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.

My First Geek Moot

For some reason or another, I never made it to Geekmoot 1.0 or 2.0. I really didn't want to sit out this year's due to a cold/flu. Thankfully, I recovered enough to go out and play at Geekmoot 3.0. As I walked through to the front of the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Centre, my eyes bugged out. The gymnasium was filled with tables with people playing tabletop games at each one. The main area had teens playing Dance Dance Revolution, with another group on the side playing games on their laptops. Patrons were watching Lloyd the Conqueror, a locally produced film, in the far room.

After paying my $5 admission, which included food and drink, I stepped into the gym. The energy in the room was just marvellous. There were kids as young as three playing all the way up to people who have retired from their jobs. Good clean fun without any electronics. I felt like I was a kid.

Then, the vendors caught my attention. A couple of my students would have squealed upon spying the Zelda Sage Medallions with Sage Temple Plaque at Chinook Crafts' booth, while one of my friends would have had a BRONY moment at the sight of the excellent renditions of Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle and Apple Jack.

On the other side of the gym, I caught up with a gal I knew from a now defunct anime group. Their amigurumi and buttons were pretty neat (Aerel and shi-oni). And I was good - I looked at the the well-designed hoodies and cosplay caps at Canada Cosplay - and didn't break the bank. I just kept on walking.

It was really great to try out new tabletop games. That day, I tried out Robo Rally, King of Tokyo, The Resistance and Hanabi.

Robo Rally is a neat board game in which you are all robots. You program your robot to move in a certain order, working your way to the numbered flags. However, you don't know what path the other robots have. Their moves could affect your trajectory. Robo Rally is available at your local gaming or toy store. Online, you can purchase it at Amazon.ca or Amazon.com.

I really enjoyed King of Tokyo: Players are kaiju monsters fighting for supremacy in Tokyo. Who can dish the most damage and lose the least amount of health? I, um, er, rolled three to four claws at the beginning. My Cyber Bunny wreaked havoc on the other monsters. It's also available at your local gaming or toy store or online at Amazon.

In The Resistance, resistance fighters and spies team up to complete unexplained missions. Spies try not to identify themselves to the resistance. Little did I know that by not putting myself on the first mission, I didn't show that I trusted the other members. Nay, apparently, I gave away that I was a spy off the bat. I make a bad spy.

This was my least favourite game. I need to know what kind of mission we're on and what obstacles we're up against. I want to know what my special moves are (Yes, I grew up on RPG games and online adventure games).

The last game was unusual. Hanabi is a collaborative card game. Members hold their cards with the faces towards the other players. With clues from the others, you try to figure out which card to play to help the team build fireworks (the numbered cards must go up sequentially). Although I liked it, I think I need to actually write down the clues next time (If you follow any of my other blogs, you know that I am NOT an aural learner).

Another highlight of the evening was the opportunity to hear THWOMP live in concert. I interviewed Brad Stanton and Dave Marshall from the band back in 2010 for a series originally published on Suite101. It now lives on one of my blogs, The Musical Muse.

Oh how apropos! My mp3 player randomly switched to THWOMP's Zelda set. They performed many beloved themes that are on their Hey! Listen album.

All in all, my first Geekmoot was a wonderful experience. I met some new gaming buddies, heard about a few upcoming tabletop gaming events and caught up with anime and gaming friends I haven't seen in a while. Looking forward to Geekmoot 4.0!

Getting a Handle on SMM Tools - Hootsuite

In Getting a Handle on Social Media Management Tools, I shared my search criteria for "one dashboard to manage them all". I also took a look at two systems: BuzzBundle and Viralheat. My search draws to an end with Hootsuite Pro.Perhaps Hootsuite had the unfair advantage in that I've dabbled with Hootsuite Free off and on for several months. I dropped it months ago because of the limitations of the free version (five accounts only, no reports, very limited scheduling).

For $8.99 USD/month, I levelled up to Hootsuite Pro. This gave me up to 100 social network accounts, the ability to schedule posts, adjust privacy settings, the ability to have a team of up to nine people collaborating in Hootsuite and access to some reports.

My Hootsuite Pro Experience So Far

The various social media streams can be split into different tabs. For instance, I have a tab labelled "Twitter". It contains news streams for both my Twitter feed as well as Maestro's. I also have streams set up for our favourite lists, @mentions and direct messages. I did something similar with our respective Youtube channels.

For Facebook, I have streams for my news feed, my main Wall, as well as the wall for my Writer page and Studio page. One thing that has made a huge difference is that I am able to create newstreams for the teaching and Virtual Choir closed groups I am a part of.

I also have news streams for my Flickr account and all of my blogs. That makes sharing from those channels simply a matter of going from one tab to the next. Cross-posting is as easy as typing the message and then clicking on all the social network profiles I want to disseminate the information through.

The only social sharing site that I haven't worked in yet is Soundcloud. Until I set up podcasts, I do not have an RSS feed to link to Hootsuite ( #addtowishlist ). I have been using Hootsuite Pro for approximately one week. Observations worth noting are:

1 - I'm no longer Pavlov's Facebook's Dog 

How much time did I waste looking at my phone for FB notifications? How many times in a day did I jump every time my phone beeped and/or blinked blue? I shudder to think of the number. Since switching to Hootsuite, I find that I don't race to my phone or log in nearly as much as I used to.

2 - I'm more active on the other social media networks

I actually am looking at Maestro's and my Twitter News lists more regularly. "We" are also sending and replying to tweets more regularly. Ditto for Google+ and Linked In.

3 - When I do log into Facebook, I have a purpose

When I'm logged into Hootsuite, it's mainly to share information. It's all business and with the way I have it set up, it's harder to deviate from my goal.

Now, when I log into Facebook, it's with the express purpose of catching up with family and friends or participating more fully in the discussion groups. I no longer log in (multiple times) to see "What's New?" and get distracted by memes, jokes, articles and videos.

4 - I'm not on the computer as much.

Between Hootsuite's mobile app and Facebook Messenger, I get the important messages or posts. Therefore, I don't need to race to the computer like a dog in search of a new treat. Also, since Hootsuite alerts me to those important posts, I don't need to race to the phone either. It's much easier for me to "step away from the smartphone" and enjoy the sunshine.

5 - The top tools have a good support system

Like Viralheat and BuzzBundle, Hootsuite's team is really quick to contact me and offer their help at the mere mention of their name (via Twitter) or e-mail.

Social Media Management Tools Half-Time Review

I set out on this journey to find the ideal SMM Tool with the desire to have all my social networking accounts under one roof. Cross-posting certainly makes it easier to send out my posts and other information to different social networks. The ability to schedule posts to go up 30 minutes after a scheduled blog post goes live gives the sense that Musespeak Studio is busy online 24/7.

Sure, Hootsuite's user interface isn't as pretty as Viralheat's but it's pleasing enough. For this entrepreneur, Hootsuite does meet all of my SMM Tool criteria.

The unexpected bonus was the huge time savings, which I can't quantify any other means other than the number of posts that will be going out. There are less distractions (and no Facebook ads) so I am managing my time better.

Next month, I will explore the analytics and reporting end of Hootsuite Pro.

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.

Summer Geek-out at G33km00t 3.0

With the Calgary Expo and Otafest behind us, what are Calgary geeks to do while waiting for the next big geek-out (AKA Animethon)? Why, check out Geekmoot 3.0!

Geekmoot (AKA "g33km00t") will take place Saturday, July 27, 2013 from 2:00 - 11:30 pm at the Hillhurst Sunnyside Communty Association. It is an annual one-day gaming convention that is oh so much more. In addition to playing various tabletop games, attendees can check out the Artists' Alley and vendor tables.

Several voice actors will be there, such as Brendan Hunter (Hunter X Hunter Dragon Ball GT,  Cardfight! Vanguard), Lucas Gilbertson (Cardfight!! Vanguard, Mega Man X8, Hunter X Hunter) and Carol-Anne Day (Gregory Horror Show, My-HiME (TV), MegaMan Maverick Hunter X: The Day of Sigma OVA). Other special guests include the 404s imrpov comedy, Anything Goes and THWOMP.

Here's a sampling of music performed by Anything Goes:

And a live performance by THWOMP:

If that's not enough for you, you can check out the movie screening of Brendan Hunter's production Lloyd the Conqueror. Lloyd, Patrick and Oswald - three slacker students who lost their student funding make a pact with a teacher which leads to some LARP of Demons & Dwarves.

Geekmoot tickets are only $5 for adults and kids 12 and up. Kids under 12 are free. Tickets include admission to all events and food. For more information, check out g33km00t's website or Facebook page.