Vancouver bassist and composer Jodi Proznick offers some personal insight into her original composition "Let Go", from her album Sun Songs (which, incidentally, won her a recent Western Canadian Music Award for "Jazz Artist of the Year"!)
Also, check out this feature with Proznick from the Vancouver Courier about the inspiration and process behind her music.
Jodi Proznick and her quintet perform music from her album Sun Songs on Friday, November 1st 8pm at BuckingJam Palace!
*If tickets for an event are sold out, make sure to email through the website anyways and request to be put on the waitlist. Often tickets will come up at the last minute due to last minute cancellations.*
**You can also put yourself on the waitlist through the Eventbrite listing. Each waitlist entry represents one ticket so you need to enter your information twice if you want two tickets. There is always someone who can't make it at the last minute and we do our very best to accommodate anyone who wants to be here!**
***Also, remember to sign up for the email list as tickets for these unique events frequently sell out quickly. Don’t miss out on these amazing opportunities!***
Interview with Jodi Proznick -"Sun Songs"
Bassist, composer, educator and recent winner of the Western Canadian Music Awards "Jazz Artist of the Year" category Jodi Proznick was kind enough to take time out her busy schedule to answer a few questions in advance of her Friday, November 1st performance at BuckingJam Palace.
Jodi Proznick BuckingJam Blog Interview - October 2019
1) Tell us about your musical background. How did you learn to play Jazz? What is your education?
My musical background started in my playful childhood home - then piano lessons and ballet, then in school - a great elementary school music teacher and a fabulous band program at my high school. I then went to McGill to pursue a degree in music.
2) Who are your influences?
My big jazz influences are John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Paul Chambers, Kenny Wheeler and Shirley Horne. And the Beatles. And J.S. Bach!
3) What is your concept for your own group and what repertoire will you be performing?
I like the quartet and/or trio format - the Sun Songs project added a vocalist to my quartet, but I did write the vocal part with a horn in mind. We will be playing the music from my JUNO nominated album Sun Songs - a project that explores the polarities of life, written in response to two big life events; the birth of my son and my mother's early onset dementia diagnosis.
4) How do you approach composing music?
Composing is very slow for me. I need time and space - which means that when life is busy, I have to grab time and space in the cracks of my day.
5) What are your future plans for this project and what other projects are you planning in the future?
I feel like this project is going to keep going for a while - we performed some of the pieces with the amazing men's choir Chor Lioni and I am interested to see what other groups and/or collectives could recreate and reimagine the music. Chamber music? Orchestra? Big Band? Multi-media? I am open to possibilities!
6) What advice do you have for students who are interested in pursuing a career as a music educator and/or Jazz musician?
My advice for a life in music?
When you are nervous, focus in service.
When you are clear about the why, the how and the what, and they all become obvious.
Intention is everything.
Be kind and be prepared.
Show up for your life.
Find your people and love them. Make art with them.
Mike Allen Trio: Spotlight on Lewis Nash
Lewis Nash, one of the world's greatest Jazz drummers, will be joining Vancouver tenor saxophonist Mike Allen and bassist Peter Washington at BuckingJam Palace for two intimate shows on Sunday, October 20th (2pm & 8pm).
Regular followers of the Calgary Jazz scene might recall the last time that Nash performed in Calgary, at the Jack Singer Concert Hall in 2013, with the Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour. This was truly an amazing concert that also featured the likes of Benny Green on piano, Christian McBride on bass, Chris Potter on tenor saxophone, Ambrose Akinmisure on trumpet and vocalist DeeDee Bridgewater!
Now you can have the rare opportunity to see this Master percussionist play up close and personal! (you'd otherwise have to travel to New York City to see him play in a small venue such as this...)
Lewis Nash has played and recorded with the greatest Jazz musicians in the world. His unique drumming style combines a sensitive touch with percussive artistry and his drumming has been in constant demand for the past 30+ years as a sideman to the world's greatest Jazz musicians.
Check out his bio for a glimpse into the career of this accomplished Jazz artist:
"Rhythm Is My Business" is the title of his debut recording as a leader, and rhythm is a booming business as far as Lewis Nash is concerned. He is the drummer of choice for an incredible array of artists - from the masters of the music to the hottest young players of today - and is equally in demand as a clinician and educator.
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Lewis developed an early interest in music and began playing drums at age 10. By age 18, he was performing with local jazz groups. By the time he was 21, Nash had become the "first call" jazz drummer in Phoenix, working with Sonny Stitt, Art Pepper, Red Garland, Lee Konitz, Barney Kessell and Slide Hampton during their engagements in the city.
In 1981, Nash moved to New York City and joined the trio of the great jazz vocalist Betty Carter. For nearly four years, he toured internationally with Ms. Carter. He is featured on three of her recordings, including the Grammy winning "Look What I Got."
World-renowned bassist Ron Carter hired Nash in 1984. As a member Carter´s nonet, quintet and quartet, Nash toured extensively and is featured on several of the bassist´s recordings.
In the fall of 1986, saxophonist Branford Marsalis asked Lewis to join his quartet. That active association spanned two years and several continents, and is documented on Marsalis´ Grammy nominated recording "Random Abstract", as well as two videos: Royal Garden Blues (directed by Spike Lee) and "Branford Marsalis - Steep".
1988 marked the return to the jazz scene of trombone master J.J. Johnson. Johnson frequently asked Lewis to provide rhythm duties for his band. That same year, Nash joined the Don Pullen/George Adams quartet, succeeding the late Dannie Richmond. 1989 proved to be an even busier year for Lewis, touring with legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins. He also performed with Stan Getz, Art Farmer, Clark Terry and Milt Jackson.
From 1990 to 2000, Lewis was a member of the Tommy Flanagan Trio, and is featured on seven CD recordings with the late piano master. During this period, Nash also toured and recorded with both the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. His impressive discography (over 300 recordings) includes projects with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Benny Carter, Hank Jones and John Lewis, as well as new jazz stars Diana Krall, Joe Lovano and Roy Hargrove. Demonstrating his stylistic diversity, Nash is also featured on recordings by Natalie Cole, Bette Midler, Nancy Wilson, Kenny Rankin, Melissa Manchester and George Michael.
Currently, while he continues to perform and record with a wide variety of artists, Nash leads several of his own exciting groups, from duo to septet. His lectures, clinics and workshops are as much in demand as his bandstand and studio work.
Lewis Nash is currently the Bob and Gretchen Ravenscroft Professor of Practice in Jazz at the Arizona State University School of Music and is the drummer of choice for an incredible array of artists – from jazz masters to the hottest young players of today – and is equally in demand as a clinician and educator. His career spans over 30 years and includes performance on 10 Grammy award-winning albums and an impressive discography of more than 400 recordings with jazz legends such as Betty Carter, Tommy Flanagan, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, McCoy Tyner, Hank Jones, Joe Henderson, Sonny Rollins, Ron Carter and Clark Terry, as well as such contemporary jazz artists as Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Diana Krall, Joe Lovano and Roy Hargrove. Nash has become a highly sought after jazz educator and is sponsored by Sakae drums, Zildjian cymbals, Remo drumheads and Vic Firth drumsticks.
Nash is noted for his adaptability to a vast array of genres, as evidenced by his performances with such different musicians as Tommy Flanagan and Don Pullen. Nash has made five recordings as bandleader: Rhythm is My Business (1989), It Don't Mean a Thing (2003 Japanese import) and Stompin' at the Savoy (2005 Japanese import), Lewis Nash and the Bebop All-Stars featuring Frank Wess (2008 Japanese Import), and The Highest Mountain (2012). In 2008, Nash became part of The Blue Note 7, a septet formed that year in honor of the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records.
Lewis Nash: Rhythm is indeed his business!
Oh yes, before I forget, Lewis Nash is also one of the greatest BRUSH players on the planet! Check out this video and let's hope that he doesn't forget his brushes on October 20th!
Lewis Nash will be appearing with Vancouver's Mike Allen and bassist Peter Washington at BuckingJam Palace on Sunday, October 20th.
The 2pm show is currently sold-out BUT there are a handful of tickets available for the 8pm show. Visit the BuckingJam EventBrite page and reserve your ticket asap before they sell-out!
Want to learn more about what’s going on behind the scenes at BuckingJam Palace? Do you want to learn more about Lisa & Tom Buck, the generous souls behind this dynamic concert series?
In case you missed it, check out this CBC Calgary radio feature from January 2019 (also recently re-broadcast this summer) for some background information on this very special and very ambitious Jazz house concert series, happening right here in Calgary:
Here's a listing of all the upcoming concerts happening this fall:
Saturday, October 5th (two shows: 2pm & 8pm) – Mike LeDonne and The Groover Quartet
Thursday, October 10 (8pm) – The Hoffman/Lemish Quartet
Sunday, October 20 (two shows: 2pm & 8pm) – Mike Allen's "Just Like Magic" trio with Peter Washington & Lewis Nash
Friday, November 1 (8pm) – Jodi Proznick’s Sun Songs
Saturday, November 9 (8pm) – Lorna MacLachlan
Many of these shows are very close to being sold out so don't delay and get your tickets for what will surely be some of the most exciting Jazz concerts in Calgary happening this Fall.
Even better yet, subscribe to the BuckingJam mailing list and receive up-to-date information on upcoming shows and previews of future concerts.
Mike Allen Trio: Spotlight on Bassist Peter Washington
Mike Allen's "Just Like Magic" trio will be performing two shows at BuckingJam Palace on Sunday, October 20th (2pm and 8pm). Backing up the accomplished Vancouver-based tenor saxophonist Mike Allen will be renowned drummer Lewis Nash and bassist Peter Washington.
Tickets are moving fast for these two shows so don't wait, get your tickets now before they sell out! Find full ticket information at www.buckingjampalace.com
Peter Washington is one of the most-recorded Jazz bassists in current times, his CV reads like a "who's who" of Jazz greats that he's played and performed with, and his appearance in Calgary represents a rare occasion to see and hear this Master Jazz musician up close.
Here's a video of Peter Washington playing an intimate bass-piano duet at New York's Mezzrow Jazz club featuring Washington on bass along with Mike LeDonne on piano (ed. note: LeDonne will also be performing at BuckingJam Palace on October 5th with his own group, The Groovers Quartet!)
Peter Washington – Bass
Perhaps the most recorded bassist of his generation, Peter Washington has also played an integral part in two of the most important and highly praised jazz trios of the last 20 years, in addition to a who’s who roster of jazz artists.
Born in Los Angeles, California, in 1964, Washington attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he majored in English Literature and played in both the UC Symphony and the San Francisco Youth Symphony. In 1986, while performing in San Francisco with alto saxophonist John Handy, he was asked by Art Blakey to move to New York and join the seminal Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers.
Washington remained with the Jazz Messengers from 1986 to 1989, and during this time was able to establish himself as a ubiquitous, first- call freelance bassist; a position he has occupied to this day.
In the early 1990’s Washington joined the Tommy Flanagan Trio , called by many the greatest trio in jazz, and remained until Flanagan’s death, in 2002. For the past ten years he has been a member of the very highly acclaimed Bill Charlap Trio.
In addition to these long- term commitments Washington has worked and recorded with an extremely large number of top- tier artists, of all generations. A partial list of those he has recorded and performed live with would include Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Golson. Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd, Benny Carter, Hank Jones, Milt Jackson, Bobby Hutcherson, Kenny Burrell, Phil Woods, Cedar Walton, Joe Henderson, Ray Bryant, Frank Wess, Clark Terry, Lionel Hampton, Charles McPherson, Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath, Jimmy Cobb, Louis Hayes, the Newport All Stars, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Gerald Wilson,Lou Donaldson, Barry Harris, Lew Tabakin, Sweets Edison, Johnny Griffin, Jackie McLean, Sir Simon Rattle and the Birmingham Symphony, Richard Wyands, Teddy Edwards, Johnny Coles and Frank Morgan. And of the younger generations, Washington has recorded and performed with Mulgrew Miller, Tom Harrell, the Brecker Brothers, Don Grolnick, David Sanchez, Eric Alexander, Benny Green, Javon Jackson, Brian Lynch, David Hazeltine, One For All, Steve Nelson, James Carter, Renee Rosnes, Steve Turre, Regina Carter, Kenny Washington, Grant Stewart, Robin Eubanks, Joe Magnarelli, Geoff Keezer, Billy Drummond, Jeremy Pelt, Ryan Kisor, Walt Weiskopf, and many, many others.
Peter Washington has also enjoyed associtions with vocalists as diverse as Andy Bey, Freddie Cole, Karrin Allyson, Chris Conner, Mark Murphy, Georgie Fame, Ernie Andrews, Paula West, Eric Comstock, Ann Hampton Calloway, Marlena Shaw, and Ernestine Anderson.
A complete discography would list, as of this writing, over 350 recordings, and is expanded on a weekly and monthly basis.
In the scope and breadth of his career thus far, his adaptability, and in his emphasis on creative, supportive, swiging time- playing as well as inventive and intelligent soloing, Washington has been compared to the likes of George Duvivier, Milt Hinton, and Ron Carter.
