Hitting all the right notes
Jeff Goodspeed to receive Cobequid Art Council Lifetime Achievement Award
HALIFAX - About to receive his third lifetime achievement award during a ceremony later this month, veteran musician, teacher and director Jeff Goodspeed joked he wondered if people are trying to tell him something.
“Each time you kind of think, ‘Oh, people are starting to see you’re getting near the end,’” he said with a chuckle.
Goodspeed, an acclaimed composer, arranger, saxophonist, flautist, and woodwind player, is part of a four-person class of honourees who will receive a Cobequid Arts Council Lifetime Achievement Award, May 18, at the Marigold Cultural Centre in downtown Truro. The ceremony goes from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
He is being joined by Garfield Moffatt, Leonard Paul, and Lenore Zann in receiving the prestigious recognition which, as noted on the Marigold’s website regarding the evening, “is presented to an outstanding member of the community that has proven their commitment to the arts and culture sector.”
“I’m still looking forward … I’m thankful for that,” Goodspeed said, picking up on a serious note regarding his busyness these days – as opposed to being ‘near the end’ - which includes regular Sunday evening (5 to 9 p.m.) jazz shows at the Lion’s Head Tavern on Robie Street in Halifax.
“I have a lot of stuff that I would love to do yet and the other thing is, I’ve been doing it this whole time … I would hope one would achieve a few things along the way,” Goodspeed said.
As for the weekly shows at the Lion’s Head, he talked about how they keep him sharp.
“It keeps me into it, wanting to practice, wanting to get better every single day,” he said.
Getting better was where Goodspeed’s mind went when asked about coming to age as a musician in Truro and area.
“I can't think musically back to Truro without thinking about the ton of experiences Ron Mackay gave us as young musicians,” he said. “And my father (Don) was very instrumental in that because he worked so closely with Ron. They had us doing stuff all over the place and that is what instills in you that desire to create … to create events, venues, and, certainly, new music.
“They were both such big supporters of music in the community and were constantly creating activities for us to do. That instilled in a bunch of
“I have a lot of stuff that I would love to do yet and the other thing is, I’ve been doing it this whole time … I would hope one would achieve a few things along the way”
Jeff Goodspeed
Musician, teacher, director
us the instinctual habit of trying to create something new.”
SUPPORTING YOUNG MUSICIANS IN CUBA
Among Goodspeed creations was, along with his wife Amara, building a close relationship with the music community in Cuba to help support young musicians in that country and further their opportunities. He talked about how the relationship was built. He recalled it coming on the heels of him moving from Toronto, where he had been playing with some Cuban musicians, to Halifax and getting involved with Nova Scotia Cuba Association (NSCUBA) events.
“I met my wife at that time, and she was working with NSCUBA and hosting people from Cuba,” he said. “At one of these events, we met some Cuban musicians who were touring Canada. We saw their instruments and started to begin to understand how there was such a need for instruments in Cuba.”
He talked about meeting a retired Cuban saxophone player while being
the director of the Canadian Jazz Band Camp and his stories reaffirming for him and Amara that if they could help, they certainly wanted to try.
“Music Stop helped us out in that first attempt and all of those musicians who we met (while they were here in Canada) went home with new instruments and it was an incredible thing,” he said.
“We decided to try and help the music schools in Cuba and that is what Los Primos became – it became a society to collect instruments and send them to Cuba and also promote that through cultural exchange trips, and so we’ve done trips both ways - many, many times now.
“That is how it kind of developed and, of course, along the way, some of those young students who came with the Cuban school bands who visited us, are now the professional musicians of Havana … so I’m very well connected to the music scene in Havana.”
It’s just part of a magical musical career that will be celebrated along with three others during the evening event at the Marigold. Goodspeed noted he’ll be accompanied by a special guest for the event.
“Augusto Enriquez is going to come with me; he is a Cuban singer who has sung with the likes of Pavarotti and has shared the stage with many other international stars. We’ve kind of become brothers from different mothers … we walk around and people think we’re brothers,” Goodspeed said, the chuckle returning.
“We’ll play a bit and Augusto will maybe do me the honour of introducing me.”
“I’m so happy to be sharing the stage and receiving this honour along with Jeff who I’ve known and admired for many years,” said Zann, an accomplished actor who has returned to her craft after several prominent years in politics as both an MLA and MP. “Along with Kenny Mackay, he was often the leader of our CEC stage band when I played trumpet, and we won several stage band competitions across Canada.”
Zann added their trips to Montreal and Toronto’s Humber College are highlights from her high school years and she greatly admires the work Goodspeed and his wife are doing in Cuba.
“Taking our used instruments to kids there, teaching their students jazz and, at the same time, teaching our students the wonderful Cuban music in his Los Primos program … and organizing exchanges between the two countries. This is the kind of work that tears down walls and helps promote understanding between countries,” she said.
“It’s also a great example of how the arts can, and should be more, financially supported by all levels of government in order to foster compassion, admiration and understanding between provinces and countries. I’m so proud to know Jeff and to be able to call him a dear friend.”
For more about the event, visit the Marigold website at marigoldcentre.ca.
For more on Los Primos Project, which began in 1997, go to losprimos.ca.