Volume 29 Issue 1 | September 2023

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Lina Allemano Four CLAIRE HARVIE TRACEY SAVEIN Gordon Lightfoot introducing singer Tom Rush on the stage at the original Hugh’s Room, Toronto, October 17, 2019. In July of this year, however, something very exciting happened: Hugh’s Room Live’s board of directors confirmed the acquisition of a building they had had an eye on, at 296 Broadview Avenue. Located right between Gerrard St E and Dundas St E, close to Riverdale Park, the building had originally opened in 1894 as the Broadview Avenue Congregational Church. The venue will take shape gradually; though shows are already booked for the fall, building a commercial kitchen and making the former church fully accessible will take some time and additional fundraising. Celebrating the launch: A few existing bookings will still be happening at the aforementioned partner venues, such as Michael Jerome Brown at the Tranzac on September 15, and Jesse Ryan’s Bridges project at Revival on October 15. Meanwhile, a number of excellent shows have already been booked into the new space, with some top-notch Canadian talent. On Sunday, September 24, the Lina Allemano Four takes the 296 Broadview stage. Allemano has long been considered one of North America’s most talented and adventurous trumpet players; her long-running quartet’s most recent album, Vegetables, was nominated for a 2022 Juno Award, and the group was included in DownBeat magazine’s annual Critics’ Poll list for Rising Star Jazz Group in the same year. On October 11, singer-songwriter David Francey will perform an already-sold-out show. Francey is something of a mythological figure in the Canadian folk music scene; the Scotland-born, Canada-raised troubadour didn’t start releasing music until he was in his 40s, after an adult life working on rail yards, construction sites and in the Yukon backcountry. Now, firmly established, he has received numerous accolades, including a SOCAN folk music award, an International Acoustic Music Award and the John Lennon Songwriting Award. AND BRIEFLY TUJF: Just before school gets back in session, the Toronto Undergraduate Jazz Festival (TUJF) returns to Mel Lastman Square over the Labour Day long weekend. Though the festival is no longer the new kid on the block – the inaugural edition was presented in 2015 – TUJF is still a celebration of young jazz groups, with a strong connection to post-secondary jazz programs. This year will also see artists such as Ranee Lee, Thomas Steele, Ale Nuñez and Laila Biali performing on the main stage between September 1 and 4. DREAMING OF LEARNING A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT? OR WANTING TO DUST OFF YOUR OLD ONE? Classes mid September to mid May for ACTIVE ADULTS 50+ No previous musical experience required! Learn Music, Make New Friends, Improve Your Memory & Hearing, Have Fun INFO: Doug Robertson nhbyrdirector@gmail.com 416-457-6316 | newhorizonsbandyorkregion.com Madeleine Ertel will be at Sudbury Jazz, September 9, 6pm. FESTIVALS: Outside of Toronto, there are other exciting festivals to check out. On September 8 and 9, the Sudbury Jazz Festival takes place at a handful of venues across that city. With an emphasis both on exciting shows and educational workshops, the festival will feature established artists such as Denzal Sinclaire, OKAN and Crystal Shawanda, as well as new artists like Alex Bird and the Jazz Mavericks, as well as Madeleine Ertel, winner of the 2023 Jazz Sudbury Emerging Artist program. Colin Story is a jazz guitarist, writer and teacher based in Toronto. He can be reached at www.colinstory.com, on Instagram and on Twitter. 20 | September 2023 thewholenote.com
IN WITH THE NEW SIMON FRYER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR 2023 2024 “Switchemups”, in Exit Points #36 (March 31, 2023) L-R: Adrian Russouw, Rudy Ray, Owen Kurtz, Nilan Perera, %%30%30, Xina Gilani, Victor O, Michael Palumbo OWEN KURRTZ MICHAEL PALUMBO’S EXIT POINTS Makes Its Mark WENDALYN BARTLEY It was participating in the Toronto Improvisor’s Orchestra that offered a lifeline for electroacoustic music improviser, teacher, researcher and producer Michael Palumbo. During 2019, Palumbo was experiencing multiple crises in his life which eventually led him into performing improvised music on his modular synthesizer. “It was a form of music making where empathy is very important,” he told me during our phone interview. “I could go and play my heart out. It saved my life that year.” A short time later, Palumbo was walking past the Hirut Cafe and Restaurant (an Ethiopian eatery on Danforth Avenue), and saw the legendary jazz saxophonist Kirk MacDonald through the window. He couldn’t resist entering and discovered some of the city’s jazz greats playing together in various combinations to packed audiences. He was determined to start up something similar for free improv musicians. Eventually, a monthly series of improvisation concerts he called Exit Points was born – held on the last Friday of every month at Array Music, 155 Walnut Avenue (in the Adelaide/Strachan area). Each evening follows a similar format. Nine guests plus Palumbo are put together into two quintets, each performing a set. Often the performers don’t know each other beforehand and are either invited by Palumbo or request to be included. The upcoming concert on September 29 is a good example of the eclectic mix of musicians brought together. People from new music, ambient and jazz OCTOBER 5, 2023 | 1.30 PM FAURÉ QUARTETT Dirk Mommertz, piano; Erika Geldsetzer, violin; Sascha Frömbling, viola Konstantin Heidrich, cello NOVEMBER 16, 2023 | 1.30 PM TESLA QUARTET Ross Snyder, violin; Michelle Lie, violin Edwin Kaplan, viola; Austin Fisher, cello MARCH 7, 2024 | 1.30 PM DOMINIC DESAUTELS AND JEAN-PHILIPPE SYLVESTRE Dominic Desautels, clarinet Jean-Philippe Sylvestre, piano with Zsófia Stefán, bassoon APRIL 4, 2024 | 1.30 PM FRANCINE KAY Francine Kay, piano INITIAL WINNER OF THE WMCT’S CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD MAY 2, 2024 | 1.30 PM JOYCE EL-KHOURY AND SEROUJ KRADJIAN Joyce El-Khoury, soprano Serouj Kradjian, piano Ticket Orders By phone: 416-923-7052 x.1 Online: www.wmct.on.ca/tickets Subscriptions: $200 | Single tickets: $50 Students Free with ID Walter Hall, University of Toronto, Faculty of Music 80 Queen's Park (Museum Subway) Dominic Desautels Joyce El-Khoury wmct@wmct.on.ca www.wmct.on.ca 416-923-7052 thewholenote.com September 2023 | 21
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Volume 29 Issue 1 | September 2023

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