Jazz On The Mountain 2014

The Commodores, Walter “Clyde” Orange, William “WAK” King and James Dean “J.D.” Nicholas, have remained a force in the music industry for over three decades. “The Legends of Motown”, “Hit, After Hit, After Hit”, “Grammy Award Winners”, “All The Emotion, All the Excitement”, “If You Haven’t Seen Them Live, You Haven’t Heard The Commodores”.

The Commodores aren’t just any group. They have staying power. Just like their hit song “Brick House,” the Commodores have created a foundation that just won’t budge. After churning out hit after hit in the Motown days, the Commodores still hadn’t achieved Grammy recognition. This wasn’t to be until 1986, without Lionel Richie, when the Commodores released “Night Shift”.

In 1968 the group was formed while all the members were in college at Tuskegee Institute located in Tuskegee, Alabama. After being discovered by Berry Gordy, the Commodores went on to sell over 60 million records for Motown. With hits like “Machine Gun” and “Sail On”, the Commodores became proven artists. They proved it then. They proved it in 1986 with “Night Shift”, and they continue to prove it to this day.

Visit The Commodore website for more details.

A Rise in the Road, the Yellowjackets’ second Mack Avenue Records offering, is indeed an appropriate title for a time-honored jazz ensemble that has never been fearful of facing newer musical horizons, not to mention the myriad challenges of life itself. Throughout their storied 32-year history, the Yellowjackets have undergone numerous lineup changes, never failing to rise to the inevitable challenges of adjustment. Keyboardist Russell Ferrante and bassist Jimmy Haslip, the dual cornerstones of the group’s 21 previous recordings, were responsible for a sizable chunk of the Yellowjackets’ catalogue. Yet, despite those shifts, Ferrante and Haslip, along with saxophonist Bob Mintzer (23-year member) and drummer William Kennedy (14-year member, spread out between two different time periods), soldiered on with a professionalism that has resulted in 17 GRAMMY nominations – with two wins – countless sold-out tours, and worldwide critical acclaim.

Last year Jimmy Haslip announced he was taking a hiatus to focus on other projects and spend more time with his family. Alas, all things must come to an end, as he has decided to make his hiatus permanent. Although his leaving is seismic within the scope of the Yellowjackets’ history – a rise in the road, if you please – change is no stranger to this consistently innovative and adaptable collective. A Rise in the Road introduces a new member – bassist Felix Pastorius – to replace Haslip. Pastorius, whose last name is widely familiar to jazz aficionados, steps in to contribute his talents to the group’s continuing sonic ventures. More on Felix Pastorius in a moment.

Visit the Yellowjackets website for more details.

From 5 After 4 comes six. This highly-acclaimed veteran Toronto contemporary jazz combo makes a welcome return to recording with a sixth album that showcases the sound of four guys playing at the top of their game. The happy outcome is Rome In A Day, scheduled for release on prestigious independent label ALMA Records on June 28 in Canada and August in the US and worldwide.

The album is a masterful and delightfully diverse collection of all-original new 5 After 4 material. The group’s founder and driving force, drummer/composer Vito Rezza, contributes six compositions, long-time keyboardist Matt Horner chimes in with four numbers, and the freewheeling “Animal Crackers” is credited to all four members.

Joining Rezza and Horner in 5 After 4 are saxophonist John Johnson and bassist/producer Peter Cardinali. All four players have performed and recorded with each other in different musical configurations and settings for several decades now, with a clearly audible empathy resulting. Matt has played on four earlier 5 After 4 albums, and Peter and John two apiece. Johnson points out that “I’ve played with Vito for over 30 years now, and this musical intuition just happens. People often comment on just how tightly we listen to each other, but we’re not even trying to do it.” To Cardinali, “When we play, it can get quite euphoric. It becomes a conversation between the players.” Vito agrees, noting “we never tussle in our playing. We discuss, and nobody misses anything the other guy does.”

Ever noticed how many of the great female R&B and soul singers of the past three decades have first names beginning with A? There’s Aretha Franklin, Annie Lennox, Amy Winehouse, and Adele, not to mention Aaliyah and Alicia Keys. Don’t be surprised if the name Andria Simone joins this illustrious A team in the near future.

This 26 year-old singer-songwriter was born and raised in Toronto, but a colorfully adventurous life to date has helped her develop both as an artist and a self-confident young woman ready to take on the world. After all, how many aspiring soul singers have studying poker in the Ukraine on their resume?

More conventionally, Andria has also studied flute, piano and voice, and her love of writing was established at an early age. “I’ve always enjoyed writing and poetry and getting my feelings out on paper,” she explains. Simone has long had a love for a wide range of musical genres, from heavy metal to dubstep, but has recently found herself a happy creative home in the world of soul and R&B. “I’d love to go back in a time machine to the ’50s and ’60s and dance to that live music,” she declares. “I prefer the real raw sound of the voice, not the AutoTune sounds of today.”

Visit Andria Simone website for more details.

Irene Torres musical diversity, talent and raw energy, makes them truly unique. Drawing from all genres, they mesh the past & present to create a new generation of deep rooted music with a New Orleans flavor.

Award winning group Irene Torres & The Sugar Devils exploded onto the scene in 2011. Shortly after winning the 2012 TBS award, they were nominated for a Sigy Born award, were selected for a Toronto Independent Music Award and won the “road to memphis” challenge to compete at the International Blues Competition. They have received rave reviews as well as critics picks for their self titled album which has ranked #1 on some college radio stations and Reverbnation. The band has backed, toured, and recorded with award winning artists such as: Chuck Jackson, Gary Kendal & Donnie Walsh (Downchild Blues Band), The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Layla Zoe, David Rotundo, Johnny Sansone, Joe Murphy, Brownman, Julian Fauth, Jacelyn Holmes, Kevin Clark (Duxes of Dixieland), Pat Rush, Chris Plock & Drew Yureka from Jeff Healey’s Jazz Wizards.

Visit Irene Torres & The Sugar Devils website for more details.

Vibrosis is a popfunk band from Toronto that brings a high-energy sound to every performance they play. With six members in the band, the sound is big. Playing sets that consist mostly of originals, written by the band’s leader/singer/keyboardist Sam Pomanti, the band has one purpose: to make people dance. Vibrosis just finished recording with the legendary, 15-time Grammy Award winning record producer/engineer Al Schmitt (Frank Sinatra, Steely Dan, Paul McCartney, Ray Charles, Diana Krall, etc…etc..) in March at the Humber College Studio. Vibrosis plays regularly around Toronto at clubs like The Orbit Room, The Rivoli, The Drake Underground, The El Mocambo, and more. No strangers to Jazz on the Mountain at Blue, Vibrosis is excited to bring their music to the Events Plaza stage this year, and to get everyone in earshot bouncing.

Visit Vibrosis website for more details.

Gone Fission was formed by Grant Crawford in 1991 and consists of 3 of the 4 original members of the critically acclaimed Toronto progressive rock group “Tibet.” Joining forces with David Pleasance (keys, base) and his brother Brent Crawford (drums, percussion) has proven to be a real crowd pleaser at dozens of Jazz festivals as well as radio and television appearances over the past two decades. 

Gone Fission has recorded six full length CDs with their newest CD “Lean Into It” garnering immediate response including recent distribution and regular air play. The band has the great pleasure of performing with Steve Sherman (The Steve Sherman Project & the 4th original member of Tibet) for all live concerts and performances. The most recent addition to Gone Fission’s live band is percussionist extraordinaire Ian Collins.

Visit Gone Fission website for more details.

In a career spanning over two decades, Rob Tardik has established himself as an multi-award winning guitarist, successful teacher, entrepreneur, and a Billboard Top 10 charting instrumental music artist. He has performed at venues all across North America including a recent sold out concert at the prestigious Glenn Gould Theatre in Toronto last October. Rob enjoyed a stellar release with his 2011/12 3rd CD release Balance, Energy, Laughter, Love (B.E.L.L.) which spawned 3 U.S Billboard singles two of which went Top 10. Rob was featured on the cover story for the Oct/Nov 2012 issue of Smooth Jazz News Magazine and his single “Christmas Morning” was Billboards most added holiday track last year. B.E.L.L. has also made the top 50 list of 2012 on SmoothJazz.com coming in at #15 and was a top 10 album (#6) for 2011 in “Smooth Jazz News magazine”. Café Jazz Radio named Rob the #1 Canadian Smooth Jazz Artist for 2011 and B.E.L.L. its #1 CD for 2011 as well, and “East meets Wes” the #1 single of the year.

Visit Rob Tardik website for more details.

Gabriel Mark Hasselbach is a multi wind instrumentalist, performing and recording (mostly jazz) on trumpet, flugelhorn, C and alto flutes, valve trombone, and the Akai EVI wind instrument. He was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, but followed his muse to Vancouver, Canada, where his career on the World Stage started with the success of the multiplatinum Powder Blues Band. After many national, international, and world tours, he launched a solo career with his Polydor album Solar Winds, and his dozen or so albums since then have withstood the test of time, steadily building up his body of work. He has toured world festivals such as Montreux, North Sea, and in UK, Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Mexico, and continues to develop his fanbase through live appearances, and extensive exposure on radio and TV. He has spent the most number of weeks on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts of any other Canadian artist.

Visit Gabriel Mark Hasselbach website for more details.

Countermeasure is the new sound in vocal music, known for their upbeat blend, sophisticated harmonies, and infectious energy. Led by award-winning composer/arranger Aaron Jensen, and featuring 14 of Canada’s top young vocal talent, Toronto-based Countermeasure’s genre-defying, contemporary sound has earned the group critical and public acclaim. The music covers a broad range of lively pop, jazz, contemporary, and original songs, sung in unique arrangements highlighting the breadth and range of the voice. Dubbed “the leading a cappella chorus out of Toronto” by the Washington Examiner, the group has won praise from critics and fans. “Riding the hot a cappella singing craze, Countermeasure, from Toronto, Canada, is one of the hottest new vocal groups” wrote the Annapolis Patch.

Visit Countermeasure website for more details.

It may seem strange to call The Ault Sisters veterans, given that Amanda, Alicia and Alanna Ault are, respectively, just 23, 21 and 19. They have left novice status long behind, though, given that they released an acclaimed debut album, Christmas Feelings, back in 2006.

They have studied music and performed extensively since then, diligently honing their craft and employing their prodigious vocal skills in a wide range of musical styles, with great distinction.

The Ault Sisters have now turned to jazz, a genre in which their signature and sublimely seamless vocal harmonies really shine. The Toronto-based trio released their well received new album, Timeless and are back in the studio with their longtime producer, Greg Kavanagh (BKS, Wendy Lands), and an A-list of local players, recording a keenly-anticipated jazz album – Timeless. Musicians featured on the record include Canadian jazz greats Robi Botos (piano), John Johnson (saxophone) and William Sperandei (trumpet), alongside the ace rhythm section of bassist George Koller and drummer Ben Riley.

Visit The Ault Sisters website for more details.

Top Pocket began as an R & B band in the summer of 1985. Its original line-up included current members Michael Bergauer on bass and Don McDougall on drums in addition to Conrad (CJ) Griffith on vocals, Ray Dlugokecki on sax and Dave Lonsbury on guitar.

Very soon after, a good friend of theirs, Andy Klaehn, booked a jazz gig in Brantford. He hired both Michael and Don and jazz guitarist extraordinaire Glenn Murch. The night was such a success that Don and Michael went home with the idea of changing styles of music for the band. This love for instrumental jazz led to a dramatic change in Top Pocket’s focus. As the original members were not so inclined, Andy and Glenn joined and the “new” Top Pocket Jazz Quartet was born!

Move ahead a few years to the early 90’s and the Top Pocket Jazz Quartet was VERY busy playing TWO house gigs at two different clubs each week for a number of years – to packed houses. They were the first after hours house band in the KW region, starting their show at midnight at The Circus Room on King Street in Kitchener on Saturdays (I guess technically it was Sunday morning!). That gig eventually became a more reasonable 9:00 start on Tuesdays after a few months. At the same time, they were playing to loyal fans at the Coyote Bar, upstairs on King Street, in downtown Kitchener, on Thursday evenings.

At the time they were known for playing an eclectic mix of styles: be-bop, fusion, latin, traditional and even jazz versions of pop tunes or TV themes could be heard during one of their shows.

Visit Top Pockets website for more details.

In•spi•ra•tion n.

1. Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity.
2. An Agency, such as a person or work of art, that moves the intellect or emotions or prompts action or invention.
3. Something, such as a sudden creative act or idea that is inspired.

If you have met Will Kennedy or if you have seen Will Kennedy perform, you understand that inspiration and Will Kennedy are inseparable, if not synonymous. Whether it was during his many years as a member of the fourteen time Grammy nominated group Yellowjackets, or on one of the myriad other Artist’s records or tours, Will has always been credited for being the inspirational drive in the music. His musicality and finesse are legendary amongst the “who’s who” of the jazz world and beyond.

The last few years have been busy ones for Will. He has been the house drummer for The Wayne Brady Show on ABC and the Martin Short Show. He has been touring with Chaka Kahn, Lee Ritenour and Jonathan Butler. He continues to do sessions which includes recording and performing in the movies “Lady Killers” starring Tom Hanks and the academy award nominated “Sideways”, as well as recording with Mick Jagger/Dave Steward for the soundtrack theme for “Alfie” starring Jude Law. Will has conducted drum clinics around the country and released an educational video on Warner Bros. Will endorses some of the finest equipment manufacturers including Pearl, Zildjian, Promark, Evans, Shure, and XL Cases.

Follow Will Kennedy on Facebook.

Making music comes natural to Felix Pastorius. A family tradition, his grandfather John Francis Pastorius II, affectionately referred to as “Jack”, was a stand-up jazz drummer, that would sing while he would swing. Following in his footsteps one of Jack’s three sons, Felix’s dad, John Francis Pastorius III, took up the drums and later switched to bass. He was affectionately referred to as “Jaco”.

Spending most his life living in Florida, he was always surrounded by a house full of instruments. While studying them all, he landed on the bass, or maybe it landed on him. He’s earned his place, learned to navigate, and here to take you for a ride. He is affectionately referred to as “Felix”.

Visit Felix Pastorius website for more details.

“Playing music is a life long commitment. There are always new things to consider and develop. I’m exhilarated and humbled by music on a daily basis, and plan to continue on this path until my last day on earth.” These words pretty much sums up Bob Mintzer’s approach to music.

Bob leads several musical lives that, at times, seem humanly impossible for one person to sustain. He is a 20 year member of the Grammy award winning Yellowjackets, leads his own Grammy winning big band, is the recipient of the Buzz McCoy endowed chair of jazz studies at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, does workshops all over the world, writes books on jazz, writes for orchestra, concert band, and big band, travels with his own quartet, and plays with numerous other bands around the globe. He is equally active in the composing, performing and educational fields.

Bob has written over 200 big band arrangements. His big band music is played over the world, and has influenced numerous big band writers. He honed his big band writing and playing skills in the bands of Tito Puente, Buddy Rich, Thad Jones-Mel Lewis. He has also written works for the National Symphony Orchestra, Metropole Orchestra of the Netherlands. WDR Big band in Cologne, HR Big Band in Frankfurt and was commissioned to write a piece for concert band and tenor sax (Go) by a consortium of 50 universities.

Visit Bob Mintzer website for more details.

Russ’s first exposure to music came from his church, where his father was the choir director as well as being a frequent vocal soloist and having a vocal gospel quartet. His father’s whole family were music lovers and several of his brothers and sisters had marvelous voices, something Russ admits never got passed on to him. “I began piano lessons at 9 with the expectation that I’d one day be the chuch pianist. My musical interests took me elsewhere but my sister who is 2 years younger actually went on to fullfill my parent’s dreams and is now directing the music department for a church in Watsonville, CA,” Russ says.

Beside his early interest in the piano, Russ also tried other instruments, making the most headway on drums, even going as far as playing drums on a couple of gigs and recording sessions. His experience with the drums has benefited his piano and keyboard playing and composing as a result.

As for musical education, Russ relates the following: “I took piano lessons from a wonderful piano teacher in San Jose, CA named Ann Penner, from age 9-16 or so, nothing fancy, just the basics. I got interested in jazz and pop around the age of 15 and studied that from whatever sources were available, notably scattered lessons with local jazz musicians, jazz theory books that I found or were recommended to me, and listening to my favorite recordings and transcribing songs and solos. Regrettably I never really studied music in school.”

Visit Russ Ferrante website for more details.

You can sometimes judge a musician by the company they keep. In the case of Vito Rezza, that’s one highly impressive grouping. Artists who have called upon Rezza’s virtuosic skill as a percussionist include Joni Mitchell, Gino Vannelli, John Lee Hooker, Michael Brecker, Rick James, Ray Charles, Oscar Peterson, Big Mama Thornton, Tony Monaco, and Joey DeFrancesco, with whom Rezza regularly records and performs. The diverse nature of this star-studded list speaks volumes about Vito’s mastery of a wide range of musical genres.

The Toronto-based Rezza is known as a drummer’s drummer, the kind of player who awes his peers. Vinnie Colaiuta declared “Vito is the world’s best kept secret, killin!,” while Chick Corea told Vito “I heard your CD. Amazing. What planet are you from, and would you be interested in playing with the Electric Band?” The fact that Rezza was featured on the cover of the November 2011 issue of musician’s bible Downbeat further confirms this well-deserved reputation. AllAboutJazz.com senior contributor Raul d’Gama Rose has called Rezza “enormously talented and a virtual legend in the world of percussion. He is much in demand among musicians who value his eclecticism and rhythmic virtuosity as much as they do his harmonic and melodic sensibility.”

There is far more to Vito Rezza than superb stickhandling skills, however. He is also a bandleader and composer with a string of highly-acclaimed albums under his belt. For the past 22 years, Rezza has led Canadian ensemble 5 After 4, and the band has opened for the likes of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, SpyroGyra, Kevin Eubanks, Boss Brass, and Joe Henderson. 5 After 4 released their sixth record, Rome In A Day, last year, on the ALMA Records label. The eleven-track disc featured six Rezza original compositions, and it confirmed he’s at the peak of his powers in all his different roles.

Visit Vito Rezza website for more details.

Damian is known for his ability to fit into any musical situation, extraordinary reading and improvising skills as well as being an educator and columnist. He has played in the studio or on the stage with the likes of . Peter Erskine . The Jaco Pastorius Big Band . Les McCann & Javon Jackson . Gino Vannelli . Jeff Lorber . George Colligan . Sveti w/ Marko Djordjevic . Vardan Ovsepian . Charmaine Neville . Tony Furtado and many others as well as being featured on the GospelChops.com “Shed Sessionz Vol. 1” DVD.

Damian is an adjunct professor at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon and has also appeared as an instructor at Gerald Veasley’s Bass Bootcamp, the National Guitar Workshop as well as the Berklee College of Music’s Guitar Week.

Damian has also written for Bass Player Magazine, NoTreble.com, Bass Musician Magazine as well as authoring his own books, “Right Hand Drive” and “The Improvisor’s Path”. 

Visit Damian Erskine website for more details.

Are you having any fun? When Alex Pangman is singing, a resounding ‘yes’ is the only possible answer to that query posed by the Sammy Fain/Jack Yellen classic. With legendary guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli on board for Pangman’s latest, the merriment comes all the easier.

Have a Little Fun finds the young Toronto chanteuse doing just that on a baker’s dozen of swing era standards and originals penned in the same vintage style. Along with Pizzarelli, a seven-decade veteran who’s played with Les Paul, Benny Goodman, and Stephane Grappelli, Pangman is joined by her long-running band, The Alleycats.

Since her teens, Pangman has earned a devoted following in her native Canada, garnering three National Jazz Award nominations, twice as “Jazz Vocalist of the Year” and once for “Best Original Song,” and she has performed three showcases at the renowned Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.

Visit Alex Pangman website for more details.

For Stan Samole, the word accessibility is a key part of his composition and his playing. Although definitely jazz in intention and thrust, Samole’s music draws upon the “university” of sounds – modern jazz, swing, folk, pop, ethnic, reggae and blues.

Born in Chicago in 1950, Samole began playing the guitar at the age of twelve. His strong mathematical background gave him an advantage in learning and developing musical theory. Stan became a professional by the age of thirteen and was recording jingles and playing in local groups by the age of fourteen.

Growing up with such influences as the Beatles, John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Joni Mitchell, Stan developed an ease of styles that would result in future recordings and performances with artists as diverse as Jaco Pastorious, John McLaughlin, Carlos Santana, Stan Getz, Nancy Wilson and Mel Torme. A respected educator, he was Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Miami.

Visit Stan Samole website for more details.

Cited as “a new name on the vocal jazz scene whose powerful voice has been turning heads,” Jordana has actually been singing for most of her life.

Her passion for and proficiency at singing was displayed at an early age. As a member of the Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus, she performed with several ensembles, among them the Canadian Opera Company, Toronto Symphony and National Ballet of Canada, gaining experience in radio, TV, and theatre en route.

In high school she attended the renowned Claude Watson Arts Program at Earl Haig Secondary in Toronto, majoring in voice. She also began classical training that continued through her time in Montreal as a student at McGill. There, she branched out of the classical genre, joining a funk band (Kokoro), an acapella group (Effusion) and a Gilbert & Sullivan theatre company (Savoy Society). She became a regular performer at Maggie’s Supper and Jazz Club in London, Ontario while studying law at the University of Western Ontario.

Visit Jordana Talsky website for more details.

In a career spanning over two decades, Rob Tardik has established himself as an multi-award winning guitarist, successful teacher, entrepreneur, and a Billboard Top 10 charting instrumental music artist. He has performed at venues all across North America including a recent sold out concert at the prestigious Glenn Gould Theatre in Toronto last October. Rob enjoyed a stellar release with his 2011/12 3rd CD release Balance, Energy, Laughter, Love (B.E.L.L.) which spawned 3 U.S Billboard singles two of which went Top 10. Rob was featured on the cover story for the Oct/Nov 2012 issue of Smooth Jazz News Magazine and his single “Christmas Morning” was Billboards most added holiday track last year. B.E.L.L. has also made the top 50 list of 2012 on SmoothJazz.com coming in at #15 and was a top 10 album (#6) for 2011 in “Smooth Jazz News magazine”. Café Jazz Radio named Rob the #1 Canadian Smooth Jazz Artist for 2011 and B.E.L.L. its #1 CD for 2011 as well, and “East meets Wes” the #1 single of the year.

Visit Rob Tardik website for more details.