Earth, Wind & Fire Tribute by The Runaway Five Review

It was standing room only at The BeatNiq in Calgary when The Runaway Five and vocalist Jocelyn Alice performed on Friday, December 30, 2011. They presented a tribute to the American rhythm and blues, soul jazz and funk band Earth, Wind & Fire.

Grammy Winner and Hall of Fame Inductee Earth Wind & Fire

Founded by Maurice White of Chicago in the 1970's, Earth, Wind and Fire (EWF) is a group that has endured the test of time. Incorporating African rhythms, soul jazz, gospel and funk, EWF has played a major role in shaping R&B and pop music.

Earth, Wind and Fire has won numerous awards through the years. The group has earned Grammys and AMA Awards and nominations from 1975 all the way up to 2005. In 2000, EWF was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

That's The Way of the World and More Soul Jazz in The Runaway Five's Opening Set

The stage looked very cozy when vocalist Jocelyn Alice and 12 of the members from The Runaway Five stepped on-stage at The BeatNiq. The first set featured hits from Earth Wind and Fire's That's the Way of the World (1975) and The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 (1978) albums.

The group got the crowd fired up with “Got to Get You Into My Life.” This Beatles classic featured catchy and rhythmic solos by Oliver Miguel (tenor sax), Brett McDonald (alto sax) and Carl Lundgren (trombone).

The pace slowed down with “Reasons”. Brett McDonald performed a passionate solo on soprano sax against the soulful undertones played by Sarah Matheson on bari sax.

“Sing a Song” was a cheerful number which featured a virtuosic and rhythmic solo by Brendan Swanson on piano. Brett McDonald's solo on sax was extremely melodic and covered a wide range.

“I don't even need to tell you what it is,” said band leader Brendan McElroy when setting up the final song of the set. When the horns played the opening notes of “September”, everyone in the room excitedly exclaimed, “Oh!” before bopping to the music.

Throughout the first set, people continued to walk in, attempting in vain to find a seat. Other numbers performed in the first set included “Shining Star”, “Jupiter” “That's the Way of the World”.

“Boogie Wonderland”, “Fantasy” and More R&B and Funk Hits at the Earth, Wind and Fire Tribute

The Runaway Five and Jocelyn Alice opened the second set with “In the Stone”. This funky number showcased the baritone sax and soprano sax.

After some prodding from the band, members of the audience stood up and began to dance while “Boogie Wonderland” was played. This number was one of several that demonstrated how tight the group's playing was. Synchronization was excellent throughout the tricky rhythmic passages.

Things slowed down with the popular ballad “After the Love Has Gone”. This featured a beautiful opening by André Wickenheiser on flugelhorn and a great dialogue between Oliver Miguel and Brett McDonald. Jocelyn Alice also shone in this number, showing off her wide range and her earthy, sultry tone.

The final song was “Fantasy” from EWF's 1978 album, All n' All. This featured a soulful melody on soprano sax. As the final note died away, the audience quickly rose to its feet to give The Runaway Five and Jocelyn Alice a standing ovation.

Other songs played in the set included “Let's Groove”, “Mighty Mighty” and a piece by Brett McDonald dubbed "Horn Break". For an encore, they reprised “Shining Star”.

At the request of The BeatNiq management, the group reprised two more numbers, “In the Stone” and “Sing a Song”. The musicians really cut loose with some rapid-fire, rhythmic and mind-blowing solos. The saxophone solos explored the entire range of the instrument, while the piano and percussion solos featured a great deal of syncopation and complex African-Latin rhythms.

About the Video Game Jazz Group, The Runaway Five

Founded by Brendan McElroy, the Runaway Five performs jazz music arrangements of classic video games, including Super Mario Bros., Final Fantasy and Zelda. In 2008 and 2009, the group performed at Massey Hall in Toronto during the Video Games Live tour.

The Earth Wind and Fire tribute featured André Wickenheiser (trumpet/flugelhorn), Leanne Paisley (trumpet/flugelhorn), Carl Lundgren (trombone), Brett McDonald (alto sax/flute), Oliver Miguel (tenor sax), Sarah Matheson (baritone sax/bass clarinet), Brendan McElroy (bass), Carl Janzen (guitar), Spencer Chenye (drums) and Luis Tovar (Tabera percussion). Guest artist Jocelyn Alice is a Calgary-based singer/songwriter.

The Runaway Five is based in Calgary and Toronto. Arrangements are written by Brendan McElroy, Brendan Swanson, Brett McDonald and Alex Goodman.

There were just a couple of glitches to an otherwise stellar performance (audio feedback and balance issues between the vocals and instruments at times). The arrangements were catchy, with punchy rhythms. The group gelled together very well, while the solos contained funky melodies and rhythm that kept the audience tapping and clapping throughout.

The Runaway Five and vocalist Jocelyn Alice performed a sold-out performance on Friday, December 30, 2011 at The BeatNiq Jazz & Social Club. They performed a tribute to the legendary R&B, soul jazz and funk band Earth, Wind & Fire, playing a selection of the band's greatest hits, including “Shining Star” and “September”.

Originally published on Suite101 on January 3, 2012. All rights reserved by Rhona-Mae Arca.

Calgary Jazz Orchestra ENTERTAINMENT 2011 Concert Review

“Does anyone here remember growing up?” asked CJO director Johnny Summers at the start of the jazz concert which took place in River Park Church on Sunday, January 30, 2011.

The programme for ENTERTAINMENT! was set as a musical trip down memory lane for listeners young and old. The Calgary Jazz Orchestra performed top pop songs by Billy Joel, Sting, Michael Jackson and the Beatles; along with a sampling of video game music and film soundtracks.

The Jazz Band from William Aberhart High School Warmed up the Crowd

The Jazz Band from William Aberhart High School opened the concert with two numbers: "Count Bubba", an upbeat number by Gordon Goodwin of the Big Phat Band and "The Meaning of the Blues", a sultry ballad composed by Bobby Troup.

The Jazz Band has performed in concerts, festivals and competitions throughout Alberta, such as the Vic Lewis Band Festival in Canmore. The group won several awards at the 2010 Alberta International Band Festival. William Aberhart's The Jazz Band is directed by Kevin Willms.

A Pop Culture Buffet and Impromptu Performances Mark the CJO's First Set

The Calgary Jazz Orchestra set a nostalgic theme by opening with the theme from Spiderman. This lively swing number featured toe-tapping solos by Carsten Rubeling on trombone, Shane Statz on sax and Willy Joosen on piano. Incidentally, Joosen is the organist for the Calgary Flames, a post he has held for over 22 years.

The only video game music that was officially on the programme was Koji Kondo's "Bob-omb Battlefield" from Nintendo®'s Super Mario video games. This lively arrangement was done by Brendan McElroy, a Calgary bassist who now lives and works in Toronto.

McElroy is the co-founder of The Runaway Five, a video game band that has opened for the Video Games Live concerts in Toronto. Sarah Matheson on bari sax and Greg Baker on drums performed jaw-dropping solos. Slipping in the "Underworld Theme" was a nice touch.

The impromptu moments were a stroke of genius. When asked what music is played at the Calgary Flames hockey games, Willy Joosen answered by playing several memorable themes on piano, including the "Star Trek Battle Theme" and the theme from the TV hit show The Simpsons. The audience listened in rapt silence to The Simpsons.

The Calgary Jazz Orchestra wrapped up the first set with the theme song from the popular TV show, Family Guy. This number featured solos by Kim Beachum on trumpet, Dr. Jeremy Brown on sax and Carsten Rubeling. Other songs featured in the first half included the theme from Tennessee Williams' "A Street Car Named Desire", classic pop songs "Fragile" by Sting and "Just the Way You Are" by Billy Joel.

More Movie Music and Classic Pop Songs in the CJO's Second Set

The jazz concert's second half began with a snazzy arrangement of John Williams' "Hedwig's Theme" from the Harry Potter movies. It began in an eerie fashion before moving to a lively jazz waltz. Reminisces of the “Song d'une nuit du Sabbat” from Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique came to mind when Gerry Hebert played "Hedwig's Theme" in the highest register for the clarinet. This number featured solos by Gerry Hebert, Shane Statz on tenor sax and Jeremy Brown on alto sax.

The programme included one Michael Jackson hit, "The Way You Make Me Feel". This arrangement featured Johnny Summers on vocals. It started off slowly and then switched to a more upbeat tempo.

The Calgary Jazz Orchestra wrapped up the concert with a rousing Beatles medley arranged by Greg Baker. The medley included "Eight Days a Week", "All My Loving", "When I'm 64" and "Hey Jude" and featured solos by Sarah Matheson. Jeremy Brown, Kim Beachum, Carsten Rubeling, Al Muirhead on trumpet, Greg Baker and Johnny Summers on trumpet. No performance of "Hey Jude" is complete without someone waving a cell phone to the music. The cell waving began on stage and was quickly picked up by one section in the audience.

Other songs featured on the programme included Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and the theme from the film The Man With the Golden Arm, which starred Frank Sinatra.

Will Joosen stole the show in several parts, launching in the the theme song from Wheel of Fortune in response to a dramatic “Oh!” from the audience and more VG music, this time, various themes from the Pac-Man® series.

The playing was top notch for this concert. However, there were a couple of “blips”. First, there were no printed programmes (glitch at the printers). Second, for a programme that touted music from video games, the gamer geeks in the audience wanted more than one video game song on the official programme (although Willy Joosen's musical tangents were a great touch). With the sheer volume of pop, VG music and movie music out there, the CJO will have plenty of material to draw from for upcoming concerts.

About the Calgary Jazz Orchestra

The Calgary Jazz Orchestra is a 16-piece jazz ensemble founded in 2004 by director Johnny Summers. The music for this concert was arranged by Johnny Summers, Greg Baker, Shane Statz and Brendan McElroy.

The CJO delivered a fun programme featuring mostly classic pop songs dubbed “ENTERTAINMENT!”, held Sunday, January 30, 2011. The band launched its 2010/11 season with music by Charles Mingus and Oscar Peterson and followed up with “A Perfectly Frank Christmas”, which featured music by Frank Sinatra. The ensemble's upcoming concert on April 10, 2011 will feature music by Duke Ellington and Harry Connick Jr. For concert tickets or more information, visit the Calgary Jazz Orchestra's website.

Originally published on Suite101.com on Feb 2, 2011. Updated July 23, 2013.