Home » Jazz Articles » Live Review » TD Canada Trust 2009 Vancouver International Jazz Festival
TD Canada Trust 2009 Vancouver International Jazz Festival
Vancouver, CA
June 26th-July 5th
Probably one of the few places on the planet not deep in mourning for recently deceased pop star Michael Jackson was Vancouver, on the western coast of Canada, or at least the parts of the city given over to the 24th annual TD Canada Trust Vancouver International Jazz Festival (VIJF), held from June 26th-July 5th.
The Great White North (Canada for non-hosers) is home to a number of excellent festivals that put to shame their US brethren. Benefiting greatly from the largesse of cultural funding organizations in addition to the more typical corporate sponsors, these festivals feature interesting international acts and often emphasize collaborations with indigenous musicians. The VIJF's latest edition offered many such performances and while there were some larger festival touring acts and groups outside the jazz periphery, the festival's tagline of "1800 musicians, 400 concerts, 40 venues" included some of the more compelling jazz and improvising musicians performing today.
What distinguishes a festival as being more than just a loose assortment of concerts during a specified period is thematic continuity. There was "Classic Sounds," wherein most of the American acts such as
David Sanborn
saxophone1945 - 2024
Al Di Meola
guitarb.1954
Kenny Werner
pianob.1951
Kurt Elling
vocalsb.1967
Shuffle Demons, photo by Chris Cameron
But for this reviewer, the most interesting concerts necessitated traveling between three different parts of town almost daily: The "Galaxie Series" at Granville Island's Performance Works (3 pm show), "Innovation" at Roundhouse (8 and 9:30 pm) and finishing with "Eclectic at The Ironworks" (11 pm). It was during these series that the VIJF brought together both established groups and new improvising aggregates with great aplomb.
And apart from being defined by its series, VIJF takes full advantage of some of the musicians appearing at the festival by having them perform in numerous configurations. This year, such artists included French bassist
Joëlle Léandre
bassb.1951
Mats Gustafsson
woodwindsb.1964
Francois Houle
clarinetAcross 10 days and with 42 concerts and workshops attended by this reviewer, there were highlights and lowlights, projects that worked and ones that didn't as well as a few surprises, the main reason to attend a festival. A complete day-by-day report follows. One comment should be made first. This reviewer heard many complaints from musicians and listeners about the condensed program. In years past there was a large guide, with full personnel and genre information. For the latest edition, the only literature was a small folded pamphlet. It is a difficult choice: saving money and the environment and expecting concertgoers to rely on the festival's website or having an exhaustive and commemorative program. Having not seen what was there before, I can offer no opinion but mention the issue for completeness.
June 26
This day, being taken up primarily with travel from New York to Toronto to Vancouver only allowed for one concert, lest jet lag and fatigue color one's senses. It was, however, a good introduction. The early set at Roundhouse featured the trio of Houle, Leandre and Swedish drummer Raymond Strid (see their 2007 Red Toucan album 9 Moments). The best way to visualize the efforts of these three musicians is in terms of physics: particles became atoms turning into molecules and then living breathing forms. The group played four improvisations, ranging from 8 to 17 minutes, with moments of chamber-like spaciousness alternating with others of constant motion, effected through arco, circular breathing and drum punctuation. If roles were to be assigned, Houle would be the classicist, Leandre the emotive improviser (either scraping her strings or vocalizing) and Strid providing an industrial counterpoint to his companions.
June 27 Granville Island is a small land mass across from the Downtown Vancouver peninsula. Once strictly a manufacturing site, in the '70s it was converted for mixed use and now houses performance venues, artist studios, hotels and restaurants and a farmers' market. Having rested up (but still brutalized by the odd east-to-west jet lag), Saturday was the first full day of concerts, beginning with two sets in quick succession on the island's Marketplace Stage, a forum for some of Vancouver's younger players, picturesque overlooking False Creek and a multitude of sailboats and seagulls.
The 11 am set was the Hip Pocket Trio: Adam Rohrlich (sax), Tilden Webb (piano) and Jodi Proznick (bass). The material was standard, tunes like "The Way You Look Tonight" or Hank Mobley's "This I Dig of You," played in pleasant, round-edged modern fashion.
At 2 pm was the cheekily-named Zulu Nation Throwdown, whose name might have been their strongest point. The two-horn lineup (tenor and alto or baritone) was supported by keyboards, electric bass and loud drums for music firmly in the funk vein. While well-intentioned and well-received by the outdoor crowd, the young band needs seasoning; for this music to succeed it needs to be rubberband-tight and ZNT lacked in this department.
In addition to a few outdoor stages, Granville Island is also the home to Performance Works. This reviewer's first-of-many trip to this small theater was for the festival's second invitation to Swiss drummer Lucas Niggli's ZOOM, a trio with guitarist Philipp Schaufelberger and trombonist Nils Wogram. Niggli's albums for Intakt are dense affairs, full of appealing themes. It was helpful to see them elucidated visually, particularly with the wonderful Wogram, an heir to the Mangelsdorff mantle, in tow. Niggli prefers his music through-composed and plays his drums like another melody instrument, creating equality within the trio. It was worthwhile to stay for both sets, bookended by the two parts of "Rough Ride" and observing how Niggli takes numerous influences—Zappa, fusion, European minimalism to name but a few—and combines them into a personal style.
Havard Wiik, photo by Chris Cameron
The evening sets at Roundhouse focused on Norway, first presenting pianist Havard Wiik's trio with bassist Ole Morten Vagan and Hakon Mjaset Johansen and then expanding that group to a quintet with the addition of Hakon Kornstad (saxophone) and Eivind Lonning (trumpet). Wiik is a member of the group
Atomic
band / ensemble / orchestraThe last concert of the evening was across town at the club/performance space The Ironworks: the improvising project of Houle and Swedish tuba player Per-Ake Holmlander's, with Strid, second drummer and Vancouver local Dylan van der Schyff and Swedish trumpeter Magnus Broo, the first of several European-Canadian alliances. The just-under-40-minute set was broken up into a 30-minute improvisation that often sounded unsettled and fragmentary, working best when smaller partnerships emerged from the larger group, and a much shorter second piece, which contrary to usual experience, was much more focused, with Broo leading the charge.
June 28
If there is one drawback to the VIJF, it is that the venues are often quite far from each other. The bus system is fine but if one is on foot, the day's traveling can be grueling as well as necessitating some selectivity in what is seen. Thus this reviewer only attended the solo portions of the duet between Swiss saxophonist Urs Leimgruber and Leandre at the afternoon Performance Works concert. Not that they were competing, but the edge goes to Leandre. With both side doors open, Leimgruber's tweets and chortles could have been mistaken for bird sounds. He made only vague stabs at melody and his circular breathed exposition on soprano sax was to Cignac what Evan Parker is to Seurat. Initially, Leandre seemed concerned completely with sound, her improvisations remaining totally amorphous, until thematic development started to creep in. She made occasional forays into pizzicato instead of her usual arco, fleet yet articulated, and the textural contrast between the two approaches was striking.
After that it was across town to a couple of sets at Gastown that would take this reviewer into early evening: Delirium, the Finnish-Danish quartet of saxophonist Mikko Innanen, trumpeter Kasper Tranberg, bassist Jonas Westergaard and drummer Stefan Pasborg, and Shuffle Demons, "Canada's wackiest jazz band."
Tranberg is one of Denmark's finest composers and musicians and Innanen has appealing grit to his playing on either alto or baritone. There is a natural lightheartedness and humor to the showmanship of the Danes that once was the province of the Dutch and the band's set was perfect for a sunny afternoon of casual listening. If a comparison needs to be made, Delirium function in the same plane as Sex Mob, bombastic playing within an accessible, party-like atmosphere. The band makes it so the audience doesn't even realize it is being challenged.
Shuffle Demons were performing as part of their 25th Anniversary tour and appeared in their customary, custom-painted suits, the three-horn lineup blasting funk lines over the churning rhythm section. They wound through the audience playing and people in front of the stage returned the favor by dancing through the whole set. This band was made for the outdoor festival circuit and was doubly appreciated as native sons (though from Toronto). Hopefully, Zulu Nation Throwdown were in the audience for a masterclass.
It was then back off to Roundhouse for the conceptual highlight of the festival: Ice Hockey: Canada vs. Sweden featuring Francois Houle and Mats Gustafsson +12. This will take some explaining.
Havard Wiik, photo by Frank Nelissen
Gustafsson and Houle were given a commission and wrote a conducted group improvisation based around the game of hockey, a shared passion of their respective countries. Gustafsson created a Cartesian system of hand signals controlling aspects like density and volume for two groups of six "players." Musicians represented the offense and defensive roles of a hockey team and battled for possession as well as took shots on goal. The project was workshopped across five days in February, with an exhibition game held at The Ironworks. For the VIJF, the fully-realized piece was presented, complete with visual elements and incidental music composed by Houle. Playing for Canada in this Championship Game were Houle (right wing, captain), bassist Torsten Muller, (defense), violinist Jesse Zubot (center), trumpeter John Korsrud (left wing), guitarist Tony Wilson (defense) and goalie/drummer Dylan van der Schyff. On the Swedish side were Gustafsson (left wing, captain), tubaist Per-Ake Holmlander, (defense), trumpeter Magnus Broo (right wing), guitarist Christian Munthe, (center), vibraphonist Kjell Nordeson (defense) and drummer/goalie Raymond Strid. In addition, two "referees" were enlisted.
Seattle-based keyboardist
Wayne Horvitz
keyboardsb.1955
Fred Lonberg-Holm
cellob.1962
June 29
Monday was another full day, beginning at the Tom Lee Music Downtown City Stage (Tom Lee is basically Canada's Sam Ash) and the Amanda Tosoff Quartet at noon. This standard group—piano, sax, bass and drums—played Tosoff's original compositions, music that had a pliable swing and avoided florid diversions. Saxophonist Evan Arntzen was competent if unremarkable and one wondered if the band would function better as an expansive trio.
Later that afternoon, Lonberg-Holm, sadly subbing for Jakob Riis in all his appearances, gave a fascinating workshop in the music store's upstairs performance hall. Not necessarily what most of the attendees were expecting, Lonberg-Holm, hardly a typical cellist even within the improvised music circuit, spent most of the hour speaking about technology and his various pedals. He recommended that anyone who uses electronics learn how to solder and was unrestrained on the subject of irregular wave patterns.
Then a walk across the Granville Street Bridge for the 3 pm set of Toronto's Ugly Beauties: Marilyn Lerner (piano), Matt Brubeck (cello) and Nick Fraser (drums). The trio takes its name and inspiration from
Thelonious Monk
piano1917 - 1982
Monk's Casino, photo by Frank Nelissen
At Roundhouse that evening, one group also focused on the music of Monk, taking both sets and needing all the time it was given. German pianist
Alexander von Schlippenbach
pianob.1938
Evan Parker
saxophone, sopranob.1944
Paul Lovens
percussionb.1949
Delirium, photo by Chris Cameron
And just because they were so good the day before, another set with Delirium at The Ironworks to finish the evening. And in case you were wondering, they were as good inside as out.
June 30
Schlippenbach gave his own workshop at Tom Lee on Tuesday afternoon. Well, more of a lecture/demonstration really. For the benefit of a crowd that might not know his pedigree, he gave an overview of the European improvised music scene of which he was one of the founders. This includes describing how he and fellow musicians like
Peter Brötzmann
woodwinds1941 - 2023
Then, yes, you guessed it, back to Granville Island for the trio of German bassist/Vancouver resident Torsten Muller, Fred Lonberg-Holm and Kjell Nordeson (on vibes and percussion). This trio embodied the notion of insect music, spikes of sound over Nordesen's small rhythms. Primarily a textural exploration—plucking, bowing beating or occasionally all three doing one of those simultaneously—there was never pretence of melody. And with the movement both horizontal and vertical and moments of near-silence cropping up regularly, this may have been the hardest set of the festival to absorb.
At Roundhouse that evening was another of the festival's strongest bookings: the double bill of unaccompanied Schlippenbach followed by the Dutch trio of pianist Michiel Braam, bassist Wilbert de Joode and drummer Michael Vatcher with guests Houle and Gustafsson.
Perhaps because of the subject matter of his workshop and the all-Monk concert of the evening before, Schlippenbach was not his usual incendiary self. Instead, his chord voicings were on the mystical side and he was delicate without sacrificing substance and dense without forfeiting cohesion. His Monk medley ably mixed freedom with architecture, much as the quintet had the night before, and his improvisations were fully articulated, implying form with only the sparsest sequence of notes. In
Cecil Taylor
piano1929 - 2018
Trio BraamDeJoodeVatcher with Francois Houle & Mats Gustafsson, photo by Frank Nelissen
Trio BraamDeJoodeVatcher is one of Europe's strongest groups, due in no small part to Braam's excellent composing. There is none of the typical Dutch indulgence in his work and de Joode and Vatcher are remarkably empathetic partners. What made the performance particularly interesting was its methodology. The core trio had books of music that they referenced throughout, but only in elemental form, using the melodies or harmonies as improvisational jumping-off points. Houle, who apparently is an excellent reader, would match them on the themes while Gustafsson would offer ear-inspired variations. The overall effect was of tendrils snaking out from a central root, represented by Braam. But there was also a delicious tension between the established trio and the impulses of its guests.
Though one could have been sated after that, The Ironworks beckoned for the free improv stylings of Dorner, Mahall, Muller and van der Schyff. But sadly the result was underwhelming. The 33 minutes never congealed, the Germans and Canadians clicking with each other respectively but not with the other pair. The music progressed predictably: full group expositions giving way to smaller outcroppings but never generating momentum from individual statements. There were a few interesting moments when the full group returned but they were fleeting. That is the pitfall of these kinds of settings; sometimes it just doesn't come together.
July 1
This reviewer hopes he will be forgiven for taking Canada Day off and giving the crowds on Granville Island, cups runneth over with 16 groups all for free, a miss. Festival attendance is all about pacing.
There was the opportunity though to sit in on one of the "classes" at the Vancouver Creative Music Institute, led by Mats Gustafsson. The saxophonist discussed some of his 'theories' behind improvisation, such as having impeccable technique so as to reduce latency, avoiding conscious decisions that will undermine the spontaneous nature of the music and, most importantly, having respect for those with whom that you play. The chance for younger players to learn from experienced improvisers is invaluable, continuing the oral/practice tradition of the music.
July 2
Maybe the day off wasn't such a good idea. By this point the jet lag was monstrous and the walking was taking its toll. But the concerts continued unabated.
Vancouver altoist Saul Berson's quartet appeared at Tom Lee at noon. The leader is a member of the Vancouver-based NOW Ensemble but, in this context, veered towards a sort of proto-klezmer, made obvious by the use of Kim Darwin's accordion. Having seen guitarist Tony Wilson in full free mode during Ice Hockey, hearing him here playing lithe melodies with clean articulation was quite surprising, especially during a pastoral unaccompanied intro to one of the original pieces. The band also showed their range by playing the standard "Willow Weep for Me" but doing so with an "All Blues" feel.
Local cellist (with an international reputation) Peggy Lee presented her eight-piece band at Performance Works. She is a mainstay on the (Canadian and American) West Coast scene but was making her first appearance of the festival in this afternoon slot. The ensemble consisted of trumpet (
Brad Turner
trumpetRoundhouse had another double bill, two improvisatory quartets: keyboardist Wayne Horvitz, flutist
Nicole Mitchell
fluteb.1967
Though one can't fault any specific musician, the second set was as distended as the first set was economical. It may have been too many disparate aesthetics at play—Plimley's density, Bynum's smears, Leandre's textures and Mitchell's lyricism—but it never sounded like anything but four separate musicians playing on the same stage. Plimley especially seemed to have an agenda irrespective of the others. And with the musicians constantly dropping in and out, cohesion was impossible. A case of too much sound, not enough music.
July 3
After a week of intensive workshops, the participants in the Vancouver Creative Music Institute performed in the afternoon at Performance Works in many combinations, directed by and/or accompanied by their distinguished faculty as well as an improvisation featuring just the teachers.
The students participating included a pianist, vibraphonist, drummer, reed player, vocalist, banjoist, erhu player, cellist, violist and two guitarists. The two sets of the showcase were a mix of improvisations and compositions. The full ensemble numbers were generally effective, led in one case by
Taylor Ho Bynum
cornetb.1975
,center>
Stefano Bollani & Enrico Rava, photo by Chris Cameron
Then it was this reviewer's sole big-name show, the always-wonderful Italian duet of trumpeter
Enrico Rava
trumpetb.1939
Stefano Bollani
pianob.1972
Jaki Byard
piano1922 - 1999
It was finally a short stroll to the next performance, a quartet led by French clarinetist Sylvain Kassap at Roundhouse. Kassap is a marvel on both clarinet and bass clarinet, playing in such a distinct way to make the inevitable comparisons to countryman Michel Portal foolish. His group included cellist Didier Petit, bassist Helene Labarriere and drummer Edward Perraud. The opening bass clarinet/drum duet was reminiscent of
John Surman
saxophoneb.1944
Jack DeJohnette
drumsb.1942
For a boisterous nightcap before the last weekend of the festival, The Ironworks presented a late night set of Canadian guitarist Gordon Grdina's trio with guest Mats Gustafsson. Just as you wouldn't send in Rambo to mediate delicate negotiations, you don't ask Gustafsson to play quietly. After all the work rehearsing the Ice Hockey set and teaching at VCMI, it was gratifying to see the saxophonist blowing his head off as only he can. Grdina's music, a manic, overdriven free-bop underpinned by bassist Tommy Babin and drummer Kenton Loewen, is similar in scope to the Scorch Trio, apt given Gustafsson's long relationship with that group's rhythm section. The club was packed and rowdy and Grdina and crew accommodated them, leaving all restraint in the dressing room. The brief segment where things quieted down so Grdina could play the oud only made the subsequent maelstrom even more disintegrating.
July 4-5
Tony Wilson, photo by Chris Cameron
The last two days of the festival were centered on the four in- and outdoor stages of Roundhouse and David Lam Park. Concerts were free and held from noon until after 8 pm, starting in 15-minute intervals. Given the volume of music, all thankfully within feet of each other, this reviewer had a chef's tasting as might be featured at Tojo, Vancouver's famed Japanese restaurant. There was the duet of Viviane Houle and Stefan Smulovitz with guests Sylvain Kassap and Didier Petit (vocals and electronics matched against freewheeling French improvising); Tony Wilson's quintet (proto-fusion in an ECM vein); a workshop by trombonist
Ray Anderson
tromboneb.1952
Matt Wilson
drumsb.1964
By the end of 10 days, your correspondent had no idea what day it was or which way was up. That's usually the sign of a successful festival and commendations go to the artistic directors for taking chances when so many other festivals take the easy road.
Tags
TD Canada Trust Vancouver International Jazz Festival
Live Reviews
Andrey Henkin
United States
New York
New York City
David Sanborn
Al Di Meola
Kenny Werner
Kurt Elling
Joelle Leandre
Mats Gustafsson
Francois Houle
Atomic
Wayne Horvitz
Fred Lonberg-Holm
Thelonious Monk
Alexander von Schlippenbach
evan parker
Paul Lovens
Peter Brotzmann
Cecil Taylor
Brad Turner
Nicole Mitchell
Taylor Ho Bynum
Enrico Rava
Stefano Bollani
Jaki Byard
John Surman
Jack DeJohnette
Ray Anderson
Matt Wilson
Comments
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Support All About Jazz
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
Go Ad Free!
To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
New York City
Concert Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses
| More...
New York City Concerts
Sep
20
Sat
Larry Carlton
Iridium
New York, NY
Sep
20
Sat
Larry Carlton
Iridium
New York, NY
Sep
20
Sat
Vincent Ingala
Madison Theatre At Molloy College
Rockville Centre, NY
Sep
20
Sat
BrownstoneJAZZ FEST CONCERT SERIES
BrownstoneJAZZ
Brooklyn, NY
Sep
20
Sat
Afro! with S Johns & W Brahim
Rose Theater
New York, NY
Sep
20
Sat
Women Of Rock Tribute Show
Debonair Music Hall
Teaneck , NJ
Sep
20
Sat
Louise Rogers Quartet
Jazz On Main
Mt Kisco, NY
Sep
20
Sat
Senri Oe Trio - A Magical Night In Motion
Birdland Theater
New York, NY
Sep
20
Sat
Monty Alexander Trio
Birdland
New York, NY
New York City
Concert Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...
Sep
20
Sat
Larry Carlton
IridiumNew York, NY
Sep
20
Sat
Larry Carlton
IridiumNew York, NY
Sep
20
Sat
Vincent Ingala
Madison Theatre At Molloy CollegeRockville Centre, NY
Sep
20
Sat
BrownstoneJAZZ FEST CONCERT SERIES
BrownstoneJAZZBrooklyn, NY
Sep
20
Sat
Afro! with S Johns & W Brahim
Rose TheaterNew York, NY
Sep
20
Sat
Women Of Rock Tribute Show
Debonair Music HallTeaneck , NJ
Sep
20
Sat
Louise Rogers Quartet
Jazz On MainMt Kisco, NY
Sep
20
Sat
Senri Oe Trio - A Magical Night In Motion
Birdland TheaterNew York, NY
Sep
20
Sat
Monty Alexander Trio
BirdlandNew York, NY
Buy Now
