.
To match the Basie lineup, the band numbers 17 for this concert with five saxophones including Berner and Ray Baril on alto and Jim Brenan on tenor, three trombones, four trumpets including Joel Gray and the leader's brother Doug Berner, an expert rhythm section, and singer Kelly Alanna.
The Saturday show happens at 7:30 p.m. at Ottewell United Church, 6611 93A Ave. Tickets are $31.50, and $26 for students from tixonthesquare.ca. Tickets for the whole three-concert season of the Berner Big Band are $115, which includes the Christmas show tribute to Sinatra featuring vocalist Johnny Summers (Dec. 18), and The First Ladies Of Jazz next March 19, where four female singers (Shelley Jones, Natalie B., Renee Suchy, Kelly Alana) pay tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, Doris Day, Dinah Washington and the Andrews Sisters.
Berner began his inaugural big band season with two popular shows just months before the pandemic and wasn't able to finish before things shut down. He practised a lot, read a lot of books and got married in summer 2020 all while busily preparing everything for this return.
His vast experience includes gigs in the Tommy Banks Big Band and just about every other sort of ensemble. I wondered where he sees the audience for big bands today.
“I'm trying to build on a new generation of big band audiences, but this is a tricky time for live music,” Berner says. “Big band music is significant because it's enjoyable and toe-tapping. It gives audiences a point of access compared to the density of contemporary small group jazz. It's rooted in dance music but still has the jazz elements I enjoy, improvisation and swing, and I want it to be as accessible as possible.”
JUST GREAT JAZZ
Finally, that treasure of Canada's jazz scene, veteran saxophonist P.J. Perry is hanging out in his own weekly residence every Wednesday from 5–8 p.m. at Rigoletto's Cafe, 10305 100 Ave.