shannon butcher sings

Inside the Jazzers Studio - Mark Kieswetter

Almost two years ago Mark arrived in Toronto from Toledo. Mark came in to my life by agreeing to play with me pro bono - sight unseen/voice unheard - at the Oscar Peterson School fundraiser.  Boy was I impressed.  I didn't get a chance to take a picture of my reaction when I first heard Mark play that night but I'm sure I've seen it time and time on the faces of musicians around the city when they hear Mark tear up the piano.  Man...he's good.  

A few weeks ago, Mark Kieswetter and I had five duo gigs in the course of seven days.  They ranged from playing at Gate 403 and Statler's for three sets to providing entertainment for the Gilda's Club volunteers at their recognition event to crooning standards with senior citizens at a retirement home.  Mark is so talented and personable that he was clearly the right partner for all of those venues and situations.  Although Mark and I are both very interested in arranging "new standards" for our public sets, playing the classic swing jazz hits for seniors brings some real feel good vibes.  There's just something sweet and humbling about having a room full of voices sing along to Blue Skies with years of memories shining out of their eyes.

Time for you to learn a bit more about Mark:

1. What is your favorite word? book
2. What is your least favorite word? should
3. What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]? honesty
4. What turns you off?  reality television
5. What sound or noise do you love? an in-tune pre-Depression Steinway "B"
6. What sound or noise do you hate? balloons popping
7. What is your favorite curse word? mostly "dammit", but there are others
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? photo-journalist
9. What profession would you not like to do? play bass in a be-bop band. WTF?!
10. If Heaven exists, who's the first person you want to see in concert when you arrive? Tom Jobim, maybe Dexter Gordon, or Bill Evans, or Irene Kral. Maybe.

Mark recently shared with me Irene Kral's album Better Than Anything.  Now I know why she's up there with Dexter, Bill and Tom.

Inside the Jazzers Studio - Richard Underhill

Earlier this year at the IAJE conference I found myself sitting beside Richard Underhill at the self management seminar.  I was a bit surprised to see him there with pen in hand ready to take notes as I imagine Richard could easily be the speaker at such a seminar.  But the lesson I learned is that there are always lessons to learn in the rapidly changing landscape of the music business. 

In my opinion, Richard is a shining example of all that a Canadian artist should be.  He's an extremely talented player, he actively promotes his art, he showcases his community through his compositions (his latest Juno nominated album, Kensington Suite is an homage to his eclectic neighborhood, Kensington Market) and he is as comfortable playing the Hockey Night in Canada theme song solo on CBC news at 7 in the morning as he is leading a square full of 900 saxophonists through our other national anthem.  (Check out the Shuffle Demons website to learn more about their World Record breaking saxophone event.)  Richard is a towering presence in Canada's music scene and it's not just because he's almost seven feet tall.

1. What is your favorite word?  Bicycle
2. What is your least favorite word? Car
3. What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]?  playing jazz, improvised music, almost any kind of music, cats, farmers markets, buying local, organic food, taking the train, girls on bikes, guys on bikes, kids on bikes, transport bikes, playing hockey, buying local, getting juiced and writing songs, recording, playing bass sax, jamming round a campfire, seeing the stars in the city.
4. What turns you off?  Wow....cars, pollution, free trade, first past the post electoral 'democracy', war for profit, privatized healthcare, any privatized government service, government sell off of public assets to corporate bidders, rampant consumerism, private ownership of public space, billboards, styrofoam!! cars in the bike lane, the 100,000 mile diet,  major brands, the war on terror, the war on drugs, the war on you and me, light pollution, the oil industry, car addiction, consumeritis, being labeled a 'consumer' instead of a 'human being,' don't get me started here!
5. What sound or noise do you love? The sound of bike bells
6. What sound or noise do you hate? Car horns
7. What is your favorite curse word? Fark
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? writer  (novels, memoir, etc)
9. What profession would you not like to do?  banker (screwing people for pennies just seems so classless)
10. If Heaven exists, who's the first person you want to see in concert when you arrive?  Arnette Cobb (tenor sax player from Texas)

 Underhill is hosting Toronto's coolest Late Night Jazz Jam during the Jazz Festival at Kensington's hippest venue Supermarket (268 Augusta Ave.) Underhill's band will feature local guitar heroes Wayne Cass, Eric St-Laurent and Tim Posgate along with drummer Great Bob Scott, bassist Brandi Disterheft and many more. The action gets under way at midnight and goes to 4am every night during the jazz festival in the front room of Supermarket. There's no cover during the week and a nominal cover on the weekends.

Inside the Jazzers Studio - William Carn

Our lovely little big city, Toronto, boasts some world class musicians.  Not only am I consistently blown away by the talent in our city, I'm also repeatedly impressed by the way so many of our musicians are cleverly navigating the rapidly changing music industry and getting their music out to the world.  William Carn is a perfect example of a musician who has grabbed his career by the horns. (Pun intended.)  William has managed to bring the William Carn Quintet to the forefront of the Canadian jazz scene, not only here at home but throughout Europe and Japan.  A good deal of this success is due to his outstanding talent as a trombone player and composer but it can't be denied that his determination and business savy have also played their part.  William has released two albums as a band leader, the most recent entitled "Lessons Learned", and as a sideman his rich tones can be heard the albums of Hawksley Workman, Lori Cullen, Kathleen Edwards, Esthero, Hilario Duran and more.  A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of including William in my own quintet's debut concert at the late, great Montreal Bistro.  Here's hoping another opportunity will soon come my way to play with him again.

1. What is your favorite word? Wurlitzer
2. What is your least favorite word?  Deadline
3. What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]?  Watching someone do something to the utmost of there abilities. 
4. What turns you off? Business
5. What sound or noise do you love?  Laughter
6. What sound or noise do you hate?  Techno bass coming from a car at a stop light.
7. What is your favorite curse word?  You asked for it.  Fucking cock!
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?  Actor
9. What profession would you not like to do?  Any job in an office.
10. If Heaven exists, who's the first person you want to see in concert when you arrive?  Bill Evans

Next Friday night, May 23rd, the William Carn Quintet will be playing at the Peninsula Ridge Winnery in Niagara-on-Lake.  Good wine, good music - could there be a better combination?

Inside the Jazzers Studio - Alexis Cole

I met Alexis Cole in February of this year at the Brenda Carol Renaissance Jazz Festival.  Originally from New York City, Alexis had been performing that week at Opal Jazz Lounge and extended her Toronto performing scheduled by appearing on the Sunday night of the festival.  She completely captivated me with her musicality, stage presence, repertoire choices and flawless voice.  Truly a beautiful singer and generous spirit (as you'll remember from my Jitterbug Waltz story.)  For about a month now Alexis has been in residence at the Tableaux Lounge in Tokyo where she sings and plays six nights a week. Thanks to the communication friendly internet, Alexis and I have kept in contact while she's been over in Japan. I asked her to give us a feel for being a musician overseas:
 

1. What is your favorite word? Ne, it's a question word at the end of a sentence.  it means like...don't you agree?   It's a gorgeous day, ne?
2. What is your least favorite word?   It's a gesture.  They cross their hands, making an X.  It means no, or not possible, but somehow it always feels like 'screw you and your countrymen.'
3. What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]?   Learning gives me hope in life. When i get depressed it's often because I'm bored.  Learning something, new Japanese vocabulary, changes to a new tune, Portuguese lyrics to a Jobim tune...these things change my headspace.
4. What turns you off?  When I go table to table with my post cards and CD's and people at the table I'm at start talking about me in Japanese and laughing.  What am I to do?   What are they saying!?!
5. What sound or noise do you love?   The outlook version of 'You've got Mail' I love getting emails from people.  I don't have a phone, so that's my main way of staying in touch.  I hate when it's just junk or someone's gig announcement that I can't go to.  I'm really social and being alone out here is a little difficult for me.  I make friends, but it's not the same somehow.   
6. What sound or noise do you hate?   The sound of my little fridge going on and off, the hazards of rabbit hutch living.  And the sound of One loud customer in an audience full of listeners.
7. What is your favorite curse word? I don't know any Japanese curse words.  I like cursing quickly in English here, I feel I can get away with it more easily since people don't generally speak English.
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?   I would like to run a retreat center.
9. What profession would you not like to do?   Waitress.  I did it, I was terrible!   
10. If Heaven exists, who's the first person you want to see in concert when you arrive?  Bob Marley

If you can't save up the coin for a trip over to Tokyo don't worry, I have a feeling Alexis will be back singing on Canadian soil this summer.  Keep your eye on her website!

Inside the Jazzers Studio - Kelly Jefferson

First off, I have a confession to make. I kinda hate the saxophone. I know!  It's shocking.  It's just that they play so many notes and they're always trying to show off how fast they can play and they take up so many choruses at the jams.  Am I a jazz traitor?  Well, not completely because there are some shining exceptions to my saxophone rule: John Coltrane, Tim Ries (who I just discovered this year), Richard Underhill and Kelly Jefferson.  Here's what I believe:  Kelly Jefferson is to saxophone like Roger Federer is to tennis.  They are both real gentlemen, kind and unassuming but when they take to their stages you realize they are true masters.

When my producer Marc Rogers suggested we add sax to a few of the tracks on my album I started to tense up, until he qualified his suggestion with "'Cause I just think Kelly Jefferson would sound killer on these few tunes."  "Well, that's different then just adding sax. That's adding Kelly." I thought. "Having Kelly on those songs would just make me smile."  Now that everything is recorded, I can assure you Kelly does sound amazing and I'm so grateful for all of the insightful musicality he brought to my album.  You can hear him having fun on my version of Just a Girl on myspace.

1. What is your favorite word? Cake. (Just say it half a dozen times slowly...see?)
2. What is your least favorite word?  Jazz.
3. What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]?  Jazz.
4. What turns you off? People who need to get on the subway car before
   letting the other people off. 
5. What sound or noise do you love?  The sound of a quiet night at the cottage.
6. What sound or noise do you hate?  Microphone feedback.
7. What is your favorite curse word?  I like most of the four letter curse words...like
   jazz...
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?  I'm still attempting my own, but I've always wanted to drive a Zamboni.
9. What profession would you not like to do?  Air Traffic Controller.
10. If Heaven exists, who's the first person you want to see in concert when you arrive? I'm not sure if I can narrow it down, (it would be one hell of a band!) but (today) I would have to say a 3-way tie between John Coltrane, Donny Hathaway and Glenn Gould.

Check out Kelly playing with Barry Romberg's Random Access Large Ensemble at the Rex Sunday, March 30th at 9:30.  This "big" band makes the most challenging but accessible music tune after tune.  Kelly will be playing alongside a score of players who are at the top of their game, including: Rich Brown, Jason Logue and of course, Barry Romberg.  It's worth showing up late for work on Monday because RA really is the hippest thing to hit the Rex. 

Inside the Jazzers Studio - Christine Bougie

I've heard Christine's name around town for a few years now but I only had the good fortune of meeting her earlier this month at the Jazz Fair.  Multi Instrumentalist, composer and wannabe Super-hero Christine Bougie started playing guitar at 12 years old.  She attended Humber college for Jazz Studies and soon found herself attracted to playing as much country music as possible. When she's not on tour playing lap steel and guitar for Amy Millan, you can usually find Christine any night of the week performing or recording with many of Toronto's finest musicians. Check out her myspace site and you'll see she's already booked well in to 2009.  Her first album, Hammy's Secret Life, was released in 2007. Christine loves making music, eating brunch and petting her 2 cats, Priscilla and Edgar.

1. What is your favorite word?  Kugel
2. What is your least favorite word?  funky
3. What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]?  honesty
4. What turns you off?  arrogance
5. What sound or noise do you love?  cats talking to each other
6. What sound or noise do you hate? styrofoam rubbing against anything
7. What is your favorite curse word?  shitballs
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?  comic book artist
9. What profession would you not like to do?  hmmmm....waxing people's back hair?
10. If Heaven exists, who's the first person you want to see in concert when you arrive?  how about....Elvis

     

You can hear Christine play with Dafydd Hughes at the Tranzac in Toronto at 7:00 on Monday, February 25th.

 

Inside the Jazzers Studio - Darcy James Argue

At the IAJE conference last month I attended a panel on jazz blogs where I met Darcy James Argue. Darcy struck me as a man who could have held his own over a bottled of absinthe, you know what I mean?  I often wish I could be more of an "artist", whatever that means, and when I see people like Darcy living their dreams, it helps give me a refreshed drive.  Now where's that opium...just kidding.

Unfortunately I was unable to hear both of the concerts Darcy's big band Secret Society North played during the conference.  This was a double disappointment as my good friend Gordon Webster was rocking the piano chair.  But I learned at the panel to never fear if you miss a SSN concert because Darcy posts mp3 files of all of his public performances on his blog. His blog is a staggering resource for all that is Secrety Society North but more than that it's also a glimpse into the world of jazz in New York City.  Just read a few posts and you will begin to see how the community of the world's biggest city rallies together to support great music.  Darcy also uses his blog to promote his political views, which are clear in his response to my questionnaire.  Take a read and then go visit www.secretsociety.typepad.com   

 

1. What is your favorite word?  Crustacean.
2. What is your least favorite word?  Redacted.
3. What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]? People who have genuine and infectious enthusiasm for whatever the hell it is that they're into.
4. What turns you off?  Incurious motherfuckers. Also, Republicans.
5. What sound or noise do you love?  The city.
6. What sound or noise do you hate?  That petulant little chuckle Bush always gives when someone asks him a question he doesn't like.
7. What is your favorite curse word?  Douchebag.
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?  Believe me, if there was something else out there that would give me any satisfaction at all and did not involve me trying to keep an 18-piece band together, I'd be doing that instead.
9. What profession would you not like to do?  Um, every day job I've ever had?
10. If Heaven exists, who's the first person you want to see in concert when you arrive?  Heaven? Everyone knows the devil has all the best tunes.

The following ad was approved by Darcy James Argue:

Inside the Jazzers Studio - Chantelle Wilson

For the past four and a half years Chantelle Wilson and I have been singing together in our band Swing Rosie.  All that time in the three part harmony trenches can really help you get to know a girl.   I'd say I'm pretty much an expert on all things Chantelle Wilson.  I know that for several months she was 10 feet tall on the side of a building on Dupont.  I know that when we're out at the mall people stop to tell her how much their kids love her on 4 Square.  I know that, even with all the fame, she's still the same gal from Ottawa.  I know she respects and admires all the musicians she plays with.  I know she makes a pretty sexy singing bird, feathers and all.  And I know she's bringing kazoos back in a big way baby!  I really could go on and on.  But why don't I let her tell you more about herself.

1. What is your favorite word? Tranquility
2. What is your least favorite word? Mediocre
3. What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]? People who aren't afraid to try new things and in turn make me want to try new things. People who are fearless and don't give a shit what other people think. People who are really passionate about what they do. And romantic history novels that usually revolve around some prince in Europe wanting to marry below his station. 
4. What turns you off? Reverse question three, take out the history novel part and add exploitive, bling generation rappers who own six Hummers.
5. What sound or noise do you love? In a very "I like to take long walks on the beach" kind of answer, I love the sound of a thunder storm. Come on, who doesn't?
6. What sound or noise do you hate? The ringing of a phone very early in the morning.
7. What is your favorite curse word? Mother fucker. It's harsh yet maternal all at the same time.
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Trumpet player.
9. What profession would you not like to do? Waitress....oh wait, I am a waitress.
10. If Heaven exists, who's the first person you want to see in concert when you arrive? David Bowie. Even though he's still alive and I've already seen him a couple times I'm pretty sure he'll go before me. Then he can greet me at the Pearly Gates, we'll put on some glitter, meet up with Kirsty MacColl and Eva Cassidy for some backing vocals and sing Space Oddity for eternity.

Chantelle is a creative force with style, humour and sass.  Now that we Rosies are pursuing our solo projects I'm very excited to see and hear Chantelle's future.  Tomorrow night, November 29th, at 6:00 she'll be performing the first Chantelle Wilson Quintet gig at Gate 403 on Roncesvalles.  She's written some great new songs for the show and I've also penned a little ditty dedicated to Chantelle that I'll be debuting that very night!

Inside the Jazzers Studio - Ross MacIntyre

What can I say about Ross MacIntrye?  For starters, he's one of my best friends in the world.  We've known each other since our Cawthra Park first-high-school-dance days and have been making music together ever since.  Ross is the kind of friend that would spend hours with me running Giant Steps changes so I wouldn't make a complete fool of myself during my solo at the Springfest concert.  Since high school and following some time with the circus, Ross has become a force to be reckoned with in the Canadian jazz scene.  Ross often tops musicians'  lists of favourite bass players in the city - which is a real feat considering how many great bassists live here in Toronto.  The list of artists who have called Ross their sideman is impressive; Matt Dusk, Jesse Cook, Emilie-Claire Barlow, Eliana Cuevas, The Shuffle Demons and on and on.  He's equally accomplished in jazz, R&B, salsa, pop and, yes, music theatre.  I believe it's this versatility along with his genuine love for music that keeps Ross in such demand.  Oh, and he's wicked talented too.  That helps.

1. What is your favorite word?  Comeupence.
   
2. What is your least favorite word?  Genocide. Not the sound of the word but what it means.
3. What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]?  Fear of not working. Seriously, I better not suck. There are so many good musicians and I want to be one of them.
4. What turns you off?  I don't get turned off.  My natural state is uninspired.
5. What sound or noise do you love?  The absence of sound on a winter night.
6. What sound or noise do you hate?  Streetcars.
7. What is your favorite curse word?  Fuck. In all honesty I think it kicks any sentence in the ass.
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?   Astronomer.
9. What profession would you not like to do?  Pan handler.
10. If Heaven exists, who's the first person you want to see in concert when you arrive? Donny Hathaway.

Before he heads off on an international tour with Matt Dusk, Ross will be playing with my quartet in November on the 4th and the 25th (both are Sundays) from 7-9 p.m. at the Rex.

Inside the Jazzers Studio - Ron Davis

Ron Davis is one of the first jazz musicians I met five years ago when I decided to move from music theatre to jazz.  On Sunday nights Ron was the popular host of a music jam that was "singer friendly" at Gate 403 and I'll never forget how supportive and inviting he was that first night I went out to sing. Nor will I forget how he gave my Will the stylus right out of his own palm pilot when Will was visiting from law school!  I have always admired Ron for his dedication and devotion to intelligent and joyful music making.  Such a winning combination.

1. What is your favorite word?  “Amour.” It soars over the sadsack word “love.”
2. What is your least favorite word?  “Like.”
3. What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]?  Daniela Nardi (my wife), my band mates, my friends, Bach, Chopin, Brahms, Willie ‘The Lion’ Smith, Glenn Gould, George Elliot, Northrop Frye, Wittgenstein, great books (not necessarily The Great Books), French cinema, Japanese cinema, American cinema, modern dance
4. What turns you off?  Ignorance, racism, Holocaust deniers, extremism, narcissism. And green peppers. And iceberg lettuce.
5. What sound or noise do you love?  Every sound at the right time, every noise at the wrong one.
6. What sound or noise do you hate?  Every sound at the wrong time, every noise at the right one.
7. What is your favorite curse word?  Putain (it’s French).
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Writer.
9. What profession would you not like to do?  Law and academics. Wait-- I did them. Bah.
10. If Heaven exists, who would you first like to see live in concert when you arrive?  Art Tatum. Duh.

Ron will be releasing his latest CD, Subarashii Live, on Tuesday, October 23 at the Revival Music Lounge.  Subarashii [pronounced soo-ba-ra-shee] is Japanese for great! Ron has toured Japan three times. He loves it there. And the Japanese are great jazz fans. To show his respect and appreciation, Ron chose a Japanese title.  The Revival is located at 783 College Street.  I'll see you there at 8:30!!