MUSICAL MEMORIES
Regina Jazz Society presents Saskatchewan Suite, a melodious ode to provincial history
To a trained ear, a jazz shuffle sounds like a powwow drum beat. At least, to Fred Stride’s ear it does.
“It just really jumped out of the speakers to me and I went, ‘Oh, well maybe there’s a way in,’” said Stride, who sought out Cree powwow recordings at the Vancouver Public Library.
A Vancouver-based performer, bandleader, composer, arranger and teacher, Stride was commissioned to write the Saskatchewan Suite.
He’ll also direct the première performance on Saturday in Regina, featuring an all-star lineup of musicians rooted in the province.
“Nobody’s really written a story in music, telling the story of Saskatchewan in music,” said Peter Champagne, president of the Regina Jazz Society, who said he thought of this project around the time of Canada 150.
For Saskatchewan’s centennial in 2005, Ken Mitchell wrote a book about the province’s jazz history, and the Regina Jazz Society hosted a concert the following year in the same vein.
“Jazz has always been present in the province and even from early on, the Louis Armstrongs, Duke Ellingtons, all came up to Saskatchewan to play, so it’s certainly all part of our culture,” said Champagne.
This project is different because it’s “telling the music of Saskatchewan, not just the music of jazz that was cultivated over that first 100 years of the province.”
To write the hour-long suite, which has eight distinct movements or parts, Stride spent a lot of time researching. Bill Waiser’s history books were a good source.
“I probably spent more time on planning how I would do it than I may have spent actually putting notes on the paper, so to speak,” said Stride. “When you’re asked to write something that encompasses such a huge image of culture and place and people and everything else, and you’ve only got 60 minutes, and it’s a jazz band, so where do you draw those lines? So that took a lot of time.”
Writing a jazz suite — especially for a big band — is different from writing for an orchestra, said Stride, because “you want to have places for the players to contribute their own creativity, so their improvised solos in particular. Well, if you write a piece of music that’s five minutes long, how much of that is going to be the improvised thing? Certainly not four minutes of it.”
Stride narrowed in on eight themes for the project.
“He’s certainly touching on what represents all of us as a people here in Saskatchewan over the last 150plus years,” said Champagne.
One piece relates to First Nations people: “As we get toward the end of that movement ... I hope it strikes people as positive and regal and powerful, a lot of strength; and that we see in the people that were here first,” said Stride.
One is about the province’s sports history, including curling.
“When the drummer plays with wire brushes, there’s sweeping or stirring on the drumhead or on the cymbal, and I thought that that might be a perfect kind of sonic analogy for maybe curling. So that was kind of fun to do,” said Stride.
One movement is dedicated to a specific person, namely Tommy Douglas, whom Stride said touched every individual Canadian as the father of the country’s health care. Stride aimed for a “hymn-like” sound as Douglas was a minister before entering politics.
One movement draws from Eastern European folk music, while another focuses on Métis culture.
The Saskatchewan Suite concert is on Dec. 28, 8 p.m. at the Casino Regina Show Lounge. Tickets start at $60 at casinoregina.com. Tables are available for purchase at jazzregina.ca. Stride also curated the first hour of the concert, which will feature songs by Saskatchewan musicians.
THE PLAYERS
“This is an all-star ensemble that the jazz society has put together,” said Stride.
“We’re bringing back these people from all over the world,” said Champagne.
“They’re from Germany and New York and Vegas and Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary ...”
The band includes 22 sponsored musicians.
That list includes: Jon Ballantyne on piano; Dave Dick on bass trombone; Brent Ghiglione on trumpet; Shawn Grocott on lead trombone; Miles Hill on bass; Kelly Jefferson on lead tenor saxophone; Steve Kaldestad on tenor sax; Donny Kennedy on alto sax; Andy King on trumpet; Dean Mcneill on lead trumpet; Ed Minevich on violin; Dave Mossing on trumpet; Al Muirhead on trumpet; Heidi Munro on vocals; Krystle Pederson on vocals; PJ Perry on lead alto sax; Trent Reschny on baritone sax; Tom Richards on trombone; Jack Semple on guitar; Ross Ulmer on trombone; Ted Warren on drums; and Dylan Wiest on vibraphone.
Jazz has always been present in the province ... the Louis Armstrongs, Duke Ellingtons, all came up to Saskatchewan to play ...