Welcome to the Artistic Director's Guide

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

What's so good about Benny Green?

Submitted by Josh Grossman on Wed Jun 13 3:42pm
Artist: 
Benny Green

A quick look at Benny Green's bio sheds some light on why he is one of the most respected pianists on the scene: he's either played with or lists as influences musicians who cover a huge range of styles within jazz. No wonder his playing is so interesting - his earliest exposure was to Charlie Parker and Thelonius Monk; he also lists pianists like Erroll Garner, Ahmad Jamal Bud Powell and Oscar Peterson as influences.

Who, exactly, is Kneebody?

Submitted by Josh Grossman on Mon Jun 11 5:29pm
Artist: 
Kneebody

On Kneebody's website, the bio for the Grammy-nominated, jazz-rock quintet is understandably vague: trying to summarize their music in one neat sentence (or paragraph) is no easy task. What I can tell you, is this:

  • They released their first album in 2005 on Dave Douglas' Greenleaf Music label
  • Their 2009 release, with Theo Bleckmann singing music composed and inspired by Charles Ives, earned the group a Grammy nomination
  • Trumpeter Shane Endsley has been named one of the Top 25 trumpeters of his generation by Downbeat Magazine

What's so good about Nellie McKay?

Submitted by Josh Grossman on Thu Jun 7 4:56pm
Artist: 
Nellie McKay (solo)

There are so many layers to Nellie McKay I'm not sure where to start. Perhaps I should give the opening lines to the New York Times which, in a review of a film-noir musical biography Nellie created, refers to "McKay’s virtually unlimited gifts as a singer, songwriter, actress, pianist, ukulele player, mimic, satirist and comedian..." Not a bad place to start, I would suggest.

What's so hip about Tower of Power?

Submitted by Josh Grossman on Mon Jun 4 3:39pm
Artist: 
Tower of Power

I joined the Tower of Power party late. I had heard about them for years, but for whatever reason hadn't checked them out. Once I did, I was hooked. Their high-energy funk, soul and R&B recordings were impossible to resist. When I finally saw them live in Detroit in 2010, I was floored - they sounded even better in person.

What's so good about Natalie Cole?

Submitted by Josh Grossman on Thu May 24 4:03pm
Artist: 
Natalie Cole

Natalie Cole is probably best known in the jazz world for her 1991 release Unforgettable...With Love on which she created a powerful duet by singing along and interacting with a track of her father's performance of "Unforgettable". The album provided Natalie with a dramatic break from what had been a career based primarily in the R&B world (a world in which she had immense success), earned six Grammy Awards, and sold more than 14 million copies worldwide. In case you need a refresher, here's the video:

Who is Spectrum Road?

Submitted by Josh Grossman on Wed May 23 3:14pm
Artist: 
Spectrum Road

The short answer is this: Spectrum Road is an all-star quartet assembled to celebrate and pay tribute to the music of The Tony Williams Lifetime. The Lifetime, assembled by legendary drummer Tony Williams in 1969, performed a unique blend of jazz, rock and funk, and also traveled into the free jazz world heard on many recordings of that era.

And now, a bit more context.

What's so good about the Soul Rebels Brass Band?

Submitted by Josh Grossman on Thu May 17 12:52pm
Artist: 
Soul Rebels

The Soul Rebels Brass Band is the real deal. When they talk about carrying on the marching band and New Orleans Brass Band traditions, they mean it - each of the eight members was born in New Orleans, and each spent years training in high school, university and professional marching and brass bands. So when they get on stage, they bring the choreography, calibre and energy of the best brass bands around. Check out this teaser:

What's so good about Peter Appleyard?

Submitted by Josh Grossman on Wed May 16 4:46pm
Artist: 
Peter Appleyard

It's not too often that I get to use the words "Canadian" "jazz" and "legend" in one sentence. But when it comes to Peter Appleyard, it's a most apt description.

Peter Appleyard has toured the world, sharing stages with Benny Goodman’s world class band, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, Tony Bennett and Mel Tormé. He's an Officer of the Order of Canada and will be named an Oscar Peterson Lifetime Achievement honoree at this year's Montreal Jazz Festival (2012). He's released over 20 albums under his own name and has performed on countless others.

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