chris wong in sync
Jerry Fuller
Summer events
vancouverjazz.com's always entertaining discussion forum was where I first learned that Cellar owner Cory Weeds was booking turntablists for Thursday nights in August. A contributor to the forum pointed out how Weeds, in the same forum about two months earlier, rejected the suggestion that he book top 40 or hip hop bands to increase business on Friday nights. "With all due respect, I have worked hard to establish The Cellar as an instrumental jazz room where local bands can play their own music," wrote Weeds in his post. "Having a top 40 or hip hop group would completely go against the principles of why I got into this business."
So the implication was that by initiating a DJ night, Weeds was contradicting himself. "A lot of people are thinking that I'm doing this as a desperate measure to make money," said Weeds, when I talked to him about it. "This is actually a conscious choice by me."
It unfolded like this: Chris Gestrin, who has regularly played the Thursday night gig at the Cellar dubbed Green Eggs and Hammond, informed Weeds that he wouldn't be able to play some nights in August. Weeds came up with the idea of filling the Thursdays, which have been inconsistently attended, with something different. He talked to Ian Menzies, a.k.a. DJ Meta4, about spinning tunes in a relaxed environment. Meta4 did the first Geosonic Jazz night at the Cellar Aug. 1.
I think it's a valid idea. To begin with, Weeds chose the right man. Meta4 has proven in various contexts that he has impeccable taste in creative music, ranging from old school sounds to contemporary electronica. At the intimate Cellar he's not spinning your typical dance-friendly house or hip hop. Instead, Meta4 is focusing on genres known as Nu Jazz and World Jazz that are more conducive to listening. He has also lined up guests with ample street cred, including eclectic vocalist Kia Kadiri (Aug. 8), Avi Shack (Aug. 15) and Ralph (Aug. 22).
On another note, Meta4 and Weeds are two of the most diligent e-mailers I know. Their missives, and other promo, should help generate an audience for Geosonic Jazz. Getting people to come out is the point, after all. The DJ night, which might continue past August, could help subsidize the Cellar's economically challenging but essentially unchanged commitment to presenting live jazz by strong local musicians and players from elsewhere.
"This is not the beginning of the end of live jazz at the Cellar," said Weeds. If anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt, it's Weeds, who has contributed so much to Vancouver's jazz scene through the Cellar, the Cellar Live label and his Co-op radio show (Chasin' The Trane, Wednesdays at 9 a.m. on 102.7 FM).
As for the Cellar's second anniversary, purists need not fret. The Cellar will celebrate the anniversary Sept. 27-29, in appropriate fashion, with special shows featuring the Hugh Fraser Quintet, Don Thompson and Fraser's VEJI big band. Stay tuned for details.
Jerry Fuller, the vibrant jazz drummer who once lived in Vancouver, died last month at the age of 63. After he didn't show up for a July 13 gig at the Rex in Toronto, Fuller's body was discovered at his home. He apparently passed away in his sleep.
Fuller was born in Calgary but raised in Vancouver. He was a leading hard bop player at the original Cellar, performing alongside musicians like Don Thompson and P.J. Perry. Fuller later moved to Toronto, where he was a first-call musician. He played with Paul Desmond, Oscar Peterson, Rob McConnell and many others.
For more information about Fuller, check the forum in vancouverjazz.com.
Summer doldrums? Not in Vancouver's live music scene. Considering the following options:
Mighty Sam McLain is a great southern soul singer in the tradition of vocalists like Solomon Burke, Otis Redding and James Carr. After achieving some success in the sixties, McLain took menial jobs and ended up homeless. McLain, who has since made a full comeback, will perform Aug. 7 at the Yale.
Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chucho Valdés and Omar Sosa are among the best Cuban jazz pianists. Add Ernán López-Nussa to the list. The pianist's From Havana to Rio CD, which deftly combines Cuban and Brazilian elements, affirms his powerfully dramatic style. López-Nussa will play three times at Festival Vancouver: Aug. 7 at La Maison de la Francophonie with his quintet; Aug. 8 at the Commodore on a stellar bill with Orquesta Goma Dura, vocalist Israel "Toto" Berriel (formerly with Los Muñequitos de Matanzas) and Caricias Cubanas dancers; and Aug. 11 with his quintet at the UBC First Nations Longhouse.
Guitarist Amadou Bagayoko and vocalist Mariam Doumbia are both blind. The husband and wife from Mali make captivating music, documented on critically acclaimed albums. Amadou et Mariam, as they're known, will perform Aug. 9 at Mesaluna with a seven-piece band.