In Performance: Smokey Robinson

In performance at the Toronto Jazz Festival. Originally published on Jazztimes.com, June 2014.

In Performance: Ahmad Jamal

Originally published in The Brooklyn Rail, December, 2010.

Photo Feature: The Saints

Originally published in the October 2007 issue of CODA Magazine.

Candid Portrait: Jim Galloway, Linda Towart, Lincoln Alexander

Originally published in the August / September 2008 issue of CODA Magazine.

Jim Galloway, artist Linda Towart and former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Lincoln Alexander, at the Rex Hotel celebrating CODA magazine's 50th Anniversary.

In Performance: Jon Hendricks and Kurt Elling

Originally published in CODA Magazine, May 2008.

Jon Hendricks and Kurt Elling, Toronto, 2008.

Tap Seven

Originally published in the Summer 2011 issue of SNAIL.

CD Review: Fern Lindzon: Moments Like These

Originally published in CODA magazine, May 2008.

Veteran Toronto singer and pianist Fern Lindzon has taken an interesting approach to her debut recording Moments Like These. Completely made up of duets with noted musicians Don Thompson (here on vibraphone), bassist George Koller and guitarist Reg Schwager, Lindzon achieves a sense of intimacy on this recording that is pleasing and rare.

Lindzon’s vocals are rich, elegant and, thanks in part to her many years of stage experience, delivered with a sense of confidence and ease. Her piano playing is very much in the jazz tradition (she has a great swing feel), but is also contemporary in tone. The temptation when playing duet might be to play more, if only to fill empty spaces, but Lindzon maintains a judicious style.

Vocally, Lindzon is most effective on standards like Irving Berlin’s Let Yourself Go, where she performs a clever rendition of the rarely heard verse. Of the duets that are strictly instrumental, standouts include a spirited conversation between Schwager’s delicate guitar and Lindzon’s piano on You Really Shouldn’t, But… and the opening track Like Someone In Love, where Thompson’s mile a minute vibes provide an effective counterpart to Lindzon’s clean piano lines.

Concert Review: Empirical at Bell Epoque

Originally published in the March 2008 issue of CODA magazine.

Winners of the inaugural EBU / European Jazz Competition, Empirical, a young U.K. based quintet, has been generating quite a buzz in North America over the past few months. "How do you all feel about George Bush?," asked alto saxophonist Nathaniel Facey to the crowd hastily thrown together for their impromptu show at the beautiful Bell Epoque Room in Toronto's Liberty Village. He's not bating the crowd, nor is he trying to make a political statement. Rather, he's asking, because clearly, he doesn't want to offend anyone. When the crowd responds to his question with an audible moan - and one woman yells, "Bring on November!"- Facey smiles. "Alright then, " he says, "this is called 'A Tyrant's Tale.'"

Each member of the Empirical - Jay Phelps (trumpet/voice), Nathaniel Facey (alto saxophone/voice), Kit Downes (piano), Tom Farmer (bass) and Shaney Forbes (drums/percussion) - is as strong on his respective instrument as the next. All (with the exception of Farmer), have compositions included on their remarkably assured self-titled debut recording, which was produced by OBE recipient and renowned saxophonist Courtney Pine.

What is striking about their compositions is that it is difficult to tell where one member of the group's writing ends and another begins. Speaking with Forbes between sets, I mentioned that I heard influences in the writing ranging from John Coltrane to Eric Dolphy to Terence Blanchard to Vijay Iyer. He laughed, "Yeah, Nathaniel's going through a real Dolphy phase right now...we're going to be working on something Dolphy related when we get back home." Clearly, if Nathaniel Facey is going through a Dolphy phase, every member of Empirical will go through that phase right along with him. In that way, Empirical truly function as a group. Influenced by both the jazz tradition and contemporary jazz artists, most of all, Empirical seems to be influenced by one another.

In Performance: Christian Scott

Originally published on NextBop, June 2010.

In Performance: Jon Hendricks

Previously published in the March 2008 edition of CODA Magazine.

Jon Hendricks in performance at the Art of Jazz Festival, Toronto (2008). 

REMEMBERING ALLEN TOUSSAINT

Originally published November 10, 2015 on my personal lifestyle blog, Miss Tracey Nolan.

I took these photos at a performance Allen Toussaint gave at the Toronto Jazz Festival in 2010. I last saw him not performing, but attending Satchmo Summer Fest this past August. He looked to be in excellent health, was as stylish and charming as ever. So sad he had to leave us this soon.

New Orleans and the music community will feel this loss acutely. Listening to the tunes helps though, doesn't it?

Two indisputable classics:

Dig a little deeper and check these out:
Getting all funky on some Guaraldi in 1970.
Schooling us on Professor Longhair on the BBC in the mid 80's.

Allen and Elvis, Ascension Day (live):

The Roots at the 2011 Toronto Jazz Festival

Originally published on NextBop, June 2011.

For the second year in a row, Philly-based neo-soul, hip-hop superstars The Roots rocked the Toronto Jazz Festival. The tent at David Pecaut Square was filled to capacity and hundreds gathered on the lawn outside to listen. They played inventive arrangements of crowd favourites like "Proceed", "Here I Come" and "You Got Me" (with guitarist Captain Kirk Douglas covering vocal duties). Human drum machine Questlove took pictures of the crowd when he wasn't wowing them with his relentless groove; keyboardist Kamal Gray took some very jazz-inspired solos, and MC Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter regularly worked the crowd into a frenzy. Given the reception The Roots received last night, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Toronto Jazz Festival make this an annual event.

Street Party Bootcamp: LESSONS LEARNED AT THE TORONTO JAZZ FESTIVAL FREE ARETHA FRANKLIN CONCERT

Originally published, June 27, 2011 on my personal lifestyle blog, Miss Tracey Nolan.

Depending on who you ask, the free Aretha Franklin concert that the Toronto Jazz Festival brought to David Pecaut Square on Friday night was either a remarkable success or a resounding failure. There were 18,000 people in attendance, and no shortage of opinions. Nobody seems to have any issue with Ms. Franklin, or her opening act, local band Jordan Johns and The Blue Angels. If anything made Friday night feel like a party, it was the musicianship. The problem seems to be two fold; if you are going to tell people you are throwing a "street party" it had better feel like a party and if you promise them a free Aretha Franklin concert, they had better be able to hear Aretha Franklin.

Hundreds of concert goers who had the foresight and time to line up and obtain wrist bands were able to experience the show up close and in person inside the big white tent. To accommodate the thousands who came expecting an outdoor show and were disappointed to find the diva in a tent, the festival set up a "big" screen. Unfortunately, only a fraction of the people in attendance could see the screen. This wouldn't have been met with such disdain if the audio outside of the tent was sufficient. Sadly, at one point, both Aretha and the horn section were drowned out by a car radio, somewhere near Simcoe Street.

The last time Aretha Franklin performed a free show in Toronto it was on an outdoor stage in front of Holt Renfrew. It was a much smaller production (no band, just a piano) and a shorter show (maybe six songs) but the production was far superior. Something is out of whack if a department store is putting on a better show than a twenty five year old music festival.

The first lesson is for the Toronto Jazz Festival:

Torontonians are clearly inspired by your programming and want to take part in this festival. You're doing something right. Next year, try again, take the training wheels off and really put some muscle into the production values. Try to keep the talent out of the tent, bring them outside where everyone can see. Invest in some bigger screens and most importantly, provide the listeners with something to listen to. I'm loath to bring up Montreal, but it's worth mentioning that they've been getting the big, free, street party right for years now. What are they doing that you're not?

 Lesson number two for the Toronto Jazz Festival:

Parties require atmosphere. Pipe some music into the crowd during the pre-show (the silence was deafening). Hire some street performers to come in and entertain the crowd while they wait. Better yet, put some local jazz talent on the outdoor stage! Partner with some businesses who want to provide thousands of potential customers with free samples. You can't count on the audience to create the party atmosphere all by themselves.

With all that said, the party guests are responsible for creating some of the fun as well. If you threw a party and things weren't perfect, it would be incredibly rude of your guests to stand around, arms folded, tweeting about how much your party sucks. Here are some big Street Party / Free Concert lessons for audience members:

- lower your expectations
- be flexible
- bring a chair, blanket or cushion
- make the most of it - bring friends, a deck of cards, a book
- have a plan B, if you're not enjoying yourself, get out of there!
- always remember, this is FREE!

While I was walking around, observing the crowd before the show started I realized what a wonderful example of Toronto's citizenry had been gathered. We were there in numbers, a lot of us. Young, old, every race, music fans and curiosity seekers alike. The evening may not have been perfect, but it was inspiring to see so many people having a great time together. We'll get better at this Street Party thing Toronto. Practice will make perfect.

Is the Age of the Jazz Club Over in Toronto?

Originally published on Torontoist, May 7, 2013.

Jazz Bistro was filled to the rafters on its first two weekends, in early April. So why are we left wondering if the age of the upscale jazz club is over in Toronto?

For the last decade, the Toronto jazzerati have been lamenting the death of one upscale club after another. The glory days of the Montreal Bistro and Top o’ the Senator have been left behind in the dust of condominiums and a changing tourism landscape. There have been valiant attempts at reviving the scene over the years. Remember Opal, The Red Violin, and Live at the Courthouse? No one can blame you if you don’t. Each one failed more spectacularly than the last. While there are many possible reasons for those failures, you have to wonder if the one common denominator is simply that Toronto no longer has an appetite for jazz in a “white tablecloth and martini” kind of setting.

Colin Hunter would hope that’s not the case. He’s the CEO of Sunwing Vacations, a leisure tour company, and he’s also the guy who spent a lot of money transforming the old Top o’ the Senator, on Victoria Street, into Jazz Bistro. The entire space has been re-imagined, with a small stage on the main floor and a balcony looking down on it from the second floor. There are several monitors to accommodate those with obstructed views. On the surface, it would seem as though some really wonderful things are about to happen at the venue. Hunter was even smart enough to hire the old manager of Top o’ the Senator, Sybil Walker, to book the talent. 

So what went wrong?

On the club’s second weekend, the sound was abysmal. You could barely hear charming vocalist George Evans and his trio over the audience. Would you really want to pay a cover charge to listen to a suburban real estate agent talk about his latest conquest? 

The small stage on the main floor is difficult to see from many corners of the club. At Top o’ the Senator, the stage was front and centre. Here, it feels as though it could be removed and replaced with a couple of four tops, where customers could loudly order more wine. Putting a custom red Steinway piano in your club is great, but if the audience can’t see it, what’s the point?

Something about an evening at Jazz Bistro felt like dinner with an ex, where even though you aren’t a couple anymore, you hope that whatever it was that brought you together in the first place is still there. And you know, at Jazz Bistro, it just wasn’t. You can look rationally at the renovation of the space and know that it was necessary, but it just felt so hollow. The Top o’ the Senator felt upscale, but it also felt authentic. Jazz Bistro, with its plethora of chandeliers, Louboutin red-and-black colour palette, and chatty clientele, feels like a Bougie Botox Queen who has nothing to offer the conversation.

Hopefully, Sybil Walker can work her magic. Hopefully, great music from local talent and international jazz stars will make Jazz Bistro a venue worth supporting. 

That said, even if Jazz Bistro fails, don’t ring the death knell for jazz in this city just yet. The Rex Hotel has been presenting 19 shows a week for years and has slowly evolved from a no-menu, potato-chips-behind-the-bar kind of joint into a still-casual but “grown-up” venue. It has a great menu and a full bar and a staff that doesn’t sneer at you. There’s no “quiet policy,” but if the musicians are holding the crowd’s attention, you can hear a pin drop. Great jazz is also happening at unlikely venues all over Toronto. Art galleries and brunch spots that book amazing local talent are omnipresent. International talent can be seen at all kinds of venues during the Jazz Festival and year-round at the Royal Conservatory of Music’s beautiful Koerner Hall.

Toronto is still a great jazz city, but those of us who care about that need to consider whether an upscale backdrop matters as much as we think it does.

Concert Review: Jazz At Lincoln Center Take Massey Hall

Originally published on Torontoist, February 24, 2012

When the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra took the stage at Massey Hall on Thursday night, and music director and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis told the capacity crowd the band would be starting with “Calling The Indians Out,” from his Pulitzer Prize winning jazz oratorio, Blood on the Fields, there was thunderous applause. Then, almost scoldingly, a bemused Marsalis warned them, “Don’t clap first.”

Such is the mark of a musician who is always striving to move forward, even while working to preserve the past. If nine Grammy Awards and the worldwide sale of nearly five million copies of his recordings haven’t made Marsalis complacent, one has to wonder if anything would.

Much of the evening’s program was dedicated to Marsalis’ own compositions, written for big band, in a nod to his yearlong celebration of his fiftieth birthday.

Along with “Blood on the Fields,” we heard “Bamboula Dance,” from Congo Square(co-written by Yacub Addy), which is a composition dedicated to the New Orleans landmark that was the original breeding ground for jazz. Victor Goines, whom Marsalis called “perhaps the last of the great Creole clarinetists from New Orleans,” was featured on that number.

After New Orleans, we headed to New York with two works from a mass Marsalis composed for the 200th anniversary of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. The throbbing bass line, call-and-response goodness, and singing alto sax of Sherman Irby on “You’ve Got to Watch the Holy Ghost” was enough to make this brunch-loving atheist understand why all those folks get up so early on Sunday mornings.

The official program ended with the climax of Marsalis’ composition, Big Train, “The Caboose,” which showed Marsalis and company’s infectious sense of fun on the bandstand to full effect. Even though, as the program notes say, “Brooks Brothers is the official clothier of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra,” when the music is swinging this hard, all those sharp-dressed men look like happy little kids. 

There isn’t a weak link in the band, but standouts this particular evening included young trombonist Vincent R. Gardner, the always-elegant Joe Temperley on baritone sax, and the absolutely rock-solid rhythm section of Dan Nimmer on piano, Carlos Henriquez on bass, and Ali Jackson on drums.

Interview with Victor Goines from Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra

Previously published on Torontoist, February 23, 2012

Victor Goines went to kindergarten with jazz superstar Wynton Marsalis and, forty-plus years later, they’re still making music together.

If you’re a jazz nerd, you’ve been listening to and admiring Victor Goines for years. Born in New Orleans in 1961, Goines’s talent on all manner of saxophone and on the clarinet has led him to play with some folks you may have heard of, like Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Diana Ross, and Stevie Wonder. Tonight, he will be appearing with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra; we spoke with him on the phone after he wrapped a rehearsal in New York.

Torontoist: You’ve been with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra since 1993, so this isn’t your first trip to Toronto. Any thoughts on the city and what it’s like to play at Massey Hall, a venue with such a solid jazz pedigree?

Goines: You know, Massey Hall, that’s special for the obvious reasons. Many, many great musicians have spent their time up in there, including that legendary recording with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. So to be a part of that tradition is fantastic. Who would turn down the opportunity to play where Charlie Parker did? Or where Dizzy Gillespie played? That’s about the closest we can get to them, in fact.

What can we expect from the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on February 23?

One of the things about Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Wynton as Artistic Director, is our mantra that “all jazz is modern.” We’re willing to play, and we have the capability to play, things that come from the early parts of jazz history from New Orleans and then we’ll turn around and play not only something that has been created recently but something that has been created recently by a member of the band. We like to believe, and I think we’ve been somewhat successful, that we play the history of jazz. And that’s what our audience anticipates. We also have a large enough book [repertoire] that it allows us to really cater to the needs of our audience, because the audience is a very important part of the music. We may have a program picked but if that program turns out to be not ideal for that audience, Wynton has been know to change direction and play something else that he thinks will bring the audience more into the program.

Wynton comes by that behaviour naturally too, doesn’t he? His father Ellis (a piano player), who you’ve studied and played with over the years in New Orleans, is notorious for not planning programs ahead of time. That keeps the players on their feet, doesn’t it?

Yes, that’s very accurate! You know, as a student of Ellis’ and playing in his band for eight years, I’d say that was one of the most educational things in the world…that might be where Wynton gets some of that particular behaviour. 

Right now in Toronto we’re facing more budget cuts, and what some might even call hostility toward the arts, especially in schools. I’m wondering if you have any thoughts, as an educator with years as head of the jazz program at Julliard and now in your capacity at Northwestern, on the impact these cuts have on students?

Well, it’s difficult. What they’re doing by cutting arts in schools is taking away children’s exposure to music. And not just jazz, but to all music. So therefore, now, the average kid has no exposure at all. We always say at Jazz at Lincoln Center that music makes us better people. Everybody’s not going to be a professional musician and that’s not really that important. The prize is not being the best; the prize is being a participant. 

Tell us about your new Quartet recording, Twilight.

Twilight is a CD that definitely needed to come out now, because it’s been seven years since my last release. It’s on my own record label and it’s 10 of my different compositions…I like to take the opportunity, when I do a recording, to explore all the different avenues of what I can do. The Quartet is a group of really talented young musicians working with me, who are all former students of mine.

That’s so cool to see. Do you find it gratifying playing with your former students?

It is gratifying. I try to make sure whenever I play with them, that I recognize them on the bandstand so they know how I feel about them. You know, I remember years ago, Ellis Marsalis told me “never get on a bandstand with anyone you’re not willing to get in a fox hole with.” You have to trust the people you’re with. And it is very gratifying when your former students come to that level.

It also means you taught them well.

They taught me a lot of things along the way too.

Five Questions for Robert Glasper

Originally published on Torontoist, October 18, 2012

A gifted jazz pianist who keeps one foot firmly planted in hip-hop and the other in neo-soul, Robert Glasper is one of those artists that defies definition. He serves as music director for Mos Def’s touring band and has worked and written with Q-Tip. While his latest studio effort features big names like Questlove and Lalah Hathaway, his group, Robert Glasper Experiment, has a jazz sensibility. He’s been quoted as saying, “We all have musical ADD and we love it.” Audiences seem to as well. The band’s June performance at the Toronto Jazz Festival sold out so quickly that an extra show was added (it also sold out). The band returns to Toronto to play The Hoxton this Friday.

Glasper spoke to us about his newest album, his collaborations, and his time in Toronto. Our interview is below.

Torontoist: Your new release is a remix EP of your album Black Radio, which came out in February. Was the remix always part of the plan for this project?

Robert Glasper: No, the remix idea came a little later, it actually came in June. We thought about it in June and then put the wheels in motion in July. It was really last minute. It came together because we had a remix contest for one of the songs on the record, “Move Love,” and we had hundreds and hundreds of producers sending in their remix ideas. After that I thought it would be cool to do a remix EP for Black Radio, to just keep the music out there.

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the name Black Radio?

It’s actually a song that me and Mos Def wrote maybe three or four years ago, basically talking about the device in the airplane [the black box] that holds all the information so that if the plane crashes you’ll know what happened. I named the album Black Radio because I felt like when music is crashing all around us…good music always lives on, no matter what. I felt like this was one of those albums.

We’re sharing “Afro Blue,” featuring Erykah Badu, with our readers. [It’s track two on Black Radio. Listen to it by clicking the “play” button, above.] What was it like working with her, and producer 9th Wonder, on this track?

Working with Erykah was an amazing experience. I’d been on stage with her before. I’ve known her for years, but being in the studio with her and her producer, it was a whole different thing. She’s just really cool and down-to-earth. She’s very open to anything that you might want to do. She’s not an overly “diva” type person that you can’t talk to; she’s extremely cool and willing to learn, so it was a really dope experience working with her. As far as 9th goes, I didn’t even work hands-on with him on this, I just sent him the files from the original song from the album and then he just chopped it up and sent it to me, ’cause he lives in North Carolina. I just met 9th Wonder last week when I did a Master Class at Harvard University and he was there also, because he’s an Artist in Residence there. They [that is, Harvard] have a whole Hip Hop archive, a whole building dedicated to Hip Hop. It’s full of old posters and magazines and records and even figurines and stuff.

You’ve become notable for the people you collaborate with, from jazz bassist Derrick Hodge to drummer Questlove from The Roots. How would an unknown musician get an opportunity to work with you?

There’s a few different ways. If I’m coming to your city, sometimes what people will do is they’ll have a late set somewhere with an afterparty vibe and they’ll invite my band to come out. And a lot of times we’ll go to hang out ’cause it’s a great opportunity for us to hear you play live. That’s so much better than sending in CDs, you know what I mean, ’cause everybody gets CDs all the time and you don’t get around to listening to them. That whole act of putting a CD in your computer, nobody really does that shit anymore. So yeah, that’s the best way. We travel all the time, we’re going to be in your city at some point!

You were just here in the summer playing two sold-out shows. Have you been able to spend any time in Toronto? Any thoughts on our city?

The crowd is awesome. I love Toronto audiences. I was in town for a full month in 2009 when I was playing with [R&B singer] Maxwell. He opened his tour here, so we were rehearsing and getting all the lighting together and all that. So yeah, we were here for a month and it was great! We really got a chance to feel Toronto and be in Toronto. Normally I don’t get a chance to be in any place for a full month, I don’t even get a chance to be home for a month.

Molly Johnson on the music business, motherhood, and letting the air out of Aretha's tires.

Previously published on Torontoist, November 27, 2012

Juno-winning jazz singer (and Torontonian) Molly Johnson hits the stage at Massey Hall November 30 to launch the venue’s 2013 jazz season. Audiences can expect a healthy dose of her trademark wit—also on display every weekend on CBC Radio 2—and the luxurious song-stylings that have made her an international sensation. Just like Jerry Lewis, Johnson is an honest to goodness big deal in France, and she is set to debut at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center in January. Her Massey Hall show will feature the Regent Park School of Music, which is as good a reminder as any of just how civic-minded she can be. Our interview is below.

Torontoist: We’re here today to talk about your upcoming concert at Massey Hall. A daunting venue to be sure, but you’re no stranger to iconic Toronto venues. I remember hearing a story about your first experiences on stage working at the Royal Alexandra as a little girl…

Johnson: I was not much more than a prop on stage. I was very young and they would shoo me out and then someone would take my hand and walk me off. I remember missing a lot of school and loving it. Ed Mirvish used to come watch us rehearse, standing at the back row of the Royal Alex, and would ask me to talk to him from the stage. He’d say “Don’t yell, this is the most beautiful theatre in the world!” I didn’t have any singing lessons, but back then, Ed Mirvish was my vocal coach.

He gave you good advice, too!

Yeah, we don’t need to yell. I can hear you perfectly when you speak to me with confidence and clarity, and so that was a big lesson from Ed. I guess other lessons were things like, always leave them wanting a little more and always take that beat before you walk on.

You always do that in concert settings!

I always do that, I do. I take that moment thinking about a lot of things. History and stuff, before I walk out there for sure. The other thing that was great about those days is that it was just a phone call to the house and down we would come. It was like going to camp! It was like a hobby that the family did, it wasn’t a career or anything other than a fun thing that we did as a family.

You try to keep that spirit in your work even today, don’t you?

I totally do. I feel like I was born in a trunk. I have always been doing some sort of monkey business!

There’s a kind of family atmosphere on the stage with your band. Is that the group that you’ve got on the 30th?

Yeah, the usual suspects! Robi Botos and Mike Downes and Larnell Lewis. My dad was a gym teacher, he was all about the importance of teams, and every position was important to the overall game. I have always come to the stage with a great team, and understanding that playing to their strengths and allowing my musicians the space to be fantastic works. And I am a bit lazy! I love to sit and listen to them play! I am a big believer in the team and that you don’t do anything alone.

Molly Johnson at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Toronto (Photo by Tracey Nolan)

That’s certainly the game plan for your Massey Hall show on November 30. You’ll be featuring kids involved with the Regent Park School of Music.

I love the idea of opening up stuff that I fought so hard for to others. I’m also really interested in children’s music programs and that really scary corridor for all parents that work. That time period between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. when they get home. We’ve lost a lot of kids in that time zone, and it doesn’t matter how affluent you are or not. This is a very dangerous time. I am a big believer in after-school programs, and Regent Park School of Music has been doing this particular bit of business for years where they’ve been teaching young children.

This is not just music. They have homework club. They have a lot of different places, ways for kids to plug in, but music is their over-arching business. It’s been proven over and over again how important music is for kids. It’s one of the things that gets cut first in our school programs and it worries me greatly. You talk to a great scientist or a great doctor or an interesting lawyer, and I guarantee you, they will have played an instrument as a child. It’s just a thing. It doesn’t mean that you go on to becoming a professional musician, but it definitely makes your brain work a particular way.

I also think in learning to play an instrument, you become a more informed audience in later life. There’s nothing a performer loves better than an informed audience, an audience that truly appreciates and understands the skill and dedication and focus and discipline to get to this point. It’s just a way better show if you’ve got an educated audience, and why not start young? I guess in answer to your question, I’ve brought along the Regent Park School of Music choir to do a few songs with me right off the top… I think we all love the sound of kids’ voices. It’s so pure, and I love that. Also, in the lobby, during our intermission, we’ll have another group of kids from the Jane and Finch area playing pan drum. The idea is that all my CD sales will go to this music program.

That’s really cool. Can you tell us about some of the special guests that are going to be joining you on stage that night?

Yes. Elizabeth Shepherd is a beautiful voice on the jazz scene. What I love about her is that she writes her own material as well as just beautiful interpretations of standards. She’s a great musician. She plays the piano, something I’m very envious of. I’m very envious of that skill. She’s a new mom, and that’s always interesting to see, how any working mom is going to sort that out. It’s a challenge to any working moms. Whether you’re a musician or a bank-teller, it’s a thing to work out. It’s always interesting to me to see others struggle with their balance. I know a lot about that. I’ve got other sort of surprises through the evening: a young, young guitar player, a Canadian kid name Lucian Gray. Lucian Gray was the first Canadian to get a full music scholarship to Berkeley. He’s going to rip the roof off Massey Hall. He’s just going to! To me, he is the future of jazz. He is very exciting.

I’m wondering what the first concert you ever saw Massey Hall was.

The first thing I probably saw at Massey Hall was one of those massive choirs, and I—probably in a public school situation—sang in one of those massive choirs at Massey Hall.

So many of us did, right?

So many of us did. I’ll say though that, a couple of weeks ago, I went to Massey Hall just to have a walk around to remind myself of what the heck I have gotten myself into. It’s one thing to stand on an empty stage and look out and see all those empty seats and really just hope and pray that they get filled. That’s a bit daunting because there’s a lot of red empty seats when you look that way. Then you turn around and look at the stage and realize just how huge that stage is. It was built to accommodate symphonies and choral music and choirs and big stuff. When you see it naked and you can see that back wall, you realize, I have to not only just fill these seats, but I have to put something on the stage and it better be good, or I’m in big trouble. That was something, to have a deep look at that stage empty like that, for sure.

Is it different performing at home than it is internationally? I mean, you’re such a big deal in France, how does that compare to home?

It’s crazy, but France’s landmass, you can put two and half Frances into Ontario. There are over 48 million people living in France. I don’t think we have 48 million people in Canada. When the artists lament about Canadians not loving culture, I say, “No, no, Canadians love their culture.” We love it, but we’re a very large country, very low population, and very diverse. Extremely diverse. We have a huge country music scene. We have a huge Asian music scene. We have a huge French-Canadian music scene. We have huge pockets, but there’s not a lot of us. So, my advice to Canadian artists is find other markets to supplement your Canadian market. Don’t try and put it off to, “Canadians don’t like culture.” Are you kidding me? They love it. We love it. We especially love our own.

I think so.

I feel very loved and very cherished here.

Anytime I see you perform, I feel that coming from the audience. It’s always a bit of a love fest.

Yeah, it should be a bit of a love fest, especially since Aretha Franklin’s cancelled! 

Wait. What?

Aretha was booked for the same night at Roy Thomson Hall! It was a bit of a nightmare for me. Of all the voices in the world, Aretha. I was threatening to go down to New Jersey and let the air out her tour bus tires. [She laughs.] You can print that. I gotta do what I gotta do. Everybody’s paying for this Massey Hall show. My mother bought a ticket. Everybody’s paying. I’ve got to fill seats. If you really love me, you’ll cough up the 35 bucks and come see my ass. My mother’s giving me the gears. I just say, “I have to use you as an example, Mama. I know you’re 80, (laughs) I don’t care.” 

You've got to entertain the whole audience: An interview with George Benson

Originally published on Torontoist, June 25, 2012

George Benson wears the title of “entertainer” with pride. After 10 Grammys, a lifetime in the business (he’s been performing since he was nine years old), and memorable hits such as “On Broadway,” “The Greatest Love of All,” and “This Masquerade,” you’d think he’d rest on his laurels a little. Instead, as he approaches his 70s, Benson is exploring and touring, always with his audiences in mind. We sat down to talk with him about his latest recording and his upcoming show at the Toronto Jazz Festival.

Torontoist: We’re excited to welcome you back to Toronto. You’ve played here a lot over the course of your career. Do you have any Toronto-centric memories you’d like to share with us?

George Benson: Well, I remember there was a street called Yonge Street and there was a jazz club down there. I played there a couple of times. That was my introduction to Toronto. Another time was when I substituted for Buddy Rich, the great drummer who was unable to fulfill an engagement here. I brought along a girl nobody had ever heard of to join me. Her name was Randy Crawford. She was just a kid then, 19 years old. She tore the place up. She was a great singer, you know. I’ve got some good memories of Toronto.

What can we expect from your show here on June 26th?

We bring our own little arsenal with us when we come. Of course we can’t play everything because I have many, many, many, many years’ worth of songs. We do a variety of things with our show and usually it works out well. I have no set program. Every show is its own show and I play according to the vibe that’s coming from the audience. I’ll call out tunes and the band will jump right on it. We turn each night into a special evening.

There’s been a lot of discussion floating around about “modern” jazz festivals and the challenges that they face with their booking practices. You strike me as a booker’s dream. I think you’re one of the rare artists who straddles both the mainstream audience because of your pop success and the audience that’s looking for straight-ahead jazz. Do you care about that stuff? Is that even on your radar?

In the old days, when they first started doing jazz festivals, maybe Newport way back in the ’50s, I remember Ray Charles was on that bill. He wasn’t a “jazz man” but he was the most popular thing on that show. So it started way back then. Think of it this way. Let’s say you’ve got two people, the man might be a jazz fan but his girlfriend might like country music. What do you do, leave her at home? You’ve got to entertain that whole audience. I remember, I was on the road with the Kool Jazz Festival that came along later in the ’60s and the ’70s. They would hire a pop artist like Marvin Gaye. Why are they doing that? I can do that! If you want to do some R&B, just tell me! Even my manager would say, “Aaaw, you’re just jealous,” and I’d say, “No I’m not jealous,” I just figured hey, if you’re going do that, let me have that role. I like that audience; I know that audience; I know how to make them happy. It took me a few years…and a few records to prove my point.

Can you tell us a little bit about your latest recording, Guitar Man?

Guitar Man is a very successful album from this point of view, not necessarily in terms of sales, but from day one we went straight to the top of the jazz chart. A week later we were at the top of the jazz contemporary chart. So the critics jumped on it right away. Radio started playing the first single right away. It’s got a good variety of things on it from acoustic guitar to solo guitar and classic jazz tunes that nobody expected me to do. So it’s got a good variety of things and I think it satisfies.

I was surprised to see “Tenderly” on there, considering you recorded it (on the album of the same name) in 1989 with McCoy Tyner and Ron Carter.

It’s a totally different performance.

It couldn’t be more different. How much fun is that? Going back to the well, revisiting something, a tune you have an infinity for, and turning it on its ear like that?

Well, one is dedicated to a jazzy approach. I was trying to show how much dexterity I had. It’s full of harmony and theory and fast licks and crazy stuff, you know? And that worked good for that era. We’re talking about 20 years ago now. It’s a different day now, and the acoustic guitar has really come into its own for me, so I thought I’d try my hand at it and see if people would accept that kind of thing from me. Sure enough, I got a nice audience. Now that tells me that there’s a different future ahead of me.

Janelle Monáe Doesn't Have Time

Originally published on Torontoist, June 22, 2012

Janelle Monáe doesn’t have time for your bullshit. She’s not going to hold your hand. You either find something you like at her live show, or you don’t.

When I sat down to talk with her about her upcoming Toronto Jazz Festival show and asked her if she had any jazz influences, she asked me if I listened to her record. Come on, Janelle, I just wanted to know if you had A Love Supreme on repeat in college like everybody else. At first I found her behaviour abrasive. But ultimately, her message is inclusive. “Music is the universal language” she said, “music doesn’t discriminate. I just believe in great music.”

Now that we know Janelle won’t be telling us her favourite places to eat in Toronto, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty.

Torontoist: A lot of people are familiar with your song “Tightrope” because you licensed it to Chevy for commercial use. Was that a difficult decision?

Monáe: Licensing “Tightrope” to Chevy wasn’t a hard decision at all, no. I love to think of people blasting “Tightrope” in their Chevys.

Social media was helpful in getting you noticed at the beginning of your career by people like Big Boi and Sean Combs. Do you think it’s important for artists to be involved in the social media landscape?

Absolutely. It’s extremely helpful. You’re getting your music out there, unfiltered. Straight from the mouth of the artist. That’s very empowering for an artist.

You present a very classy image, with the tuxedo uniform, one that’s very different from most of what we’re seeing in mainstream pop music today.

Yes, and that’s done purposefully. I feel like I have a responsibility to my community and other young girls to help redefine what it looks like to be a woman. It’s all about positivity. Stevie Wonder has done that with his career—acted with purpose—[and] that’s part of what makes him so unique as a person and an artist.

So you see yourself as a role model?

Yes.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on developing a label. All artists are business people as well, but you have to make sure to surround yourself with the best people and listen to them.

You mentioned Stevie Wonder. I know you’ve performed with him in the past, is there a recording in your collective future?

Absolutely. We speak often. Everything is timing, but when it happens, something magical will happen.