Current News

Three great jazz concerts next weekend

---

1. D.D. Jackson & Dean Bowman - Sunday, Feb. 8
2. Structured Improvisations - Breit/Stewart (Feb. 5) + David Mott and Friends (Feb. 6)

---

Suffering from the midi-winter blues? We've got the cure - three nights of great jazz by some of the best in the business. You may have seen a few of these performers at previous Jazz Festivals, but we expect these concerts will show their talents in a whole new light. Listen to excerpts of their music or get more info. on our website: guelphjazzfestival.com.

---

 

D.D. Jackson & Dean Bowman - Sunday, Feb. 8

Two renowned New York based jazz musicians, African-American recording artist Dean Bowman and award-winning jazz pianist D.D. Jackson, are returning to Guelph as part of our "Jazz in the Schools" educational initiative, February 8-10. This will be the first time that Jazz in the Schools is linked to Black History Month, and given that both Jackson and Bowman's musical background has been informed by black spirituals and gospels, their performance promises to be deeply moving and rousing.

Their visit begins with this highly-anticipated concert, which is their second appearance in Guelph. (They last performed together as part of the Festival's 2003 jazz opera "Québécité", which Jackson composed and Bowman performed in.)

Jackson is a Juno award-winning jazz pianist and composer known world-wide for his original compositions. Bowman is a major contributor to the New York jazz, rock and avant-garde scenes and is praised for his vocal talents. The London Guardian describes him as "soulful, charismatic, and technically brilliant... a star."

Sunday, Feb. 8, 7 pm
Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, 358 Gordon Street, Guelph
Tickets: $15 adults / $12 students
(Presented by the Guelph Jazz Festival, SOFAM, NUMUS, The Bookshelf and the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre)

2. Structured Improvisations - Breit/Stewart (Feb. 5) + David Mott and Friends (Feb. 6)
The New Music Society

The New Music Society (NUMUS) and presents "Structured Improvisations," a two-night creative music festival and symposium, Feb. 5-6, in Guelph. Tickets for both shows are available at the door.

• Jesse Stewart & Kevin Breit - Thursday, Feb. 5

  The first concert will reunite guitar wizard and Jazz Festival alumnus Kevin Breit (whose performing/recording credentials include work with Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Cassandra Wilson, kd lang and many others) with percussionist (and former NUMUS Artistic Director) Jesse Stewart. Together they will perform a concert of improvised music to celebrate the release of their new recording Collisions on the C3R label.

  Thursday, Feb. 5, 8pm
  Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, 358 Gordon Street, Guelph
  Tickets per show - $20 general | $12 student
  A limited number of $5 EyeGo tickets are available for high school students.

• Mott-ley Crew: David Mott and Friends - Friday, Feb. 6

  The second concert of "Structured Improvisations" will feature the work of acclaimed Canadian composer, improviser, and educator David Mott. It will include his extended composition Downtown Runout, performed by the David Mott Quintet, a group that a 2004 review in Musicworks magazine described as coming "as close to perfect creative expression as it's possible to get." The program will also feature a performance of Jetstream and a newly commissioned work for a nine-piece ensemble that will feature some of Ontario's finest improvising musicians and celebrated Nova Scotian bass clarinetist Jeff Reilly (who played at the Festival last September).

  Friday, Feb. 6, 8pm
  Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, 358 Gordon Street, Guelph
  Tickets per show - $20 general | $12 student
  A limited number of $5 EyeGo tickets are available for high school students.