By Lyle Rebbeck on May 24, 2019.
ELIZABETH SHEPHERD
THE SHUFFLE DEMONS
With a little more than a month until JazzFest, people are making their plans for the week and buying their tickets and passes for what has become the annual celebration of passage into summer. Whether it is a graduation, school ending for the year, holidays just around the corner or just warmer sunny days, JazzFest serves as the perfect backdrop to enjoy this city that basks in summer. Here are a few more ways to join that celebration.
If you are following the JazzFest 101 guide in this year’s brochure, both of this week’s artists come from the “Jazz Funky” component, described as music for chillin’ out.
Elizabeth Shepherd is a Montreal musician/composer and Medicine Hat audiences are well familiar with this innovator. Shepherd plays keyboards and sings, and her approach to composition has always encompassed broad circles that overlaps genres. Shepherd is a Canadian musician with a classical music background who came into jazz through her love of old-school hip-hop. Shepherd has been described as “a jazz virtuoso with a pop sensibility.” At a time when jazz is continuing in a fairly healthy way through its traditional expressions, Shepherd is a part of the force of jazz musicians who are bringing jazz to a new generation of music fans.
“Montreal” is Shepherd’s latest project, released just this year, and is devoted to the history of her vibrant city. Shepherd moved to Montreal in 2012 and has made it her quest to understand the city and the people as it really exists. For instance, the recording begins with a tune which acknowledges the Mohawk First Nations People as the original citizens of this piece of land. Every song delves into another corner of the “unofficial” story behind this unique city.
At its roots, Shepherd’s music generally has a “funky” groove underlying multi-textured layers of her distinctive Rhodes piano sound, electronics, and traditional jazz instruments with drums, bass and at times, horns. And weaving in and out is Shepherd’s distinctive light airy voice in both English and French.
Shepherd performs on June 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Esplanade Studio Theatre.
The Shuffle Demons are celebrating 35 years together. Many will remember the hits of the 1980s including “Spadina Bus” and “Get Out of my House Roach!” In those 35 years, they have managed to turn out eight recordings, seven videos and toured the globe. Beginning with group founder Richard Underhill playing on the street corner of Bloor and Yonge streets in Toronto, the group quickly expanded in to a street band that donned wild costumes and drew crowds of hipsters to their wild and crazy street concerts.
Along the way, the band at one point amassed over 900 saxophone players to perform the Hockey Night in Canada theme.
The music of The Shuffle Demons is always funky and grooving with rhythm and attitude. With three saxophones, bass and drums, wild costumes and a lot of energy, this band still exudes cool in large doses.
The Shuffle Demons play in the Esplanade Studio Theatre on June 26 at 10:30 p.m., immediately following the Elizabeth Shepherd concert. They are also presenting a workshop on June 25 at 2:00 p.m. for a chance to get behind the scenes and ask the band about their music, their history and what has kept them grooving for 35 years.
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.