The Artistic Director's Guide is our way of taking you "beyond the bio". Here you'll find audio and video clips, and I'll describe what I like about each artist and suggest why he or she is important to the scene. So dive in—use the menu options above to find an artist, and let's seek to answer "What's so good about...?"
Josh Grossman, Artistic Director
Toronto Downtown Jazz
Toronto will be host to a unique show when Daniel Jamieson presents his Coltrane Ballads project this Monday, September 30 at the Al Green Theatre. I asked Daniel to tell me more about the project.
It may sound a bit odd to say "a good singer has to have a good voice". But, without getting too much into critiques of certain singers and styles of music (how much time do you have?), ultimately, it's true: a good singer is set apart by his or her voice, and how that voice is used. Carmen Souza not only has a great voice, but an interesting one too.
When discussions about musicians take place, there is a tendency to talk about how many notes a musician can play, the speed with which those notes are played, and the force with which they are emitted from the musician's instrument. And there is certainly validity to that type of discussion - being at the top of the heap musically requires an advanced technical proficiency.
In preparing for this instalment of the Artistic Director's Guide to Jazz, I referred to a blog posting I wrote a few years back in which I mention Jason Moran. Here's what I wrote:
Every once in a while the opportunity comes along for us to book an artist from overseas who, for one reason or another, hasn't been on our radar. This year, Pino Daniele was that artist.
What makes a singer stand out? When does it become clear that a particular singer has got the goods? I find it a bit hard to describe, but if I was to try, I would say for me, it's the quality of the voice. The certain something which, from the first note to the last, grabs my attention and gives me shivers. Whatever this certain something may be, Bettye LaVette has got it.
Let me start here, from the collective's bio:
Okay, I have to admit something. If I'm going to write about Trombone Shorty, it inevitably will be tinged somewhat with envy. Or jealousy. Or whichever of the deadly sins involves my wishing that I had even a portion of the talent, on ONE instrument, that this guy has on TWO.
John McLaughlin is, quite simply, one of the most important guitarists to have contributed to the jazz scene in the past fifty years. He has played a vital role in bringing to the mainstream a variety of styles including the fusions of jazz with rock and jazz with east-Indian classical music, and plays with a technical ability which inspires musicians of all stripes.
It is said that you are judged by the company you keep. If the idiom was applied to Israeli-born flautist Hadar Noiberg, the result would be overwhelmingly positive. Although she may be a new name, you'll certainly recognize some of her musical collaborators: she is a founding member of the jazz/world fusion group Yemen Blues, and has shared the stage with Anat Cohen, Omer Avital, Joel Frahm, Rufus Reid and many more. However, Hadar Noiberg stands perfectly well on her own.