Thursday Oct. 20/11

Rainy day here in Toronto. Big storm last night which I got a taste of as I was loading my car after my gig. Fun gig with my other band Echo and Twang. Jake Chisholm is very at home with the blues and it's history which makes it a lot of fun to do a blues gig with him.

Having a busy week. Had a nice jazz corporate gig on Tuesday for the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. The gig was from 5-6 at a downtown hotel so it was one of those in and out gigs but was a lot of fun. Tenor sax player Alex Dean and bassist Jim Vivian were on the trio gig which was a blast. Haven't played with either of those two for quite a while. They both play really well. Odd thing though, as we were playing some people walking through the hotel decided to play, or should I say run their fingers up and down the keys of the piano that was about 50 feet from the band. People never cease to to surprise me with their lack of common sense or consideration. Oh well.

Been listening to Keith Jarrett Standards Trio "At the Blue Note" from their 1994 box set. The way those three guys play together has always been an inspiration for me. I remember the trio's first Standards recording came out while I was at music College in Calgary in the mid 80's. It has since become the bench mark for everything I listen to jazz wise. Keith Jarrett is one of the best improvising pianists of his generation or of any generation for that matter. No licks or cliche resolutions. Just full out in the moment improvisation. The trio is rounded out by Jack DeJohnette who has been one of the most in demand drummers on the scene since playing on Mile's Davis' Bitches Brew in 1969 and bassist Gary Peacock who has an inane sense of interaction when playing with piano players. Bill Evans and Paul Bley come to mind as well as Jarrett for the last 25 or so years.

Also listed to pianist Steve Kuhn's Mostly Coltrane recording on ECM. Beautiful record. Tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano is on it along with Joey Baron on drums and David Finck on bass.

Teaching my Music to Film class and Pro Tools class tomorrow at the Toronto Film School. Crazy location. Right at Dundas and Yonge. Anyone who knows Toronto knows that intersection is right downtown and downright hectic and crazy to say the least.

That's all for now.

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