Lina Allemano FourEdmonton native LinaAllemano has carved out a veryimpressive career sincecompleting <strong>the</strong> MusicPerformance program at GrantMacEwan Community Collegeand heading to Toronto in 1993.She is currently a member ofa wide variety of groups basedmainly in Toronto includingNOJO, Tim Posgate’s Jazzstoryand Horn Band, <strong>the</strong> Rob CluttonBand and <strong>the</strong> Jane Fair/RosemaryGalloway Quintet. In addition,she is <strong>the</strong> co-leader of <strong>the</strong> Carn-Allemano Quintet withtrombonist William Carn.O<strong>the</strong>r performance creditsinclude <strong>the</strong> all female New Yorkbased big band Diva, TimeWarp, Kieran Overs Nonet, BarryElmes Quintet and <strong>the</strong> DaveMcMurdo Jazz Orchestra. Shehas also graced <strong>the</strong> bandstandwith Don Byron, Dave Holland,Pat LaBarbera, Mike Murley, JoeLovano, Don Thompson, KennyWheeler and Dave Young.This will be Lina’s firstappearance in Edmonton withher Lina Allemano Four. The touris in support of <strong>the</strong> group’s newCD “Concentric” and featuresthree o<strong>the</strong>r outstanding Torontobasedmusicians who haveappeared at <strong>the</strong> <strong>Yardbird</strong> <strong>Suite</strong> in<strong>the</strong> past with o<strong>the</strong>r groups -guitarist David Occhipinti, bassistAndrew Downing and drummerAnthony Michelli.The group is known for itsdistinctively fresh soundfeaturing Lina’s own melodic yetsubtly crafted songs, intriguingoriginals from guitarist Occhipintiand <strong>the</strong> occasional lesser-knownjazz standard.Lina Allemano - trumpetDavid Occhipinti - guitarAndrew Downing - bassAnthony Michelli - drumsTHURSDAY 4 OCT 23DOORS 7:30PM 4 SHOW 8PM 4 MEMBERS $8/GUESTS $12Leszek Zadlo & Jan Jarczyk QuartetThis is a rare opportunity to presenttwo prominent veterans of <strong>the</strong> Polish jazzscene. Both Jarczyk and Zadlo were bornand raised in Krakow, a city known for itslong tradition in music and arts. Althoughnei<strong>the</strong>r one of <strong>the</strong>m lives in Polandanymore, <strong>the</strong>y quite frequently travel backto <strong>the</strong>ir native country to play, and toteach. This past July, both Jan and Leszektaught at <strong>the</strong> ‘Warsztaty Jazzowe’ inChodzierz, Poland.Leszek Zadlo, though being amongsaxophone players that refer to JohnColtrane, has developed a very personaland full of contrasts musical language.In 1972 he founded his own LeszekZadlo Ensemble, and <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> PolishJazz Ensemble in 1983. In 1999 Leszekwas appointed leader of <strong>the</strong> EuropeanArt Orchestra.He has worked with numerousrenowned bands and musicians of <strong>the</strong>jazz scene, such as Elvin Jones, DexterGordon, Jimmy Heath, Art Farmer, HaroldRubin, Joachim Kühn, George Russel,Thad Jones Big Band, Slide Hampton BigBand, European Jazz Quintet, as well as,for <strong>the</strong> past 20 years, working withGerman composer and organ playerClaus Bantzer. One of <strong>the</strong> results of thisfruitful cooperation was <strong>the</strong>ir 1997improvisation CD " Illumination". His own‘Leszek Zadlo Ensemble’ has recorded 8CDs and LPs with different musicians. Theband plays music where improvisation,and emotion are of primary interest. Themusic is melodic, harmonic and rhythmic.Besides his performances atprestigious festivals and lots of recordingsfor radio, TV, and more than 70 LP/CDs,Zadlo has also become known as acomposer of stage and film music. Since1986 he has been teaching saxophoneand flute at <strong>the</strong> jazz department of <strong>the</strong>Music Conservatory in Würzburg, andsince 1991 at <strong>the</strong> Richard StraussConservatory in Munich. Earlier this yearhe was nominated a Professor at <strong>the</strong>Music Conservatory in Würzburg.He is very individual and moderntenor player whose improvisations arefull of contrasts, where one can feel andhear that he is aware of <strong>the</strong> tradition ofhis instrument.Jan Jarczyk, pianist and composer,played <strong>the</strong> <strong>Yardbird</strong> <strong>Suite</strong> stage last fall.His performance was described by <strong>the</strong>Edmonton Journal writer RogerLevesque as one of <strong>the</strong> “notableperformances of 2002.”<strong>At</strong> <strong>the</strong> age of 15 Jan began to playjazz under <strong>the</strong> tutelage of Tomasz Stanko.He received a Master's Degree incomposition from <strong>the</strong> Academy of Musicin Krakow and was a recipient of <strong>the</strong>Polish Composers Association Scholarship.FRI&SAT 4 OCTOBER 24-25DOORS 8PM 4 SHOW 9PM 4 MEMBERS $12/GUESTS $16Since 1986, after teaching harmony andcomposition for several years at <strong>the</strong>Berklee College of Music, he has been aprofessor at McGill University in Montréal.For several years he worked aspianist/composer/arranger with <strong>the</strong> PolishRadio Jazz Orchestra, and had his worksdocumented on <strong>the</strong>'Polish Jazz' record label.Jan was an originalmember of ZbigniewSeifert Quartet, and,while in Poland, heworked asperformer/arranger andpianist/trombonist withZbigniew Namyslowski,Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski,Tomasz Stanko, andbetween 1970-1976appeared on manyrecords as a member ofvarious Polish jazz groups. After movingto North America, Jan worked with PhilWilson, Greg Hopkins, Tim Hagans,Kenny Wheeler, and Kevin Dean.Jarczyk's works range from music forString Quartet and Jazz Trio, Quartet,Quintet Music to his 12 piece JazzOrchestra, not to mention solo piano. Heregularly plays concerts in <strong>the</strong> Montrealarea, Quebec, and Toronto, and recordshis original music for CBC Radio Networkin Montreal. Mr. Jarczyk's latestpresentations include performances of hismusic in Rome during <strong>the</strong> InternationalFestival of New Contemporary Music, <strong>the</strong>premiere of a <strong>the</strong>atrical play 'Images' withhis music inPoland, a CBCsession with anew Montrealbased jazz group,MomentsMusicaux.Since 1985he has recorded 7CDs as pianist,leader andarranger-composer. One of <strong>the</strong>m, 'ThingsTo Look For' received a nomination for aFelix Award in 1996. Mr. Jarczyk isdividing his time between composing,performing and attending to his teachingduties as Professor at McGill UniversityFaculty of Music.Leszek Zadlo & Jan Jarczyk Quartetwill play original music written by bothco-leaders of this group.Jan Jarczyk - pianoLeszek Zadlo - tenor saxtba - bassDan Skakun- drumsPage 6SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2003
Marty Ehrlich QuartetBilly Kilson & BK GrooveOne of <strong>the</strong> highlights of <strong>the</strong> 2002-2003 season at <strong>the</strong> <strong>Yardbird</strong> <strong>Suite</strong> wasBobby Previte & Bump. One of <strong>the</strong>highlights of Bobby’s quintet wassaxophonist Marty Ehrlich. Marty returnsto <strong>the</strong> <strong>Yardbird</strong> <strong>Suite</strong> in support of hisnew Palmetto release “Line on Love”.Marty Ehrlich is one of <strong>the</strong> mostcelebrated jazz musicians of hisgeneration, critically acclaimed as bothcomposer and player. Equally fluent onclarinet, saxophone and flute, he hasbeen hailed by <strong>the</strong> Village Voice as “oneof <strong>the</strong> most formidable multiinstrumentalistssince Eric Dolphy.” TheNew York Times calls him “one of <strong>the</strong>premier melodicists of his generation.”Besides his own acclaimedrecordings, Marty has appeared on over100 recordings by o<strong>the</strong>r artists too manyof whom to list here. He has beenawarded an Outstanding Alumni Awardfrom <strong>the</strong> prestigious New EnglandConservatory as well as receiving a DownBeat Talent Deserving Wider Recognitionaward for <strong>the</strong> clarinet and <strong>the</strong> WindPlayer of <strong>the</strong> Year award from <strong>the</strong> JazzJournalists Association.Since moving to New York in <strong>the</strong> late1970s, Ehrlich has performed hiscompositions with three ongoingensembles - The Traveler’s Tales Group, aquartet of two horns and rhythm section;The Dark Woods Ensemble, featuring hiswoodwinds with cello and bass; and TheMarty Ehrlich Quartet, <strong>the</strong> group he isbringing to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Yardbird</strong> <strong>Suite</strong>. He hasrecorded 14 CDs with <strong>the</strong>se groups forvarious labels.The Marty Ehrlich Quartet, with CraigTaborn, Mark Helias and Allison Millerappearing in Edmonton with MartyEhrlich, has been called “sophisticated,rewarding work of a mature artist’s vision,masterfully realized” bybarnesandnoble.com.Besides his own trio, pianist CraigTaborn has recorded with <strong>the</strong> JamesCarter Quartet, Roscoe Mitchell andHugh Ragin, and performed with TimBerne, William Parker and Mat Maneri.He is equally accomplished in a variety ofcontexts from straight ahead jazz to moreoutside music.Mark Helias has been makinginnovative music since <strong>the</strong> mid-1970s. Hehad a seventeen year association withdrummer Eddie Blackwell and he hascollaborated with Ray Anderson and GerryHemingway in BassDrumBone for twentysixyears. He has nine recordings under hisown name and many o<strong>the</strong>rs as asideman, in co-operative bands or as aproducer for artists such as Mark Dresser,Don Cherry, Dewey Redman and BarryAltshcul.Allison Miller is an exciting newdrummer currently making a name forherself in New York. Her recording andperforming credits already include NatalieMerchant, Kenny Barron, Mike Stern, IngridJensen, Kevin Mahogany and Oliver Lake.Marty Ehrlich - saxophones,clarinet and fluteCraig Taborn - pianoMark Helias - bassAllison Miller - drumsOne of <strong>the</strong> most exhilaratingelements of a Dave Holland Quintetconcert is <strong>the</strong> interaction between<strong>the</strong> leader on bass and drummerBilly Kilson. Those who were at <strong>the</strong><strong>Yardbird</strong> <strong>Suite</strong> to hear Dave Hollanda few years back can attest to this.<strong>At</strong> <strong>the</strong> time, Kilson was <strong>the</strong> newestmember of <strong>the</strong> group so hisathletic, swing-meets-funk beatscombined with his lyricism were anextremely exciting surprise for thosewho hadn’t seen him performbefore. In fact, in some respects, hestole <strong>the</strong> show.Now, after six years with DaveHolland, Billy Kilson is getting somewell-deserved recognition, currentlyfinding himself near <strong>the</strong> top of both<strong>the</strong> Down Beat Critics’ and Readers’Polls as well as earning a Grammyaward as a member of <strong>the</strong> DaveHolland Big Band.Kilson was exposed to jazz,funk and R & B from an early age.Like so many o<strong>the</strong>r greatmusicians, he graduated from <strong>the</strong>Berklee College of Music wheresome of his fellow studentsincluded Jeff “Tain” Watts andMarvin “Smitty” Smith. Beingessentially a self-taught player tothat time, he practiced fourteenhours a day to catch up to his moreexperienced classmates. He wasalso mentored by <strong>the</strong> late AlanDawson.For seven years, Billy wasDianne Reeves’ drummer. Inaddition to his gig with DaveHolland, he currently works withBob James and Larry Carlton. Hisdiscography extends to sixtyrecordings.BK Groove’s bassist Kenny Davisspent three years as part of KevinEubanks’ band on “The TonightShow”. Saxophonist Michael Simhas toured with Michael Franks, <strong>the</strong>Mingus Big Band and Lee Ritenour.Pianist Henry Hey has toured withJeff “Tain” Watts, Rod Stewart andHarry Belafonte.BK Groove is a musical meltingpot. Their funky jazz fusion is asummation of <strong>the</strong> vast talents,experiences and influences of eachindividual band member. The music isdiverse, original and inspired, alwayskeeping <strong>the</strong> groove going. Theuniqueness of <strong>the</strong>ir music will inciteheads to bob and feet to dance.Billy Kilson - drumsMichael Sim - saxHenry Hey - pianoKenny Davis - bassFRIDAY 4 OCTOBER 31DOORS 8PM 4 SHOW 9PM 4 MEMBERS $18/GUESTS $22SATURDAY 4 NOV 1DOORS 8PM 4 SHOW 9PM 4 MEMBERS $16/GUESTS $20SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2003 Page 7