Saskatchewan All Star Big Band - Saskatchewan Suite (2021 Chronograph Records)

This is the most novel, ambitious, progressive, and challenging of projects in the history of the Regina Jazz Society and indeed, ever in all of Saskatchewan. No one has ever attempted to tell the 150+ year history of Saskatchewan in music and in the vernacular of jazz, with one of Canada’s most talented and brilliant composers, Fred Stride producing a commissioned work to tell this story that speaks to and includes all of us.  This is a brand new novel musical work of art celebrating Saskatchewan as part of Canada for the past 150 years, and telling our Saskatchewan Story musically, for the very first time ever.

The Saskatchewan All Star Big Band is the most significant superstar ensemble ever assembled in Saskatchewan  and it’s not humanly possible to imagine all these great players ever again sharing the same stage in our lifetimes. These are the kids that have grown up here, got their musical start here and then been exported to every corner of the globe and they’re players who have come here to live, teach, and perform because Saskatchewan affords them that grand opportunity.

The Saskatchewan Story:  It’s our story, and stories of everyone living here and all those that have gone before us. It’s 150+ years of stories that include everything from the thundering herds of the buffalo, heard by our first Indigenous Peoples. It tells the story of all the various settlers and immigrants coming to Saskatchewan.  It includes the clash of cultures initially, but even more importantly the inclusiveness of the society we live in here today. 

You will hear that we’re farmers, business people, potash workers, railroaders, hockey players, story tellers, writers, artists, and soldiers marching off to war.  We’re all the Saskatchewan Story and that’s what the Saskatchewan Suite is all about and telling us for the very first time.

Line Up:

Fred Stride – Musical Director

Dean McNeill – Lead Trumpet

Al Muirhead – Trumpet

Andy King – Trumpet

Brent Ghiglione – Trumpet

Dave Mossing – Trumpet

PJ Perry – Lead Alto Saxophone

Donny Kennedy – Alto Saxophone

Kelly Jefferson – Tenor Saxophone

Steve Kaldestad – Tenor Saxophone

Trent Reschny – Bari Saxophone

Shawn Grocott – Lead Trombone

Ross Ulmer – Trombone

Tom Richards – Trombone

Dave Dick – Bass Trombone

Jon Ballantyne – Piano

Jack Semple – Guitar

Miles Foxx Hill – Bass

Ted Warren – Drums

Dylan Weist – Vibraphone/Percussion

Ed Minevich – Violin

Saskatchewan All Star Big Band - Saskatchewan Suite (April 30, 2021 Chronograph Records)

Through this recording project, the Regina Jazz Society seeks to communicate the beautifully unique history of Saskatchewan in the vernacular of jazz, by offering a live recording of a commissioned work by one of Canada’s most talented composers, Fred Stride. Recorded live at Casino Regina on December 28, 2019, the event featured many of the best local and ex-patriate musicians of the province in a truly special performance of Stride’s unique composition. It was an evening which allowed a fantastic group of artists to tell Saskatchewan’s story through music for the very first time ever.

The group of musicians on stage that night was one of the most impressive gatherings of talent in Saskatchewan’s history, and resulted in a caliber of performance unlikely to be replicated anytime soon. The Saskatchewan All Star Big Band is comprised of players that grew up here, got their musical start here, and were then exported to every corner of the globe to share their craft. They are joined by other players who came here to live, teach, and perform because Saskatchewan affords them that grand opportunity.

So, what is “The Saskatchewan Story”? It is the stories of everyone living here and all those that have gone before us. It is more than 150 years of narrative threads, weaving the canvas of our history since the days when Saskatchewan was ruled by the thundering hooves of the buffalo. It tells the story of how people arrived here. You will hear the train whistle bringing all the various settlers and immigrants to the province. It tells of the initial clash of cultures, followed by the important journey towards inclusiveness that has culminated in our society today. It tells the story of the seasons. You will hear the biting sounds of winter, the fierce wind howling at you over the brittle crunch of snow underfoot. You will also hear the soft, carefree nights of summer, with their cool refreshing breeze and orchestra of frogs croaking, crickets chirping, and songbirds singing sweet lullabies.

You will hear that Saskatchewan folk are farmers, businesspeople, potash workers, railroaders, hockey players, story tellers, writers, artists, and soldiers marching off to war. We are all The Saskatchewan Story, and that is what the Saskatchewan Suite is all about. This is the most novel, ambitious, progressive, and challenging project in the history of the Regina Jazz Society, and they are thrilled at the opportunity to share it with the world.

The Saskatchewan Suite will be released April 30th, 2021 by Chronograph Records

The Saskatchewan Suite: The Story of Us

1. I. The Place 11:18

2. II. The First 8:52

3. III. The Newcomers 5:34

4. IV. The In-Between 4:52

5. V. September 1905 4:58

6. VI. Saskatchesport 9:08

7. VII. Thank You, Mr. Douglas 5:02

8. VIII. Saskatchejazz 19:38

Fred Stride – Musical Director, Composer, Keyboards

Dean McNeill – Lead Trumpet

Al Muirhead – Trumpet

Andy King – Trumpet

Brent Ghiglione – Trumpet

Dave Mossing – Trumpet

PJ Perry – Lead Alto Saxophone

Donny Kennedy – Alto Saxophone

Kelly Jefferson – Tenor Saxophone

Steve Kaldestad – Tenor Saxophone

Trent Reschny – Bari Saxophone

Shawn Grocott – Lead Trombone

Ross Ulmer – Trombone

Tom Richards – Trombone

Dave Dick – Bass Trombone

Jon Ballantyne – Piano

Jack Semple – Guitar

Miles Foxx Hill – Bass

Ted Warren – Drums

Dylan Weist – Vibraphone/Percussion

Ed Minevich – Violin

Cam Wilson  – Violin

Pre-order

Erin Propp & Larry Roy - We Want All The Same Things (April 23, 2021 Chronograph Records)

There is nuance in the everyday; in its layers of love, joy, and hurt, and in its emotional currents ever present. Erin Propp and Larry Roy reach into the everyday and blur the edges, creating works that are at once deeply personal and achingly relatable. These are songs that take it all in, that read between the lines, that hear the subtext, that feel it, that say it out loud.

Their music rings true with nuance and power, with rare clarity and precision. Their musical abilities are tools of exacting expression, expertly honed. They reach in to resonate; calling the listener inside, sounding the overtones of our shared experience.

Erin and Larry’s debut album Courage, My Love (2012), was met with praise and acclaim. The recording won Best Jazz Album of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards (2013), and a JUNO nomination in the category of Vocal Jazz Album of the Year (2014). Erin and Larry can do it all, from charming intimate jazz club sets, to moving concert hall performances, and key arts organizations have taken note.

Erin and Larry have performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, and have opened for Gretchen Parlato at the Winnipeg International Jazz Festival.

1. Each Hidden Joy 4:25

2. Hello Morning 3:51

3. We Want All The Same Things 4:23

4. Farther On 4:17

5. Recomeçar (H. Piccoli, E. Propp) 3:47

6. The Light 4:11

7. Give Me More 4:20

8. So Far Away (Carole King) 4:56

9. Tell Him (Lauryn Hill) 5:28

10. The Nearness of You (H. Carmichael, N. Washington) 6:34

11. Angels Gather There 4:35

12. À La Claire Fontaine (Traditional) 3:45

All songs composed by Erin Propp & Larry Roy unless otherwise indicated

Larry Roy - Guitars, Dobro

Erin Propp - Vocals

Larnell Lewis - Drums

Will Bonness - Piano, Wurlitzer

Julian Bradford - Acoustic Bass (1-2, 4, 6-9)

Mike Downes - Acoustic Bass (3, 5, 10)

Karl Kohut - Acoustic Bass (11)

Rogerio Boccato - Percussion (1, 5)

Shannon Kristjanson - Flute, Alto Flute (2, 10-11)

Ken Gold - Alto & Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet (2, 10-11)

Jimmy Greene - Soprano Sax (2, 8, 11)

Steve Wilson - Alto Sax (3)

Joey Landreth - Slide Guitar (4)

Joel Green - Trombone (10-11)

Miron Rafajlović - Trumpet (10)

Derrick Gardner - Trumpet (11)

Pre-order

New album from award-winning Canadian saxophonist PHIL DWYER / BPM Trio - Audi Alteram Partem (Available March 19, 2021 via Chronograph Records)

Award-winning Canadian saxophonist PHIL DWYER joins forces with his son BEN DWYER and East Coast Drummer MARK ADAM to form their new group the BPM TRIO to release their debut live album

AUDI ALTERAM PARTEM on Chronograph Records

Album available March 19th, 2021

“Audi Alteram Partem” is the legal principle whereby all sides be heard and accorded a fair right to reply. It is most certainly an apt principal central to great jazz, but here also references where Canadian music icon Phil Dwyer was in the fall of 2016.

Dwyer, the perennial award-winner and member of the Order of Canada, was embarking on a distinct career shift. He was in the midst of his law studies in Fredericton, NB and was somehow fitting in concerts here and there on Canada’s East Coast. He brought together this trio of himself on saxophone and piano, his son Ben Dwyer on bass and Mark Adam on drums, for a series of four concerts in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Mark had an inkling that it might be good to bring a small recording rig along so each night, after he got his drums set up, he managed to put up some mics. You know, just in case!

And so here we are, with the evidence of these wonderful concerts – one in Moncton, NB and one in Sackville, NB. Hosted by legendary Canadian trumpeter Roland Bourgeois, the trio played a blend of intimate, fearless, tender, on the edge music. The audience was perfect, encouraging the artists to keep saying what they needed to say. It was a great chance for old friends and new to share some road time and music together. This is the story of three Western Canadian musicians and an amazing home away from home.

1. Summer Night (9:21) - Harry Warren, Al Dubin

2. Bright Mississippi (6:42) - Thelonious Monk

3. Just Open Your Heart (7:12) - Barry Harris

4. Airegin (7:00) - Sonny Rollins, arranged by Phil Dwyer

5. Misty (10:41) - Erroll Garner, arranged by Phil Dwyer

6. My Melancholy Baby (6:35) - Ernie Burnett, George Norton

7. Narcolypso (7:43) - Phil Dwyer

PHIL DWYER (saxophone/piano) Appointed as a Member of the Order Of Canada and a Royal Conservatory of Music Honorary Fellow, Phil Dwyer has appeared on ten JUNO Award-winning recordings, and over thirty nominated recordings.

A practicing lawyer with his own fi rm in Nanaimo, B.C. Phil remains active as a performer, teacher, recording artist, curates “Phil Dwyer’s Jazz Canada” for CBC Radio Music, and is a partner in SeaWind Musical Instruments.

BEN DWYER (bass) is a young bass and saxophone phenom who grew up in a musical household on Vancouver Island. The son of Phil Dwyer, Ben has recently moved to Toronto from Montreal. Though very much rooted in jazz, Ben is a versatile bassist with a strong sense of feel, melody, and sound production. This has led him to perform around the world with some great artists of different genres.

MARK ADAM (drums) is a drummer and percussionist who performs, produces/ records, composes and teaches from his home base in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. He is an Associate Professor of Improvisation, Percussion and Contemporary Music at Acadia University who has worked with Canadian jazz icons such as Mike Murley, David Restivo, David Braid and Laila Biali.

Pre-order

Al Muirhead Quintet - Live From Frankie's & The Yardbird (February 19, 2021 Chronograph Records)

The first recording trumpeter Al Muirhead was ever involved in was recorded in 1953. He was 18 years old, playing in a small dance band at the Waterton Lakes Dance Hall in southern Alberta. A gentleman at the venue had just purchased a new direct to disc recording unit, and asked if he could record the concert.

Al still treasures that live recording experience to this day. Now here we are, 67 years later, as Muirhead releases his first vinyl LP as a bandleader – recorded live to disc at two of Canada’s finest jazz clubs. As Al recalls, LP’s were his preferred way to listen to music in his younger days, and he is happy to see them gaining in popularity again.

After such a long and storied career, it was high time to capture Muirhead’s playing – and the music he loves – live in concert. The idea was to plan a setlist of jazz standards ahead of time, while also allowing for organic, real-time improvisation and in-the-moment decision making – after all, some of jazz history’s best performances have been spontaneous, single takes! And with his 2020 JUNO-nominated quintet on hand, the sessions were sure to include more than a few magical moments.

This recording project speaks to the concept of legacy. It captures the organic nature of live jazz, where each performance is unique from one night to the next. This is a live on the bandstand recording that couldn’t be replicated in a studio. There is no option for overdubs or retakes here. It’s a pure representation of the musicianship that Al and his bandmates have brought to the Canadian cultural landscape for so many years. What you are hearing on this recording is the result of two evenings from that 2018 tour at the Yardbird Suite in Edmonton, Alberta and at Frankie’s Jazz Club in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Al Muirhead: bass trumpet & trumpet

Kelly Jefferson: tenor saxophone

Reg Schwager: guitar (2-4, 9)

Jim Head: guitar (1, 5-8)

Neil Swainson: bass

Jesse Cahill: drums (2-4, 9)

Ted Warren: drums (1, 5-8)

1. Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 05:10

2. Joy Spring (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 05:34

3. Intermission Song (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 00:26

4. A Tune For Cal (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 07:38

5. Mona Lisa (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 06:05

6. Emily (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 06:19

7. Four Brothers (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 06:48

8. Tenor Madness (Al Muirhead Quintet: Live From Frankies & The Yardbird) 07:21

Dave Restivo - Arancina (Chronograph Records 2021)

 

Spanning a lifetime of travels and tribulations, this album explores the transitivity of home in all its forms. With each track, Restivo illustrates his journey through a diverse landscape of food, language, and culture, all the while discovering how these elements have come together to form his own sense of self. As expertly crafted as they are distinct, these works will have you flying over the Northumberland Strait one minute and dancing through the streets of Sicily the next.

“Train to Catania” pulls us in with soothing, rolling harmonies that blend together as seamlessly as pastels on a canvas. Down the tracks we go, through the spicy streets of Palermo and on to a moonlit Modica, rich with colours that lull the ear into a hypnotic tranquillity. We awake to the long-awaited taste of “Arancina”, a treat lush with joyful flavours. The sly modulations and energetic drive of “Raven’s Wing” take us in a refreshingly new direction, and are balanced out by a wandering, sultry take on Coltrane’s “Giant Steps”. Fawn Fritzen’s vocals lend a ray of sunshine to “Bittersweet Goodbye”, and the album closes with a reassuringly upbeat and sizzling finale, alive with the electricity of Bebop.

David Restivo – Piano, background vocals on Kintsugi

Jim Vivian – Bass

Alyssa Falk – Drums

Fawn Fritzen – Vocals

Sicilian Suite – 1. Train to Catania

Sicilian Suite – 2. Palermo Street Scenes

Sicilian Suite – 3. Moonlight in Modica

Sicilian Suite – 4. Arancina

Kintsugi

Buy Track

Raven’s Wing

Baby Steps

Bittersweet Goodbye

It’s You Or No One

A/B Trio's New Album: Trioliloquy (CHRONOGRAPH RECORDS November 9, 2018)

The award winning A/B Trio is always looking for ways to develop their sound. After the success of Out West featuring Mike Murley, Dan Davis (saxophones), Thomas Bennett (drums) and Josh McHan (bass) began looking for another way to develop their sound together and their skills as musicians.

Enter Kevin Turcotte, a Toronto-based trumpeter with more than one hundred recordings to his name. A multiple Juno winner and eighteen-time Juno nominee, his work with the Barenaked Ladies and Bruce Cockburn as well as Mr. Something Something and even the Sicilian Jazz Project has proven time and time again that he is one of the most versatile and accomplished musicians in the country. Turcotte acts as a catalyst for the musical growth of the members of A/B Trio but this collaboration also aides in the cultural exchange between Alberta musicians and those based out east.

With cheeky word play, thoughtful melodies and rhythmic playing, Trioliloquy is sure to get your heart racing.

With cheeky word play, thoughtful melodies and rhythmic playing, Trioliloquy is sure to get your heart racing.

Roundabout is a funky tune that brings forth visions of 1970’s spies. The title track Trioliloquy is a brash, honest story told with rhythmic intensity by all three members that honors each individual’s voice while maintaining a singular narrative.

Leda’s Song is an intimate conversation between McHan and Davis that makes you feel like you’re witnessing a tender moment between lovers. With a contrasting feel to the rest of the album, Los Plazos Del Patrón which translates to “The Terms of the Employer”, is a politically charged tune with no resolution. When you hear McHan’s sharp breath in the intro to Bluesaholic you can’t help but be taken to a dark blues club and the following conversation among the players is competitive and informative.

The album will be released on November 9 through Chronograph

Dan Davis

Josh McHan

Thom Bennett

+

Special guest: Kevin Turcotte

1. Lenny’s Beat 7:13

2. How Suite It Is 7:55

3. Roundabout 7:29

4. Trioliloquy 5:47

5. Leda’s Song 5:41

6. Los Plazos Del Patrón 5:19

7. Bluesaholic 6:42

8. Secondary Opinion 7:09

email: abtrio@abtrio.com

Al Muirhead - Undertones (CHRONOGRAPH RECORDS September 28, 2018)

2016 JUNO-nominated trumpeter Al Muirhead is excited to present his most intriguing project to date; Undertones. Recorded in mid February 2018, the album features Muirhead on the rare bass trumpet with his new Canadian Quintet. 

The album highlights musicians he has admired over the years, including Canadian jazz heavyweights Kelly Jefferson (sax), Reg Schwager (guitar), Neil Swainson (bass) and Ted Warren (drums).

With a 70-year career in music, Muirhead is a true expert at what he does – and every time he steps on stage or into the studio, something special comes out of his horn. He is one of the few masters in the world on the rare bass trumpet, and Undertones showcases its mellow and deep tones. 

The album is a collection of standards that he and his quintet selected in studio, along with two tribute pieces composed by Muirhead. “A Tune For Cal” is a post-bop celebration for his late and eldest brother, a magnificent musician and one of Canada’s finest copyists. “Take It To The Bank Tom” pays homage to his life-long friend and collaborator, Tommy Banks, who passed away weeks before this recording.

Al Muirhead has long been an iconic figure on the Canadian jazz scene. And the trumpeter, composer, arranger, sideman and recording artist has been making listeners take notice for longer than jazz fans might realize. Born in Regina in 1935, he was playing in the Regina Symphony and dance bands by age 12. Muirhead began to take notice of greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and Louis Armstrong. While Muirhead’s playing is infused with the indelible influence of the jazz giants, his flowing, melodic sound is his own — and has become influential in its own right. He unleashes melodies that are incredibly inventive and utterly timeless.

Muirhead has worked with legends such as Diana Krall, Paul Anka, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Mills and Dizzy Gillespie. In recent years, Al has been honoured with the American Federation of Musician’s Citation Award and the Western Canadian Music Alliance’s Heritage Award for his mentorship and industry-building. He’s also earned a 2016 JUNO Award nomination, the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival’s Special Recognition Award, a two YYC Music Awards, and has charted #1 in Canada and #3 in the US.

Undertones will be released worldwide on Friday, September 28th, 2018 on Chronograph Records.

Keith O'Rourke - Sketches from the Road (CHRONOGRAPH RECORDS 2017)

Saxophonist Keith O'Rourke comes from the Kenny Wheeler school of composition. His debut studio recording, Sketches From The Road, features his thoughtful approach to the saxophone, showcasing original compositions reminiscent of the ECM sound. Each song was inspired by his travels across the world, and paints an aural picture to evoke different emotions and reactions from the listener.

Channeling the joy, anticipation and mischief he felt in the city, Keith composed "Port NOLA" in honour of his love for New Orleans. The track features a second line drum groove that likens to street bands, with stops and starts reminiscent of the French Quarter. "Drifting" brings the peaceful waves of the Caribbean Sea, shown through a gently shifting modal nature of the chords. "Solitary Traveller" shares the changing despair and optimism while trudging through the desert. "Sketch in Green" highlights his time in Dublin; learning a new culture and meeting new people. Keith infuses the playfulness of his early 20s that he spent living big city life in London with his composition "Bayswater." Together, Sketches From The Road is an instrumental and semi-autobiographical look into Keiths experiences and influences within music, and his naturally curious outlook on life as a whole.

01: Sketch in Green - 5:53

02: Port NOLA - 5:16

03: Double Black - 3:36

04: Solitary Traveller - 6:03

05: Sonny Tune - 4:29

06: Miss Jones'ish' - 4:25

07: Drifting - 5:07

08: Bayswater - 5:17

09: Hush - 6:35

10: Lost Blues - 4:31

11: Early Bright - 4:42

Andre Wickenheiser (trumpet)

Jon Day (piano)

Kodi Hutchinson (bass)

Tyler Hornby (drums)

Al Muirhead - Northern Adventures (The Canada Sessions, Vol. 1) CHRONOGRAPH RECORDS 2017

A western Canadian jazz icon, Al recently came to wider prominence in North America with the release of his debut album Its About Time. Now at the age of 81 years old, Al is making up for lost time with his third release in just two years.

Nominated trumpeter Al Muirhead’s most ambitious project to date, Northern Adventures - The Canada Sessions Vol. 1 is a collection of standards pairing him with many of Canadas jazz greats!

A western Canadian jazz icon, Al recently came to wider prominence in North America with the release of his debut album Its About Time. Now at the age of 81 years old, Al is making up for lost time with his third release in just two years.

Featuring five different small ensembles of both old friends and new, Al harkens back to his youth, calling standards from the great American songbook live in the studio. Northern Adventures features jazz performed with spontaneity and joy, and with a command of the music that only players of the caliber of Al and his guests can.

“Love Me Or Leave Me” became the title of a 1955 film “Makin' Whoopee” a jazz standard and a huge hit for Billie Holiday. Guido Basso on flugelhorn is reminiscent of Kay Winding and J.J. Johnson trombone styles while guitar solos are played effortlessly in synch with smooth piano.

“They Can’t Take That Away From Me”, the George and Ira Gershwin song, was made famous by Fred Astaire in the 1937 film Shall We Dance, and recorded by Frank Sinatra, Rod Stewart and many others. Proof that a good song is a good song and can withstand the test of time. Muirhead’s offering is a classic 60’s style of trumpet, a trait well known in that era of jazz standards.

The 1932 Cole Porter song “Night and Day” has a steamy, sensual vocal by Laila Biali, and the piano arrangement adds a new feel to a classic song with its walking chords and syncopated rhythms.

“I’ve Never Been In Love Again” a Frank Loesser composition published in 1950, and made famous in the musical Guys and Dolls, has smooth interaction between the flugelhorn and sax, giving the song that great classic jazz sound.

“Come Rain Or Come Shine” is another jazz standard song written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer written for the musical St. Louis Woman in 1946, capturing the unique combo sounds reminiscent of the Dave Brubeck era.

"Emily" another popular song penned by Johnny Mandel and Johnny Mercer and was the title song to the 1964 film The Americanization of Emily. (The song wasn't sung in the movie, which is the reason that it couldn't be nominated for an Academy Award.) It has since been recorded by numerous artists, notably Bill Evans and Tony Bennett. Muirhead’s offering is particularly sweet and romantic, playing it effortlessly with trumpet and piano.

"Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" is a song with music by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II from the operetta The New Moon. More of a smooth, up tempo jazz tune, interspersed with tasteful guitar arrangements and improvised trumpet leads brings this classic song from 1928 up to today’s standards.

"The Nearness of You" is a popular song written in 1938 by Hoagy Carmichael, with lyrics by Ned Washington. The song was performed in the Paramount film Romance in the Dark (1938). Listening to this vocal offering makes you feel like you are listening to a torch singer, surrounded by low lights in a smoke-filled room.

“Insensitive” jazz standard composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim and this version is a light up tempo bossa nova that lets your mind wander to a club in the Caribbean, and enjoying a night with great music and your favourite beverage.

“You’ll Never Know” is produced here as a relaxing version while the piano, trumpet and flugelhorn really capture the true essence of this all time favorite made famous by Vera Lynn in 1943.

“All The Things You Are” another Ella Fitzgerald song, shows off all the musicians’ improvisational styles, with the ‘back and forth’ point counterpoint. A truly great production value.

The last song on the CD wraps it all together with “Nice Work If You Can Get It” written by George and Ira Gershwin, for the movie A Damsel in Distress, performed by Fred Astaire The song was published in 1937.

This CD is a must for any jazz lover, and proves that age is not a deterrent when you are a talented musician like Al Muirhead who under the direction of Chronograph Records has put together a stellar studio session on this production. Northern Adventures The Canada Sessions Vol. 1 brings together a veritable who’s who of the Canadian jazz scene in five small groups. In order of appearance on the album performing with Al are award-winning musicians Don Thompson (piano/bass) and Reg Schwager (guitar), Guido Basso (trumpet/flugelhorn) and Tommy Banks (piano), Laila Biali (vocals), Ben Wittman (percussion) and Kodi Hutchinson (double bass), Mike Murley (saxophone) and Chris Andrew (piano), and finally Campbell Ryga (saxophone) and Mike Rud (guitar)