It is the middle of July as I write this column, and Toronto's Happy Pals New Orleans Party Orchestra (to give them their full travelling title) has returned from four weeks on the road in Italy and Switzerland. They covered three New Orleans style festivals -- Swing in Pic, which is in the area of Mortegliano, Italy, Jazz Ascona New Orleans and Classics in Ascona, Switzerland, and Davos Sounds Good in Davos, Switzerland. Leader Patrick Tevlin reports that the band was well received, playing to capacity crowds and enthusiastic response all through the tour. Many audience members were up and dancing, some of them even on the tables! All in all, good New Orleans style parties from start to finish in the Happy Pals manner.

The Happy Pals are the resident Saturday matinee band at Grossman's Tavern in Toronto, but the touring version of the band consists of leader Patrick Tevlin, trumpet; Toby Hughes, alto sax, and Roberta Hunt, piano, who are all regular members of the Grossman's-based outfit. For the purpose of the tour, the band brings in Manfred Koch, trombone; Alex Ralph, banjo, and Lowell Whitty, drums. Rounding out the rhythm section on string bass was Brian Turnock, a Brit living in Belgium, who has toured with the Happy Pals before. The other half of the Happy Pals remains behind to keep the weekly shows going at Grossman's.

Patrick mentioned just a couple of the many highlights the band enjoyed. Reedman Thomas L'Etienne of the wonderful band Creole Clarinets joined them for their last show on the tour in Davos. Then the Happy Pals, whose touring line-up included a teenaged drummer and a banjoist in his early 20s, were joined by a really young musician. A 12-year-old trumpeter from the youth band Swing Kids sat in with the Happy Pals. The spirited rendition of "In the Mood," Kid Thomas style, really brought down the house!

The guys are planning their third European tour for the summer of 2009. Any interested European concert promoters can contact them through Patrick@happypals.ca

Sad to report the closing of yet another venue which featured jazz in downtown Toronto. Healey's Roadhouse, headquarters of the late Jeff Healey, has officially closed its doors. It opened in December 2006 to much fanfare as a replacement for Healey's popular but dilapidated club at Bathurst and Queen. The new location differed from the old one in many ways and was greeted with mixed reactions from performers and fans, some of whom thought it was too spacious to fulfill the role of an intimate jazz club. Jeff's tragic death in March of this year at age 41 accelerated the end of the Roadhouse, with the collapse of the bands that he had led there.

Stride pianist Paul Asaro will do a one-night stand at the Lancaster Jazz Club in Kitchener, Ontario, on August 19 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. The club invites people to a casual evening of listening to Paul Asaro playing the piano and chatting about his outstanding musical career. Paul is presently on tour with Leon Redbone and agreed to stop by for his many Canadian fans, as he heads to the East Coast.

Here's some good news - a new venue to hear traditional jazz! The place is called Gate 403 at 403 Roncesvalles Avenue in Toronto and is only a five-minute walk south of the Dundas West subway station. The regular Wednesday night trio consists of Reide Kaiser, piano; Colin Bray, string bass and Patrick Tevlin, trumpet. The music kicks off at 9 p.m. and goes on until midnight. The food is good, and dinner reservations are recommended.

Here, Joe Van Rossem plays trumpet at Gate 403 on Wednesday, July 9. He was substituting for Patrick Tevlin who was away in Europe. Van Rossem plays trumpet with the Silverleaf Jazz Band and refers to his long trumpet as his "pea-shooter." He inherited it from the late Cliff "Kid" Bastien.

August 2008 issue | © 2008 The Mississippi Rag

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