Festival Wrap # 2 (by Ken Pickering)

July 6, 2011

JP Carter (photo: Peter Gannushkin)

Still coming down from the festival. In this piece you'll find a few photos from Peter Gannushkin (love his JP shot above), plus some of my legendary (ya right..) behind the scenes Iphone shots - of festival staff, musicians and assorted ambient images. I hope you enjoy them. Not much else to say - except - get some sleep?

Kazutoki Umezu & Kiki Band (from Tokyo)

(photos: PG)

Umezu tore it up on the DLP stage with his high energy blend of old school fuze-skronk. Gypsophelia officially loved them!

Soren Kjaergaard (Copenhagen), Ben Street & Andrew Cyrille (photo: PG)

You could hear a pin drop at this gig - such delicacy - lovely show. Unfortunately I completely missed Soren backstage, but I did hear a nice chunk of the set. Def - great to re acquaint with the legendary Mr. Andrew Cyrille. His 60's work with Cecil Taylor is still some of my favourite music and his 70's band Maono recorded some great discs on Black Saint and Soul Note.

Veryan Weston & Trevor Watts (UK) 

(photo: PG)

I go back a long way with Trevor, longer than either of us actually remember - 1972 in London (with John Stevens) - he performed on many occasions for us in the 80's and 90's mostly with Moire Music. He was also in Barry Guy's London Jazz Composers Orchestra. The duo with Veryan is really fine - check out Veryan's amazing solo disc on Emanem - Allusions.

IPHONE Pics by KP

Adam Fine (bassist with Gypsophelia from Halifax) gets the CD store ready to rock for the post show festivities at DLP.

Intern and bass clarinet student - Allison Daniel

Brian Nation, Josephine Ochej & Andre Lachance

Interns from Europe: Verena and Chloe

Box Office Chris and Tara Bailey - where else - the beer garden at DLP of course!

Kenton Loewen "The Crackling"

Debra Jean Creelman backstage at DLP

Sista Kelly Creelman - box office queen

Operations Manager Eduardo Ottoni and Artist Logistics Lorraine Hamilton

Associate Director Alex Grigg / Executive Director Fatima Amarshi

Francois Houle and a big latte @ Milano Coffee on 8th Ave.

Oslo's Havard Wiik at soundcheck RH

Norway's Ingebrigt Haker - Flaten lives in Austin, Texas now! Looks like the hot Texas weather brings on a wicked thirst!

Main Man and all star volunteer: the one and only Gary Kushnir relaxing in the shade outside of the RH.

Favourite Board Members: Lynn Buhler and James Coverdale enjoy a quiet moment at the Roundhouse.

Co-Production Manager James Ong getting it done!

Box Office Chris, this time with Jen Thomas, enjoying a well deserved beverage at - yes you guessed it the DLP beer garden.

JP Carter and Jesse Zubot outside the Roundhouse.. getting ready to head over to the Venue for their Fond of Tigers gig.

Kevin Elaschuck at Granville Island for the West Coast Art Trio.

Marijka (Artist Logistics) and Joe Trump (from Umezu's Kiki Band)

Marc L'Esperance - sound man extraordinaire at Performance Works

Mats Gustafsson and Colin Stetson after their 1st Duo gig at Performance Works on Canada Day.

Two more Mats pics. A ham or what?

Brian Nation (nice portrait)

Chicago's Nicole Mitchell after the High School Jazz Intensive at DLP. 

Paradoxical Frog with Kris Davis, Ingrid Laubrock, Tyshawn Sorey - a helluva gig!

Festival Staff: Rob Wilson, Rainbow Robert, Judie Dahl

Shane Krause (RH venue mgr) and fine sax man - goes buggy.

Si Garber - RH sound man is always in the light.

Whole lotta staff - Rainbow, Casey, Marijka, Chris, Jen

Box Office Mia - what - you wanna buy a ticket?

Ron (Tron) Samworth's head is on fire.

Colin Stetson post workshop at RH

Umezu signs autographs!

Tommy Babin outside the RH

Volunteer Coordinator and MC - Wayne Stewart in Gastown

Volunteers at Performance Works - Wendy and Leanne

Long time hard core jazz fan - the one & only Sony Singh.

Peter Margasak and his wife Michelle at the Ironworks (was that Downbeat or Jazz Times?)

That's all for now folks!

Festival Wrap #1 - Photography by Chris Cameron / Peter Gannushkin

July 4, 2011 (by: Ken Pickering)

A post festival showcase with the beautiful work of our long time festival photographer, Chris Cameron and our guest photographer from NYC, Peter Gannushkin from the final days of this year's festival.

Chris Cameron (photo: PG)

Peter Gannushkin and family at RH - good times! (photo: Ken Pickering)

Gord Grdina (photo: CC) 

Did I mention that his Nordic Sextet and Haram were highlights.. he also rocked with "The Crackling"

Kris Davis, Ingrid Laubrock, Tyshawn Sorey: Paradoxical Frog (photo: PG)

Another festival highlight -  heard this great trio 3 times now and they're moving from strength to strength - serious talents deserving of wider recognition. Inspiring - many folks thanked me for making this one happen. 

Fredrik Ljungkvist (with Grdina, Atomic etc..) one of our favorite saxophonists, period! (photo: PG)

Mats Gustafsson & Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten (photo: CC) - Wow, these guys always come to play!

Hard to believe that the festival has come to it's ultimate conclusion. So much good music to digest over the 10 days of the TD VIJF. The final long weekend at Granville Island (Canada Day) and Saturday/Sunday at David Lam Park and the Roundhouse just kicked ass. The program built to a crescendo with the grand finale coming on Sunday evening - 2 shows by one of the heaviest jazz bands around - the Swedish/Norwegian "Atomic" (to full houses and standing ovations) and a very special evening of flamenco by one of the greatest guitarists in the world, Paco de Lucia & Band. Just a brilliant evening.

Atomic @ the Roundhouse (photo: CC)

Havard, Ingebrigt, Fredrik, Magnus, Paal

Atomic (photo: PG)

Paco de Lucia @ Orpheum (photo: CC)

The excitement at David Lam Park was palpable throughout the weekend - great food, warm audiences and fantastic music make for a magical combination. The Pacific Northwest is a very special part of the world (not only for it's physical grandeur, but for culture and the arts) and we're honoured to have the opportunity to contribute to that reality year after year. The weather (almost fully) cooperated and allowed us to showcase the best of what Vancouver can be when the music, culture and sheer magnificence of this city come together in such a singular way.  This is what it's really all about - we've been through some recent tough times in Vancouver, but the Jazz Festival has consistently proved over a 1/4 century that large groups of people can come together in a public gathering with the right intention to share the love through music!

High School Jazz Intensive with Nicole Mitchell (photo: CC)

Award winning musician Nicole Mitchell comes in from Chicago (each year) and consistently does an amazing job over her 9 day intensive with the students - hand picked from some of the lower mainland's finest young musicians. The charts that Nicole brings to the HSJI range from Duke Ellington to Anthony Braxton and the kids are up to the challenge. Special thanks to Zaena Campbell and Bob Rebagliati.

Tom Fun Orchestra from Cape Breton at David Lam Park for the finale on Sunday night! 

(photo: CC)

Aerial shot of David Lam Park (photo: CC)

I'll follow up on some of the programming threads - Hopper Pass, Innovation Series and other elements in upcoming blog pieces. You can also look forward to some less professional (but still awesome)  behind the scenes photography of festival staff at work and play, casual shots of artists chillin' back stage, sound checks and low key moments throughout the fest, mostly taken by various festival staff (including a few on my trusty Iphone). Until then I'll leave you with a few more nice ones by Peter Gannushkin.

More awesomeness on the bass saxophone (contact miked) - a solo set @ RH - characterized by one scribe as a gateway drug. Colin Stetson will lead impressionable young music lovers to all sorts of circular breathing madness (Evan Parker, John Butcher etc). Great songs - a festival highlight. 

Colin will tour with Bon Iver. (photo: PG)

The Thing tears it up at the Roundhouse - as always - Paal Nilssen-Love, Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten, Mats Gustafsson. (photo: PG)

One of our favourite musicians and people - the inimitable Tony Wilson at the Ironworks. (photo: PG)

Havard Wik & Francois Houle at the Roundhouse reprising their meeting from a couple of years back (this duo was in the studio recording for Songlines on the previous day) - a beautiful chamber concert with a number of gorgeous pieces including one by Benoit Delbecq. (photo: PG)

That's it for now. A heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in this festival in any way. It was a great experience. Stay tuned!  ken