Apologies to any readers who missed my column last month. I was enjoying the November sunshine of Southern Spain. I would normally have been typing at my desk here in Ontario, trying to forget the rapidly approaching Canadian winter! I must confess to feeling a trifle envious of the Climax Jazz Band, who are off on a Caribbean jazz cruise Jan. 5-15 while the rest of us are shoveling out after the inevitable snow storms! Two former members of the Climax band will be on the cruise with them -- clarinetist Mick Lewis, who now lives in Alberta, and Mick Collins, who will be on cornet. Mick Collins returned to his old haunts in Ottawa after a spell with Climax a few years back.

At least I can look forward to another week in New Orleans in April for the French Quarter Jazz Festival, where my international jazz friends will join forces again for the KBR International Jazz Band. We will have our regular annual shindig in the pubs and on the Bourbon Street stages. Malc Murphy from England will rejoin us on drums; Marcello Bona comes in from Switzerland to take the piano chair; Geoff Coates will bring his banjo all the way from Spain, and Bill Evans, our "token American," will come down from Minnesota to play string bass again. The Canadian contingent will be Joe Van Rossem, trumpet; Janet Shaw, clarinet/alto sax, and yours truly on trombone.

Toronto's "Happy Pals" has issued a new CD. It was taken from a "live" recording at Grossman's tavern, Spadina Avenue on Feb. 9 last year. It features clarinetist Brian Carrick from England as a guest artist with the band. You can both watch and hear a sample on Youtube by clicking on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJj5KpkD5V0 as well as hear a slice of the famous "Grossman's atmosphere" in the background. You will hear the band playing "When You and I Were Young, Maggie" which is one of the tracks on the CD.

Toronto-based Alex Pangman, who has made her considerable impact on Canadian audiences by singing her jazz with the flavor of the Twenties and Thirties, released a Christmas CD in December, with her Alley Cats. It's called Christmas Gift! and includes titles "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and "I Want You For Christmas". There are guest appearances by Tory Cassis and singer Terra Hazelton. Samples can be heard at www.alexpangman.com/disc.html

Pianist John Arpin was, without a doubt, Canada's leading proponent of ragtime piano and a great promoter of the style as well. We were saddened to learn of his death on Nov.  8,  at the age of 70. His death certainly leaves a big gap in the ragtime piano ranks. He was born in Port McNicoll, Ontario, on Dec. 3, 1936. and was internationally known and acclaimed as a pianist, composer and arranger. He performed in a variety of settings including clubs and concert halls, both as a soloist and with symphony orchestras. He also produced and wrote music for several TV series, including the TV Ontario show for kids entitled The Polka Dot Door.

January in Toronto saw the jazz educators here in great force, coming in from places far and wide. The 35th IAJE (International Association of Jazz Educators) annual conference was held from January 9th to the12th and they were expecting to attract upwards of 7,000 educators, musicians, record executives, exhibitors, members of the media and enthusiasts. The conference was hosted at the Metro Convention Centre and Toronto hotels such as The Fairmont Royal York, The Toronto Sheraton, and the Intercontinental Hotel.

Toronto poet Al Rose organized a jazz & poetry concert with the Hot Five Jazzmakers last October, and the photo here shows leader Brian Towers in full flight on his trombone. From left to right: Janet Shaw, reeds; Glenn Anderson, drums; Andrej Saradin, cornet; Bryan Day, string bass; Jamie Macpherson, banjo; Brian Towers,  trombone, and Jordan Klapman, piano. The parasols at the front belong to the numerous second-liners who joined in the fun.

This photo of the finale jam session at the annual concert for Haiti relief shows just a few of the musicians who took part.  Onstage from left to right: Janet Shaw, clarinet; Chris Daniels, tuba; Brian Dinsdale, trumpet; Jack King, banjo; Patrick Tevlin, trumpet; Manfred Koch, trombone; John Floyd, piano keyboard. Seated on the stage are Brian Towers, trombone; Joe Van Rossem, trumpet, and Toby Hughes, alto sax.

Here, Al Rose reads one of his poems.

Toronto trombonist Manfred Koch, who plays with the Silverleaf Jazz band, has been organizing an annual concert for Haiti relief. This takes place at the Chick n' Deli, Saturday matinee residence of the Climax Jazz Band. The last one was held Nov. 18 and was a great success, with numerous Canadian traditional jazz musicians taking part. The event raised over $1,700 for the charity.

I'll take this opportunity to wish readers and contributors of The Mississippi Rag a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year, filled with good traditional jazz! 

Should you have any news of Canadian interest, please contact me at briantowers@msn.com

January 2008 issue | © 2008 The Mississippi Rag

P.O. Box 19068, Minneapolis, MN 55419.