| Looking for this month’s jazzier happenings? It seems March is tribute month.Beatniq is featuring a tribute to jazz giant Wayne Shorter on March 23 and 24. Drummer John McCaslin leads the show with his septet that includes Johnny Summers, Gerry Hebert, John Hyde and others. Many believe that the ideas laid down by Wayne Shorter continue to haunt jazz musicians. After all, he gigged with Miles Davis, Weather Report, Art Blakey and others. Let’s see what McCaslin’s group does with all this inspiration.
While we’re talking local inspiration, Alistair Elliot’s having a CD release party March 16 and 17. Look for it at Beatniq – he’ll be backed by Kristian Alexandrov and others.
CD promotions are good news for everybody –they bring the live music in, sell a few CDs and give jazz fans a chance to meet the musicians. At Beatniq on March 15 catch David Occhipinti and Mike Murley. The Juno winners are promoting their second CD, a disc at least partially recorded in the now departed Senator Jazz Club in Toronto.
Fortunately, venues for jazz are in good supply in Calgary. Take the Cliff Bungalow-Mission Community Centre for example, where The Keith Smith-Simon Fisk duo will be playing a selection of originals and standards on March 28. Keith on guitar, Simon on bass, these guys are creating some of the most interesting original compositions in town.
End of the month brings a real show-stopper at the Beatniq. Winner of Quebec’s 2005 Opus Award for concert of the year, Joel Miller and Mandala will perform March 31 and feature Thom Gossage, Bruno Lamarche, Fraser Hollins, Bill Mahar, and Kenny Bibace. |
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