ALVIN BRENDAN, BEN MILLMAN & TRENT OTTER
Guitarist Alvin Brendan has been crafting a strong identity for himself as a jazz musician and session musician in Vancouver over the last few years. Despite his youth, Brendan has been fortunate enough to find himself in a variety of different recording sessions and live performances that has allowed him to hone his craft in a multitude of styles and genres. He is excited to merge many of his musical loves in this new format. Brendan has recruited long-time collaborators Benjamin Millman (keys) and Trent Otter (drums) to showcase their collective love of the improvisational aspect of jazz music, and the modern aesthetic of contemporary R&B and neo-soul.
NO RESERVATION REQUIRED – Walk-in only.
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CORY WEEDS LITTLE BIG BAND
Take it from Downbeat Magazine: “renaissance man Cory Weeds has the Midas Touch!” An indefatigable force on the Vancouver scene, the tenor saxophonist and impresario keeps the flame of classic straight-ahead jazz burning bright. Inspired by tenor heroes Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and Gene Ammons, Weeds calls on all-star cast of Vancouver musicians to perform with Weeds before heading into the studio!
Conducted by Jill Townsend, the Little Big Band features Cory Weeds on tenor saxophone, Steve Kaldestad on alto sax, James Danderfer on tenor sax, Dave Say on baritone sax, Brad Turner on trumpet, Chris Davis on trumpet, Brian Harding on trombone, Jim Hopson on trombone, Chris Gestrin on piano, John Lee on bass and Jesse Cahill on drums
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Three Wishes
Baroness Pannonica approached Teddy Edwards and as the conversation ensued she asked him if he was given three what would he wish for. His answered:
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- “I wish peace.”
- “Love.”
- “And health.”
*Excerpt from Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats ~ Compiled and Photographed by Pannonica de Koenigswarter
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Louis Metcalf was born on February 28, 1905 in Webster Groves, Missouri. As a youth he first trained on the drums but switched over to cornet permanently. As a teenager in St. Louis, Missouri he played with Charlie Creath.
Moving to New York City in 1923 he participated in the fertile jazz scene there, playing with Willie The Lion Smith, Jelly Roll Morton, Benny Carter and King Oliver. In 1926, Duke Ellington hired Metcalf to play in his seminal orchestra, where his mellow tone contrasted with that of Bubber Miley. In the 1930s, he led his own bands and also joined Fletcher Henderson’s band.
1946 saw Louis moving to Montreal, Canada where he formed the International Band, the first to play the nascent bebop style in Canada. Under his leadership the Café Saint-Michel was the hub of the jazz scene in Montreal for a few years, with local musicians such as the young Oscar Peterson and visiting Americans Art Pepper, Fats Navarro and Sonny Rollins among others sitting in with the band.
A drug bust prompted Metcalf to return to New York City in 1951. He released an album titled I’ve Got The Peace Brother Blues in 1966, where he demonstrated that his style had indeed evolved since his days with Ellington.
Becoming less active after falling ill in 1968, trumpeter Louis Metcalf transitioned on October 27, 1981.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Joyce Breach was born in Alameda, California on February 27, 1944 and was raised in Kansas City, Missouri. She grew up listening to and admiring Rosemary Clooney, Doris Day, Peggy Lee, Judy Garland, Sarah Vaughan, Abbey Lincoln, and Frank Sinatra. She gleaned from their phrasing and inflections to develop her own indelible style.
After attending West Virginia University she settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she made a name for herself in the ’80s and enjoyed a loyal following in Steel Town. Relocating to New York City, where she has made even bigger strides wowing audiences and reviewers at some of Manhattan’s top clubs.
She recorded her debut album Confessions in 1990 on Audiophile Records, and has gone on to record Lovers After All, Songbird, Nothing But Blue Skies, This Moment, Reel Songs, and Love Is the Thing. She has been featured on Loonis McGlohon & Friends’ A Christmas Memory.
As a songwriter Joyce often collaborates with pianist/arranger Keith Ingham and he usually accompanies her live appearances in the New York area, and has performed across the country. She continues to write, performa nd record.
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