The first official gig for the Paul Read Jazz Orchestra is booked! It is at the Port Hope Jazz Festival, September 24, 2006 from 5-8pm. This is an all Canadian jazz festival and has grown in stature and size in recent years. Hope you can mark it in your calendar and come out to hear this wonderful new band.
Paul
After 58 years I am getting off my butt and putting together an aggravation, er aggragation of musicians. The new big band temporarily referred to as PRO is terrific. Great people and all into playing together. They even play may music without covering their ears with various things. What a great joy.
The band is:
Reeds: Andy Ballantyne, Tara Davidson, Alex Dean, Quinsin Nachoff, Bob Leonard
Trpts: Jason Logue, Chase Sanborn, Lina Allemano, Jim Lewis
Tbns: Terry Promane, William Carn, Andrew Jones, Larry Shields (bass and tuba)
Guitar: Geoff Young
Piano: David Braid
Bass: Andrew Downing
Drums: Kevin Dempsey
Voice: Trish Colter
I don’t plan on playing much with the band. I am writing and directing and will maybe noodle occasionally on tenor, alto or soprano. Could also sit in on piano if required or nestle into the saxophone section in disguise if that had to happen too. But it is way easier for me to concentrate on the writing and directing and finding the gigs. The simpler the better. Actually this means I worry about funding, finding gigs, writing, arranging the rehearsals and so on. Sort of fun in a strange self mutilating way!
Doing lots of writing. That’s the biggest plus of all. And these wonderful musicians know how to interpret my scratches into something quite wonderful. Onwards and sideways!
Paul
Just back from the Brandon Jazz Festival and had a wonderful time….except for the very end. After the Saturday night concert (played a couple of tunes with the Univeristy Big Band under the direction of Greg Gatien and Tom Van Seters, I had a GI tract attack. Very nasty stuff. Wound up in the Brandon Hospital with my old pal Morphine. Horrible stuff. Woke up after sleeping in a drug induced stupor. Had no idea where I was. But we made our flight. Trish, and a whole bunch of great people, John Jasavala, Paul Tynan, Tyler and Marty Summers, Heather Bambrick, Fred Stride all helped with luggage, horn, wheelchair. I am becoming the master of the dramatic exit.
SHEEEEEESHHH
Paul
NEWSFLASH: The Heart of Summer is now available on iTunes and you which means you can download individual tracks if you like.
P
I’m out in Brandon MB (about 2 hours west of Winnipeg) at their annual jazz festival. My wife Trish is out here too working in a different area, but nice to be involved in the same project. Have been doing saxophone and piano clinics and working with younger musicians. Tomorrow night I am playing on a concert with the University of Brandon Jazz Ensemble (on tenor) lead by Greg Gatien. Greg is a knowledgable and affable and talented guy who brings great spirit to everything he does. Should be fun.
Last weekend I was in Tampa at the first International Jazz Composers’ Symposium (University of South Florida). It was a wonderful event thanks to the tireless efforts and vision of Chuck Owen and his colleagues. Chuck is a first rate composer and leads a band called the Jazz Surge. Really worth checking out. The keynote composers were Bob Brookmeyer, John Clayton and Dave Douglas. Came home with a head full of ideas and the need to write about five new pieces. It was a great experience and I heartily recommend attending it when it happens again, possibly in 2008.
All for now.
Paul