Ryan Oliver With Strings (February 4, 2022 Cellar Live)

About the artist:

A Juno-nominated, Victoria-based saxophonist, Ryan Oliver honed his craft on Canada’s west coast before moving to Amsterdam, Toronto and New York. Since returning to Vancouver Island, he has maintained a busy schedule as one of Canada’s most in-demand saxophonists. His 2012 album, “Strive” features legendary jazz drummer Victor Lewis. Oliver has toured Canada, India, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Europe and the United States with the legendary eclectic jazz group, The Shuffle Demons. He is also a member of Juno award winning blues/rock performer Derek Miller’s group. The band has traveled throughout North America, including performances at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, the Aboriginal Achievement Awards (broadcast on CTV), and Toronto’s Dundas Square. Oliver was featured in the horn section on “Derek Miller and Double Trouble”, featuring Stevie Ray Vaughn’s heralded rhythm section Double Trouble and musical icon Willie Nelson.

The recording was nominated for a Juno in 2011. Oliver was also a member of the house band for Miller’s television series The Guilt Free Zone airing on the Aboriginal People’s Television Network. The Cookers, a group Oliver co-leads and toured extensively throughout Canada, appearing on numerous recordings and broadcasts, including a live video broadcast for CBC. He has received numerous Canada Council and Toronto and Ontario Arts Council grants for touring, recording and education and was nominated for the 2013 Prix De Jazz for the Montreal Jazz Festival. Oliver’s debut recording, “Convergence” was selected by CODA Magazine as one of the top 10 Canadian jazz releases of 2007.

Oliver holds a Masters degree in music from Rutgers University, where he led the undergraduate big band, and has taught saxophone and ensemble clinics at universities throughout the world for over 20 years. He currently teaches saxophone to students throughout Vancouver Island and instructs student and adult jazz combos in Victoria. Oliver has worked as an adjudicator for the Fraser MacPherson Scholarship (which he also received in 1998) and the Victoria and Powell River Jazz Festivals. In 2017, Oliver took over as the Executive Director for the Comox Valley Youth Music Centre (CYMC), Canada’s longest running music camp.

Here's what Ryan says about the album:

To say that this recording is a collaborative musical effort is an understatement. Mark Crawford’s sophisticated and thoughtful arrangements elevated my original compositions to new heights; the incredibly talented 12-piece string orchestra breathed life into those ideas; and Terry Clarke, Neil Swainson and Bernie Senensky formed an incomparable rhythm section, lending a level of heavy-hitting artistry than can only come from a prolific career forged in the tradition of jazz music. The compositions represent almost cinematic snapshots of people, places and experiences that influenced my life and music, from the birth of my daughter, celebrated in the up-tempo triadic Blues for Josie Rose to the western landscape of the Cariboo where I grew up, captured in the haunting strings of The Ballad of Buffalo Bill. Hearing 16 musicians performing this music together, live off the floor, was a dream come true. Recorded at a time when the arts need more than ever to be nurtured and recognized as an important part of our world, to me this album represents the excitement of creativity and the power of collaboration - I hope you enjoy it! 

1. The Ballad Of Buffalo Bill

2. For You

3. Blues For Josie Rose

4. MacBeth

5. Tango For Astor

6. Somewhere Over The Rainbow

7. Eddie

8. Shorter Mornings

9. Arrival

10. Walk Up On The Road

Ryan Oliver – tenor saxophone

Bernie Senensky – piano

Neil Swainson – bass

Terry Clarke – drums

Violin 1

Andrea Siradze

Colleen Venables

Elyse Jacobson

Llowyn Ball

Violin 2

Ken Lin

Molly MacKinnon

Jitendra Beairsto

Madeline Hocking

Viola

Genevieve MacKay

John Kastelic

Cello

Finn Manniche

Doug Gorkoff

Arrangements by Mark Crawford

Recorded at The Warehouse Studios on July 31st, 2021

Engineered mixed and mastered by Sheldon Zaharko

PRE-ORDER

Dave Young - Mantra (October 2021 Modica Music)

The basic group was a sextet augmented by John Johnson (alto sax, flute) Les Ault (flute) and Ewen Farncolme (B3 organ).

The original compositions are largely from 5-10 years ago. Waltz for Blue is dedicated to Blue Mitchell who I played with on several occasions at Bourbon St jazz club in Toronto in the 80's.

Ode to the Southwest was originally recorded with Cedar Walton but this version I especially like with the B3 overdub.

I would like to thank all the musicians -Kevin,Perry,Reg,Brian,Terry,John,Les and Ewen - for their exceptional talents in bringing this music "alive" during a difficult time.And many thanks to my friend and producer Roberto Occhipinti for making us all sound great! Photos by Dan Nawrocki.

1. Green St Caper 06:21

2. The Gypsy 06:10

3. Waltz For Blue 06:22

4. Evidence 03:57

5. Mantra 05:16

6. Opus De Funk 05:59

7. Ode To The Southwest 07:47

8. We Three As One 06:16

9. Myako’s Waltz 06:13

Dave Young - Bass

Kevin Turcotte - Trumpet

Perry White - Tenor Sax and Bass Clarinet

Reg Schwager - Guitar

Brian Dickinson - Piano

Terry Clarke - Drums

John Johnson - Alto Sax and Flute

Les Allt - Flute

Ewen Farncombe - Organ

Produced By Roberto Occhipinti for Modica Music

Recorded and Mixed by Sydney Galbraith

Recorded at Modica Music Studio, August 2020

Artwork and Graphics by Gabriel Altrows

Photos by Daniel Nawrocki

PREORDER

Jim Hall - Jazzpar Quartet + 4 (Remastered 2021) March 19, 2021 Storyville Records

The history of the JAZZPAR AWARDS constitutes, in retrospect, a significant development in the recognition of jazz by international arbiters of taste, and by distributors of monetary recognition.

When the late guitarist and composer Jim Hall emerged triumphant in 1998, it was because his name evoked the most unanimous praise, out of the dozens of artists who had come up for discussion. Already at that point, his career had covered more than 40 years and evoked past associations with people such as Chico Hamilton, Jimmy Giuffre, Sonny Rollins and Art Farmer, plus the fact that they had some of their most interesting and unusual groups when Jim Hall happened to be in them. Some of his other frequent but less regular collaborators, like Paul Desmond, Gerry Mulligan, Bill Evans or Ron Carter, also clearly chose him for the stimulation to be gained from the experience. What these great artists (and many more) found in Hall was a player of great sensitivity and intelligence, to whom the idea of cooperation was second nature but whose approach was completely individual. This duality is not unique within a jazz framework, but the truth is that many jazz players do not manage to be simultaneously identifiable and compatible with others. Personality is obviously the key factor, and Jim’s can perhaps be described as confident but self-effacing. Musically, that translated into a style which was both cogent and laconic – which makes a lot of sense but not a lot of noise – and it’s this combination that lends itself to taking on board others’ ideas and complementing rather than contradicting them. In band terms, it bestows the possibility of being a leader through example, without being either too malleable or too dictatorial.

No wonder, then, that less well-known musicians were more than happy to be associated with Hall, and those who worked with him in Denmark are excellent examples. Chris Potter (born January 1 1971) was then another promising newcomer, who himself won the JAZZPAR prize in 2000 and is now regarded as a leading saxophonist of his generation. The Canadian drummer Terry Clarke (born August 20 1944), then based in New York, had played and toured with Hall since at least 1975, when he made the first of several albums with him. The bassist on the Danish tour was the latest in a long line of local virtuosi, Thomas Ovesen (who shared Jim Hall’s birthday, December 4, Ovesen being born in 1965 and Hall in 1930).

As is usually the case with JAZZPAR tours, there was more than one Danish musician involved but, unusually, at Jim’s request the others were a string quartet, formed of members of the Radio Symphony Orchestra and led by Russian violinist Alexander Zapolski. This combination of talents enabled Hall to pursue aims which were present throughout his career. He had made a notable re-examination of the dialogue between the needs of composition and improvisation in his recent albums, especially with ensembles differing from the conventional trio and quartet line-ups constituting the majority of Jim’s output in earlier decades. Although he recorded duos of guitar-and-piano as early as 1962 (with Bill Evans) and, in 1976, duos of guitar-andvoice (with his wife Jan) and guitar-and-drums (with Terry Clarke), nevertheless in the 1990s he had created carefully chosen chamber groups with, for instance, a couple of string players or a handful of brassmen, often with no drums or with drums but no bass. That kind of freedom is clearly evident here, for instance in the interplay with Clarke during “Stella By Starlight”, and with Potter towards the end of “Chelsea Bridge” (where Potter picks up Jim’s earlier quotation from “Rockin’ In Rhythm”) and in the duet encore on “In A Sentimental Mood”.

The compositional element, and the continuity of Hall’s career, is brought into focus by the two pieces with strings and the fact (somehow emphasized by the omission of one other octet track, for lack of space) that they were written 45 years apart. If these seem more concentrated and more ‘serious’ than the earlier part of the program, that feeling is deliberately undermined by the first encore, Zapolski’s arrangement of “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix, the guitarist who 30 years ago threatened to blow away all the subtleties personified by Hall. Jim may have the same initials as Hendrix but, hearing him use an octave pedal and then de-tune his A-string while sounding all the while exactly like Jim Hall, you can see another example of self-effacing confidence. 

1. Stella By Starlight (Remastered 2021)

2. Chelsea Bridge (Remastered 2021)

3. Mr. Blues (Remastered 2021)

4. Thesis (Remastered 2021)

5. Quartet + 4 (Remastered 2021)

6. Purple Haze (Remastered 2021)

7. In A Sentimental Mood (Remastered 2021)

Jim Hall - Guitar

Chris Potter - Tenorsax

Thomas Ovesen - Bass

Terry Clarke - Drums

+ The Zapolski String Quartet (track 4-6):

Alexander Zapolski - Violin

Jacob Soelberg - Violin

Iben Bramsnæs Teilmann - Viola

Vanja Louro - Cello

Recorded live, Holbæk Jazzklub, April 3, 1998

Falkoner Scenen Copenhagen, April 5, 1998

Pre-order

Dave Young (feat. Renee Rosnes) - Lotus Blossom (MODICA MUSIC February 15, 2019)

“To my way of thinking, Dave Young is one of the

most talented bassists on the jazz scene. His

harmonic sympatico and unerring sense of time have

kept him in the foreground of the jazz picture.”

- Oscar Peterson

Dave Young (Alex Heidbuechel)

Fresh off the heels of his 2018 JUNO-nominated album, “One Way Up” (Modica Music), Dr. Dave Young, C.M. returns with a collection of diverse jazz tunes, with an all-star selection of Canadian musicians. Recorded in Toronto on the second day of the 2016 “One Way Up” sessions at the suggestion of producer, Roberto Occhipinti, a majority of the songs on “Lotus Blossom” were selected in passing during recording breaks. 

The title track was a joint favourite of Rosnes and Young and the first to be laid down. An on-the-spot arrangement for Modinha was put together in-between takes, and that marked the first time that long-time friends Rosnes and Schwager recorded together. Both Red Cross and Fried Bananas are tunes you can often hear Dave perform live in his tributes to Charlie Parker and Dexter Gordon, but this is the first time these songs have been recorded with his long-time collaborators. Cedar Walton’s Bolivia welcomes the addition of Bernie Senensky on piano and that leads to the trio of Young, Senensky, and Clarke laying down a swinging version of Jimmy Van Heusen’s classic, I Thought About You. “Lotus Blossom” ends with the unmistakable tones of Kevin Turcotte and Perry White on another jazz classic, Softly As In A Morning Sunrise. 

Order of Canada recipient, Dr. Dave Young, is one of Canada’s most celebrated and valued bassists, composers, arrangers, and educators. Originally from Winnipeg, Dave has made his name known on both the Canadian and international stages in both jazz and classical music for the last five decades, and along the way has worked with some of the world’s top artists in various fields. Known for his elegant tone, impeccable time, and immense knowledge of musical history, Dave has been a first-call bassist for the likes of Oscar Peterson, Lenny Breau, Oliver Jones, Cedar Walton, and countless others.

The Dave Young will be releasing Lotus Blossom internationally on Modica Records on Friday, February 15th, 2019. 

Dave Young (Tracey Nolan Studios)

Dave Young - Acoustic Bass

Renee Rosnes - Piano

Reg Schwager - Guitar

Terry Clarke - Drums

Bernie Senensky - Piano

Kevin Turcotte - Trumpet

Perry White - Tenor Saxophone

1. Lotus Blossom 5:25

2. Modinha 7:33

3. Red Cross 5:49

4. Fried Bananas 5:32

5. Bolivia 5:57

6. I Thought About You 6:09

7. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise 4:51

Dave Liebman / Mike Murley Quartet - Live at U of T (2017)

Saxophonists Dave Liebman and Mike Murley have performed together for more than a decade, previously releasing Day and Night on Cornerstone Records. Their second release, Live at U of T, featuring bassist Jim Vivian and drummer Terry Clarke, came about as a result of Liebman's appointment as Visiting Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music.  Recorded is a small concert space packed with attentive listeners, Live at U of T captures the spirit and spontaneity of live jazz in an intimate setting. 

The natural rapport between the musicians on this recording is immediately apparent. Murley studied with Liebman in the 1980s at the Banff Jazz Workshop and in New York. He and Vivian have worked frequently with Liebman over the years, primarily in the Toronto area but also at recording sessions and concerts in Halifax and Montreal. Drummer Terry Clarke and Liebman are both veterans of the international jazz scene dating back to the late 1960s and their musical chemistry was instantaneous.

Dave Liebman / Mike Murley

David Liebman is considered a renaissance man in contemporary music with a career stretching nearly fifty years. He has played with masters including Miles Davis, Elvin Jones, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, McCoy Tyner. He has recorded as a leader in styles ranging from classical to rock to free jazz.  Liebman has performed on over 500 recordings with over 200 as a leader/co-leader featuring several hundred original compositions.  He has been a Visiting Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto since 2014.

Mike Murley is one of Canada's leading jazz artists, having appeared on 12 Juno Award winning albums, 3 as a leader, 3 as a co-leader (Metalwood), and 6 as a sideman (Rob McConnell, David Braid and others).  Murley has recorded and performed with numerous international artists including John Schofield, John Abercrombie and Kenny Wheeler. In 2011 Murley accepted full-time position at the University of Toronto where he currently holds the position of Jazz Area Chair at the Faculty of Music.

Terry Clarke has recorded over 300 albums with a number of international artists, including Bill Mays, Renee Rosnes, and Joe Lovano.  His collaborations with Canadian musicians include David Braid, Don Thompson, and Rob McConnell.  Clark’s first album as a leader, It's About Time, won the JUNO Award for Traditional Jazz Album of the Year in 2010.  He has been jazz drum instructor at the University of Toronto for more than a decade. Clarke was named a member of the Order of Canada in 2002.

Jim Vivian is one of the most in demand bassists in Canada, having recorded and performed Rob McConnell’s Boss Brass, Don Thompson, and Sonny Greenwich, among others.  He has also worked with international artists such as Kenny Wheeler, Tim Hagans, and John Abercrombie. In 2002 Jim accepted the position of jazz bass instructor and lecturer at the University of Toronto.

1. Split or Whole (Vivian)  5:44

2. YBSN  (Murley) 6:28

3. Off a Bird (Liebman) 6:16

4. Small One (Liebman) 6:01

5. Open Spaces (Murley) 6:56

6. Nebula (Liebman) 6:34

7. And the Angels Sing (Elman/Mercer) 6:55

8. Missing Persons (Liebman) 3:45

9. Blackwell’s Message (Lovano) 7:01

Dave Liebman - Soprano/Tenor Saxophone, Flute

Mike Murley - Soprano/Tenor Saxophone

Jim Vivian - Bass

Terry Clarke - Drums

www.davidliebman.com

www.mikemurley.com

www.uoftjazz.ca

www.music.utoronto.ca