Kingston Jazz Society

Homegrown Live 2010 is almost here!   Join us in downtown Kingston on Saturday, May 15, to see Kingston’s wealth of music talent with ten distinct musical styles at seven venues across town.  Monte’s will once again be hosting jazz for the day.

JAZZ – MONTE’S – 200 Ontario Street (venue map)
Presented by the Kingston Jazz Society

The Blazz Quartet continues its weekly tradition in April. The band will be performing at both Monte’s and The Mansion upstairs in The Living Room.

The talented quartet, featuring Bob Arlidge (bass), Jak Trasher (percussion), Glenn Tooth (flute), and special guest Dave Barton (guitar) performs a mix of instrumental blues and jazz from 5:00 to 7:30.

Blazz will be playing at The Mansion on the 9th and 23rd and at Monte’s on the 16th and 30th.

The Blazz Quartet

Hello Everyone,

April is shaping up to be a stellar month for jazz in Kingston.

Visiting Kingston, we start with the Brad Mehldau Trio gracing the Grand Theatre stage on Sunday, April 11th, followed by the talented pianist, vocalist, and songwriter Elizabeth Shepherd at The Mansion on April 29th.  Both shows start at 8:00 pm.

On the local scene, we are once again happy to see Monte’s opening its doors to jazz in Kingston.  They will be hosting Blazz on April 2nd (today), 16th, and the 30th.  We are also excited to welcome The Mansion as host for Blazz on April 9th and 23rd.  Stay tuned to our website for details.  The Blazz Quartet performs a mix of instrumental blues and jazz.  At the moment, the group consists of Bob Arlidge on bass, Jak Trasher on percussion, Glenn Tooth on flute and special guest Dave Barton on guitar.  James Wannamaker (sax) has also been a frequent guest with the group.

Slightly out of town at the Firehall Theatre, the Gananoque Concert Association will be hosting “Duo Affinite” on Friday, April 16 at 8:00.  The duo consists of Nadina Mackie Jackson, one of the world’s leading bassoon soloists, and Guy Few, a virtuoso trumpeter, cornist and singer.  Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the door or reserved by calling 613-382-7020.

Lastly, the Kingston Jazz Society would like to thank Brock Ingrassia, Sean Donaldson, Nicholas Papaxanthos, and Michelle Kaz for hosting the Afternoon of Jazz fundraiser on March 20th.  It has provided the Society with some much needed and appreciated funds.  We are a registered non-profit charitable association.  Donations are always welcome.

Elizabeth Shepherd, the talented pianist, vocalist, and songwriter  who graced our stage during the 2009 “Live @ Your Library” series, will be performing an 8 P.M. show at The Mansion on Thursday, April 29th.

She will be performing works from her fabulous new album, Heavy Falls the Night released in March.  The album as been receiving rave reviews from, including this article from the Globe and Mail.

With only four albums, Elizabeth has already been nominated twice for Juno’s.  She is a top-flight talent and we welcome her back to Kingston.

Press Release:

Elizabeth Shepherd CD Release Party
Thursday, April 29th, 2010
The Mansion (506 Princess St Kingston, ON)
www.themansionkingston.com
Early Show 8pm
Presented in association with The Kingson Jazz Society

Elizabeth Shepherd is among Canada’s most promising young talents and she has the widespread critical acclaim to prove it. The rave reviews for her first two studio albums as well as sold-out performances at prestigious venues like Tokyo’s Cotton Club, London’s Jazz Café and the Hollywood Bowl have been extremely gratifying for Shepherd, but the Toronto-based singer/songwriter/pianist has never been content to rest on past achievements. 
Shepherd’s debut Start To Move (2006) and follow-up Parkdale (2008) were both JUNO nominated (*Canada’s Grammy equivalent) and described as “pushing the boundaries of jazz”. With the release of her stunning third album Heavy Falls the Night, she pushes well past those boundaries to carve out her own niche of smart, sophisticated and adventurous music.

Heavy Falls the Night takes the listener on an unpredictable musical ride. It’s hard to pick a favourite track from such an eclectic album but, depending on your taste, it could be the dancefloor ready Seven Bucks, co-produced by Japanese mixmaster DJ Mitsu The Beats (Dwele, Jose James), and inspired by an NFB documentary. Or it could be The Taking – Shepherd’s powerful tribute to the women who came before her – knocked out in Jazz 11/8 time. Or maybe it’s the supremely soulful reworking of Anne Murray’s 70s soft-rock radio staple Danny’s Song, one of the few secular songs that made it past the gatekeepers in Shepherd’s Salvation Army childhood home.

Elizabeth’s rhythmically intricate, groove-oriented tunes, sincere lyrics and distinct, soulful voice have earned her a worldwide following, and her fans will certainly not be disappointed by the explorations on this new record. Critics, hipsters and music aficionados from London to Tokyo have been spreading the word for a few years now, and will surely continue to embrace her music. But more importantly, with Heavy Falls the Night, Elizabeth Shepherd is destined to reach music lovers everywhere.
For more info, please visit www.elizabethshepherd.com

Elizabeth Shepherd Recent Press (March-April 2010)

• Globe and Mail: Disc of the Week – “Better than ever” – 3.5 Stars of 4
• Toronto Star: Interview
• North Shore News “Superb collection of tunes”
• Exclaim “an exceedingly textured collection of story-driven tunes running the rhythmic gamut between thick and heady late night moods and high steppin’ dance floor fillers.”
• Eye Weekly’s Best Bet:  ”Shepherd’s music combines her husky vocals with intricate harmonies that avoid the traditional while pushing creative boundaries”
• Interview with Matt Galloway on CBC’s Metro Morning:
• Ground Control Mag “Shepherd holds listeners delicately in the palm of her hand as they hang on her every word and sigh.”
• Jazz.Fm: Interview with Ralph Benmergui
• Video “Seven Bucks“  The first single off “Heavy Falls the Night”
• Live in Tokyo 2009