Johnny Summers "Piano Sessions Vol. 1" CD Release Party March 2013

If you love jazz and you live in Calgary, come out to Johnny Summers' upcoming CD release party. Deets as follows: Date: March 16th 2013

Calgary CD release concert for Johnny's new recording "The Piano Sessions Volume 1"

featuring Chris Andrew, piano

Special guests Al Muirhead, Shane Statz, and The Polyjesters Jason and Sheldon Valleau!

Tickets will be on sale soon.

Johnny Summers is the director of the Calgary Jazz Orchestra.

Here's my CD review.

Here's a video of Johnny in performance:

Music Blogs Worth Checking Out

Now that I've successfully migrated my blogs from Blogspot to Wordpress, my hands are full with cleaning posts up from the back-end - checking and updating links, tags and the like - before I can get back to the happy task of writing music reviews, interviews with fellow musicians and feature articles. In the meantime, please check out these music blogs which will keep you updated on upcoming music events in your area:

• CBC Music Blog

• CKUA Music Blog

• FFWD Weekly's Upcoming Events Blog

Do you have any music blogs that you like to check out? Please share them!

Concert Review of CJO's A Perfectly Frank Christmas 2012

The Calgary Jazz Orchestra performed a sold-out concert at River Park Church in Calgary, Alberta on Sunday, December 23, 2012. From “You Don't Know Me” to “Frosty the Snowman”, the CJO presented varied palette of big band jazz, Frank Sinatra standards and Christmas favourites. The warm up act for this Christmas show was the University of Calgary Jazz Orchestra, directed by Dr. Jeremy Brown. The jazz group performed Fred Sturm's arrangement of Radiohead's “Bodysnatchers”, Bobby Watson's “Fuller Love” (Arr. Dan Keberle) and Jerry Nowak's “Frosty the Snowman”.

Christmas Classics and Sinatra Standards at CJO's Christmas Concert

The emcee for the 2012 edition of “A Perfectly Frank Christmas” was CJO bassist Kodi Hutchinson. In addition to playing for various ensembles, Kodi is the host of “A Time for Jazz” on CKUA Radio.

The jazz band performed seven songs in the first set: “O Tanenbaum”, Harry Connick Jr.'s “It Must've Been Old Santa Claus”, Cole Porter's “I've Got You Under My Skin”, Frank Loesser's “Baby It's Cold Outside”, Jay Livingson & Ray Evans' “Silver Bells”, Jerry Herman's “We Need a Little Christmas”, Eddy Arnold & Cindy Walker's “You Don't Know Me” and Jule Styne & Sammy Cahn's “The Christmas Waltz”.

One highlight was Desiree Arthur's and Johnny Summers singing “Baby It's Cold Outside”. Their voices blended together very well, weaving and soaring. Dr. Jeremy Brown on sax and Al Muirhead on trumpet, danced and intertwined during the interlude. Desiree is from New West Symphony & Chorus.

Another focal point was crowd favourite, Hazel Proctor. The 2007 Senior Star Competition Winner simply shone with “Silver Bells”. Her rich, warm tone drew cheers and whistles throughout her performance. Egor Ukoloff's piano solo traversed the keyboard with crunchy chords and sparkly runs. Al's trumpet solo started with a simple melody which became more embellished with each pass, while Dean Yeat's trombone solo created waves that started gently but grew in intensity.

“You Don't Know Me” gave the audience a preview of Johnny's upcoming jazz CD release, entitled “Piano Sessions”. A very soulful, intimate mood was set by his vocals and the rhythm section. This was soon followed by the saxophones playing a slow gospel riff against runs up and down the piano.

Egor's solo created a myriad of colours. He began with easygoing chords played against a dancing melodic line. Chords, shakes and glissandos helped to build the intensity. This number showcased Johnny's wide dynamic and vocal range – from soft and intimate to powerful and impassioned.

The CJO closed with a “The Christmas Waltz”, which opened with the saxes before leading into Johnny on vocals with the rhythm section. The muted trumpets gave way to arpeggiated chords in the piano. Shane Statz's sax solo set an easygoing pace, weaving a meandering line before the ensemble swelled to a fortissimo, followed by silence. Kodi and Johnny led the Waltz's transition to a faster tempo. The changes in the texture made this an enjoyable arrangement to listen to.

Heebee-Jeebees, Toe Tappin' Swing and More Christmas Hits Performed by the CJO

The Heebee Jeebees, a Calgary-based a cappella group, opened up the second set of The Calgary Jazz Orchestra's “A Perfectly 'Frank' Christmas”. The group opened with an upbeat version “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”.

The CARA Award winning quartet continued with a Flintstones inspired rendition of “Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree”. Johnny Summers joined the quartet in singing “I Pray on Christmas” as Egor Ukoloff played along to this medium gospel number.

The Calgary Jazz Orchestra performed five songs in the second set, including Harry Connick Jr.'s “Frosty the Snowman” and “Song for the Hopeful”. This was followed by Sammy Cahn's “Come Fly with Me”, Hugh Martin's “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and Jack Fox's “Zat You, Santa Claus?” Desiree Arthur returned to the stage for “Song for the Hopeful” while Toe Tappin' Swing moved fluidly along the floor in time to “Come Fly with Me”.

One highlight was Al Muirhead's arrangement of “Frosty”. Greg Baker laid down a fast Latin groove on the drums, accented by “squeals” from Johnny's trumpet, which soon gave way to his vocals. Dean Yeats played a really funky countermelody against Johnny's embellished solo. The entire jazz orchestra joined in to chant “Thumpity-thump-thump”.

Another fun number was “Come Fly with Me”. The entire ensemble cast a playful and nostalgic mood with this medium swing number. Matthew Isenor and Robin Nunnally of Toe Tappin' Swing cut the rug with their nimble footwork and twirls.

Before the final number, the audience learned about “Call a Tune”, which members of the CJO sometimes play at the end of a gig. One musician calls out a tune. They choose a key and a tempo, then everyone present plays or sings along. This led to impromptu performances of “Happy Birthday”, “Jingle Bells” and “White Christmas” involving the audience.

The Calgary Jazz Orchestra closed with “Zat You, Santa Claus?” This medium swing tune showcased catchy lyrics. It featured Johnny Summers on vocals and trumpet, Brian Walley on trombone and Kodi Hutchinson on bass.

The Calgary Jazz Orchestra received a standing ovation, complete with cheers, whistles and shouts for an encore. The CJO complied, performing “O Holy Night”.

The next CJO performance is on February 23, 2013 at 18 Degrees of Jazz Gala for Big Brothers & Big Sisters. For more information on the Calgary Jazz Orchestra, visit the CJO's website. Tickets may be purchased online or in person at Anacrusis Music.

The Calgary Jazz Orchestra performed to a packed house on Sunday, December 23, 2012 at River Park Church in Calgary. Big band arrangements were done by Al Muirhead, Paul Ashwell, Greg Baker and Johnny Summers. Guests included the UofC Jazz Orchestra, Desiree Arthur, Hazel Proctor, the Heebee Jeebees and Toe Tappin' Swing.

This Christmas show, packed with stock Sinatra songs and Christmas music, was extremely entertaining, diverse and well played. Most, if not all members of the audience, were singing, tapping and cheering for more.

Virtual Choir 4.0 Announced

Last week, Grammy-winning composer/conductor Eric Whitacre announced the next Virtual Choir Project: "Bliss". This piece is from his 2010 West End musical entitled Paradise Lost. It is quite the departure from previous virtual choir projects. An exciting one. Some choristers may grumble, but I personally think that this will introduce a new group of singers to the beauty of choral music. "Bliss" is a fusion of classical, techno and something else that I'm still trying to put my finger one. Another difference between VC4 and previous projects is the need for a Kickstarter campaign. As Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir continues to grow, so do the expenses. VC3: Water Night cost over $100,000 to create. Hence, the Kickstarter campaign. Since it's launch last weekend, the VC4 kickstarter project has raised over $18,000. Not too shabby. Without further ado, here's Eric Whitacre on the VC4 project: In light of the tragedies from last week, any opportunity to come together as a global community in the name of peace, is a welcome one.

Concert Review of the Calgary Wind Symphony's Hilarious Holidays

The Calgary Wind Symphony performed a selection of upbeat and amusing band music at its Christmas concert on Sunday, December 2, 2012 at the University of Calgary's Rozsa Centre. Cellphone soloist Wendy Freeman and pianist Julie Jacques drew the crowd in with their energetic performances.

The CWS Set the Stage for an Afternoon of Hilarity

Various members of the Calgary Wind Symphony glittered. Literally. There was a wide assortment of blinking and non-blinking elf caps, Santa Claus hats and reindeer antlers, which set the tone for a lighthearted musical afternoon.

“

It only gets more garish as the afternoon goes on,” quipped CWS Music Director, Dr. Jeremy Brown after walking on stage with his fire-truck red cummerbund beneath his tux.

Fanfare and Cell Phones Highlighted at the Calgary Wind Symphony Concert

The CWS its Christmas programme opened with Jim Colonna's “Fanfare on Adeste Fidelis”, a lively number that featured a witty fugal fanfare in the brass. This was followed up with Jan Van der Roost's “Flashing Winds”. This energetic number contained sweeping themes reminiscent of the classic TV show “Bonanza”.

One of the highlights from the first half was the “Concerto for Cell Phone” by James M. Stephenson. Yes, you read that correctly – cell phone. Soloist Wendy Freeman scoured the malls to record “the six most epic ring tones”. Each ring tone was “introduced” by the cellphone and then developed by the CWS. The fugal treatment of the infamous NOKIA® ring tone was beautifully done.

The first half ended with “Pequeña Suite para Banda” by Luis Serrano Alarcón. This suite featured some polytonality, instruments played in extreme registers and catchy rhythms. The flute solo in the “Rana” was simply exquisite, while the melodic themes in “Galop” weaved a twisting soundscape, punctuated with energetic, Batman-like “SPLATS”.

The CWS Presents the World Premiere of Le Tombeau de Liberace and More Season Favourites

The hilarity reached epic levels in the second half, beginning with the world premiere performance of Michael Daugherty's

“Le Tombeau deLiberace”

. This suite in four dances is scored for piano, flute, clarinet, French horn, violin and percussion. Julie Jacques of Calgary took on the role of Liberace at the piano.

It showcased everything you'd expect for a Liberace tribute – glittering rings, feather boas, candelabras and trademark Libarace piano riffs. The first dance, the “Rhinestone Kickstep”, featured a dialogue between the marimba and the piano, boogie woogie rhythms and crunchy harmonies.

“

How Do I Love Thee” is named after Elizabeth Barret Browning's sonnet of the same name. Liberace often recited this poem at performances. It featured a mournful melody on the French horn, glittering

arpeggii

on the piano and some lush Debussy-esque harmonies.

“

Sequin Music” is a classic example of

dodecaphonic

music. The 12-tone motive was presented and then developed through various permutations, such as transposition, inversion and retrograde. It became more embellished once the piano cadenza was reached.

The final dance in the suite is “Candelabra Rhumba”. The Spanish-flavoured theme weaved between the instruments against heavily syncopated rhythms played on the piano.

The stage lit up even more for the next piece, with a sudden increase in blinking Christmas hats and antlers. The CWS performed “Canadian Brass Christmas”, arranged by Luther Henderson and adapted for band by Howard Cable.

This upbeat number opened with the Big Ben clock theme before launching into a contrapuntal treatment of “Ding Dong Merrily on High”. The medley also included “Here We Come A Wassailing” as well as “Huron Carol”.

Another highlight from the second half was “A+: A Precise Prelude and an Excellent March” by Thomas C. Duffy. To set up this number, trombonist and band

teacher, Jim Kramer shared this quote by baseball legend Ted Williams:

"Baseball is the only field of endeavour where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.”

With “A+”, Duffy wanted to demonstrate the difference between a performance in which everyone is trying to play as proficiently and expressively as possible (A+) and a performance akin to Williams' 3/10 game stats. Suffice it to say that Duffy and the Calgary Wind Symphony proved that getting 3/10 notes right in music is unacceptable.

The final number on the programme was Leroy Anderson's “Sleigh Ride”. As an encore, the CWS performed Karl L. King's “Circus Days – Galop”, featuring Monica Leong on bicycle honker horns.

About the Calgary Wind Symphony

The Calgary Wind Symphony is a 60-member ensemble, directed by Dr. Jeremy Brown of the

University of Calgary

. Formerly known as the Calgary Concert Band, the ensemble has been active in Calgary's musical community since 1947. The band went on a European tour in 2011, performing to enthusiastic audiences in Italy and Austria.

In the summer of 2012, the CCC changed its name to the “Calgary Wind Symphony”, operating under the Calgary Concert Band Society.

Music aficionados can check out the Calgary Wind Symphony's upcoming concerts for the 2012/13 season. On Sunday, March 3, 2013 at 2:30 p.m., the CWS presents “Music of Mysteries, Legends and Ritual”. On Sunday, June 2 at 2:30 p.m., the Calgary Wind Symphony presents “Apollo Sings! Music that Soars”. Both concerts will take place at the Rozsa Centre on the U of C campus. For more information and to buy concert tickets, please visit the

CWS's website

.

The Calgary Wind Symphony's “Hilarious Holidays!” concert in Calgary on December 2, 2012 boasted a lively and amusing programme guaranteed to elicit giggles and chuckles from the audience. From the downbeat, the CWS had audience members tapping their toes, chuckling and cheering in appreciation for not only a proficient performance, but a highly entertaining one.