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JAZZ NOTES<br />
by Jim Galloway .<br />
We are into the festival season once had grown to around 350 enthusiasts<br />
more, but there is yet 'another phe- from all over the country and Odesnomenon<br />
in the jazz world which is sa was home to a significant event<br />
much less in evidence in Canada, but on the jazz calendar.<br />
which exists largely in the States - In 1977 the adjacent sistertown of<br />
the Jazz Party.<br />
Midland also started up a similar<br />
So, what is a jazz party? The con- _party and the Midland Jazz Classic<br />
cept is quite simple. Bring together was born. Those were the days when<br />
a group of players who speak a com- the oil industry was enjoying bpom<br />
' mon musical vocabulary and mix times and Midland/Odessa was right<br />
them together for few days, sit back up there with the prosperity that went<br />
and enjoy the results. The idea was with them~ two towns, side by side<br />
the brainchild of Dick Gibson, a New in the heartland of the Lone Star State,<br />
Yorker who moved to the open spaces with an international airport standof<br />
Colorado in 1960. He was a huge ing, literally,between them, and on<br />
jazz fan, accustomed to the lively the face of it an unlikely place to find<br />
club scene in New York and things great jazz!<br />
were just a bit too peaceful after he Fiercely proud, open-heaTted, genmoved.<br />
Then, in 1963, he hit upon erous and independent are all approthe<br />
idea of inviting a group of about priate adjectives to describe the Joa<br />
dozen musicians to Aspen for the cals and it is fair to say that there<br />
weekend, selling tickets to jazz fans was a degree of rivalry between the<br />
and playing mix and match with the two, a bit like it used to be with the<br />
performers in a series of informal Dodgers and the Giants, but for 35<br />
· jam sessions. The jazz party was years a veritable who's who of<br />
born.<br />
American jazz history as well as jazz<br />
Enter Dr. O.A. (Jimmie) Fulch- greats from around the. world<br />
er, or, as he is often referred brought their music to West Texas<br />
to, "Doc" Fulcher, from Odessa, for the Odessa event in May and<br />
Texas. He attended Gibson parties Midland in the fall.<br />
and decided there should be one in In the inte~ening years, changes<br />
his home town; so in 1967 the Odes.- in the economy and stiff competition<br />
sa Jazz P;irty was launched with from other jazz parties and festivals<br />
some of the greatest names in jazz. which sprang up all over, caused a<br />
, The location was the beautifully downturn in attendances and in 1998<br />
named Inn of the Golden West and the two organisations merged under<br />
for five nights the old Terrace Room the banner of the West Texas Jazz<br />
was home for some of the world's Society, presenting one 3-day jazz<br />
best . That first year dre'w 124 jazz party a year alternating between the<br />
fans, but within five years attendance two towns. The original Dick Gib-<br />
~<br />
AN EVENING TO REMEMBER<br />
featuring classic jCIZZ performed by<br />
Adi Brauh<br />
with Ron Davis, Drew Birston,<br />
Mark Mariash<br />
Thursday <strong>June</strong> 19, <strong>2003</strong><br />
St Lawrence Hall, King & Jarvis<br />
Doors open 7.30 p.m.<br />
Join the Orpheus Choir and friends for a relaxing evening of<br />
good food, sparkling music, door prizes, silent' auction and<br />
more. Tickets $50. Call 416 530-4428 for tickets or further<br />
information.<br />
This is a fundraising event for the Orpheus Choir. Tax<br />
receipts available for balance of ticket cost (approx $25.)<br />
son party is now gone, leaving Odessa/Midland<br />
as the oldest floating<br />
game in America. My first invitation<br />
was in 1988·and although neither<br />
Odessa nor Midland will ever<br />
win awards as natural beauty spots,<br />
the hcis,pitality and warmth I have enjoyed<br />
there over th~ years could<br />
hardly be bettered. This year's edition<br />
took place last month with some<br />
of the' best jazz musicians on the<br />
scene today and jazz lovers from<br />
throughout the United States. Of<br />
course, many of the greats who appeared<br />
there have passed on - names<br />
like Ralph Sutton, Milt Hinton, Billy<br />
Butterfield, Buck Clayton, Flip Phillips<br />
and Joe Venuti - but a new crop<br />
I've done quite a lot of performing<br />
over the past 25 or so years, and I<br />
was sure I'd seen 'it all. As it turns<br />
out, I was wrong (again.)<br />
I "'.as startled last month by the<br />
response by the au.dience at the Atlantic<br />
Band Festival in Halifax. The<br />
Brampton Concert Band was performing<br />
a feature concert on the Friday<br />
night of the festival. The audience<br />
'started applauding the band as<br />
we took the stage. This in itself was<br />
pleasant, if somewhat unexpected.<br />
What really 'took my breath away<br />
was the applause DURING pieces<br />
of music. Those of you who are jazz<br />
fans will be familiar with the practice<br />
of applauding soloists during the<br />
piece, after their solos. Halfway<br />
through Calixa Lavalee's "Bridal<br />
Rose", the capacity crowd burst into<br />
applause after the trumpet cadenza,<br />
and did so again after the piccolo<br />
. obbligato near the end of the piece.<br />
This display of enthusiasm continued<br />
throughout the entire concert.<br />
of musicians, dedicated to the con-.<br />
cept that 'It Don't Mean A Thing, If<br />
It Ain't GotThat Swing', such as Randy<br />
Sandke, Ken Peplowski and John<br />
Allred, to name only a few, are carrying<br />
on the tradition.<br />
If you will pardon the pun, it might<br />
be said the 'Oil's well that ends well!'<br />
Information about the party can be<br />
obtained by calling the West Texas<br />
Jazz Society at 915-550-0996 or send<br />
e-mail to yarbrough _ k@utpb.edu.<br />
(And for what's. happening here<br />
and now, consult WholeNote' s everexpanding<br />
JAZZ CLUB LISfINGS on page<br />
36 and make at least part of your own<br />
<strong>June</strong> listening live!)<br />
BAND STAND<br />
by Merlin Williams<br />
I now honestly believe that I HA YE<br />
seen it all. At least until the next time<br />
something that wild happens.<br />
The fourth annual Great Canadian<br />
Town Band Festival is taking place<br />
in Orono, <strong>June</strong> 13-15. Groups to be<br />
featured over the three days include<br />
the Royal Marine Association Band,<br />
the Central Band of the Canadian<br />
Armed Forces, the Whitby Brass<br />
Band, True North Brass,' the Claririgton<br />
Concert Band and The Hannaford<br />
Youth Band. Of particular<br />
note this year is a new group, from<br />
Quebec, Kiosque a Musique, a 7<br />
piece group led by trombone virtuoso<br />
Alain Trudel. There's a complete<br />
schedule and directions to the festival<br />
at www.townbandfestival.com.<br />
Band dates to watch for<br />
The Markham Concert Band is performing<br />
at the Unionville festival on<br />
<strong>June</strong> 8 at noon and 4pm, and the<br />
Markham Festival on <strong>June</strong> 21 at<br />
Fe~turing some of Toronto's best jazz musicians<br />
with a brief reflection by Jazz Vespers Clergy<br />
Sunday, <strong>June</strong> 8 - 4:30 p;m.<br />
RICHARD WHITEMAN TRIO<br />
Sunday, <strong>June</strong> 29 - 4:30 p.m.<br />
In Co-operation with the<br />
Toronto Downtown Jazz<br />
Festival!<br />
RICHARD WHITEMAN, piano<br />
, NEIL SWAINSON, bass<br />
REG SCHWAGER, gui~ar<br />
PHIL DWYER, piano<br />
PAT COLLINS, bass<br />
BRIAN BARLOW, drums<br />
Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge Street<br />
(north of St. Clair at Heath St.) 416-920-5211<br />
Admission is free. An offering is received 1 to support<br />
the work of the Church, including Jaiz Vespers.<br />
CONTINUES ON PAGE 30<br />
22 www.thewhole note.com Jun e 1.- July 7 <strong>2003</strong>
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