Tag: vancouver jazz

To celebrate his live-to-tape Frankie’s Jazz Club performance, we spoke with Itamar Erez about about touring, the best musical advice he’s ever received, and teaching on Zoom!

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What has music-making looked like for you during the pandemic? Has anything changed about your personal practice?

Since the pandemic I’ve been more active online. Apart from the Vancouver Jazz Fest live streaming I did recently with my trio (thanks to everyone at Coastal for this!), I also played a live streaming duet show from my studio (with Kevin Romain on drums) for the TD Niagara Falls Festival, and even did one ‘real’ gig with my quartet at the Firehall Arts Centre in September which was a lot of fun!

I have just completed writing a piece for ‘Sound Of Dragon Ensemble’ (which I’m also part of) and I’m very curious to hear how it sounds. It’s written for 8 instruments, including traditional Chinese instruments such as the Erhu, Ruan, Dizi, ad well as flute, guitar, cello and percussion.

Teaching has been interesting—online teaching on Zoom now opened up the possibility of teaching students from around the world, which has been very gratifying.

What have you been listening to lately?

Most recently I have been listening to different interpretations of one of my favourite songs, ‘Answer Me, My Love’. I have known Joni Mitchell’s version of it from the ‘Both Sides Now’ album, with the incredible orchestral arrangements of Vince Mendoza. But I just discovered Keith Jarrett’s version of that song  from the newly released album ‘Live from Budapest’. Keith’s version is especially heartbreaking in light of the news of his stroke and the fact that he may never play the piano again…

Also discovering the music of Dan Tepfer (watching his live Facebook performances) has been great, as well as the music of NYC based saxophonist and composer Mark Turner.

Other than music, is there anything you’ve been doing in your day-to-day life during the pandemic that’s been fulfilling to you?

Being with my family has been really special as well as talking to my family abroad on Zoom during this intense time. I have also started practicing Movement Flow which is a unique movement practice here in Vancouver.

Who are some of your favourite BC musicians?

First of all the musicians I collaborate with regularly here in Vancouver—I’ve been lucky to play with such amazingly creative and open minded people as François Houle, James Meger, Kevin Romain and Jeff Gammon.

Apart from that, I am a big fan of Peggy Lee’s music, and of musicians such as (Peggy’s husband) Dylan Van der Schyff and Tony Wilson. There are so many good musicians here!

When the pandemic is over, what’s the venue you’re most excited to return to playing in?

I’m excited to go back to touring, playing in Europe again would be amazing! I toured there exactly a year ago and it feels like such a long time ago. I’m being hopeful… Also playing last year at Performance Works during the jazz festival—would love to play there again!

What’s the best musical advice you’ve ever been given?

Practice slow!!!!

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This special pre-recorded live performance was available for two weeks after its stream date. It is now available to donors above $50 as part of our performance archive. If you are interested in seeing it and have the means to support us through this difficult period, please make a donation.

In advance of the premiere of their live-to-tape performance, we spoke with Malleus Trio about silver linings, staying safe, and magical moments of music.

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What has music-making looked like for you this year? What, if anything, has anything shifted in your personal practice?

Like everyone, we’ve been trying to adapt and stay safe so writing sessions and rehearsals have been some combination of outdoors/masked/distanced. We’ve put in more time to sifting and sorting through previously accumulated demos and sketches. There’s gold in them hills!

Who are some of your favourite BC musicians?

That very, very long list definitely includes Peggy Lee, Hugh Fraser and Bruno Hubert.

Can you share one of your favourite musical memories?

We released our latest album, Play Nice, at The Cultch last summer. We all grew up going to shows there and it’s been the site of many a formative musical memory. To be on that stage, playing our music for a full house was beautifully surreal.

Is there anything you’re working on this fall/winter/into next year? If so, can you tell us about it?

We’re currently constructing our third album and that will be the focus for us in the next stretch.

What’s the first thing you’ll do when the pandemic is over?

Go dancing.

Do you think the pandemic has brought about any positive change for music/musicians in general or for you as musicians personally?

It’s tough to see any at the moment. So we’ll answer instead with the positive change we hope and believe could come out of all this: a reappraisal and renaissance of live music in society.

Lastly, what was your favourite moment of the Frankie’s set?

There’s a section during “Half Full” that is meant to start as an open duet. At one point, the sax and drums hit the same figure at the exact same time, completely unplanned. After 13 years together, these moments between the three of us aren’t uncommon but that doesn’t preclude a few goosebumps on stage.

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This special pre-recorded live performance was available for two weeks after its stream date. It is now available to donors above $50 as part of our performance archive. If you are interested in seeing it and have the means to support us through this difficult period, please make a donation.

In advance of the premiere of her live-to-tape performance, we spoke with Laila Biali about playing through a pandemic, upcoming projects, and her favourite musical memory.

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What has music-making looked like for you this year? What, if anything, has anything shifted in your personal practice?

Travel has been virtually eliminated. With the exception of a trip out west this summer to see family and capture some live-to-tape performances, we’ve been in Toronto since mid March. For freelance musicians used to traveling every few weeks – every few days, in high season – this has been a big shift. We quickly had to turn our own living room into a stage of sorts; and while the opportunity to reach wider audiences online held promise, it was also a daunting task, if I’m honest. That’s why it’s such a treat to finally be able to access venues that are observing safety protocols, to capture a live-to-tape performance where other people are assigned to handle the video and sound. Managing all of that on our own was overwhelming, to say the least – but a means to an end, of course.

Who are some of your favourite BC musicians?

Jodi Proznick, who joined us for a handful of performances this summer. I’m also a mega fan of Adam Thomas, who I get to work with a fair bit also. There are so many, too many to name here: Phil Dwyer, Brad Turner, Bruno Hubert, Bernie Arai, Steve Kaldestad, Jesse Cahill, Tilden Webb, Katherine Penfold, Jill Barber, and the list goes on…

Can you share one of your favourite musical memories?

Performing with Sting for the lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree in New York City in 2015. I was pinching myself that I got to sing backup for an iconic artist at an iconic event!

Is there anything you’re working on this fall/winter/into next year? If so, can you tell us about it?

Always. I just released a single in celebration of Leonard Cohen’s Birthday – Anthem. I’m about to release another Fall single, to celebrate Joni Mitchell’s upcoming birthday. There will be a holiday single as well, and all the while I’m dreaming up ideas for my next album. I want to make it quite different than the past couple I released.

What’s the first thing you’ll do when the pandemic is over?

Travel to see family in other cities – my parents and sisters out west, who I was fortunate to see this summer, and my mother-in-law in Silver Spring, MD, whom I miss more than words can express!

Lastly, what was your favourite moment of the Frankie’s set?

We were really going for it as a trio, and there were a couple of times where, in my enthusiasm to try something new and different, I almost got totally derailed. But we all had a laugh, right there in the moment. (I’m not sure the audience will notice, and it certainly made for an exciting set!)

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This special pre-recorded live performance was available for two weeks after its stream date. It is now available to donors above $50 as part of our performance archive. If you are interested in seeing it and have the means to support us through this difficult period, please make a donation.