New York tenor saxophonist Sam Taylor appears at BuckingJam Palace on Saturday, January 25th (8pm) featuring the crack rhythm section team of Peter Van Nostrand on drums and Paul Sikivie on bass.

This concert is currently sold out (!) however please consider contacting Lisa Buck through the website and request to be put on the waitlist as last minute tickets do often come up.

Furthermore, please consider signing up for the BuckingJam Palace mailing list so you don't miss out on future opportunities to hear amazing groups such as this (tickets often sell-out quickly!)

Sam was also nice enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions about his music and upcoming performance in Calgary:

1) How would you describe the style of Jazz music you are bringing to Calgary?

My goal is to play music that feels good, to always swing hard and “play pretty”. I do my best to embrace the spirit of my heroes and play in a way that honors them. For this tour, I will be playing trio with two incredible musicians: bassist Paul Sikivie and drummer Pete Van Nostrand. Saxophone trio really is my favorite format, and it is always such a thrill to play with Paul and Pete. I can’t wait to share that feeling with your jazz fans at BuckingJam.

2) Who are some of your influences?

The music of Sonny Rollins, especially his trio recordings have been and always will be the Rosetta Stone. My other saxophone heroes include Larry McKenna, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker and Dexter Gordon. I also especially love and continue to learn the most from vocalists: Abbey Lincoln, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Shirley Horn, Sam Cooke, Barbara Streisand. They all have this incredible charisma, something that pulls you in from the very first notee.

3) How might you describe your relationship with tenor saxophonist Larry McKenna, who is joining you for this performance?

Larry’s music has been a part of my life almost since I first learned to put the saxophone together. My first teacher  made a cassette tape for me to learn from: one side had Charlie Parker and the other had Larry McKenna. That gives you an idea how important and special his music is for me. As a person, he is just as his music sounds: open, generous, joyful with a dash of good humor! It is an incredible honor to share the bandstand with him and call him my friend.

I am so sorry he will not be able to join us this time, (he’s under strict doctor’s orders not to travel). We are all wishing him well and a speedy recovery. I will do my best to carry his joyful spirit with me and make him proud!

4) What are some of the lessons you've learned from the many masters of this music you've performed and studied with?

Having a beat and having a sound above all else. That’s really what strikes me about the masters. Larry McKenna is a perfect example - have you ever heard such an incredible sound, such natural swing and melody?! It is not so much what they are playing, but how they deliver it, their message, the story. They “make the music fly” as my friend and teacher, Taro Okamoto puts it.

5) What advice do you have for young, aspiring Jazz musicians?

Take the music seriously, but don’t forget about the joy it brings you and your audience. Isn’t that what made you choose a life of music in the first place? This is supposed to be fun!

In terms of developing the craft: listen, listen, listen! Do as much as you can to develop your ear. Play along with recordings, transcribe solos, go to sessions and try to learn the song on the fly. Be open to situations that may be uncomfortable - you are sure to come away having learned something!

Pianist Adrean Farrugia and tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm will be performing at BuckingJam Palace this Sunday, January 19th for two shows (2pm & 8pm). These will for sure be a memorable pair of concerts and the perfect way to start the 2020 concert season at BuckingJam Palace.

Both concerts are currently sold out (!) however if you are interested attending please contact Lisa Buck asap through the BuckingJam website www.buckingjampalace.com and ask to be put on the waitlist.

Furthermore, the best way to not miss out on these amazing concerts is to sign up for the BuckingJam mailing list so you can get first crack at ticket sales as concerts are announced. Do not delay, sign up for the mailing list today!

Happy New Year to you and yours!  We have a really incredible slate of concerts coming up in 2020, including the Sam Taylor concert on January 25th.  I have just received an email from Sam Taylor letting us know that Larry McKenna, a beloved member of the quartet, has severe bronchitis and has been advised by his doctor not to travel.  Larry is 82 *one of those jazz legends whom we treasure* and I would ask that you, according to your custom, send good thoughts or prayers or energy his way for a full and speedy recovery.

Sam is continuing the tour as a trio. Here are the comments he has asked me to pass along:

"Hello and Happy New Year! I can not wait for our performance at BuckingJam Palace in just a few weeks, and to meet all you jazz fans. As you might have heard, unfortunately Larry McKenna will not be able to make the trip due to illness. He sends his deep regrets. We are all wishing him well in his recovery.

While Larry will be missed, I promise to carry his joyful musical spirit with me. Please join me, Paul Sikivie and Pete Van Nostrand on January 25th for a wonderful night of music. Thanks very much!”

I know this will be an awesome concert but we are also very careful that we deliver what we advertise at BJP.  So if anyone would like a refund on their ticket(s) because of this change, please contact me.

I'll be sending out directions as usual the week before the concert.  Feel free to email me at buckingjampalace@gmail.com if you have any questions in the meantime.

Kind regards,

Lisa Buck

Pianist Adrean Farrugia and New York tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm will be performing at BuckingJam Palace, the first concerts of the year, as a duo on Sunday, January 19th (two shows: 2pm & 8pm). Farrugia are Frahm are both accomplished musicians and these concerts will no doubt start the year at BuckingJam Palace off on a very good note!

Adrean was also very kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions in advance of these highly anticipated concerts:

1) How would you describe the style of Jazz music you are bringing to Calgary?

Joel and I will be performing sax and piano duets. This is a very ‘naked’ and exposed configuration in that each musician has a tremendous amount of freedom, without the confines of a larger ensemble, but also a certain responsibility to contribute to the momentum and clarity of structure in the music. This music is highly expressive and interactive and no two performances of the compositions we’ll play are the same. Improvisation is at the heart of this music—and with that comes, vulnerability and an unparalleled sense of discovery.  We’ll be performing a mix of my own original music as well as some time tested ‘standards’ from the Great American Songbook.

2) Who are some of your influences?

All of the usual suspects such as Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, and Brad Mehldau. I’m also very inspired by the words and writings of great thinkers like Alan Watts, Eckhart Tolle, Ken Wilber, Carl Jung, and Thich Nhat Khan—people who explore the idea that the infinite exists both inside and outside of us, and is accessed by ‘being’ powerfully in the moment. I also really like Elton John and ABBA:-)

3) How might you describe your relationship with tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm, who is joining you for this performance?

My relationship with Joel is a wonderful relationship. It started as a bit of ‘hero worship’ when I was in my early 20’s— I remember sitting in my car one night with friend (and amazing musician/saxophonist) Kenji Omae and he played one of Joel’s albums and I remember exclaiming ‘Who is THIS?? This is amazing!’ Then a number of years later we found ourselves together in a band led by drummer Ernesto Cervini who met Joel while going to school in NYC. During that time I discovered that Joel is an extremely kind, thoughtful soul with a fierce sense of humor and great integrity. A friendship was born. And today I consider him both a kindred spirit and a mentor.

4) What are some of the lessons you've learned from the many masters of this music you've performed with?

Be yourself. Be honest. Work hard. Listen, listen, listen. It’s not about YOU, it’s always about the MUSIC. If you find the place inside of you where the fire burns and channel THAT through the music, then the music will light the fire of those who witness it. Don’t take the music too seriously—or else you’ll rob it of looseness, humour, and those rare moments of real discovery. People see you as YOU see you—so be real because you ain’t foolin’ no one:)

5) What advice do you have for young, aspiring Jazz musicians?

Learn to love yourself just as you are right here, right now. When you have nothing to prove, the music you play will always penetrate those around you.

Don’t EVER try to sound good. Just play and be honest. Miles Davis never tried to sound good. He didn’t need to and didn’t care if you thought he sounded good. He was too busy DOING, not TRYING.

Don’t attach your identity and self worth to your music—that puts too much pressure on both you and the music and doesn’t allow for the real magic to happen. If you’re fine just as you are without music THEN when you play, the music comes to life— so work just as hard at being a masterful human as you do at being a masterful musician.

Find a powerful sense of purpose for the music you play. You need to have a reason/motivation for doing what you do in order for it to be meaningful for both you and those who listen.

Practice hard with clear goals and realize that discipline is a learned and practicable skill, that sometimes requires sacrifice. (I used to sit at home practicing on Friday night in college when all my friends went out to party and sometimes it REALLY felt like a sacrifice!)

You’ll only ever be as successful as you BELIEVE you can be. Any great person in history ALLOWED themselves to believe that they could accomplish the things they did.

Music is a SOCIAL game. Don’t just sit at home practicing alone and listening to albums and watching YouTube videos. Go out to hear music. Go to jam sessions. Talk to more experienced musicians (on set breaks at their shows) and ask them questions, and tell them about YOU. Let them know who you are and what you want in your pursuit as a musician.

Be ok with failure and uncertainty—these too are practicable skills, and also important for gaining wisdom, and depth as a musician.

Learn to imitate the masters. They are your access point to your own voice. Transcribe their solos and compositions and learn to play them along with their albums capturing every nuance of the performance. Be smart about how you study music. Don’t just listen to who’s popular now—find out who came before them, and before THEM and get a sense of the lineage of this music.

Don’t give up on your dreams. Those who tell you that being a musician is a bad choice most likely do so from a place of fear and most likely gave up on their own dreams.

You only live once, and life is short, so FFS go for it! : )