The summit, organized by the Desautels Faculty of Music’s Assistant Professor of Jazz Drum Set Fabio Ragnelli, will present a series of workshops, masterclasses, open rehearsals, and a concert for jazz students and professionals, and will feature guest artists and speakers Amanda Tosoff and Kelly Jefferson.

Tosoff is a rising jazz pianist and composer who won the General Motors Grand Prix de Jazz at the 2009 Montreal Jazz Festival. Her 2017 album Words was nominated for a JUNO Award for Best Vocal Jazz Album. Tosoff’s follow-up album Earth Voices will be released in 2020.

Jefferson is a JUNO Award-winning saxophonist, and has been nominated five times for the Saxophonist of the Year Award at the National Jazz Awards. He has toured extensively, and has performed with renowned groups like the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra.

The summit will feature six workshops designed to help jazz musicians further develop their skills and techniques, all of which will take place in the Desautels Faculty of Music’s facilities. Tosoff, Jefferson, and JUNO Award-winning composer, bandleader, arranger and saxophonist Allison Au will explore the following topics: strategies for jazz composition, re-harmonization techniques, getting more from practice sessions, the art of listening, melody development, and navigating a career as a bandleader in Canada.

In addition to the workshops, Jefferson will also offer a masterclass designed to be beneficial to all musicians regardless of instrument. The cost for all six workshops and the masterclass is $40 for the general public and $25 for students.

The Canadian Jazz Summit will conclude with a concert featuring Tosoff and Jefferson ($25) at the Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain (CCFM) on March 7^th. All are welcome to take part in this new event!

To learn more about the Canadian Jazz Summit, or to register for the workshops or concert, please visit: http://umanitoba.ca/music/Canadian_Jazz_Summit.html

Elizabeth Sadler and Connor Derraugh are fast becoming staples of the jazz scene in Winnipeg, and this week, they will be adding an international jazz festival to their CVs.

Elizabeth, a fourth year Desautels jazz vocalist, and Connor, a brand new graduate of the Desautels Faculty of Music’s Jazz Studies program who plays both alto saxophone and piano, will be performing at the TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival’s “Jazz for Lunch” series. Their set begins at 12:00pm on Wednesday, June 19, 2019 at Parlour Coffee.

Finding a partner

This will be Connor’s second time performing at the renowned jazz festival, having first played in 2018 with his own band, Ability. Clearly, his musical talent and winning personality made an impression last year.

“Mike Falk, the artistic director of Jazz Winnipeg, sent me an email asking if I could put together a duo [for the 2019 festival],” says Connor.

When it came to choosing a musical partner for the performance, Connor says he had no problem choosing a vocalist.

“I thought that Elizabeth would be a perfect fit!” he says. “She has a beautiful voice, is very talented, and works extremely hard. She is the most organized person I know, and is an overall great person!”

“This is actually our first duo project together,” says Elizabeth. “We have played in many other group settings, but never a duo project. I am always excited to work with Connor, first and foremost because of the energy he brings to a room and his positive personality,” she says. “He creates a comfortable atmosphere that allows one can express oneself. Musically, besides his natural talent, he is well versed in so many genres it’s hard not to have him on the gig!”

Musical beginnings

Elizabeth and Connor are no strangers to performing publicly. In fact, for as long as either can remember, they were performing for anyone who would listen!

“Before starting elementary music class and choir in school, I was told I walked around with a Fisher Price tape recorder singing Shania Twain songs!” she laughs. “As I grew older, I tried out a few different instruments, but singing always resonated with me the most. I find so much enjoyment in using my voice to connect with an audience, whether singing solo or in a group, and love connecting with other musicians as well.”

“I have been playing music ever since I can remember, playing piano since I was 5 and sax since I was 12,” says Connor.

“My parents put me into piano lessons, so I didn’t really have a choice in loving music, and I naturally gravitated towards the saxophone,” he adds.

Musical inspiration

Many professional musicians have life events in which they realize that they want to make music their career. Elizabeth and Connor both recognized the moment they chose their respective musical paths.

“I had no intentions of studying music as a career while in high school,” says Elizabeth. “It was something I always loved engaging in, but I never pictured it as a reality in my mind.”

However, one of her musical idols gave her the boost and reality check she needed to think seriously about singing. She met Dr. Jeremy Fox, a Grammy-nominated arranger and vocal jazz pedagogue, in high school at the School for Music VocationsVocal Jazz Summer Camp. Ultimately, he became her mentor for the three summers she attended the camp.

“He and the other camp staff and directors exposed me to jazz theory, harmony and jazz singing for the first time,” she says. “I was so taken with my first exposure to singing jazz harmony with other singers, I felt called to it.”

Connor’s birth as a musician arose out of a memorial for another jazz great.

“Oscar Peterson died when I was 12 years old, and he was the first jazz musician I ever listened to,” says Connor. “I wrote him a song entitled, ‘Oscar’s song.’”

Local jazz legend Ron Paley heard Connor’s song, and asked him if he would play it at the Oscar Peterson Memorial Concert that Paley was organizing for later that year.

Connor remembers the performance well.

“After I played the song, over 1000 people gave me a standing ovation and I had goose bumps from head to toe,” he beams. “When I sat back down beside my dad afterwards, I said to him, ‘This is what I want to do for a living.’”

Finding their place on stage and in university

When it came to preparing for their careers in music, Liz and Connor took different paths to the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music.

“Before starting my bachelors degree at the U of M, I graduated with a 2-year diploma in Professional Music from the School For Music Vocations, in Creston, Iowa,” says Elizabeth. “After I completed this program, I felt it was time to move back home to be surrounded by my family, again.

“It was a no-brainer to audition for the U of M Jazz Studies program to attain my bachelors in music,” she adds. “I was very excited to be part of the Desautels Faculty’s fantastic choral programs and thriving jazz scene!”

Elizabeth’s sister Ashley would join her in the jazz program a few years later, making jazz a family affair. They can both be heard as the vocalists for their respective ensembles in the Desautels Jazz Program’s Mardi Jazz series, which showcases student performances throughout the year at the Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain (CCFM).

Likewise, after Connor announced to his father that he was going to be a jazz musician at the memorial concert, his family was devoted in helping to support his goals.

“My Dad signed me up for the U of M jazz camp when I was 12 years old,” says Connor. “I fell in love right away, and knew that I wanted to go to the University of Manitoba to study jazz after graduating high school.”

From supportive families to a supportive community

Both Elizabeth and Connor found themselves at home in the Desautels Jazz Studies program, and built a family of talented musician mentors within the Faculty.

“There are so many supportive staff members, instructors and professors at the U of M!” says Elizabeth. “Catherine Robbins, Jody Stark, Will Bonness, and Karly Epp, to name but a few!”

Connor concurs.

“They are all incredible!” he says. “I take things from each of them. However, I would have to say Jon Gordon is my mentor, because I spent the most time with him throughout my degree, and he also hooked me up to meet my idol, David Sanborn.”

“I also want to single out professor Jon Gordon, who is the jazz saxophone instructor and teaches composition,” says Elizabeth. “He has exposed me to great musicians all the way from Charlie Parker to Bonnie Raitt!”

“On top of being an exceptional musician, he is such a kind person, and he deeply cares for all the students in the U of M program,” says Elizabeth. “Professor Gordon is always willing lend extra help to students, and I am very thankful for him.”

Jon Gordon feels the same about Elizabeth and Connor.

“Elizabeth Sadler is one of the finest students I’ve ever had,” says Gordon. “She’s an extremely talented vocalist, composer, arranger and teacher. She has a great work ethic, and has been a real leader in our program since she’s been here.”

We hired her to teach at our jazz camp in the fall of 2017, when she was only in her second year with us,” he adds. “It goes without saying that that’s very rare. The sky is the limit for her!”

As for Connor, Gordon, who was Connor’s Major Practical Study (MPS) instructor throughout his time in the Desautels Faculty, says he’s an integral part of multiple programs within the Winnipeg jazz scene.

“Connor’s got a great ear, knows a lot of tunes, has a great deal of natural talent as a musician, and has incredible passion for the music!” says Gordon. “He often subs for Will [Bonness, Assistant Professor of Jazz Piano in the Desautels Faculty of Music] on piano at our weekly jam sessions at Nicolino’s, and then picks up his alto and plays later in the evening on that.”

“I’ve always felt that Connor was going to find a way to make a path for himself as a musician, and that’s exactly what he’s doing,” says Gordon. “I’ve seen him be very helpful to younger students at the Massey High School Hang and jam session. I think he has great ability and potential as a teacher and mentor.”

Gordon says that Connor has also been instrumental in helping him with the Faculty’s Youth Jazz Collective, and has served as the assistant director for the past two years.

“Connor is a very special person, and a joy to know and work with,” says Gordon. “I look forward to seeing the different ways he’s going to make a contribution as a player, composer, and teacher in the coming years!”

In addition to finding the professors, instructors, and ensembles that would help them hone their craft, Elizabeth and Connor also found each other in the program.

 “Elizabeth fell in love with me and my piano playing, and forced me to play with her, whether I wanted to or not,” jokes Connor.

“In reality, Connor and I met through our studies at the U of M,” laughs Elizabeth. “We attended group master classes together and ensemble performance nights, and very quickly became friends. We also realized we live only ten minutes away from each other!”

From the halls of Desautels to the Winnipeg International Jazz Festival

Elizabeth and Connor are looking forward to showing th Winnipeg International Jazz Festival what they’ve got.

“Most of our repertoire will be swing classics,” says Elizabeth. “We plan on performing a couple of our favourite jazz compositions, such as Let There Be Love, composed by Lionel Rand, and Triste, composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim. We also hope to perform one of my originals and a couple pop tunes as well!” she adds.

In addition to preparing for their show, they are also excited to hear some of their favourite artists at the TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival: Brian Blade & The Fellowship, Cécile McLorin Salvant, the Joshua Redman Quartet, the Curtis Nowosad Quartet, Ethan Ardelli, Laila Biali, and Bobby McFerrin.

As for what comes next for the jazz duo, Elizabeth is working to complete her Jazz Studies degree, and will likely prepare and audition for some music masters programs in both the U.S. and Canada during her final year at the U of M. She is also considering some of incorporating some of her other academic interests into her future.

“I have many other interests I’d love to pursue in some capacity, as well, such as languages and human rights studies,” she says. “Whatever it may be, I hope it takes me around the world!”

Now that he has graduated, Connor is planning to build on the freelance jazz career he has established during his teen years and his university studies.

“Look for our names around town!” they say.

You can find Connor playing once a month at the Palm Lounge in the Fort Garry Hotel or by visiting his website: www.cdmusic.ca

When not singing jazz or singing with her church choir, Elizabeth can be found singing as the lead vocalist for Winnipeg’s Flat Land Soul Band! Check out the FLSB on their Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as on June 30^that the Osborne Street Festival.

Congratulations, Elizabeth and Connor! We are so proud of you, and look forward to watching you both bring the funk for years to come!

The Jazz for Lunch series runs Tuesday, June 18^ththrough Sunday, June 23^rd, beginning at 12:00pm at Parlour Coffee (468 Main Street), or Old Market Square (by The Cube). In addition to Elizabeth and Connor, the Jazz for Lunch series will feature Desautels faculty members Karly Epp, Karl Kohut, Desautels sessional instructor Aaron Shorr and past Desautels sessional instructor Ethan Ardelli. For complete details about the great events at the TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival, please visit www.jazzwinnipeg.com/events

Gardner, an associate professor of jazz trumpet and Babs Asper Professor in Jazz Performance at the University of Manitoba, has played with just about every jazz legend one can think of: Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson, Frank Foster, Jon Faddis, Nancy Wilson, Tony Bennett, Joe Williams, Rufus Reid, Stefon Harris, Clark Terry, the Count Basie Orchestra, Frank Foster’s Loud Minority Band, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, The Jazz Heritage Orchestra, to name a few.

Still, he must have felt a few jitters on April 9, 2019 when he got up to perform as the featured artist with the Howard University Jazz Ensemble (HUJE), since part of the night was dedicated to another jazz legend that Howard University wanted to celebrate.

Him.

Benny Golson Jazz Master Award

After performing with HUJE, Gardner was presented with the prestigious Benny Golson Jazz Master Award, which is awarded to jazz giants and supporters of the art form. The HUJE created the award to honor the legacy of Dr. Benny Golson, a pioneering jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger famous for his jazz standards, which include “Blues March,” “Whisper Not,” “And You Called My Name,” “I Remember Clifford,” and “Killer Joe.” In 1995, Golson received the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award, one of the highest awards a jazz musician can receive.

Gardner joins a number of jazz artists who have pioneered, upheld, and taught jazz, keeping it alive and thriving, including his cherished mentors and jazz greats Frank Foster and Fred Irby III.

Howard University is one of the preeminent historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and has produced some of the United States’ finest African American scholars, leaders, and artists, among them Ta-Nehisi Coates, Sean Combs, Thurgood Marshall, Chadwick Boseman, Toni Morrison, Taraji P. Henson, and Kamala Harris, among many, many others.

HBCUs were established by African American communities and thought leaders to ensure that African American students had the opportunity to attain higher education in the United States, which for centuries held strong segregationist views that prevented talented African Americans from seeking education. HBCUs remain among the most respected institutions of higher learning in the United States, and hotbeds of creativity. Gardner himself received his Bachelor of Music degree from esteemed HBCU Hampton University.

Guardian of the art form

It comes as no surprise that Gardner has been celebrated as a guardian of the art form. Even outside his prolific career as a musician, Gardner has spent more than twenty years, working with jazz faculties at Long Island University, The New School for Social Research, The Ohio State University, Michigan State University, The Julliard School of Music, and now at the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music. He also serves as the Director of the University of Manitoba Jazz Orchestra (UMJO).

In recent profiles featuring Desautels Faculty of Music students, it is clear that Gardner’s students value his abilities as a teacher and mentor.

Says student Tristan Martinuson, who composed an original piece for the April 11^th UMJO concert, “Every step of the way, it felt like I would come across an obstacle [in composing his score]…but with the techniques taught by both Jon [Gordon, Assistant Professor of Jazz Saxophone] and Derrick, I was able to overcome some of those issues.”

“Professor Gardner says in his teachings that we can’t sacrifice the music that we are hearing for playability,” added Martinuson, on Gardner’s advice to not water down his composition. “It may be difficult in some moments for players, but it’s nothing a bit of practice can’t solve.”

“Getting a chance to work so closely with masters such as Jon Gordon and Derrick Gardner has been an honour and pleasure,” Says Jared Beckstead, one of Gardner’s UMJO musicians and students.  I wouldn’t be half the musician I am today without their guidance, and the example of humility and reverence towards the music that they set.”

Of an arrangement that he completed for the UMJO concert, Beckstead said, “Derrick Gardner gave me a lot of direction with this one. His experience, not only as a member of the Count Basie orchestra, but also as a protege of the great composer and arranger Frank Foster, is unparalleled, and having the opportunity to ask him questions and get his feedback was not only great for my arrangement, but was a great learning experience.” 

Congratulations to Derrick Gardner! We are privileged to have you as a Desautels professor!

Arranging music involves interpreting music for the instruments and musician personalities featured in the piece. Additionally, the arranger must take into consideration a whole host of musical components: re-harmonization, melodic phrasing, orchestration, musical transitions, and endings, to name but a few.

The art of arranging takes someone with a highly musical ear, someone with the ability to hear melodies and harmonies, and someone with dedication and patience. Someone like Jared Beckstead, a fifth year student in the Desautels Faculty of Music.

And on April 11, 2019, at the University of Manitoba Jazz Orchestra (UMJO) concert, Beckstead will be showing off his arranging chops with his interpretation of Jirge, a lively and fast-moving jazz piece written by renowned jazz musician Pepper Adams.

Life was never without music

Though Beckstead was born in Vancouver, his family soon moved to Madagascar, where he lived until age six, and then moved on to Beijing, where Beckstead lived until high school graduation. His love of music started early on, and he has been heavily influenced by the music he heard during his family’s world travels.

“My parents were my earliest influences,” says Beckstead. “My dad plays guitar, and my mom sings. My love for music materialized watching them play in the smoky late-night clubs of downtown Beijing.”

While Beckstead’s first performances were “accompanying” his parents on a toy saxophone as they performed with Malagasy musicians in Madagascar, he began playing the double bass his father ignited his love for jazz by introducing him to John Coltrane and Thelonius Monk. His interest only grew as he discovered jazz recorded in the 1990s by artists like Dave Holland, Robin Eubanks, Chris Potter, and Steve Nelson.

Continuing the world tour

It wasn’t long before Beckstead’s musical talent and hard work were launching him into festivals in places like Brussels, Singapore, London, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, and Zurich.

And that was all before he turned 17.

When it came to choosing a place to pursue his university music education, Beckstead knew he wanted to attend University of Manitoba.

What drew him here?

“The amazing faculty!” he says. “Getting a chance to work so closely with masters such as Jon Gordon and Derrick Gardner has been an honour and pleasure. I wouldn’t be half the musician I am today without their guidance, and the example of humility and reverence towards the music that they set.”

Arranging the works of masters

Beckstead certainly approaches his work with reverence, and was up for the challenge of arranging a piece that featured two of the greatest jazz musicians in history.

When Pepper Adams composed Jirge, he did so specifically for bassist George Mraz. The title represents the blending of Mraz’ Czech first name, Jiri, and the English transliteration of his name, George. Said Adams, “For years I have written things for George that I wouldn’t consider writing for any other bass player.”

“George Mraz was one of the great virtuosos on the bass, and it was composed by one of the preat virtuosos on the baritone saxophone, Pepper Adams,” he says. “So, as you might expect, the song’s melody, when played on these instruments, demands a certain level of virtuosity in the player.”

The baritone sax and bass often play supporting roles in in big bands. “Because of this, I wanted my arrangement to really showcase the baritone and bass,” says Beckstead.

Which meant that he had the unique challenge of arranging harmony for horns, which are usually at the forefront of big bands.

“Many of the challenges were textural,” says Beckstead. “I tried to write enough material for the rest of the horns so that the arrangement still showcased the sound of the big band, while at the same time didn’t bury the featured instruments.”

Mentorship, guidance, and respecting history

Beckstead knew he also had some valuable resources available to him. He completed Jon Gordon’s Jazz Composition and Arranging course, and then spent a year doing independent study under the guidance of Gardner. Arranging Jirge came out of those two undertakings.

“Derrick Gardner gave me a lot of direction with this one,” he says. “His experience, not only as a member of the Count Basie orchestra, but also as a protege of the great composer/arranger Frank Foster, is unparalleled, and having the opportunity to ask him questions and get his feedback was not only great for my arrangement, but was a great learning experience.” 

Gardner is equally complimentary of Beckstead. “Jared is an extremely talented bassist that came to our jazz studies program with great potential,” he says.

“Jared has lot of innate musical ability who understands the importance of connecting with the historical continuum present in jazz music, which allows his own voice to speak through his influences,” says Beckstead’s Major Practical Study (MPS) instructor Karl Kohut, an Assistant Professor of Jazz Bass. “You can hear the nimble melodicism of bebop bassist Oscar Pettiford in his playing, as well as the angular, blues-centric approach of Thelonious Monk in his compositions.”

“By focusing on these musicians who exemplify the fundamental aesthetic objectives of jazz music – improvisation, swing, and blues – Jared has developed a solid musical foundation,” adds Kohut. “He is someone who will make great artistic statements through his music in the years to come.” 

Beckstead wanted to pay respect to Adams’ collaboration with historic big bands and his musical style.

“One of Pepper Adam’s most notable contributions to jazz is the wealth of music and recordings that came out of his 18-year run with the Thad Jones and Mel Lewis Orchestra,” says Beckstead. “In terms of my big band writing, I tried my best to keep it in within Thad Jones and Mel Lewis schools of arranging. Musically, it made perfect sense with Pepper Adams’ composition.”

And how does it feel to hear the UMJO play his completed arrangement?

“It feels great!” Beckstead beams. “They swing a lot harder than my notation software’s playback!”

The show goes on

Beckstead will be graduating from the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty this spring. Next on his tour of the world is Lansing, Michigan, where he was recently awarded a full scholarship to Michigan State University. He will be undertaking the Master’s program in jazz performance. In addition to his scholarship, Beckstead has also been awarded a teaching assistantship.

Congratulations, Jared!

You can catch Jared Beckstead at the University of Manitoba twice more before he heads out on the next leg of his journey:

 He will be playing with the UMJO at the Thursday, April 11^th concert, which begins at 8:00pm in the John J. Conklin Theatre in the Gail Asper Performing Arts Hall, on the University of Manitoba campus.

 He will be performing his final credit recital for jazz bass on April 13, 2019, at 8:30pm in the Tache Arts Complex, Room 266.

The jazz lovers weave their way through the nondescript corridor, up the steps, and into the cozy, warm, dark room, which is packed to capacity with chairs and café tables. Out in the crowd, people chat away in French and apologize for bumping each other as they squeeze into the rapidly disappearing seating.

For the moment, the brightly lit stage is empty and silent. However, in just a few minutes, it will burst with horns, piano keys, thumping bass and drums, and voices belting out soulful lyrics for over two hours straight.

It could be the French Quarter of New Orleans, but the massive piles of snow outside and the parkas cluttering the chairs reveal the real location. This is not Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street, but Mardi Jazz, at the Centre culturel franco-manitobain (CCFM) in Winnipeg.

Mardi Jazz takes places every Tuesday at the CCFM, and draws a number of elite jazz performers to the city. This includes future jazz legends, as Mardi Jazz reserves four nights a year to feature student ensembles from the Desautels Faculty of Music Jazz Studies Program. These four performances showcase the evolution of the students’ growth as jazz musicians throughout the year, and, ultimately, throughout their university careers. The last student performance of the year will take place on March 26, 2019, beginning at 8:00pm.

 “Each group has one bassist, singer, drummer, one to three horns, and then a guitar and/or a piano,” says assistant professor of jazz studies Karl Kohut. “We often mix up the students from different years in the program so that they have a chance to connect and play with people they might not otherwise play with.”

Jazz musicians make their craft look effortless, but these performances are the result of hours of chart-arranging, stylistic balancing, rehearsing, and the carefully practiced art of improvisation. Just as track stars practice the seamless hand-off of a baton in a relay race, so must these musicians learn how to pass the music to their ensemble peers without dropping the melody and beat. They must anticipate what their colleagues are going to do, and coordinate their improvisation accordingly.

“I hope audiences realize the high level of creativity and sophistication that goes into creating [these pieces],” Kohut says. “Each student demonstrates, in real-time, his or her knowledge of the jazz tradition through improvised solos.”

Putting together a show like this takes a lot of careful curation. Each ensemble has to evaluate style, group dynamic, contrast, instrumentation, vocal range, individual skill level, and group and individual strengths. The final product is the culmination of a year of assiduous work, and the creation of a living, breathing ensemble with a heartbeat that reflects the soul and personalities of its members.

Experience is the best teacher, and the nature of new musicians coming into the ensembles and mature musicians graduating out of the ensembles provides constant mentorship and possibilities for learning. Being put in the spotlight doesn’t hurt, either!

“The quality of the charts coming into my ensembles has risen significantly because the students see the standard that has been put forward by their peers and professors,” says Kohut. “”I have first-year students who have been some of the most prolific in terms of arranging music for their ensembles, which is amazing to see.”

“A set of music needs to be diverse and take students through different tempos, time feels and styles,” says assistant professor of jazz studies Jon Gordon. “It can and should stretch the students out of their musical comfort zones as part of the learning process.”

Gordon’s ensemble includes a number of students on the cusp of graduating.

“I like to encourage an older group… to bring in some original music along with arrangements of standards so that they can learn to workshop their compositions and arrange elements in rehearsal,” he says.

And music doesn’t thrive in a vacuum, so performance is a major part of a student’s development.

“Their ability to play in front of people, as opposed to the safety of a practice room or rehearsal room, is a huge part of their growth,” says Gordon.

“”I love to see the joy they get from performing for their friends, families, and peers,” adds Kohut.

As for what to look out for at the year’s final performance, Kohut notes that first-year student Mariana Padeanu is a student to watch in the coming years.

“She is a first-year vocalist who has contributed an original arrangement for each of our concerts,” he says. “She has gone well beyond the call of what’s required… and really loves to write for her group.”

Meanwhile, fourth-year baritone saxophonist Anna Blackmore has contributed several great charts for her group this year, and is a talent to watch on the jazz scene.

“We will be performing one of her original compositions for this performance, which is a first for this ensemble,” says Kohut.

Gordon notes that he is incredibly impressed with his ensemble, who he describes as “very strong players who I am very proud of.”

Additionally, Gordon will be presenting his Youth Jazz Collective, an ensemble of high school jazz musicians who he has led for the past five years.

“[Many of our university’s past and current jazz students] have come through this group on their way to our program,” he says. A number of the current members of the Youth Jazz Collective auditioned for placement in the Desautels Faculty of Music this year, so be sure to come out to Mardi Jazz to see the faculty’s next rising stars! They also will be playing on March 30, 2019, at 12:00pm in Tache Hall 2, room 272.

The Youth Jazz Collective plays at 7:30pm on March 26, 2019, with Mardi Jazz following at 8:00pm, at the Centre culturel franco-manitobain (CCFM), 340 Provencher Blvd. Free off-street parking is available.

Under the direction of Derrick Gardner, the Babs Asper Professor of Jazz Performance (Trumpet), the concert will be a mix of several styles within the jazz genre; from traditional standards, modern tunes by newer composers and some “down home blues” with a twist.

“Some of the selections you may be familiar with would be My Funny Valentine, On Green Dolphin Street, The Lamp is Low and I Loves You Porgy,” said Gardner. “There will be other great selections by composers such as Mulgrew Miller, Chick Corea, Oliver Nelson and David Baker.”

Gardner is no stranger to the North American jazz scene. He has performed internationally with some of the biggest names in jazz, including the Count Basie Orchestra (1991 to present), Ella Fitzgerald and Harry Connick Jr.

Gardner has been directing the UMJO since 2012. He says the most rewarding part is seeing the ensemble and the students develop as the school year progresses.

“We play a variety of music throughout the school year and some of it is quite challenging,” said Gardner. “The moment when the ensemble has grown into a challenging piece of music is when we have developed as an ensemble and individually.”

The UMJO performs at the John J.Conklin Theatre at the Gail Asper Performing Arts Hall, third level, Tache Arts Centre, 162 Dafoe Road. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. They are available from the Music General Office, T319, Tache Arts Complex. For more information on Jazz news and events, check out the Desautels Jazz Studies Facebook page.

Other December Concerts

The Desautels Faculty of Music is presenting more concerts throughout the month of December:

Percussion Ensemble Performance
The UM Percussion Ensemble, directed by Victoria Sparks, presents an evening of percussion entertainment, featuring works by John Cage, Chick Corea & Emmanuel Sejourne.
Date: Dec. 2, 2016
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Eva Clare Hall, Marcel A. Desautels Music Building, 65 Dafoe Road
Tickets: Admission is free

SING! Annual Christmas Concert
The University Singers, UM Women’s Choir and UM Concert Choir perform their annual choral show.
Date: Dec. 3, 2016
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Location: Knox United Church, 400 Edmonton Street
Tickets: $15 for adults; $7 for students. Tickets are available from the Music General Office, Room T319, Tache Arts Complex

Mardi Jazz
A number of University of Manitoba small jazz ensembles, coached by our Jazz Faculty members, will be performing on the following dates, as part of the Mardi Jazz series.
Date: Dec. 6, 2016
Time: 8:00 p.m.
Location: Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain Centre, 340 Provencher Boulevard
Tickets: $5 cover charge at the door

Cool Wednesday Night Hang
Several University of Manitoba small jazz ensembles perform at this weekly jam session.
Date: Dec. 7 and 14, 2016
Time: 8:00 p.m.
Location: Nicolino’s Restaurant, 2077 Pembina Highway
Tickets: No admission fee, but premises are licensed

A couple of things to know about the blues. First of all, it consists of notes that don’t normally exist on the piano. So if you find a lot of your notes lining up with piano notes, you’re probably not really playing the blues. Number two, the rhythms are overtly sexual—because sex was not forbidden in Africa! So if when you’re playing you sound neat and sanitary, chances are you’re not quite getting the idea. You gotta sound a bit dirty, by our Victorian standards. You gotta sound sexual, exotic.

But the main thing is you don’t practice the blues the way you practice all the other scales—going up and down, getting all the notes all under your fingers. You choose one of the points of the blues scale, and you hit it to express a feeling. For example, the minor third, hit on the upcount, sounds hot. The perfect fourth, hit and bent a little, sounds like a sassy ambivalence. The perfect fifth, hit and slurred down, sounds like you’re open to any suggestion. The flat seventh sounds like a celebration of whatever your higher power is. It’s the way you hit those notes that counts.

So when you practice the blues, you think of a story and you hit a note to try to express that emotion. That’s how you practice it. You actually have to connect the notes of the blues to your emotions. That’s why you can listen to ten blues musicians playing the same six or seven notes, and all of them sound different. They each have a unique way of expressing how those notes connect to their emotional story.

The main thing about a blues solo is that you have to have permission to be emotional, you have to have permission to share your emotions. You must travel the gamut, from sad to ebullient to hot to frustrated to angry. You must emote, you must not mute your emotions and refine yourself. The blues is never polite—even when it’s sultry quiet blues, it’s probing for an opening. There’s nothing polite about it, it’s always a little too personal. It’s a challenge to push against the culture of politeness, but if you can accomplish it, you’re well on your way to playing the blues. Once you add the blues to your playing, you’re gonna sound like you’re connected to the source where jazz comes from.

Five blues tracks you should listen to, as recommended by professor Steve Kirby

For magazine founder and editor Steve Kirby, who is director of jazz studies at the Desautels Faculty of Music, dig! magazine is “the eyes, ears, soul and voice of the [jazz] community,” and he’s committed to keeping it free and readily accessible to the wider public — thus, annual rent parties.

In the November/December 2014 issue, Kirby writes, “I see dig! magazine as an ongoing chronicle of every jazz event that has ever occurred on my radar since 2004, the year after I arrived in Winnipeg. It’s a staggering amount! I’m amazed when I think about the number of people who come here to play, to teach, to share music with us, and when I think about the number of people here — young musicians, established pros, audience members, supporters — who’ve embraced this music with such spirit and enthusiasm.”

The independent magazine devoted to promoting an awareness of the jazz culture in Winnipeg is now published by Jazz Winnipeg, with continued support from Desautels Faculty of Music. dig! describes itself as “a clear, convenient and organized bi-monthly publication featuring articles about local, national and international jazz musicians, upcoming performances and workshops, as well as historical context, interviews, reviews, CD and book recommendations and letters to and from the editor.”

Of course, events are also a perfect excuse to hear some great jazz, including contributions by many members of the U of M music faculty. Sunday’s event will feature live jazz by the U of M Jazz Orchestra and jazz studies faculty — and fantastic prizes, the night’s proceeds will go towards funding Winnipeg’s one-and-only jazz publication. All revenues above magazine production costs go to the dig! Magazine Bursary Fund, supporting students U of M jazz studies program.

According to Kirby, jazz “has the potential to give voice to the normally unheard. Jazz can turn a room of musicians into a flock of birds, swooping and turning and soaring together in harmony…. It is the convergence of heart, mind and spirit in musical sound.”

“Jazz is experiencing a renaissance here in Winnipeg,” he says, “and that’s partly because we have an interested and informed audience that really appreciates the music.”

***

dig! magazine 
RENT PARTY
Sunday, November 16, 6:00 p.m.
Tenth anniversary fundraiser

Park Theatre, 698 Osborne St.
Red carpet and pre-concert fun: 6:00 p.m.
Concert: 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $30, $25 advance
Info: jazzwinnipeg.com

Featuring:
The University of Manitoba Jazz Orchestra
(Derrick Gardner, bandleader)

The U of M Jazz Faculty
(Will Bonness, Quincy Davis, Derrick Gardner, Jon Gordon. Anna-Lisa Kirby, Steve Kirby and Laurent Roy)