Volume 24 Issue 7 - April 2019

Beat by Beat | Mainly Clubs, Mostly Jazz!
And On Guitar...!
COLIN STORY
Over the past month, Toronto lost two of its most creative,
sophisticated guitarists: Ed Bickert (1932-2019) and Justin
Haynes (1973-2019). Though 40 years apart in age, both
exemplified a dedication to the craft of jazz guitar, a broad knowledge
of the ever-evolving history of improvisational music, and a deep
commitment to expanding and reshaping the role of the guitar in a
wide variety of conventional and unconventional settings.
Growing up in Ottawa, Justin Haynes studied with Roddy Ellias
before moving to Toronto in the late 1990s, where he quickly established
himself as a creative, boundarypushing
musician, collaborating
regularly with Jean Martin, Nick Fraser,
Christine Duncan and many other
members of Toronto’s vital jazz/improvising
music community. A prolific
recording artist, he appeared on over
25 albums (currently available through
his website), toured regularly, and
performed consistently throughout
Toronto. Haynes was the 2012 artist-inresidence
at Calgary’s National Music
Centre. For those who wish to attend,
there will be a remembrance service at
the TRANZAC on April 19; there is also a
GoFundMe page, on which visitors may
donate money to benefit Haynes’ son.
Ed Bickert, an active member of the
Toronto music community since his
Justin Haynes
move to the city in the mid-1950s, was a consummate musician, and a
major influence on guitarists who came after him, both in Toronto and
throughout the world. Recording and touring with a range of artists,
including Moe Koffman, Phil Nimmons, Rob McConnell, Rosemary
Clooney and Paul Desmond, Bickert was a tasteful, precise player,
whose rhythmic and harmonic command of the guitar was such that
even his simplest phrases could immediately capture a listener’s attention.
His most memorable performances were often in small ensembles,
including the seminal album At The Garden Party, with bassist
Don Thompson, which endures as one of the most important (and
frequently transcribed) guitar/bass duo albums in jazz, standing
shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Jim Hall and Ron Carter’s Alone
Together. He is also one of the reasons that it has become a relatively
common sight to see a Toronto jazz guitarist playing a Telecaster
(or other Fender-style guitar), in lieu of an archtop or semi-hollow
body guitar; Bickert’s ability to get a warm, round, articulate sound
out of an instrument that is associated, even today, with the trebly
twang of country and bluegrass music, is a testament to his unique
artistic vision.
Lorne Lofsky
It is fitting, though likely not intentionally so, that April should be
particularly rich in guitar performances, many of which will be
happening at The Rex, a venue whose stage position, ceiling height,
and relaxed atmosphere make it particularly amplifier-friendly. For
two consecutive evenings on April 4 and 5, Lorne Lofsky leads a
quartet featuring saxophonist Alex Dean, bassist Kieran Overs, and
drummer Barry Romberg. A York University faculty member, Lofsky
is, in many ways, the direct heir to Bickert: the two played in a quartet
together from 1983 to 1991, releasing two albums together with the
group. In addition to collaborations with leading saxophonists Pat
LaBarbera and Kirk MacDonald, Lofsky spent 1994 to 1996 as a fulltime
member of the Oscar Peterson Quartet, touring worldwide and
playing on three of Peterson’s albums. Though he performs regularly,
120 Diner
120 Church St. 416-792-7725
120diner.com (full schedule)
Most shows $10-$20
Apr 3 6pm Glen Hornblast & Friends, 8pm
Blues Night w/ Heather Luckhart, 11pm Late
Night Live w/ Mandy Goodhandy. Apr 4 6pm
Rita di Ghent. Apr 5 6pm Fifth Element Quintet.
Apr 6 6pm Mike and Jill Daley. Apr 7 6pm
John Alcorn, 8:30pm Heather Christine.
Apr 10 6pm Fuat Tuaç, 7pm Lisa Particelli’s
GNO Jazz Jam, 11pm Late Night Live w/ Mandy
Goodhandy. Apr 11 6pm Julian Fauth w/ Faith
Amour & Russell Sleaper. Apr 12 6pm Reg
Schwager & Jeanette Lambert. Apr 13 6pm
Pat Murray & Ryler Murray. Apr 14 6pm
Kevin Morris, Jennifer Walls. Apr 15 9pm Singular
Sensation open mic w/ Jennifer Walls.
Apr 17 6pm KarenR, 7pm Lisa Particelli’s GNO
Jazz Jam, 11pm Late Night Live w/ Mandy
Goodhandy. Apr 18 6pm Gerri Trimble.
Apr 19 6pm Richard Whiteman Sings. Apr 20
6pm Joel Sheridan. Apr 24 6pm GNO Opener,
7pm Lisa Particelli’s GNO Jazz Jam, 11pm Late
Night Live w/ Mandy Goodhandy. Apr 25 6pm
Sue and Dwight. Apr 26 6pm Jessica Lalonde
and John MacMurchy Trio. Apr 27 6pm Alex
Bird. Apr 28 6pm, 8:30pm (two shows) Derrick
Chua Presents.
Alleycatz
2409 Yonge St. 416-481-6865
alleycatz.ca
All shows: Call for cover charge info.
Lorne Lofsky
it is not always common to see Lofsky leading his own
ensemble, so his two-night stint at The Rex represents a
valuable opportunity to hear him in his element.
The Rex will also host a number of other notable
guitarists, including both the established and the new.
First, the new: Alex Goodman – a graduate of both the
University of Toronto and Manhattan School of Music’s
jazz programs, and now a New York resident – brings his
quartet to town on April 6. Accompanying Goodman are
three of New York’s top young jazz musicians: saxophonist
Ben van Gelder, bassist Martin Nevin, and drummer
Jimmy MacBride. Nir Felder, another young guitarist (and
Fender-style guitar proponent) based in the United States,
joins Toronto’s Tetrahedron for two nights of music on
April 9 and 10. Tetrahedron – typically a chordless trio,
made up of saxophonist Luis Deniz, electric bassist Rich
Brown, and drummer Ernesto Cervini – is a natural pairing
D. In the Clubs (Mostly Jazz)
Mon 8:30pm Salsa Night with DJ Romantico
with free lessons.
Tues 8:30pm Bachata Night with Weekly
Guest DJ with free lessons.
Wed 7pm Midtown Blues Jam hosted by
Andrew “Voodoo” Walters.
Thurs 7pm Spotlight Thursdays.
Fri & Sat 9:30pm Funk, Soul, R&B Top 40 $10
cover after 9pm.
Sat 3pm-6pm Matinee Jazz.
Sun 4pm Blues in The Alley w/ Big Groove.
Apr 5 URequest Band. Apr 6 Red Velvet.
Apr 12 Blonde Ambition. Apr 13 Vision
Blue (matinee), Disco Party w/ Escapade
(eve). Apr 18 Riff Raff. Apr 19 Lady Kane.
Apr 20 URequest Band. Apr 26 North of 7.
Apr 27 York Jazz Ensemble (matinee), Sound
Parade (eve).
Artword Artbar
15 Colbourne St., Hamilton. 905-543-8512
artword.net (full schedule)
The Blue Goose Tavern
1 Blue Goose St. 416-255-2442
thebluegoosetavern.com (full schedule)
Bloom
2315 Bloor St. W. 416-767-1315
bloomrestaurant.com (full schedule)
All shows 7pm 19+. Call for reservations.
Burdock
1184 Bloor St. W. 416-546-4033
60 | April 1 – May 7, 2019 thewholenote.com