Press
releases from previous years' Festivals
September
18, 2009
Oliver
Jones, Musician of the Year, returns to All-Canadian Jazz
Festival Port Hope
When
pianist Oliver Jones was named "Musician of the Year" at
the 2009 National Jazz Awards, jazz fans across the country
and around the world nodded in agreement.
On
September 26, Jones comes to Port Hope for a repeat engagement
at the All-Canadian Jazz Festival, where he played a sold-out
concert in 2006.
Growing
up in Montréal in the '30s and '40s, Jones had an early
role model. Not only did he take lessons from Oscar Peterson's
sister Daisy, but spent many hours sitting on the steps of
the Peterson house listening to Oscar practice. "Peterson
has been my greatest source of inspiration, without question," he
says.
Jones
also trained extensively in classical piano, and worked for
16 years as music director of a calypso band in Jamaica. As
a result he can play an astonishing range of styles, while
never losing sight of his primary goal – to connect with
his audience in shared enjoyment of beautiful music.
When
Jones returned home in 1980, he quickly became a fixture on
the Canadian music scene. He opened and closed the Festival
International de Jazz de Montréal 17 times between 1981
and 1999, and performed a memorable duet there with Oscar Peterson
in 2004.
"Though
he can let loose flurries of complex pianistic gestures, he
also knows restraint, and how to highlight a song's expressive
nature rather than burying it in virtuosity," writes Evan
Wale in the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. "Not surprisingly
for someone whose influences are Bach and Chopin, he has a
marked preference for ballads."
His
many original compositions include "Big Pete" (dedicated
to Oscar Peterson), "Blues for Hélène", "Bossa
for CC", "The Sweetness of You", and "Fulford
Street Stomp".
For
his All-Canadian Jazz Festival date he is joined by an equally
stellar rhythm section: Eric Lagace on bass and Norman Marshall
Villeneuve on drums.
A
teacher at Concordia University, Lagace has played bass with
the Ottawa National Arts Centre Orchestra and Montréal
Symphony Orchestra, and has accompanied Oscar Peterson, Slide
Hampton, and Winton Marsalis.
Villeneuve
first started to work with Jones, who happens to be his cousin,
in 1964. After settling in Toronto he became a regular at clubs
including George's Spaghetti House and Bourbon Street. In 1996
he and Oliver Jones were invited to perform for Prime MInister
Jean Chrétien and President Bill Clinton.
The
Oliver Jones Trio takes the stage in Port Hope's Memorial Park
at 8 pm, Saturday September 26. Tickets are $40, available
at www.allcanadianjazz.ca and 905-885-1938.
September
11, 2009
Three
great vocalists, coming to the All-Canadian Jazz Festival
this month
Three
great voices. Three distinctive styles. Three sets of music
that you don't want to miss.
June
Garber, Diana Panton and Carol McCartney perform at the eighth
annual All-Canadian Jazz Festival Port Hope, sharing the stage
with Canada's best jazz players.
June
Garber steps up to the mic on Saturday afternoon, September
26. A veteran of stage and concert halls, she does justice
to the songs of Gershwin, Rogers & Hart, Kurt Weill, as
well as to classic blues and romantic ballads. Her debút
album "Smile" was produced by Bill King and released
in 2006.
In
the last year her performances in tribute to Ella Fitzgerald
and Louis Armstrong were recorded and broadcast by Jazz FM
91.1. She has also performed at the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival
and the Toronto Beaches Jazz Festival.
Geoff
Chapman of the Toronto Star wrote, "June has a potent
voice brimming with character and readily adaptable to any
material. She's clearly able to tackle tunes of infinite variety." In
the words of Barbara Cook of the National Arts Centre Theatre, "June
sets the stage on fire."
For
this appearance she will be accompanied by Kelly Jefferson
(sax), Mark Kieswetter (piano), Ross MacIntyre (bass) & Davide
Direnzo (drums).
Hamilton
native Diana Panton takes the stage on Sunday afternoon, September
27. For her debut CD "Yesterday Perhaps" in 2005,
she had the all-star backing of Don Thompson on bass and piano,
and Reg Schwager on guitar.
Thompson
and Schwager are still performing with Panton, and for this
gig veteran flugelhorn player Guido Basso, a member of the
Order of Canada, also joins the group.
In
2009, Panton earned nominations for vocalist and album of the
year at the National Jazz Awards, Basso was recognized with
a Lifetime Achievement Award, Thompson was nominated in seven
categories and won three Awards, and Schwager was nominated
for guitarist of the year.
Reviewing
Panton's second CD "If the moon turns green", Ric
Taylor writes: "With a subtle, understated vocal style
and a minimal yet intriguing musical backdrop … Panton
breathes new life into these songs embracing the elegance of
melody and still lifting some songs to a new level. Jazz fans
should be delighted but music fans as a whole should take note
of this up and coming singer."
Carol
McCartney performs in the Festival's finale on Sunday afternoon,
September 27, as special guest of The Ambassadors Big Band.
This 17-piece combo, led by Bobby Herriot, covers big band
classics from the Swing Era through contemporary compositions,
with a special place for the contributions of Canadian composers
and lyricists.
The
band's membership includes alumni from The Boss Brass and The
Phil Nimmons Jazz Orchestra, and members have played with Maynard
Ferguson, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich and Stan Kenton.
McCartney's
impassioned and impeccable vocal style has made her a favorite
among audiences and players alike. Her 2007 CD "A Night
in Tunisia" features many of Canada's most well-known
players. Carol first met many of these jazz greats through
Peter Appleyard, whom she has worked with since the early eighties.
Reviewing "A
Night in Tunisia", Ted O'Reilly says "Carol is sweet
and swinging, warm, dramatic and rhythmically assured at all
tempos. The last word Carol sings is 'Goodbye', but I hope
she soon says 'Hello' again."
Day
passes to the All-Canadian Jazz Festival are just $20. Advance
tickets are available online at www.allcanadianjazz.ca,
and by phone at 905-885-1938.
September
8, 2009
Robi
Botos brings "Tribute to Oscar Peterson" to All-Canadian
Jazz Festival Port Hope
What
does a young man from a Romani family in Hungary have in common
with a Canadian legend who dazzled jazz fans for more than
60 years?
Robi
Botos and Oscar Peterson both started playing piano as young
children, both put in countless hours to master the instrument,
and both were winning accolades on the international stage
when they were still teenagers.
When
Robi Botos immigrated to Canada at the age of 16, he had already
won numerous awards. He quickly made a name for himself in
the Toronto jazz scene, and it wasn't long before his fluid
virtuosity was earning him comparisons with Oscar Peterson.
So
it was fitting that Robi opened for Oscar Peterson at the Stravinsky
Theatre in Montreaux, Switzerland, in 2005. Botos, of course,
had long been an admirer of Peterson, and after the Montreaux
concert, the feeling was mutual.
In
recent years Botos has been in demand as a sideman with groups
such as Archie Alleyne's Kollage, while also creating many
original compositions, recording his own CDs, and winning numerous
Juno and National Jazz Award nominations.
Since Peterson's death in 2007, Botos has frequently included
tributes to Oscar Peterson in his concerts. At the All-Canadian
Jazz Festival, his trio will perform Peterson compositions including
Requiem, When Summer Comes, and Kelly's Blues, as well as the
Botos' original Emannuel, dedicated to Peterson.
Reviewing
a performance this summer, the Ottawa Citizen said "When
Botos gets going, he can recall locomotive-like pianists such
as McCoy Tyner, Kenny Kirkland and Joey Calderazzo. That said,
he showed his tender side on My One and Only Love, which featured
delicate, precise chords and lyrical single-note lines."
Robi
Botos performs in Port Hope on Sunday, September 27, at 1 pm.
Sunday's program also includes sets by TD Canada Trust Young
Jazz Showcase, Diana Panton with Guido Basso, Don Thompson
and Reg Schwager, the Carlos del Junco Quartet, and The Ambassadors
Big Band With Carol McCartney. A day pass to the All-Canadian
Jazz Festival is just $20.
Advance
tickets are available online at allcanadianjazz.ca,
and by phone at 905-885-1938.
September
02, 2009
Port
Hope Jazz Fest hits a high note with $25,000 grant
Federal government supports local arts and culture
BY JENNIFER O'MEARA
Northumberland
News
PORT
HOPE -- The Port Hope All-Canadian Jazz Festival hit a high note
with a $25,000 grant from the federal government, presented by
Northumberland-Quinte West Member of Parliament Rick Norlock
on Aug. 28.
"It is the only jazz festival that features exclusively Canadian artists," said
Doug Burke, chairman of the jazz festival. "It's an event that attracts
many people from all over Ontario. The funding provided to us though this grant
will allow us to continue to support this major jazz festival."
Mr. Norlock said the government is pleased to be part of the local
celebration of arts and culture with funding from the Arts Presentation
Canada program through Heritage Canada. Even in a tough economy
this year, Mr. Norlock said supporting the jazz festival is important.
"These types of events are designed to increase tourism as an economic
driver," said Mr. Norlock, describing the way visitors bring business
to local restaurants and shops. "It's actually an economic generator,
rather than a cost. It's an investment."
In its eighth year, the festival has attracted visitors from as
far away as Hawaii and even introduced a few out-of-towners to
the municipality where they would eventually live.
From Sept. 25 to 27, tourists attending the jazz festival will
fill local accommodations, restaurants and shops. Many festival-goers
come back to Port Hope throughout the year, long after the tents
are packed up.
"It has economic spin-offs, it's just hard to measure," said John
McGuirk, the festival's music director.
The three day festival kicks off with a free concert, the Danny
Marks All-Star Blues Revue, in Memorial Park on Friday night. The
weekend also includes a parade and mentoring program for young
musicians.
It's this diversity that has won almost the maximum amount in federal
grants for the second time, said Mr. Norlock.
"They're doing a whole lot of things right and bringing people into the
community," the MP said.
For more information on the eighth annual Port Hope All-Canadian
Jazz Festival, visit www.allcanadianjazz.ca.
July
15, 2009
Jazz
festival honours 'distinguished patrons'
By
JOYCE CASSIN for NORTHUMBERLANDTODAY.COM
The
Port Hope All-Canadian Jazz Festival has inducted its first two "distinguished
patrons".
"Because
the festival is recognized as a national event, the list (to
be compiled) will include musicians, industry and business people
and educators from every province who support the Port Hope All-Canadian
Jazz Festival, and who have made an important contributions to
jazz across the country," said Jazz Festival board member
John McGuirk.
He
said they are in their eighth year and they intend to have every
geographical region in Canada represented by the 10th anniversary.
Inducted
this year was Michelle Gregoire of Manitoba. She was a star performer
at a previous Port Hope jazz festival and has been involved as
a side person and bandleader with the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra.
Her
latest album, entitled Reaching, was produced after she won a
Project COOL 2004 jazz competition that awarded her a $15,000
recording grant.
Her
Big Band compositions have been aired on CBC's Silence on Jazz,
Afterhours, Arts Encounters, Atlantic Airwaves, Jazz Beat and
more, says McGuirk.
The
second inductee is Larry Paikin of Ontario, who has been a staunch
supporter of, and advocate for, the Port Hope All-Canadian Jazz
Festival for many years, McGuirk says.
"He
has been an active volunteer in support of educational opportunities
for young people, particularly in the field of music," said
McGuirk.
This
year's jazz festival takes place Sept. 25 to 27 in Port Hope.
For a full line-up of events visit www.allcanadianjazz.ca or
call 905-885-1938.
Press
Release
May 19, 2008
Danny
Marks and All-Star Blues Revue open 2008 Festival with free
concert
Blues
veteran Danny Marks has signed on to open this year’s All-Canadian
Jazz Festival Port Hope, playing a free admission concert on Friday
September 19.
Danny
Marks’ career stretches back to the late 60s, when he was
hired as guitarist for the chart-topping band Edward Bear. Over
the past 40 years he has toured and recorded with Stephen Stills,
Ronnie Hawkins, Rita Coolidge, Bo Diddley, and many other artists.
For
the last 20 years Marks has been equally well known for his radio
work, on CBC’s Basic Black and as host of the TV show Stormy
Monday and radio show Bluz.FM.
His
wide-ranging talent, and his many connections in the Canadian music
industry, contribute to the success of the Danny Marks All-Star
Blues Revue, which will bring a who’s who of Canadian blues
talent to Port Hope’s Memorial Park.
The Friday night party will begin at 6:30 with the first of three
sets by Marks’ crew, but the park will open at 5 pm with lots
of food and drink available before the music starts.
Festival
music director John McGuirk says the show “will cover the
whole range of blues – traditional blues, country blues,
western blues, rhythm & blues – from the beginning right
up to rock ‘n roll.”
The
Festival is now in its seventh year, and details of the weekend
programme are being finalized. As in past years, the Festival will
showcase a wide range of Canadian jazz talent, presenting more
than a dozen of the country’s finest ensembles.
McGuirk
says the selection process was especially difficult this year,
because more than 150 groups sent in submissions. “There
were people I’ve idolized for years, who I’ve had to
turn down, because we’ve had so many great musicians eager
to play here,” he says.
The
free opening concert on Friday night is one way of saying thanks
for the home-town support of a musical showcase. “We’re
looking forward to seeing lots of our neighbours come out to the
Park for a crowd-pleasing show,” says McGuirk.
Press
Release
September 10, 2007
A Musical
Celebration in Memory of Doug Riley
Saturday,
September 22, 8 pm; $40
It was
to be an intimate trio performance, with matchless keyboard artist
Doug Riley sharing the stage with vocalist Dione Taylor and saxophonist
Mike Murley. But within days of Riley's untimely death on August
27, an all-star cast of Riley's friends and admirers had signed
on for what promises to be a rousing, worthy celebration of Doug’s
myriad contributions to Canadian music.
The
stellar line-up includes members of Taylor’s band - David
Restivo on piano and Hammond B-3 Organ, Ted Quinlan on guitar,
Joel Haynes on drums, and Jim Vivian on bass. They will be joined
by Kevin Turcotte on trumpet, Perry White on alto sax, and Gord
Myers on trombone. The group was brought together through the intensive
work of Dione Taylor’s manager Sandy Mamane.
Riley’s
talents led him beyond jazz into blues, R&B and classical music,
and beyond performance into composing, arranging and producing.
Our concert will reflect this awesome versatility, featuring some
of Riley’s own contributions and some of the many genres
he had mastered.
The
concert will highlight Riley’s contributions to Jazz, R&B,
Soul and Blues. This will be a musical celebration of the man known
simply as Dr. Music.
Tickets
for this unique event, which are expected to sell out before the
Festival weekend, are available online at www.allcanadianjazz.ca,
and by phone at 905-885-1938.
Press
Release
August 29, 2006
Music
students will play with Canada’s finest jazz veterans at
All-Canadian Jazz Festival Port Hope
Several
dozen talented musicians from local schools will have the opportunity
to play with the country’s finest musicians, during the fifth
annual All-Canadian Jazz Festival Port Hope.
The
Festival activities begin with a whole afternoon of student workshops
on Friday, September 22. On Friday evening, Trinity College School
Jazz Ensemble plays an opening set for the “Two New Voices” concert.
Saturday afternoon’s schedule includes a set by the award-winning
Colborne Public School band.
Students
from other provinces will also take the stage on Saturday. The
TD Canada Trust Young Jazz Showcase, made up this year of musicians
from Manitoba and BC, will play two sets. These five musicians
were chosen through audition tapes sent in by students from across
Canada. Also on the bill is the Christopher Willes Quintet, led
by a University of Toronto student who credits his past participation
in the Young Jazz Showcase with kicking off his jazz career.
The
Friday afternoon workshops this year expand the educational component
of the Festival. Festival programmer John McGuirk says the workshops
took shape after discussions with Dan Walker, music teacher at
East Northumberland Secondary School in Brighton. Walker met with
other music teachers in the Kawartha Pine Ridge District, and came
back with a “wish list” for the workshops.
The
workshops will be led by Calgary musician Arnold Faber, whose band
Vibré plays a concert on Sunday. Vibraphonist Faber is a
twenty-five year veteran of the Canadian jazz scene. In addition
to composing and band-leading, he regularly conducts music clinics
for Yamaha Canada.
Two
members of the Paul Read Orchestra, which closes out the Festival
on Sunday evening, are also participating in the workshops. Sax
player Quinsin Nachoff, who currently teaches at the University
of Toronto, has been nominated for three National Jazz Awards.
Trumpet/flugelhorn player Jim Lewis has led several jazz big bands.
While
these workshops go on in Port Hope’s Memorial Park, Humber
College music teacher Mark Promane will be leading the Young Jazz
Showcase members in their rehearsals, and the Trinity College School
musicians will be polishing their Friday night set.
The
Festival’s youngest official participants will have their
time in the limelight on Saturday afternoon. The Colborne Public
School Band, currently led by teacher Chad Morford, was only started
three years ago, but the students’ dedication paid off rapidly.
In 2005, the group of fifth- to eight-graders took a silver medal
at MusicFest Canada, and in May 2006, the school took home a gold
medal from the nationwide competition in Ottawa.
Students
of all ages have their opportunity on Saturday morning with the “Blow
Your Own Horn” parade. In advance of the parade, trumpeter
Kevin Clark, originally from New Orleans but now living in Toronto,
will lead a workshop on this year’s official parade tune, “Just
a Little While to Stay Here.” (The music is downloadable
from the Festival website.) The workshop begins at 10:30, in St.
John’s Church on Pine Street, and the parade begins at 11:30
a.m at the corner of Pine Street and Walton Street.
Press
Release
July 15, 2006
All-Canadian
Jazz Festival Port Hope opens with 'Two New Voices'
The
All-Canadian Jazz Festival Port Hope has a track record of signing
rising stars just as they burst into international prominence,
and this year’s festival-opening “Two New Voices” concert
carries on that tradition.
Kellylee
Evans and DK Ibomeka both released new CDs this spring, and the
rave reviews for the CDs have been followed by enthusiastic cheers
at major summer jazz festivals.
Kellylee
Evans currently hails from Ottawa, and she made a big splash last
month at the Ottawa Jazz Festival. CBC’s Ontario Morning
cited her performance as one of the “Five Must See Concerts” for
the summer. She appears on CTV’s national program Good Morning
Canada on July 29 and 30, and only a month after her Port Hope
concert, she is booked for the Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC.
That’s
a heady schedule for someone who just “got serious” about
jazz in 2002. She says a near-death experience from an allergic
reaction spurred her to focus on what was truly important in her
life – music. In addition to singing, she read widely on
creativity and songwriting, work that paid off with her current
album, which features 11 of her own songs.
As
Joyce Corbett wrote in The Live Music Report review of the CD’s
launch party, “what is so remarkable about Kellylee’s
songs is their beautifully-written, intelligent lyrics.” Corbett
also praised “the smooth, strong voice of which she seems
to have complete control. Kellylee Evans moves effortlessly from
note to note, savouring the vibrations of those she chooses to
hold onto.”
Clearly,
the judges at the Thelonius Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition
in New York agreed – they awarded Evans second place after
listening to 160 talented competitors.
The
second of the Two New Voices, DK Ibomeka, has had an equally meteoric
rise. The son of Nigerian immigrants to Canada, at six foot seven
Ibomeka is a towering figure with enormous stage presence.
While
studying chemistry and psychology at McMaster University a few
years ago, he discovered Ella Fitzgerald, whose voice, he says, “called
to me in a way that no other voice has.”
He
soon signed up for the vocal studies program at Humber College,
and took advantage of as many open mike stages as he could find.
It didn’t take long for his natural talent to be noticed.
Geoff Chapman of the Toronto Star wrote: “I first heard him
on a typically storm-battered night at [Toronto’s] Distillery
Jazz Festival, but he was more than equal to the challenge, swinging
and scatting hard – and caressing ballads. It’s no wonder
he’s been compared to Joe Williams of Count Basie band fame.”
“His
voice is big, his range is big, and he is big ... but it’s
not his stature that you’ll remember after a performance,
but the way he can project a song,” Chapman says.
DK
Ibomeka is featured in the Summer Serenades series at Dundas Square
in Toronto this month, as well as in a Nathan Phillips Square concert
in August. He also performed at Trafalgar Square in London with
Peter Appleyard on Canada Day.
The
Two New Voices concert in Port Hope will be opened by the Trinity
College School Jazz Ensemble.
Tickets
for the concert, on Friday September 22 at 7:30 pm, are $30.
Press
Release
May 1, 2006
Montreal
piano legend Oliver Jones headlines Port Hope jazz festival
Montreal-based
pianist Oliver Jones will bring his trio to the Saturday night
concert tent at this year’s All-Canadian Jazz Festival Port
Hope in September.
This
year’s festival will also feature increased involvement by
youth, from Northumberland County and from across Canada, festival
programmer John McGuirk says.
Now
in its fifth season, the All-Canadian Jazz Festival has earned
a solid reputation among fans and musicians alike, McGuirk says.
After he took over as programmer this spring, he was pleased to
hear from many veteran musicans who were eager to perform in the
friendly, small-town setting of Port Hope’s Memorial Park.
Oliver
Jones is the first musician to be slotted into a weekend schedule
that is rapidly filling out, McGuirk says. The concert is scheduled
for Saturday evening, September 23.
Jones’ musical
career now spans six decades. He grew up just a few blocks from
Oscar Peterson’s home, and he often sat on the porch of the
Peterson home listening to Oscar practise. Oscar Peterson’s
sister, Daisy Peterson Sweeney, was his first teacher, and his
first night-club appearance happened when he was just nine years
old.
In
1964 Jones and his wife moved to Puerto Rico, where he worked as
musical director for popular Jamaican singer Kenny Hamilton for
16 years. In 1980, he returned to Montreal to pursue jazz full
time.
Jones has frequently been asked to open the Festival International
de Jazz de Montreal. In his most recent appearance there, he played
his first public duet with Oscar Peterson.
In
2006, Jones was voted Keyboardist of the Year in the National Jazz
Awards, and his album with Ranee Lee was voted Jazz Album of the
Year.
Jones
is known for his lightning-fast technique, solid articulation,
powerful lyricism and rollicking rhythms. For the All-Canadian
Jazz Festival show, he will be accompanied by bassist David Young
(Bassist of the Year, 2006 National Jazz Awards), and drummer Normand
Villeneuve.
In
his first season as programmer for the Festival, Wesleyville resident
John McGuirk is drawing on decades of involvement with Canada’s
musical communities. After attending Bowmanville HIgh School, McGuirk
completed a Master of Music degree at University of Toronto. For
the next 31 years, he taught music in the public and independent
schools at all grade levels.
McGuirk
is married to Joan Nichols. They recently returned to live in Wesleyville,
where Joan’s family has roots which stretch back over several
generations.
Working
for the All-Canadian Jazz Festival is a wonderful way to contribute
to the local cultural scene while drawing on his lifelong love
of music, McGuirk says. He promises more programming announcements
as soon as additional bookings are finalized.
Press
Release
March 7, 2006
The
annual All-Canadian Jazz Festival Port Hope is in launch mode for
its fifth season, states Board Chair, Lou Pamenter.
Programming
and promotion have already started for the September 22-24, 2006
weekend. The "blues" will be more integrated into the
program this year with some outstanding Canadian performers. The
weekend will continue to have all concerts and events in Memorial
Park as the park site proved so successful last year.
Under
the management of an active Board of Directors and Festival General
Manager, Christa Bisanz, various committees have had planning meetings
for the 2006 Festival.
David
Acomba, founder of the Festival, says "I feel the Festival
format and organization are firmly established and it's time for
me to pull back and return fulltime to my profession as a producer/director
in television and film. There are now about 200 volunteers who
have the necessary skills, experience and enthusiasm to put on
the event. I'm looking forward to continuing on as an unpaid advisor
to the organization."
Everyone
involved with the Festival acknowledges the generous support of
community donors (individuals and businesses) and of government
agencies that has helped forward another important cultural event
in Northumberland County.
"We're
very excited about this, our fifth Festival - watch for program
notes in the next few weeks" says Lou Pamenter.
| For
General Inquiries: |
| Pam
Kort,
General Manager |
| Tel:
905-885-1938 |
| Contact by email |
