That’s baby-making music
We don’t talk about jazz enough, Edmonton. And certainly not enough about jazz flute.*
Over at the Yardbird Suite tonight you can catch a session with The Jerrold Dubyk Quartet (featuring our old pal Jerrold Dubyk), and then there’s a jazz jam session.
Don’t think you’re a jazz fan? You never know, maybe you’ll end up liking what you hear.
*There may or may not be jazz flute at the Yardbird.
Oh, the things you’ll do
I’m not messing around when I say there is a lot of stuff to do in Edmonton over the next three days.
There is A LOT of stuff to do in Edmonton over the next three days.
Tonight, I’m making it about music. And you could too.
I’ll be at the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (9:30), taking in a “Late Night” performance. Tonight is Late Night Paris. After the performance there’s live jazz in the Winspear.
(There’s more Parisien Charm Sunday afternoon.)
The Late Night series is another way the ESO is trying to reach new audiences. They’ve got the Symphony Under the Sky in Hawrelak Park for the Labour Day weekend, matinees, pops, Broadway, kids’ shows, and the classics. A performance at 9:30 on a Friday night makes it feel like a real night on the town.
As the season winds down (it’s over in mid-June) I applaud the ESO for their versatile lineup and can’t wait for 2010-2011 to kick-off in the park.
If you don’t want to spend the evening at the Winspear Centre you can still make tonight about music.
We mentioned earlier that One Way State is playing Friday night with Maurice. Too Slim and the Taildraggers are still at Blues on Whyte too.
Our old pal Jerrold Dubyk is playing this weekend. He’s got a show tonight, at 6:30, at Victoria School. Then The Jerrold Dubyk Quartet takes to the Haven Social Club stage Saturday night with Althea Cunningham and Dawn in the City.
Dance!
Back to Friday music…You could see The Neil Young Trunk Show over at Metro Cinema. Or catch punk legends The Buzzcocks at New City. The U of A’s Convocation Hall has Classic Broadway via Opera Nuova.
And Disney’s Beauty and the Beast finishes its Edmonton run this weekend.
Now…what about the rest of this busy weekend?
Did somebody ask for a Dance-a-Thon? Good. Because Mile Zero Dance is doing just that, Saturday night. It starts at 7:30 and while it says it ends at 1:30 am, I hope it goes until the last dancer drops.
It could be a weekend of shopping for new things. You can swing by Make-It Edmonton! and buy some cool, handmade goods. If you quickly find yourself with buyer’s remorse you can get over to the Winspear and trade that stuff away at the Over the Top Swap, which also happens to be a spa for the day.
You can celebrate videogames with local podcast User Created Content. They’re throwing a 2nd birthday party Saturday. It starts at HiTech Gaming (15219 Stony Plain Road) and finishes at Union Hall (Argyll and 99 Street).
If you’re still in the gaming mood, Sunday sees the monthly GamePub over at Original Joe’s Varsity.
Edmonton’s own Ann Vriend is playing the Myer Horowitz Theatre Saturday night. She’s kind of a big deal.
We are in the midst of summer movie blockbuster season. I think Sally is trying to drag Gregg Beever to Sex and the City 2. I feel bad for him.
Our event-loving friends over at Share Edmonton have something to say about the next few days too. Share has also teamed up with YEG Live.ca to keep us all updated on live music!
They’ve got details on all the running around you could be doing at the Little Big Run and the Subway Coronation Triathalon. I wonder if everyone eats a giant sub after the race?
Saturday sees a Highlands Street Festival over on 112 Avenue.
And don’t forget the Edmonton Energy play at the Butterdome tonight, they’re hosting the Bellingham Slam.
Don’t tell me you can’t find something to do.
The Jerrold Dubyk Quartet, or, Sally discovers the Yardbird Suite
Do you guys remember Jerrold Dubyk, the local jazz saxophonist who so graciously gave us a quick Coles Notes(TM) on how to tell good jazz from bad jazz?
I checked out his band’s CD release this weekend. It was my first trip the Yardbird Suite, and oh. my. god. If you haven’t been there, you need to check it out. It’s amazing. I wanted to take pictures to share it with you, but it was too g.d. dark for me to get any that don’t make you feel like you have cataracts. Case in point:
Anyway, take my word for it, it’s great. And so was the Jerrold Dubyk Quartet!
Lookit us, #yeg, expanding our collective horizons. Although, in fairness, Jeff was already on the jazz train. He’s loved Duke Silver for as long as I can remember.
Jazz 101 with Jerrold Dubyk
Edmonton Jazz Saxophonist Jerrold Dubyk
When I get Edmonton jazz saxophonist Jerrold Dubyk on the phone, the first thing he tells me is I’ve caught him recovering from a weekend camping trip with buddies, fraught with, amongst other things “poker and meat”.
“I’m just done,” he laughs. “Done with meat until Christmas”
This surprises me. When I think of jazz musicians, I think of dudes with pompadours and cravats, smoking pipes, wearing velour jackets…y’know, “Yazz Flute” kind of guys. Not guys who camp in the Alberta wilderness and consume vast amounts of steak. But this is precisely why I’m so psyched to talk to Jerrold: I need somebody like this to dumb down jazz for me. (more…)
