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CATCH
ALL THE ACTION UPDATES FROM THE YAMAHA PIANO
CONCERT SERIES
ON YOUR CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES.
GO TO PIANO CONCERTS
GO TO "OUT TO LUNCH" CONCERTS & RECITALS SERIES
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"This venue has
one of the best pianos I've ever played in the Toronto area.
So if you want to hear some great music in a totally acoustic
(un-amplified) environment with a great piano and great musicians,
this is a rare opportunity, and one that should be taken advantage of."
Mark Eisenman - Canadian Jazz Pianist
"Thank you again for the opportunity to have my
piano recital at this
incredible venue. I hope this environment inspires my students to
continue music for a lifetime."
Sarah Lawton - Music Teacher, Barrie, Ontario.
"another fabulous FREE Barrie Jazz & Blues
festival at the Rotunda.
Matt Herkowitz from Mtl playing Gerschwin. Brilliant!"
Jennifer Sibley, The Paper Merchant, Barrie
THE ROTUNDA,
BARRIE CITY HALL
COLLIER STREET
JUNE 10 - 20, 2011
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The Yamaha CFIIIS
Concert Grand Piano Performances on this exquisite
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In recognition of the dedication
to the Arts
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FRIDAY,
JUNE 10, 2011 8:00 P.M. A "GIANTS OF JAZZ" CONCERT
THE MARK EISENMAN
TRIO PRESENTS "LISTEN
TO YOUR FATHA"
Earl Kenneth "Fatha" Hines Born in Duquesne, Pennsylvania, Earl "Fatha" Hines was "one of a small number of pianists whose playing shaped the history of jazz". Once called "the first modern jazz pianist," Earl Hines differed from the stride pianists of the 1920s by breaking up the stride rhythms with unusual accents from his left hand. While his right hand often played octaves so as to ring clearly over ensembles, Hines had the trickiest left hand in the business, often suspending time recklessly but without ever losing the beat. One of the all-time great pianists, Hines was a major influence on Teddy Wilson, Jess Stacy, Joe Sullivan, Nat King Cole, and even to an extent on Art Tatum. He was also an under-rated composer responsible for "Rosetta", "My Monday Date", and "You Can Depend on Me", among others. Upon Earl Hine's death, as he had wished, his Steinway piano was auctioned at Christie's auction house for the benefit of gifted low-income music students. It still bore its silver plaque: "PRESENTED BY JAZZ LOVERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. THIS PIANO IS THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD AND EXPRESSES THE GREAT GENIUS OF A MAN WHO HAS NEVER PLAYED A MELANCHOLY NOTE IN HIS LIFETIME ON A PLANET THAT HAS OFTEN SUCCUMBED TO DESPAIR." On his tombstone is the inscription: "PIANO MAN". _____________
Mark Eisenman is one among a handful of the
top 'in-demand' jazz pianists in Toronto. Born in New York City but
based in Toronto since 1972, Mark started studying the piano with
his father. By the age of eighteen he had resolved that he would be
pursuing the piano as a career interest. He entered into the music
program at York University and after a short time discovered jazz
music. With his introduction to this idiom his musical interest peaked. "His professional status is based largely
on his skill and versatility as an ensemble player, but what marks
him most is an ability to produce, no matter what the musical company,
distinctive well-structured solos". _____________ |
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SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011 9:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
THE SKYLINERS Come
out and enjoy a behind the scenes look at _____________ 8:00 P.M. A
"GIANTS OF JAZZ" CONCERT THE FERN LINDZON
TRIO PRESENTS "THE FIRST LADY OF JAZZ"
A 1964 Time magazine article explains,"Mary Lou thinks of herself as a 'soul' player — a way of saying that she never strays far from melody and the blues, but deals sparingly in gospel harmony and rhythm. 'I am praying through my fingers when I play,' she says.'I get that good "soul sound," and I try to touch people's spirits.'" As Mary Lou Williams said, looking back at the end of her life, "I did it, didn't I? Through muck and mud." Williams "was the first, for a long
time the only, and many claim the most significant, woman in jazz
between the era of the '20s and her death in 1981." _____________ "An excellent singer and pianist based
in Toronto ...." "Fern Lindzon is an engaging pianist and
singer who brings an unassuming authority, an inquiring spirit and
a natural grace to contemporary jazz." Fern Lindzon studied music history at the University of Toronto where she received a Bachelor of Music degree. She pursued her studies in jazz with such notable educators as Frank Falco, Elaine Overholt, Don Thomson, Fred Hersch and the legendary Barry Harris. A regular performer in the music scene in Southern Ontario, Lindzon also has two critically acclaimed recordings to her credit. "Moments Like These" received major radio airplay and was in the Top 10 of HMV's Jazz chart for several months. Her latest recording, "Two Kites", has received high praise and was supported in its debut by the TD Downtown Toronto Jazz Festival. Musical collaborator and brilliant bassist, George Koller, in commenting on working and performing with Lindzon, has said, "Fern is gifted with a delightful, inquisitive and persistent imagination, the fruits of which manifest as highly original impressionistic arrangements and compositions." _____________ |
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THURSDAY,
JUNE 16, 2011 7:15 P.M. A "GIANTS OF JAZZ" CONCERT
THE SKYLINERS PRESENTS "THE COUNT MEETS THE DUKE"
William
"Count" Basie _____________
Edward Kennedy "Duke"
Ellington Duke Ellington was known in his life as one of the most influential figures in jazz, if not in all American music. His reputation increased when he died, including a special award citation from the Pulitzer Prize Board. Ellington called his music "American Music" rather than Jazz, and liked to describe those who impressed him as "beyond category." These included many of the musicians who served with his orchestra, some of whom were considered among the giants of jazz and performed with Ellington's orchestra for decades. While many were noteworthy in their own right, it was Ellington who melded them into one of the most well-known orchestral units in the history of jazz. He often composed specifically for the style and skills of these individuals, such as "Jeep's Blues" for Johnny Hodges, "Concerto for Cootie" ("Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me") for Cootie Williams and "The Mooche" for Tricky Sam Nanton. He also recorded songs written by his bandsmen, such as Juan Tizol's "Caravan" and "Perdido" which brought the "Spanish Tinge" to big-band Jazz. After 1941, he frequently collaborated with
composer-arranger Billy Strayhorn, whom he called his alter-ego.One
of the 20th century's best-known artists, Ellington recorded for many
American record companies, and appeared in several films. Ellington
and his orchestra toured the United States and Europe regularly before
and after World War II. Ellington led his band from 1923 until his
death in 1974. |
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FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2011 8:00 P.M. A "GIANTS OF JAZZ" CONCERT
MATT HERSKOWITZ PRESENTS "GERSHWIN GALORE " _____________ THE
CUBAN OVERTURE THE RHAPSODY
IN BLUE THE
CONCERTO IN "F"
Born
as Jacob Gershowitz
He wrote most of his vocal and theatrical works, including more than a dozen Broadway shows, in collaboration with his elder brother, lyricist Ira Gershwin. George Gershwin composed music for both Broadway and the Classical concert hall, as well as popular songs that brought his work to an even wider public. His compositions have been used in numerous films and on television, and many became jazz standards recorded in numerous variations. Countless singers and musicians have recorded Gershwin songs. What set Gershwin apart was his ability to manipulate forms of music into his own unique voice. He took the Jazz he discovered on Tin Pan Alley into the mainstream by splicing its rhythms and tonality with that of the popular songs of his era. Although George Gershwin would seldom make grand statements about his music, he believed that "true music must reflect the thought and aspirations of the people and time. My people are Americans. My time is today." In 2007, the Library of Congress named their Prize for Popular Song after George and Ira Gershwin. Recognizing the profound and positive effect of popular music on culture, the prize is given annually to a composer or performer whose lifetime contributions exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins. On March 1, 2007, the first Gershwin Prize was awarded to Paul Simon. _____________ Pianist, composer, songwriter and arranger, Matt Herskowitz has distinguished himself in several musical genres. His 2007 solo piano release, "Matt Herskowitz Plays Gershwin" (Disques Tout Crin), featuring Gershwin's great solo arrangement of "Rhapsody in Blue" and Matt's own original solo arrangements of the "Concerto in F" and "Cuban Overture", was nominated for Quebec's prestigious Prix Opus in 2009 . It also made Montreal's prominent quotidian La Presse's list of top 10 Jazz albums of the year. His 2006 solo release, "Gabriel's Message", which features his original arrangements and compositions based on popular Christmas themes, was nominated for Québec's Félix award in 2007. A graduate of the Juilliard School in New York and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Herskowitz is originally from Albany, New York, and has made Montreal his adopted home of 12 years. _____________ |
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SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2011 8:00 P.M. A "GIANTS OF JAZZ" CONCERT
D. D. JACKSON
PRESENTS "I CAN SEE FOR MILES"
Miles Dewey Davis III Widely considered to be one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including Bebop, Cool Jazz, Hard Bop, Modal Jazz, and Jazz Fusion. Many well-known musicians rose to prominence as members of Davis' ensembles, including saxophonists Gerry Mulligan, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Wayne Shorter, trombonist J. J. Johnson; pianists Horace Silver, Red Garland, Wynton Kelly, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea, and Keith Jarrett; guitarists John McLaughlin, John Scofield and Mike Stern; bassists Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, Dave Holland, Marcus Miller and Darryl Jones; and drummers Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Jimmy Cobb, Tony Williams, Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette and Al Foster. The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll noted "Miles Davis played a crucial and inevitably controversial role in every major development in jazz since the mid-'40s, and no other jazz musician has had so profound an effect on Rock. Miles Davis was the most widely recognized jazz musician of his era, an outspoken social critic and an arbiter of style - in attitude and fashion - as well as music". On October 7, 2008, his album Kind of
Blue, released in 1959, received its fourth platinum certification
from the RIAA, signifying sales of 4 million copies. It is the best-selling
album in the history of jazz music and was praised by the United
States House of Representatives to Miles Davis was noted as ______________________________ "An extraordinary pianist whose technical
bravura is matched by a capacious hunger for adventure." An alumnus of the prestigious Lehman Engel
BMI Advanced Musical Theatre Workshop, Jackson's theatre work includes
the opera "Trudeau: Long March/Shining Path" on
the former Canadian Prime Minister and the musical-comedy “Depressed,
Depressed” written with Chicago City Limits veteran Carl
Kissin. Jackson performs all over the world with his groups and
has also appeared and recorded with some of the most distinguished
names in jazz including saxophonists David Murray and James Carter,
and drummer Jack Dejohnette. He is also an accomplished classical
pianist and recently released a recording of Gershwin’s "Rhapsody
in Blue" on Summit Records. Jackson writes a regular column for Downbeat magazine entitled “Living Jazz” and maintains the related “D.D. Jackson Living Jazz Podcast”. Jackson is also a member of the Manhattan Producers Alliance, an organization of active producers, engineers and composers writing for film & T.V., and he is currently writing music for the Emmy-Award-winning children's T.V.. show "The Wonder Pets" (Nickelodeon), and "3rd & Bird!" (BBC Worldwide) _____________ |
These Schedules Are Subject To Change Without
Notice
Current to MAY 22, 2011
AMANDA
TOSOFF 
