Articles by Alayne McGregor
Kate Hammett-Vaughan and Bill Coon at National Arts Centre, Ottawa
by Alayne McGregor
Kate Hammett-Vaughan and Bill CoonNational Arts Centre: B.C. SceneCafé ParadisoOttawa, CanadaMay 1, 2009 Kate Hammett-Vaughan's and Bill Coon's appearance in Ottawa was low-key in the best sense of the word.
They were comfortable together as singer and guitarist; they were comfortable in their craft (each has more than 25 years in jazz and at least one Juno nomination); and they were comfortable with their audience, who responded with rapt attention and near-total ...
Continue ReadingB.C. All-Stars: The Jodi Proznick Quartet, and the Brad Turner Quartet with Phil Dwyer
by Alayne McGregor
B.C. All-Stars: the Jodi Proznick Quartet, and the Brad Turner Quartet with Phil DwyerNational Arts Centre: B.C. SceneAuditorium, National Library of CanadaOttawa, CanadaApril 30, 2009 A real all-star cast of British Columbia jazz players could have filled the stage of the National Library, and then spilled on to the main floor several rows deep. So, although this concert was billed as “B.C. All-Stars," it was really only a sample--but a fine one ...
Continue ReadingJohn Geggie / David Mott / Andy Milne Perform in Ottawa, March 1, 2008
by Alayne McGregor
John Geggie/David Mott/Andy MilneGeggie Concert SeriesNational Arts Centre, Fourth StageOttawa, CanadaMarch 1, 2008 The defining sound of John Geggie's latest concert collaboration was David Mott's baritone saxophone. That's not to underestimate the importance of Andy Milne's piano or Geggie's acoustic bass. But Mott's sax was the more unusual and more resonant sound, moving from short growls to long streams of melody, from deep bass notes to soprano squeaks. Having rarely ...
Continue ReadingJohn Geggie / Kenji Omae / Dave Restivo / Mark McLean in Ottawa
by Alayne McGregor
John Geggie/Kenji Omae/Dave Restivo/Mark McLeanGeggie Concert SeriesNational Arts Centre, Fourth StageOttawa, CanadaJanuary 26, 2008 For the latest concert in John Geggie's invitational series, the keyword was melody. Starting with the first extended, flowing solo from tenor saxophonist Kenji Omae, and the equally tuneful response from pianist Dave Restivo, it was clear this concert would not be full of jagged edges. Instead, it was a conversation, alternating between the intricate ...
Continue ReadingAltsys Jazz Orchestra at 2008 IAJE Conference, Toronto
by Alayne McGregor
Altsys Jazz Orchestra2008 International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) conferenceToronto, CanadaJanuary 10, 2008The combination of a composer who bases his work on Canadian poetry and a fiery American saxophonist was a real crowd-pleaser at the 2008 International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) conference. The composer was trumpeter Bill Mahar, co-leader of the Montreal-based Altsys Jazz Orchestra. The saxophonist was New York-based Donny McCaslin, who has been collaborating with Altsys for the last ...
Continue ReadingImpressions in Jazz/Black History Concerts: Ottawa: February 2006
by Alayne McGregor
Impressions in Jazz “Voices in a Strange Land": Thursday, February 23, 2006 “Suite Freedom": Saturday, February 25, 2006 Ottawa, Canada
Jazz started out black. The great majority of the innovators and great musicians were black, and the roots of jazz are in early black music. The pictures, album covers and documentaries all show this. What's less well known is the degree to which jazz musicians spoke about the black experience through their music.
That ...
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