Volume 18 Issue 3 - November 2012

SOUND ADVICE continued from page 31C. In the Clubs (Mostly Jazz)McDonald, a graduate of York University’s Jazz CompositionMaster’s program, is also a big fan of the Tranzac: “I love playing andseeing live music here. I think it’s one of the few places in Torontowhere music of all styles and levels of creative expression is welcomed.You can drop by any time not knowing exactly what you’regoing to see but knowing you’ll see something good.” The quartetis rounded off by Demetri Petsalakis on guitar, Paul Metcalfe onsaxes and Lowell Whitty on drums. Expect tunes that draw fromboth the modern and classic jazz traditions, both orchestrated andfreely structured.416 Festival: November 7 to 10, the Tranzac is also home tothe 12th annual 416 Festival, dubbed “the best music you’ve neverheard.” According to the press release that we received in a timelyfashion (presenters, please send all your listings by the 15th of themonth prior to your event to listings@thewholenote.com for ourFREE listings service!), the 416 Festival was created “in 2001 as acounterbalance to the lack of innovative music programming at localjazz festivals.” I asked the founder and director, Glen Hall, if he feelsthat anything has changed since 2001 on Toronto’s jazz scene regardingthis issue:“Local jazz festivals continue to feature mostly traditional-based,tonal, metrical music of the genre widely understood and called jazz.In addition, they have added popular music forms which have littlein common with the improvisationalcore of authentic jazz. However, theToronto Downtown Jazz Festival hasincluded some offerings by improvisersassociated with the Associationof Improvising Musicians Toronto(AIMToronto). But, to my knowledge,these are with little or no financialcommitment on the festival’s part: ahalf-hearted, qualified support. So,the ‘lack of innovative programming’has not changed appreciably since theinception of the 416 Festival. This doesnot apply in the case of the Guelph JazzDavid Story, Rakesh Thewariand Glen Hall will beperforming at the Tranzacon November 9 as part ofthe 416 Toronto CreativeImprovisers Festival.Festival, which has been bold and adventurous in its programmingchoices. (Non-tonal, arhythmic, sound-based improvisation byToronto improvisers is seldom heard outside of the 416 Festival.)”It’s fantastic that the 416 exists to showcase the incredibly richdiversity of non-traditional creative improvised music. Musiciansdo frequently wonder what an artistic director is looking for whenbooking, a question Glen is happy to answer:“Some selections are made according to who approaches us andwhat their goals are. Also, new groups form constantly and I keeptabs on who is doing what and try to give them opportunities to beheard in a supportive environment. Some musicians I know personally;others are recommended to me. For instance, last year anew music aficionado suggested the neither/nor collective. While Iwas aware of them, it previously hadn’t occurred to me to ask themto participate as improvisation is a part, not the entirety, of whatthey do (they were an audience favourite). Quartetto Graphica wasinteresting because they use graphic scores which demand improvisationalinterpretation. This year CCMC is featured because theyembody the essence of what the 416 Festival presents: fearless,risk-taking, improvised music making. We are always open to improvisation-basedartists wanting to perform at the 416.”Artists appearing at the festival this year include vocalist/pianistFern Lindzon’s trio featuring trombonist Heather Segger and drummerMark Segger; drummer Chris Cawthray’s improvised rootsduo with organist Simeon Abbott; electronic wave drummer BobVespaziani with vocalist Tena Palmer and guitarist Arthur Bull — andthat’s on opening night alone! See our listings section for completedetails and for more information visit 416festival.com.Here’s to the best music you’ve never heard!Ori Dagan is a Toronto-based jazz vocalist and an associate editorat The WholeNote. He can be contacted at jazz@thewholenote.com.Alleycatz2409 Yonge St. 416-481-6865 alleycatz.caEvery Mon 8pm Salsa Night w/ Frank Bischunand free lessons. Every Tue 8:30pm CarloBerardinucci Band. No Cover. Every Wed8:30pm City Soul Swinging Blues & VintageR&B. No Cover. Every Thu 9pm Soul and R&B(bands alternate weekly; Collateral Jammagefirst Thursday of every month). Every Fri/Sat 9:30pm Funk, Soul, R&B, Top 40. $10after 8:30pm. Nov 1 Collateral Jammage. Nov2 Ascension. Nov 3 Soular. Nov 8,22 MarkJoseph Band. Nov 9, 10, 30 Lady Kane. Nov15, 16, 17 James King. Nov 23, 24 Ascension.Nov 29 Run it For Marty.Artword Artbar15 Colbourne St., Hamilton. 905-543-8512artword.net (full schedule)Azure Restaurant & Bar225 Front St. W. 416-597-3701azurerestaurant.caNov 1, 2, 3 5:30-10:30pm Dan Bodanis Trio w/Bernie Senensky & Steve Wallace.Bon Vivant Restaurant1924 Avenue Rd. 416-630-5153bonvivantdining.comEvery Thu 6-9pm Bill Naphan Solo Guitar.Every Fri 6-9pm Margaret Stowe Solo Guitar.Castro’s Lounge2116 Queen St. E. 416-699-8272castroslounge.com No Cover/PWYC.Every Sun 4pm Live jazz. Every Mon 9pmRockabilly Night w/ the Cosmotones. EveryTue 8pm Smokey Folk; 10:30pm blueVenus.Every Wed 8pm Mediterranean Stars. EveryThu 9pm Jerry Legere & the Situation. EveryFri 5pm Ronnie Heyward. Every Sat 4:30pmBig Rude Jake.Chalkers Pub, Billiards & Bistro247 Marlee Ave. 416-789-2531chalkerspub.comEvery Wed 8pm-midnight Girls Night Out JazzJam w/ host Lisa Particelli. PWYC. Nov 36-9pm Dave Young Quartet $10. Nov 10 6-9pmGNOJAZZ Fundraiser $10. Nov 17 6-9pm RobiBotos Trio $10. Nov 18 6-9pm Carter BrodkorbTrio $10; free(under 16). Nov 24 6-9pm LorneLofsky Trio $10.Cherry Street Restaurant, The275 Cherry St. 416-461-5111 cherryst.caNov 1 8:30pm Ilana Waldston Trio $10. Nov8 7:30pm Julie Mahendran Trio $10. Nov 157:30pm The Spirit of Jazz $10. Nov 22 7:30pmWorst Pop Band Ever $10. Nov 29 7:30pmSophia Perlman Quartet $10.Classico Pizza & Pasta2457 Bloor St. W. 416-763-1313Every Thu 7pm Nate Renner. No Cover.Communist’s Daughter, The1149 Dundas St. W. 647-435-0103Every Sat 4-7pm Gypsy Jazz w MichaelJohnson & Red Rhythm. PWYC.DeSotos1079 St. Clair Ave. W. 416-651-2109Every Thu 8pm-midnight Open Mic Jazz Jam,hosted by Double A Jazz.Dominion on Queen500 Queen St. E. 416-368-6893dominiononqueen.comEvery Sat 4-7:30pm Ronnie Hayward.Every Sun 11am-3pm Rockabilly Brunch w/Alistair Christl. Every Tue 8:30pm Hot Clubof Corktown Django Jam w/ host WayneNakamura. PWYC. Every Wed 8pm CorktownUkelele Jam $5. Nov 1 9pm Havana to Torontowith host Joaquin Nunez Hidalgo $10. Nov5 Good Neighbours Open Mic Night. PWYC.Nov 6 8pm USA Election Night “Working ClassHero” Night of Protest Songs. Nov 9 9pm RobinBanks Birthday Party $10. Nov 11 4-7pmJazz Jam w/ Noah Leibel. Nov 16 9pm AimeeButcher Band $5. Nov 17 9pm Sonic BluesSeries: Dylan Wickens $10. Nov 23 9:30pmQue Isso? $5. Nov 29 9pm Shafton ThomasGroup $5. Nov 30 9pm Swamperella $TBA.Dovercourt House805 Dovercourt Rd. 416-537-3337odd-socks.org (full schedule)Every Sat 9pm-1am Saturday Night Swing:Dance featuring Live Swing Bands and dancelessons. Dance $13; $15 with one class, $18with both. Saturday Bands: Nov 3 JordanKlapman Swing Band. Nov 10 Swing Out toVictory: WWII Remembrance Day Party w/Toronto All-Star big Band $20; $23 with oneclass; $25 with both. Nov 17 TBA. Nov 24Mike Daley Swing Band.EDO Sushi484 Eglinton Ave. W. 416-322-3033All shows: Thursday 7:30-10:30pm. No Cover.Nov 1 Sharon Smith Trio. Nov 8 SerafinLaRiviere Trio. Nov 15 Laura Fernandez Trio.Nov 22 Vincent Wolfe Trio. Nov 29 LaraSolnicki Trio.Ellington’s Music and Café805 St. Clair Ave. W. 416-652-9111.Every Mon, Every Wed 9am and Every Sat 2pmSunny Choi (piano).Emmet Ray, The924 College St. 416-792-4497theemmetray.com (full schedule)All shows: 9pm. PWYC.Nov 1 John Wayne Swingtet. Nov 4 GrahamPlayford. Nov 5 Parker/Abbott Duo. Nov 7Alistair Christil and the Lonely. Nov 8 Box Fullof Cash. Nov 11 Alan Soddy. Nov 12 JeffLaRochelle’s Original Ensemble. Nov 14 PeterBoyd & The Mutant Duo. Nov 15 Vokurka’sVicarious Virtuoso Violin. Nov 18 Union Duke.Nov 19 Will Fisher Coastal Quartet. Nov 21Alistair Christl and The Lonely. Nov 22 PatrickBrealey. Nov 25 Tropical Punch. Nov 26 JonMaharaj Trio. Nov 28 Alistair Christ and theLonely. Nov 29 Johnny Ferguson.Flying Beaver Pubaret, The488 Parliament St. 647-347-6567pubaret.com (full schedule)Nov 1 7:30pm Ori Dagan’s Jazz JamCabaret. PWYC. Nov 2 9pm Chris TsujiuchiReturns! $10. Nov 3 7pm Ros Kindler Trio$15/$10(adv); 9pm Sarah Smith & LucasSilveira $20/$15(adv). Nov 4 7pm All StrungUp.$5 suggested. Nov 7 7:30pm JohnAlcorn Trio $15/$10(adv). Nov 8 7:30pmTracey Dey Trio$15/$10(adv). Nov 9 7pmGeorge Evans $15/$10(adv); 9pm Adi Braun$20/$15(adv). Nov 14 7:30pm John Alcorn54 thewholenote.com November 1 – December 7, 2012