Colin Stetson
Too cash-strapped for the bigger shows at this year’s Jazz Festival? Fortunately the festival also features some of the best jazz players from Canada and abroad playing bars and smaller venues around the city. Here are a few worth checking out…
Colin Stetson
The Montrealer appears as part of the festival’s new (and wonderful) Incubator series, featuring the best in avant-garde jazz. Stetson’s most recent album, New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges, just made the long-list for the Polaris prize. Stetson brings in electronic influences to help ground his saxophone sound, which ranges from growls and drones to lightning-fast variations along melodic lines. He is joined by Hat & Beard, a guitar-drums duo that reinterprets the music of Thelonious Monk. Music Gallery, Wed. June 29, 8 pm.
Dave Young
A long-time member of the Toronto jazz community and something of a national institution (he regularly played as part of Oscar Peterson’s trio), bassist Young will be performing several shows during the festival with either his Quartet or Quintet. Catching one of Young’s gigs is a sure-fire way to catch great modern jazz in a more intimate setting. Dave Young Quartet, Chalkers Pub, Sat. June 25, 6 pm. Also: with Reg Schwager, China House, Thurs. June 30, 7:30 pm. Dave Young Quintet, The Rex, Sat. July 2 at 8 pm.
Justin Gray Project with Ingrid Jensen
In one of the festival’s great combinations, up-and-coming Toronto bassist Justin Gray plays the Rex on the same night as the Dave Young Quintet. Although still firmly rooted in a jazz sound, Gray’s style is less traditional and more groove-based than Young’s, and the band will feature Ingrid Jensen on trumpet as an added treat. This night could turn out to be a festival highlight. The Rex, Sat. July 2, 11 pm.
Kenny Barron
Over the span of a 50-year career, Barron has played with some legendary jazz musicians (Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich, Ron Carter, George Benson). Don’t miss the opportunity to see an unrestrained Barron play a solo piano set. A pricier concert, but should be worth it. Glenn Gould Studio, Wed. June 29, 6 pm.
Gord Grdina Trio with Mats Gustafsson
The guitar-based trio hails from Vancouver while famed improviser and sax player Gustafsson joins them from Sweden. The latter has played with luminaries from the noisier side of the rock spectrum (Sonic Youth, Jim O’Rourke, Merzbow). The combination of the two is bound to produce some brash, unpredictable results. Also part of the Incubator series, which, seriously, is the best thing to happen to the Jazz Fest in years. Bring on the noise. Music Gallery, Tues. June 28, 8 pm.
Uri Caine Trio
Uri Caine’s piano playing is not exclusively reflective, nor entirely prone to a dissonant, modern approach; it steals pages from both. Caine has long been praised for integrating many different parts of the jazz piano tradition into his own style. His trio, meanwhile, has consistently garnered acclaim for its tight playing. The Rex, Wed. June 29 and Thurs. June 30, 8 pm.
Soulive
And if you’re starting to think jazz can only be enjoyed in a chilled setting, Soulive is the remedy. Drawing from funk, soul and rock, all while maintaining the looser, improvisation that characterizes jazz, Soulive should get you on your feet. Horseshoe Tavern, Mon. June 27, 9:30 pm.
