Toronto A Go Go: Brit-jazz storms the IAJE Conference in Canada
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
“What you guys are doing has far more energy and soul than anything that is currently coming out of America”, was just one of the many comments from American musicians following Empirical’s storming performance at the closing session of this year’s International Association for Jazz Education Conference, that took place in Toronto’s Metro Convention Centre on 9-12 January.
With over 100 performances and 150 seminars, panel discussions – including a Brit-jazz special – and workshops taking place over four days in the main conference venues, as well as additional performances at the Rex Jazz Club, Trane Studio Lounge and Jazz FM91 radio studio, the IAJE is the one time of the year when the worldwide jazz community gets together under one roof. Educators, jazz schools, promoters, record labels, instrument companies, press, music publishing and the many participating musicians pitch up to talk turkey, do deals, network and check some excellent music.
Factor in a British Jazz exhibition stand, with participants from Jazz Services, Jazzwise, Dune, NW Jazzworks and others, and a well attended panel discussion with Courtney Pine, Dune’s Janine Irons, Serious’ John Cumming, JazzAhead’s Peter Schulze, Jazzwise’s Jon Newey and Catherine Parsonage from Leeds College of Music and clearly the Brits meant business. Normally held in New York, Toronto was hosting the event for only the second time in the IAJE’s 35-year history. Among the many standout performances were Kurt Elling and the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, Lionel Loueke, Kenny Werner, Paquito D’Rivera, Aaron Goldberg Trio with Eric Harland, Denny Zeitlin solo performance and Christian Scott.
But it was the Brit-jazz contingent that created the biggest impact, opening eyes and ears to the astonishing depth, diversity and passion of home-grown music. Kicking off with a lunchtime concert by Denys Baptiste’s Let Freedom Ring! project at the famous Fairmont Royal York Hotel’s Imperial Ballroom on Thursday and continuing that evening with a major packed-out show at the Constitution Hall, hosted by Courtney Pine and featuring Empirical, Martin Taylor’s Freternity, the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra and Dennis Rollins’ Badbone and Co, the halls were buzzing with the Brit vibe.
Friday saw a day of powerful performances at the Rex Club, including Ian Shaw, Nikki Iles Trio, Alan Barnes/Dave Newton, the new Dave O’Higgins Quartet and Gary Crosby’s Nu Troop. The John Bassett Theatre hosted the Conservatoires UK Big Band with Kenny Wheeler, Norma Winstone and Tim Garland and Jazz FM91 presented Ian Shaw and Guy Barker. Saturday closed out with Acoustic Triangle and the Norma Winstone Quartet with Kenny Wheeler playing at Jazz FM91, the East Midlands Youth Jazz Orchestra with Alan Barnes and Dave O’Higgins at the Fairmont and the Empirical show mentioned earlier, which drew a standing ovation and really got conference tongues wagging. No doubt an American tour proposal is already in the post.
Report: Jon Newey