::MUSIC NEWS::
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Jazzfest: This Week, There Ain't Nothin'
Like A Dame Source: www.thestar.com - Ashante Infantry, Pop & Jazz Critic (June 30, 2009) If the 23rd edition of the TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival was cast 
as a battle of the sexes, the women would be in the lead.Of the dozen or so shows I've seen, it's the dames who've delighted most. Last night at Harbourfront Centre's Enwave Theatre, Melody Gardot treated the near capacity crowd to a scintillating show with a luscious voice that has hints of Nina Simone and Shirley Horn, its variations best described in indigo and sapphire shades of blue, or of cascading, pooling and rippling water. Accompanying herself on piano, and backed by a creatively spare rhythm section, horns and vibes, the Philly native delivered the moody gems of her newest album My One and Only Thrill. Clad in fishnet stockings and stilettos, she displayed a fetching pair of gams the photographers are still talking about. Next door at the Fleck Dance theatre Hiromi dazzled the young, attentive crowd on solo piano with a set of original tunes that incorporated ragtime, blues, bebop and classical music. Don't know which was more infectious her technical prowess and creativity or her evident enjoyment of the music. On Sunday, it was the Maria Schneider Orchestra that thrilled at Enwave courtesy of Grammy winning composer-pianist Schneider's arrangements of harmony and melody so unique the 18-piece group founded in 1988 doesn't sound like a typical big band. Pronouncing herself "so happy to be finally playing Toronto," the Minnesota native led the orchestra though pieces that were the deft blend of lightness and intricacy you'd expect from a protégé of famed arranger Gil Evans. The evening's standout soloists included trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, who used electronic effects to deliver bird calls, and saxists Rich Perry and Donnie McCaslin. The undisputed stars of the opening night Friday kickoff of the 10-day festival were Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings at the Nathan Philips Square. The folks inside the jam-packed tent stayed on their feet the whole night dancing to the group's killing blend of retro soul which included a stirring version of the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" in tribute to Michael Jackson. Across the street at the Four Seasons Centre, where jazz giant Sonny Rollins, 79, put on a pleasurable, if brief show, that same night it was disheartening to see that he filled half of the 2,100-seat auditorium after selling out 2,500-seater Massey Hall three years ago. So, the fellas are off to a slow start, but all is not lost. Medeski Martin & Wood rocked the tent Saturday night and Jamie Cullum's nearly sold out gig tonight promises the same. Not to mention Branford Marsalis's and Tony Bennett's forthcoming appearances. |
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