Volume 7 Issue 4 - December 2001/January 2002

system. In the 2001102 season
the organizations presenting '
CHEAPSEA TS· are offering over
100 contemporary music concerts!
COMPOSER COMPANION
As well, the CMC will be
continuing its Composer c~mpanion
program, "to help
'demystify contemporary music
and build audiences for new
work." It's a relatively informal
and light-hearted approach to
, outreach and audience developmen~,
based on a simple concept.
. Audience members are paired at
'concerts with professional
composers, who essentially serve
as ambassadors for new music.
· Participants meet with their
composers at the theatre just prlor
to the performance and discuss
the program to follow. They are
then seated together and 'the
composer takes the listener
ttu:ough the evening step-by-step.
It is a great way to hear new
.music and gain insight into the
music.
While those. with little or no
musical background are highly
encouraged to participate,
COMPOSER COMPANIONS is
not just for those unfamiliar with
new music. The CMC has
matched composers with students,
JAZZ
NOTES
by Jim Galloway
"A One and a Two!"
Another year of memorable
~usic is almost gone _ a good
time to pause and reflect on just
how fortunate we are in Toronto
given the vast array of music tha~
is available from one year's end
to the next.
••• EW Music ·:· HEAR & NOW •:• JAZZ NOTES
teachers, executives, retirees,
~ists from other disciplines,
Journalists, and some amateur and
even professional musicians.
Dozens of concert patrons have
been partnered with a variety of
composers during the past four
concert seasons. Couples,
families and student groups can
ea~ily arrange to have a composer
gmde for an evening. There is no '
a~ditional charge to be accompamed
by a composer, and tickets
for the composer companions
themselves are provided courtesy
of the participating music .
It's the time when various
presenters. · "best of the year" lists prolifer- ,
Past composer companions a~e, but I'm not going to indulge.
have included Wende Bartley, Im not much of a believer in
Rose Bolton, Alaistar Boyd, · ."the best of' philosophy - the
Chan Ka Nin, Michael Colgrass, music is too subjective to be rated
Omar Daniel, Ted Dawson that way and polls can be so
Daniel Foley, Christos Ha~is · manipulated that they are are
Alice Ho, Michael Hynes, Ire~e , pretty well meaningless, as well
Johansen, Henry Kucharzyk, Jim ~s being too tied to the recording
Montgomery, David Parsons mdustry to be taken seriously.
Jam~s Rolfe, Jeffrey Ryan, Linda Lovers of the n;msic all have their
Catlm Smith, Paul Steenhuisen own favourites. Some of my
and Timothy Sullivan. ' greatest satisfaction this past year
For more information on
~as come from listening to the
COMPOSER COMPANIONS, or mterplay of musicians who were
to make arrangements for your not ever poll winners, but who
own composer companion, told wonderful stories through
contact Sheldon Grabke at the their music.
Canadian Music Centre (416) Meanwhile, the face of the
961-6601 ext. 207. music continues to change, as
change it must - and along with
the change comes natural
New Music Quick Picks
~ fol~ows is an eclectic sampling of the live contemporary art
d music ·1 1
bezng presented over the coming two months
•
Fi or program
etaz s,,and numerous oth~r interesting new music concerts) please
consult the comprehensive concert listings starting on page 24.
~~~~day Dec 01 Bpm.: Earshot. Jewe!Box. s.unday Jan 06 Bpm: New Music Concerts/
ay Dec 02 3pm. Sunudo. Music Gallery. SLOW/NO Wi tJ, . d
00
Robert Creeley LXXV.
Quintet
wm
Wednesday Dec 05-16 8pm: Theatre Friday Jan 18 Bpm: Arraymusic. Nord.
Th
Centr~. Body Geometry: the 7th Angel Sunday Jan 20 Bpm: New Music Con~erts
urs~ay Dec ~6 Bpm: Music Gallery. Sing, Ariel ·
Bng1tte Poulin . MTLP (Montreal Piano). Feb 06 Bpm: Esprit Orchestra. Toothpaste.
attrition; each year we lose a few
more master makers - in 2001
to name only a few, we lost '
Buddy Tate, J.J. Johnson, John
Lewis, our own Moe Koffman
and just recently, Tommy
Flanagan. But we still have the
memories and, in many cases, a
legacy of recordings through
which we can celebrate their
music. And for that much, at
least, we can be thankful to the
recording industry.
But, begone dull care! 'Tis
the season to be jolly and so I
offer Season's greetings to all of
you, and a Happy New Year in
the hope that one of your Ne~
Year resolutions will be to hear
as much live music as possible!
CLUBBING AROUND. '"
This is a two-month issue, , , "'
co~ering December and January
w~1ch makes it impossible for.us '.
to mclude our customary detailed
' club listings; some venues have. .~
not yet completed schedules for
the whole period. So, although I ·
shall home in on some of the ·
upcoming bookings, the club
li~tings section this month simply,
gives addresses and phone
numbers·. Until next issue you ar~
a phone call away from checking
out the clubs!
'~
DECEMBER'S HIGHLIGHTS at •
the various watering holes around
the city include the Joe Sealy
Quartet with singer Tommy
Ambrose on Dec 3 at The
Montreal Bistro and Emilie- ·"
Claire Barlow & The Barlow
Group, Dec 13 to 15. I'm there ·
with The Wee Big Band on .
Monday Dec 17 and D.E.W. East
'(Dean-Elmes-Wall