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TD Toronto Jazz Festival 2010

Toronto, Ontario, Canada
June 25-July 4, 2010
The TD Toronto Jazz Festival enjoyed its 24th edition this year in a city dominated by a focus on the G8 and G20 Summit meetings for the first few days. Despite very minor delays for a couple of shows and some instances of nearby protester clashes with law enforcement, the festival successfully managed to "go on with the show" without a hitch in the true spirit of jazz. It was also a fresh start for the new Artistic Director, Josh Grossman, who assumed his responsibilities in January of this year.
The festival continued its tradition of presenting a balanced program of major headliners such as

Harry Connick, Jr.
pianob.1967

Herbie Hancock
pianob.1940

Taj Mahal
guitar and vocalsb.1942

Stanley Clarke
bassb.1951
June 25: Maceo Parker


Nikki Yanofsky
vocalsb.1994
For

James Brown
vocals1933 - 2006

Maceo Parker
saxophone, altob.1943

Dennis Rollins
tromboneb.1964
Will Boulware added a rich musical touch to the keyboards that is not usually heard in other bands, while Corey ParkerMaceo's sonand Neta Hall provided the central vocal component to the show. The Maceo Parker band went right into the spirit of things with "Off The Hook."
Music selections came from older recordings, including "Make It Funky," "What You Know about Funk?," and "Shake Everything You've Got," from Life on Planet Groove(Polygram Records , 1992). The classic "Uptown Up," from Funk Overload (What Are Records, 1998), always gets people energized thanks to the wonderful sound of the horns playing in unison with some cool accentuation from Rollins. Later in the show, Maceo stood alone on stage and paid homage to

Ray Charles
piano and vocals1930 - 2004
Near the end of the show, everyone was on their feet (mostly dancing), without needing any prodding from the band as they yelled out "Maceo! Maceo!" for an encore with the classic James Brown favorite, "Pass the Peas."
The band members were clearly enjoying themselves; the syncopation and timing were right on the mark, with each musician receiving the opportunity to shine. Before you knew it, the concert was over in the late hours of the festival's kickoff night.
June 27: David Sanborn with Joey DeFrancesco

David Sanborn
saxophone1945 - 2024

Joey DeFrancesco
organ, Hammond B31971 - 2022
After kicking things off with a fast "Coming Home Early," featuring the alto saxophonist's signature sound, the trio brought things down a bit with "Brother Ray," after which Sanborn jokingly asked the audience, "How's the weekend going?"
To Sanborn, the saxophone is very close to the human voice and he credits both

Hank Crawford
saxophone, alto1934 - 2009

David "Fathead" Newman
saxophone, tenor1933 - 2009
The trio continued with the popular "Let The Good Times Roll," with DeFrancesco providing the vocal touch and inviting the crowd to clap with the beat as Lake set up the musical sandbox, making Dave and Joey sound their best.
"Only Everything" had the feel of a timeless soul ballad, written for Sanborn's granddaughter, Genevieve. DeFrancesco emphasized the organ's warm and earthy sounds with a hint of strings. At one point he picked up a muted trumpet in his right hand for a solo in the style of

Miles Davis
trumpet1926 - 1991
For the encore, Sanborn talked about someone he knows who always makes bad choices when it came to relationships. He looked towards DeFrancesco but eventually claimed that he didn't mean to refer to anyone in the band, much to the organist's relief. "I Got News for You" was that final song, with DeFrancesco once again demonstrating his vocal talents, even after missing the first queue.
June 29: Grace Kelly Quintet


Dave Brubeck
piano1920 - 2012

Grace Kelly
saxophoneb.1992
On the opening "Ain't No Sunshine," by Bill Withers, Kelly brought a gentleness to her sound and phrasing in what she called a slightly twisted version of the well-known song. Her vocal abilities were also on full display with "Straighten Up and Fly Right," by

Nat King Cole
piano and vocals1919 - 1965

Charlie Parker
saxophone, alto1920 - 1955
Kelly was comfortable onstage, as well as with the audience. She, after all, has had the opportunity to play in the company of major musicians and bands like the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with

Wynton Marsalis
trumpetb.1961
June 30: Keith Jarrett Trio
The Tuesday before the long Canada Day weekend presented a wide variety of performances for their enjoyment. Mavis Staples and the

Allen Toussaint
piano and vocals1938 - 2015

Charlie Hunter
guitarb.1967

Heather Bambrick
vocalsb.1971

Carol Welsman
vocals
Roberta Gambarini
vocalsb.1972

James Farm
band / ensemble / orchestrab.2009

Joshua Redman
saxophoneb.1969

The

Keith Jarrett
pianob.1945
The whole trio played softly in a tight unit, as expected after working together for over 25 years.

Gary Peacock
bass, acoustic1935 - 2020

Jack DeJohnette
drumsb.1942

Ornette Coleman
saxophone, alto1930 - 2015
At times hunching over the piano keys or standing, Jarrett took great care at playing and savoring every note to perfection. Right before intermission, he was short of satisfied with the sound of a particular note, and even asked the audience, "Does this sound okay?" Predictably the crowd said yes. Nevertheless, Jarrett switched gears to play the sentimental "Blame It On My Youth," a jazz standard written by Oscar Levant and Edward Heyman. During the intermission, a second piano was hauled in discreetly. Nothing affected the positive mood of the musical evening. The meticulous notes during quieter moments felt like delicate leaves or light raindrops reaching the ground, with the audience quietly savoring every one. Jarrett nodded after each tune in appreciation of the receptive audience and in the acknowledgment that the trio was in top form. The smiles among the musicians showed just how much they enjoyed their improvisational journey over melodies that they knew very well. The audience gave them a well-deserved standing ovation, and was rewarded with three encores, starting with "God Bless The Child," followed by "Answer Me My Love," popularized by Nat King Cole in the 1950s, and ending with "Bye Bye Blackbird." A truly special evening.
July 1: Roy Hargrove Big Band
It is not always easy to get a big band together, let alone to go on tour with it. True to the jazz idiom,

Roy Hargrove
trumpet1969 - 2018

Dizzy Gillespie
trumpet1917 - 1993
There was also a good dose of

Gerald Wilson
composer / conductor1918 - 2014

Roberta Gambarini
vocalsb.1972

Gerald Clayton
pianoHargrove came onstage sporting a white shirt, pants and hat, with a red tie and cool shades as the band kicked off with "Tschpiso," followed quickly by "Depth" and "After The Morning" by John Hicks, one of Hargrove's mentors.
Hargrove was also very generous with the stage, and most musicians were featured. Altois

Bruce Williams
saxophoneWhat better choice to end the show than with the catchy "Mambo For Roy," a dedication from Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés, showcasing various Latin twists and powerful horn runs. The show's encore ended with "Brian's Bounce," accompanied by Gambarini. All in all, the audience came away with a good dose of big band swing, Latin expressiveness and energy, as well as some romantic tranquility during key ballads.
July 2: John Scofield and The Piety Street Band
On a beautiful day in July, festival visitors enjoyed the final stretch of this year's edition of the TD Toronto Jazz Festival. During lunchtime at Nathan Phillips Square, the Monterey Jazz Festival showcased its Next Generation Orchestra, with wonderful young talents, while the afternoon drew to a close with Yvette Tollar and her quintet.

The final Mainstage concert placed the focus on gospel, blues, jazz and R&B, with Toronto-based singer Shakura S'Aida opening up the evening with a charismatic performance that warmed the audience up. A frequent visitor to the festival over the years, guitarist

John Scofield
guitarb.1951
Jon Cleary provided most of the lead vocals, yet the main focus was always on the music, with Scofield playing fast blues riffs while standing to the right and facing into the rest of the band. Pieces like "Let The Good Times Roll" were easily recognizable, while "Walk With Me" was a slower gospel piece that despite being old, according to Scofield, made its way into other more well-known songs, written with the same chord progression. Scofield started improvising discreetly around the melody, alone on the stage, before being joined by the rest of the crew. Bassist George Porter Jr. showcased some head-boppin' deep grooves as he opened "Never Turn Back.
The climactic piece was the upbeat, gospel-driven 12-bar blues, "It's a Big Army," with Cleary playing the organ with his right hand while saving his left for the piano. Despite the engaging rhythm, no dancing took place, but drummer Terrence Higgins got the audience to participate in some clapping, shifting to a tambourine/bass drum solo dominated by African beats that were quintessentially New Orleans in style. The band also managed a subtle nod to "When the Saints Go Marchin' In" in the final chorus. The encore was just as eventful; on "I Don't Need No Doctor," Scofield and Cleary (switching to guitar) trading off at one point. Scofield displayed different elements from gospel, blues and funk to jazz and R&B in a show that demonstrated the importance of experiencing such performances live.
July 3: DoranStuckyStuder & Tacuma Play Music of Jimi Hendrix
On the festival's final day, jazz enthusiasts still had a few shows to choose from around town. A large gathering formed early at Dundas Square to see Chaka Khan and Macy Gray. Just around the corner, trumpeter

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
trumpetb.1983
Over at the Music Gallery in the quaint St. George The Martyr Church, the Next Wave Series concluded its short eclectic week of avant-garde artists. It was an opportunity to get a different taste of the festival, away from the masses standing at Dundas Square for the headlining pop show. Intensity and loudness would be two key words setting off the opening salvos for Doran, Stucky, Studer and Tacuma. The group revisited the art of the legendary

Jimi Hendrix
guitar, electric1942 - 1970
Ericka Stucky interpreted some of Hendrix's songs while setting the mood as the de facto leader in front of the band. She made use of simple objects ranging from garden tools and voice altering gadgets to handheld audio recordings. Christy Doran focused solely on his guitar playing, including some intense guitar wizardry with the aid of echoing sound effects. Such was a glimpse into the frame of mind existing in the 1960s. Stucky urged the audience to open up to the music and "just let go," even warning them that since the music was loud, their ears might be ringing. Thank goodness for earplugs.
On "Isabella," Doran admitted that he and others discovered interesting polyrhythmic structures leading to the thought of playing three grooves on top of each other. Audience members were literally calling out requests for the encores. Stucky first led a duet with Doran alone, and the whole band came together for its rendition of "Castles Made Of Sand." Still, after just a short one-hour set, there was still more time to hear some other music around town.
Pianist

Geoffrey Keezer
keyboardsb.1970

2011 will be the festival's 25th edition. With anticipated renovation work planned for Nathan Philipps Square, festival organizers will be evaluating various location options following the postmortem on this year's event. Milestone years always bring a certain level of anticipation and buzz, and 2011 will be no exception.
Photo Credit:
Marek Lazarski
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