Volume 17 Issue 8 - May 2012

CHRISTINE LIMBeat by Beat | In the ClubsJumpin’ Year Roundori dAGAnThe first tendays of summerwill markthe 26th editionof the TD TorontoJazz Festival,which, according toa press release I justreceived, promisesthat “500,000music lovers will beentertained as 1,500musicians take overthe city, performing350+ concerts in10 days.”Allison Auat the Cherry StreetRestaurant.It’s safe to say that these numbers would be significantly lowerwere it not for the festival’s Club Series, featuring many venuesfamiliar to readers of this column and artists who are at those venuesmonth in and month out. So another way of looking at it would be tosay that the local club scene is a jazz festival year round! Here aresome of the fish who are already jumpin’.Hogtown’s Very Own … Syncopators!The only quintet with a weekly house gig at The Rex Hotel, theHogtown Syncopators play every Friday from 4pm to 6pm. Full ofgood cheer, the band bursts at the seams with talent: Terra Hazeltonon vocals and snare drum; Drew Jurecka on violin, sax and vocals;Jay Danley on guitar and vocals; Richard Whiteman on piano; andJames Thomson on bass. Sweet, saucy and sentimental songs fromthe 1920s, 30s and 40s, as well as band originals, make HS a fineway to beat the blues. This month: May 4, 11, 18 and 25.Surely MurleyMike Murley’s fluid phrasing and scrumptious tone single him out asone of the finest horn players in the country, so it isn’t surprising tofind him exploring the challenges of solo saxophone. However, thisactive adventurer plays in a number of contexts: duos with guitaristDavid Occhipinti; in the trio Broadview with bassist Rich Brown anddrummer Ted Warren; in various quartet settings featuring the likesof Dave Liebman and David Braid; and, most recently, leading hisown septet: Murley on tenor, compositions and arrangements; TaraDavidson on soprano and alto saxes; Kevin Turcotte on trumpet;Terry Promane on trombone; David Braid on piano; Jim Vivian onbass; and Ted Warren on drums. A flock of local jazz fans and touristswill likely mean folks being turned away at the group’s festivalgig on June 30 — so catch the septet this month, May 17 at The Rex,for a sneak peek.Swingin’ at the GateThe Rex isn’t the only place to present live jazz and blues everysingle day of the week in Toronto — there is another, and it alsofeatures a real piano, reasonable menu and affordable pints. Locatedat 403 Roncesvalles Ave., Gate 403 is less central than The Rex butsimilarly casual; less roomy but arguably more charming. Musicianslike this place not because the gigs are lucrative, (please tip generouslyas paper makes less noise!) but because when filled withhumans, it has a certain kind of magic.Always entertaining, the Richard Whiteman & Laura Hubert JazzBand recently began performing at Gate 403 on Monday nights.With Whiteman making that piano sound brand new and Hubertenchanting listeners with her inimitable style, this band swings allcontinued on page 52Classico Pizza & Pasta2457 Bloor St. W. 416-763-1313Every Thu 7pm Jazz Guitarist Nate RennerNo Cover.Cobourg, The533 Parliament St. 416-913-7538Jazz Sundays 9pmNo CoverCoco Rogue Chocolate Lounge, The2097 Yonge St. 416-901-2626www.coco-rogue.comEvery Thu John Campbell No Cover. Every Friand Sat Alex James No Cover.Communist’s Daughter, The1149 Dundas St. W. 647-435-0103Every Sat 4-7pm Gypsy Jazz w Michael Johnson& Red Rhythm: Michael Louis Johnson(trumpet/vocals) Roberto Rosenman (guitar)Terry Wilkins (bass).DeSotos1079 St. Clair Ave. W. 416-651-2109Every Thu 8pm-midnight Open Mic Jazz Jam,hosted by Double A Jazz. Every Sun 11am-2pm Brunch w Double A Jazz and Guest.Dominion on Queen500 Queen St. E. 416-368-6893www.dominiononqueen.comEvery Sun 11am-3pm Rockabilly Brunch.Every Tue 8:30pm Corktown Django Jam whost Wayne Nakamura PWYC. Every Wed CorktownUke Jam 8pm. Every Sat Ronnie Hayward4:00-7:30pm. May 5 9pmYoung KimQuartet $10. May 25 9pm Havana to Toronto whost Joaquin Nunez Hidalgo $10. May 26 9pmBlues Series: Bradleyboy MacArthur. May 277pm Musical Theatre Cabaret PWYC.Dovercourt House805 Dovercourt Rd. 416-537-3337www.odd-socks.org (full schedule)Fri May 19 9:10pm-1am 3rd Friday BluesDance Party with Fraser Daley Blues Band.Dance $10; $13 with class. Every Sat 9pm-1am Saturday Night Swing: Dance featuring LiveSwing Bands and dance lessons. Dance $13;$15 with one class, $18 with both. SaturdayBands: May 5 Roberta Hunt & the Gents. May12 Hot Five Jazzmakers. May 19 Mike DaleySwing Band.EDO Sushi484 Eglinton Ave. W. 416-322-3033All shows 7:30–10:30pm. No Cover.Every Thu Jazz with Tony Quarrington (guitar)with guests: May 3 Bonnie Brett (vocals); RichardWhiteman (bass). May 10 Serafin LaRiviere(vocals); Lee Saba Hutchinson (bass). May17 Zoey Adams (vocals); Chris Robinson (reed/vocals). May 24 Beverly Taft (vocals); JordanO’Connor (bass). May 31 Ori Dagan (vocals);Ross MacIntyre (bass).Emmet Ray, The924 College St. 416-792-4497All shows: 9pm. PWYC.www.theemmetray.com (full schedule)May 2 Alistair Christl. May 3 John Wayne Swingtet.May 6 Tin Can Man. May 7 The Musicof Bill Frisell: Ryan Butler, Michael Herrin andEthan Ardelli. May 8 Peter Boyd and the MutantDuo. May 9 Box Full of Cash. May 14 TheC. In the Clubs (Mostly Jazz)Music of Ben Monder: Ryan Butler, Felicity Williams,Dan Fortin and Mark Segger. May 16Alistair Christl. May 17 Vokurka’s Vicarious VirtuosoViolin. May 20 Shafton Thomas Funk Fusion.May 21 Errunriv. May 23 Alistair Christl.May 24 Mikko Hilden: Trio Manouche. May 27Tropical Punch. May 28 Vaughan Misener Trio.May 30 Alistair Christl.Flying Beaver Pubaret, The488 Parliament St. 647-347-6567www.pubaret.com (full schedule)May 3 7:30pm Momo and Friends Sing$15/$10(adv). May 10 7:30pm Tabby Johnson$20/$15(adv). May 18 9pm Vincent Wolfe$15/$10(adv). May 19 7:30pm Ori DaganQuartet $20/$15(adv); 9:30pm Serafin LaRiviere$TBA. May 31 7:30pm Julie Michels$20/$15(adv).Gallery Studio, The2877 Lake Shore Blvd., Etobicoke.416-253-0285www.thegallerystudiocafe.caEvery Tue Jazz Jam with Humber College walumni house band: Riley O’Connor (drums);Scott Kemp (bass); Scott Metcalf (piano); ShiranthaBeddage (saxophone); Lee Wallace (guitar).Every Thu 7pm Kirk MacDonald/AlHenderson Duo $7. Every Sat 4:30-7pm TheCooking Channel No Cover. Every Sun 1:30pmBirds of a Feather; 4pm Fair Trade; 7pm ElizabethMartins Quartet No Cover. May 3 8pmLorenzo Castelli $5. May 9 7:30pm UptownSwing Band $8. May 11 8pm James BrownTrio $10. May 12 6:30pm Young Jik Kim Quartet;9:30pm NIIC. May 17 8pm Chelsea Mc-Bride $5. May 18 8pm Brad Chesseman Group$5. May 24 8pm Chelsea McBride $5. May 258:30pm Ernesto Cervini Quartet $10.Gate 403403 Roncesvalles Ave. 416-588-2930www.gate403.comAll shows: PWYC.May 1 5pm Kelsey McNuly Jazz Band; 9pm JulianFauth Blues Night. May 2 5pm Brian Coberand Aslan Gotov Blues Duo; 9pm Kurt Nielsenand Richard Whiteman Jazz band. May 35pm Melissa Lauren Jazz Band; 9pm JustineCampbell Jazz Band. May 4 5pm Mike FieldJazz Band; 9pm Max Senitt Y Sus Amigos.May 5 5pm Bill Heffernan & Friends; 9pm AllisonAu Jazz Band. May 6 5pm Joel Hartt &Mark Kieswetter Jazz Duo; 9pm Peter EastmureJazz Band. May 7 5pm Tom McGill; 9pm RichardWhiteman/Laura Hubert Jazz Band. May8 5pm Gosia Faryna; 9pm Julian Fauth BluesNight. May 9 5pm Brian Cober and Aslan GotovBlues Duo; 9pm Victor Monsivais Trio. May10 5pm Allison Au Jazz Band; 9pm Sabor LatinJazz Band. May 11 5pm Christopher SimmonsJazz Trio; 9pm Fraser Melvin Blues Band. May12 5pm Bill Heffernan & Friends; 9pm DennisGaumon Blues Duo. May 13 5pm Dan Mock &Alan Zemaitis; 9pm Wendy Irvine Jazz Quartet.May 14 5pm Denis Schigh; 9pm Richard Whiteman/LauraHubert Jazz Band. May 15 5pm ChrisGale Jazz Band; 9pm Julian Fauth Blues Night.May 16 5pm Brian Cober and Aslan Gotov BluesDuo; 9pm Lara Solnicki Jazz Band. May 17 5pmGia & the Unpredictable Update; 9pm StringTheory Collective. May 18 5pm Ventana 5 JazzBand; 9pm Sweet Derrick Blues Band. May 195pm Bill Heffernan & Friends; 9pm Patrick Tevlin’sNew Orleans Rhythm. May 20 5pm CindyUrech Jazz Duo; 9pm Robin Banks Jazz Band.50 thewholenote.com May 1 – June 7, 2012