When I was a little kid, there was magic in almost everything. There was magic in the smell of certain plants in spring, at sunset, when just the right blue covered the horizon, after just the right words from my parents. There was magic in my aunt’s fried chicken—I don’t know why it tasted that […]
Steve Turre is the real deal. He has performed with more jazz luminaries than I can name. He played with Woody Shaw. He was part of Art Blakey’s band. He recorded with Ray Charles. Add Dizzy Gillespie, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Tito Puente, Pharoah Sanders, Horace Silver, Max Roach, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and a whole […]
As a growing centre for jazz music in North America, Winnipeg has been graced with a steady string of concerts performed by the most acclaimed musicians in the jazz genre today. They pass through bringing with them their culture, their musical prowess and experience, their wealth of knowledge and their will to share it all. […]
Juno-award winning pianist Hilario Durán will be bringing some Cuban heat to Winnipeg this April when he performs with the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra. The Cuban import has a busy musical career. His trio—Roberto Occhipinti on bass and Mark Kelso on drums—has just wrapped up a tour, and he’s working now with them on a new […]
Curtis Nowosad, a 20-year-old in his third year in the U of M’s Jazz Studies program, has been playing drums for only about 6 years, but he is already a force to be reckoned with. When I talked with him about his success, I found out that timing is everything! When he was still a […]
Diana Krall is possibly the most successful artist in the history of jazz. Her sultry looks, laid-back vocal delivery, prodigious piano chops, and savvy marketing have made her albums consistently top of both the jazz and pop charts. Many jazz critics have reacted negatively to the slick packaging and marketing, but it has helped her […]
I’ve known Jeff Presslaff for six years, and I’ve heard him in many different playing situations. I think with red goddess, we have my favourite way to appreciate Presslaff’s artistry: he’s leading a piano trio through a collection of his originals, and that gives us a chance to really hear his musical personality. Jeff is […]
Oliver Jones has nothing to prove to anyone. At 74, his artistry and importance cannot be disputed by anyone in this country or abroad. Despite this, he continues to push himself, entertaining and encouraging his fellow human beings. Jones is one of the most generous men I’ve ever encountered. Winnipeg audiences may remember him from […]
I had the great fortune to host a reading and conversation recently with Don McKay, one of Canada’s most honoured poets. Don is a shy man—he would admit that he’s more at home on a riverbed or a rock outcropping than in a room full of people. At the same time, he’s playful, subtle, and […]