Jazz Pick: Jazz 101 introduced to help move newbies to the music
By Lyle Rebbeck on May 17, 2019.
Submitted Photo Longtime Medicine Hat JazzFest favourite is back again for a show on June 28.
The lineup for JazzFest 2019 has just been released, and once again, the city is about to transform as a string of performers make their way to Medicine Hat, most of which are performing at the jazz festivals from coast to coast.
And JazzFest has made some changes this year. Jazz 101 is a new section in the brochure especially geared towards anyone who has never gone to JazzFest and isn’t sure where to start. Three game plans have been outlined with three or four events in each to offer a suggested way into the list of performers featured throughout the week.
Jazz Light is described as Music for Toe Tapping and Dancing and includes some of the great dance parties and street performances that have become signatures of JazzFest. Jazz Funky is described as Music for Chillin Out and features musicians who are exploring the hybrids of jazz with indie, electronic, pop and New Orleans vibes. And there are a number of this year’s artists that fall into that category. And finally, Music in the Tradition, described as music like you’d expect to hear at a jazz festival and includes this week’s feature Michael Kaeshammer along with other artists that swing and jive.
JazzFest has also provided two clear ways of listing all of the artists on facing pages in the middle of the brochure. One lists artists by days of the week. The other gathers artists into categories such as Family Events, Dance Parties, Free Events and so on.
What is clear, from looking at this year’s line-up, is that while JazzFest is keeping its foot solidly in the traditions of jazz, it is evolving with this ever-changing music. So, for anyone who thinks JazzFest is all about Charlie Parker riffs and Count Basie big bands, this festival begs to differ. The music represented by this year’s line-up shows the aspect of the jazz world that is encompassing a wide range of influences and reflecting in a very real way the essence of the next generation’s creative spirit that doesn’t fall so easily into categories.
Over the next few weeks, we will take a closer look at many of these performers. It is easy to listen to the music of all of this year’s performers. A Spotify playlist features all of this year’s performers and is called Medicine Hat JazzFest 2019. Audio and video files are easy to access at medicinehatjazzfest.com.
We begin with a look at a JazzFest favourite, Michael Kaeshammer. He’s has been performing at JazzFest since 1998, the second year of the festival. He is known for his high energy, his enthusiastic interaction with the audience and his dazzling piano technic. Originally from Germany, Kaeshammer moved to Canada at a fairly young age and immediately began attracting the attention of music fans across Western Canada. Since then he has recorded an impressive number of albums, received multiple Juno nominations and awards and performed around the world. His latest recording “Something New” was just recorded in New Orleans. Produced by Kaeshammer himself it features appearances by the likes of Cyril Neville, Colin James, Randy Bachman, Amos Garrett and Chuck Leavall of The Rolling Stones.
Joining Kaeshammer in Medicine Hat will be Devon Henderson on bass and Roger Travassos on drums. The concert takes place June 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Esplanade Theatre. Tickets as well as full festival passes are available through all Esplanade ticket outlets. Brochures can be found at the Esplanade, the tourist centre, the public library and coffee shops around the city.
Lyle Rebbeck is the executive producer of JazzFest.
