Volume 29 Issue 3 | December 2023 & January 2024

MOSTLY JAZZ
PRECARIOUS
INDEPENDENCE
AND BIG HALL
HIGHLIGHTS
COLIN STORY
Jonathan (centre) and Andrew Kay (right), at the Rex
in Toronto with saxophonist Pat LaBarbera and bassist
Roberto Occhipinti. They will be together again for The
Coltrane Sutras at The Jazz Room in Kitchener, Dec 9.
Given the precariousness involved in the retail and
service industries, it is something of a miracle
when new grassroots venues emerge. It is not as
though larger ventures – such as the nascent Allied Music
Centre at Massey Hall – are without risk; presenting live
music is always a tricky proposition. Large, established
organizations, however, have the benefit of development
departments, of long-cultivated reputations within the
community, and, typically, of owning the physical space
in which they host concerts. For small establishments, the
math looks quite a bit different.
An independent restaurant, for example, might
decide that a weekly jazz night is a great idea:
music will add to the ambience, the band will
bring in customers who might not otherwise dine
there, and the restaurant will gain valuable support
within the community. In practice, however, any
number of issues can arise. Perhaps the manager’s
idea of jazz is Frank Sinatra singing “Fly Me To The
Moon,” not John Coltrane playing “Giant Steps;”
perhaps the band does bring in new customers,
but they’re mostly university students who don’t
have the budget for more than an appetizer and
a glass of water; perhaps the restaurant, realizing
after a month or two that they are losing money,
must then cancel the series, much to the chagrin
of the band’s family and friends. Everyone involved
has acted with the best of intentions, but the series
was not sustainable.
Having witnessed this cycle many times over,
in Toronto and elsewhere, it has been a distinct
pleasure to see the success of two unique venues
that have emerged from the pandemic with an
ongoing commitment to hosting live music.
Sellers & Newel Second Hand Books first
opened at 672 College Street in November, 2011.
The Sellers & Newel Literary Society – both the
name of a performance series and the eponymous mailing list that
gets sent out to those looking to keep up to date with the performances
– was started in 2015, and quickly grew from there. The shows
themselves take place right in the bookstore, against a backdrop of
books, vintage chandeliers, and concert posters from past performances.
It is a small space, and can only accommodate 30-40 patrons;
fittingly, the ensembles that play there are typically small, with an
emphasis on duos and trios. On Friday, December 8, Sellers & Newel
will host its 12th Anniversary Show, which will feature the trio
of guitarist Dan Pitt, saxophonist Brittany Pitt, and vocalist Laura
Swankey, playing adventurous, exploratory music.
Bebop Joe’s – formerly Antikka – is a coffee shop and record store
located at 960 Queen Street W. Like Sellers & Newel, it is a space that
does not automatically suggest itself as a live-music venue, but it
has cultivated a presence for itself as a regular
Holly Cole
presenter of concerts, with an emphasis on
small ensembles playing jazz and indie music.
On select weekday evenings and on weekend
mornings/afternoons, catch the likes of vocalist/
trombonist Charlotte McAfee-Brunner and
guitarist Jared Higgins, guitarist Tak Arikushi,
and singer-songwriter Brigit McDermott.
Molly Johnson
Koerner: Speaking of larger venues, there are
a number of interesting shows happening in
December that one can experience from some
of Toronto’s most comfortable seats. Koerner
Hall continues to bring in some of the best
and brightest of American jazz talent, with
shows by Jon Cowherd, Samara Joy, Christian
McBride, Joshua Redman, and Brad Mehldau
all on the schedule for this season. (A headlining
project from Brian Blade would have
rounded out Redman’s famous 1990s quartet.)
On December 8, Koerner Hall plays host to
vocalist Holly Cole, who leads a holiday show
entitled “A Swinging Christmas.” Performing
material featured on her two Christmas albums,
Cole is joined by longtime collaborator Aaron
Davis as pianist, musical director, and string
arranger, as well as bassist George Koller, woodwind
specialist John Johnson, drummer Mark
Mariash, and a string ensemble of students
26 | December 2023 & January 2024 thewholenote.com