Volume 24 Issue 7 - April 2019

quality. Like the food, the presentation of music at Mezzetta is living
proof that small is good, small works. Owner Safa Nemati is a very
cultured and congenial man who always treats the musicians fairly,
introducing the groups – generally duos featuring a guitarist, as there
is no piano – with a polite but firm insistence that people listen, and
they do. The ten-dollar cover charge all goes to the musicians; nobody
gets rich playing there but that’s not the point. I’ve always left there
feeling musically fulfilled because Mezzetta’s intimacy, natural acoustics
and warm atmosphere encourage audiences to listen intently,
which in turn brings out the best in musicians. And that’s all we want,
really. It’s real, a small oasis of culture, high-minded yet modest, not
unlike Ed Bickert.
I played at Mezzetta on March 13 with Mike Murley and Reg
Schwager. It was originally booked as a duo, but at the last minute
Mike asked me to come along to fill out the trio, and that he’d take
care of paying me himself. It would serve as a kind of live, paid
rehearsal for an upcoming concert and recording we would be doing
a few days later with pianist Renee Rosnes as a guest. It was a very
special evening for a number of reasons, chief among them being that
Ed Bickert seemed to be in the room with us. My piece on him had
been out for about a week and the room was packed with his fans,
many of whom came over to me to talk about him or share a memory.
Mike spoke about him briefly before we started, mentioning that
Mezzetta was Ed’s favourite place to play in Toronto, which says a lot.
And we played I’ll Never Stop Loving You as a tribute to him, inspired
by his beautiful 1985 recording of it. With the people sitting so near
and listening so closely, there was an effortless and silent communion
between the audience and the band which was as close to a religious
experience as I can imagine coming to.
Ellington Society
Another longstanding jazz institution is The Duke Ellington Society,
chapters of which have existed in major cities worldwide for decades,
celebrating and promoting knowledge of the most imperishable
genius jazz has produced. The Toronto DES will be presenting its
annual concert on April 27 at Walter Hall in the Edward Johnson
Building; further details in the Quick Picks section that follows.
This year’s concert features a big band led by, and arranged for, by
drummer Brian Barlow, featuring vocals by the estimable Sophia
Perlman. I’ve played on quite a few of these concerts over the years in
groups ranging from trios to quintets to big bands, including one led
by Ron Collier and an another one by Barlow some years ago. They’re
always rewarding; partly, of course, because they offer the chance to
play music by Ellington and
Billy Strayhorn, but mostly
for reasons similar to the
ones mentioned in connection
to Mezzetta: the audience
wants to be there,
values the music and they
listen. The concert I played
with Brian Barlow’s big
band revealed a side of him
I didn’t realize until then:
what a fine and imaginative
arranger he is. He
clearly loves and knows
Ellington’s music and his
charts managed to bring
out new things in the
maestro’s music; no small
achievement.
Renee Rosnes
Finally, a few words about another great Canadian musician who,
much like Ed Bickert, has raised the bar and inspired so many jazz
players in this country: Renee Rosnes. Being a major star out of New
York and internationally for many years now, Renee hardly needs the
likes of me to pump up her tires, but nevertheless, I’m going to. The
aforementioned project with Renee joining the Mike Murley trio as a
Renee Rosnes
guest consisted of
a March 16 Jazz
In The Kitchen
concert, followed
the next day
by a marathon
recording session
in the same
venue, namely
the home of Patti
and John Loach
in the Beaches.
Much thanks to
both of them for
generously hosting this event and to John for his superb and easygoing
engineering.
As for Renee, well, we’ve known each other for about 35 years now
and this was the first time we’d played together, which came as a
small mutual shock. All I can say is that finally playing with her was
the fulfillment of a long-held wish and she was everything I expected
and hoped for, and more. Simply put, she’s a joy to play with and to
be around. She fits into the trio’s dynamic effortlessly, plus she doesn’t
seem to have any ego whatsoever. With her, it’s all music all the time
and she can play anything with anybody, anytime. And as we discovered
on the recording, she’s a two-take gal: she plays great on the first
take, and really great on the second. If I had to pick someone to offer
as a model to a young aspiring jazz musician, male or female, it would
be Renee Rosnes. They might as well aim high.
Oddly enough, as if to underscore all this, the last tune we recorded
was a trio version of I’ll Never Stop Loving You featuring Reg
Schwager, as a tribute to Ed Bickert. Mike Murley’s cell rang right after
we’d finished and it was Ed’s daughter Lindsey calling. They chatted
for a moment and Mike told her we’d just finished the recording
with Renee and that it had gone really well. Lindsey asked Mike to
tell Renee that Ed once told her that Renee was one of his favourite
people. Being Ed’s daughter, we knew Lindsey meant it, and nobody
was about to argue.
JAZZ NOTES QUICK PICKS
!!
APR 13, 8PM: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society presents the Dave
Young Trio. Music of Duke Ellington. KWCMS Music Room, 57 Young St. W., Waterloo.
519-569-1809. $35; $20(students). The dean of Canadian jazz bassists leads a trio
performing Ellington music. My guess would be Robi Botos on piano
and Terry Clarke on drums, but whoever is playing with Young, this is
sure to be well worth hearing.
!!
APR 14, 4:30: Christ Church Deer Park. Jazz Vespers. Rob Pitch,
guitar; Neil Swainson, bass. 1570 Yonge St. 416-920-5211. Freewill
offering. Religious service. Two of Toronto’s best veteran players who
have a special chemistry through a long history of playing together.
!!
APR 27, 7PM: Toronto Duke Ellington Society’s “Annual Concert.”
Ellington: Suites (excerpts). Sophia Perlman, vocalist; The Brian Barlow
Big Band. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto,
80 Queen’s Park. 416-239-2683. $35. Limited availability. This was
already discussed in the article. Enough said – be there or be square.
!!
APR 28, 2PM: Visual and Performing Arts Newmarket presents the
Drew Jurecka Trio. Jazz trio with violin, piano and bass. Newmarket
Theatre, 505 Pickering Cres., Newmarket. 905-953-5122. $30;
$25(seniors); $10(students). Drew Jurecka is listed here as a violinist
and he’s a brilliant one. But he’s also one of Toronto’s most talented
and rangy multi-instrumentalists, playing clarinet, alto saxophone and
singing. He’s also stylistically encyclopedic, especially on violin, ranging
from trad/swing to contemporary. Whatever mode he’s in this evening, the music will
be rewarding.
Brian Barlow
Toronto bassist Steve Wallace writes a blog called “Steve
Wallace jazz, baseball, life and other ephemera” which can
be accessed at Wallace-bass.com. Aside from the topics
mentioned, he sometimes writes about movies and food.
DANIEL AZOULAY
40 | April 2019 thewholenote.com