fitnessfile

A Spin Class Review By Andrea Michaud

For innovative dining at its best, we invite you to inquire about As more and more people incorporate Boffins Club memberships. fitness into their lives, many seek Boffins Club is open to members and guests for business lunches, different ways to get that daily sweat. fine evening dining, social gatherings Interval training involves short, high- and special events. intensity exercise periods alternated Please call 306-249-5344 for a with periods of rest, repeated several “Membership for a Day” Card times to form a complete workout. www.boffins.ca This form of training has become increasingly popular, turning up in mainstream activities such as spin classes. Although not new to the fitness scene, spin classes continue to draw a crowd at fitness facilities. Never having attended a class and looking for a change, I decided to try out spin for myself. If You A spin class is basically a fitness journey on stationary bikes that simulates mountain and road biking, but without the traffic. The class lasts Can 45 minutes and is led by an instructor who is also on a stationary bike. The instructor sets the ‘course’ and puts it to loud, energetic music. Following Make It the cues of the instructor, each person changes the resistance to simulate going up and down hills and gets off their seat to climb or sprint. The Here… instructor was great at motivating the class, although at times I imagined her Story by Lal Ingram Photography by Sean Francis Martin, DHS Communications as a drill sergeant shouting out orders, making me work harder and harder. Ask 39-year old pianist Jon Ballantyne In music, there are few overnight and John Coltrane to Frank what it takes to be a jazz musician in New successes, maybe a few wunderkinds, but Sinatra. Jon started piano at six, at 10 he Spin offers a fun, challenging class York City. He’ll tell you what it’s like to for most, this is an art form where you pay was playing classical piano, at 17 he won a that accommodates all levels of fitness, play with some of the greats – Joe your dues. "I definitely went through the scholarship to Mohawk College in as each person ultimately determines Henderson to . He’ll also tell dues paying period," Ballantyne says. Hamilton, Ontario, where he stayed only the intensity of their workout. For you what it’s like to listen to the best in the "Through all those years of scuffling and one term, then at 18 won a scholarship to newer students or those just getting world and then hear yourself on tape and not necessarily making a lot of money I North Texas State University, one of the into fitness, simply use less resistance. know you’re just not there yet. learned how to live frugally. But the thing best music programs in the country. More resistance can be used for the about playing jazz is that you become so serious fitness fanatic. I hadn’t "1987-88 was a formative time for me and passionate about it. When you realize just By 1985, he was gaining notice. He won realized it was possible to sweat so I remember hearing tapes of myself and how great the music is and how great the Downbeat magazine’s Deebee Student much in 45 minutes. thinking, ‘I’ve still got so much work to history is, you think, ‘I want to be a part of Music Award for Outstanding Individual do.’ So I practiced 12-14 hours a day for this.’" Performance that year. The next, his trio Spinning is more like riding a real bike several months. I had pretty good natural won Best New Jazz Group in Canada at than anything else you will find at technique, but that didn’t mean anything if Born in Prince Albert in 1963, Ballantyne the Montreal International Jazz Festival. your local gym and a great way to the notes weren’t placed well and that’s was exposed to jazz from an early age. His That led to a performance at the Paris Jazz change up your regular fitness routine. what I had to learn how to do. The only father, Fred Ballantyne, is a well-known Festival, where he opened for Dizzy way for me to get there was to play hour musician on the local scene whose record Gillespie and Dexter Gordon. And then after hour after hour after hour." collection ranged from the recordings of came Sky Dance. 26 October~November 2003 the Commuter 27 • facial treatments • spa body treatments • tanning • manicures & pedicures • registered massage • waxing Recorded in late 1988, Sky Dance featured It sounds idyllic, like a steady upward release of the CD, the quartet toured • hot stone massage • gel nails • reflexology • legendary saxophonist as progression through the jazz ranks. That is Germany, Italy and Israel, and recently body scrubs & polishes • ear candling special guest. It went on to win the 1989 true, to a point, but again the reality of jazz played international jazz festivals in • spa packages • hydrotherapy tub & much more! Juno Award for Best Album, but for is that after 15 years, Ballantyne is really just Rochester, NY and Stockholm, Sweden. Ballantyne, the biggest thrill came at the hitting his stride. He looks back on who end of the recording session. he’s played with and for a moment seems "We’re playing all original music. We’re awestruck. "It’s hard to put into words rooted in modern straight ahead jazz, but "When Joe Henderson asked me if I could experiences that were so profound. we’re really trying to expand things beyond play some gigs with his quartet, that was Showing up every night and wondering what we know. That’s what jazz is all about. the highlight of my life. I went on to do 50 how I got there, and hoping I was going to It’s taking chances and trying to see what gigs with him over the next three years – rise to the occasion. I never get fired, so I you can come up with. My pieces are really with one of the greatest musicians in jazz guess I did," he laughs. pieces for improvisation. I’m trying to For a fine dining history. The first gig I played was in New suggest, not a hook but an idea, a flavour. Experience York City. We did six nights there and every You put that in the hands of individual musician in town came out. I hadn’t even players. lived in New York at that time. It was scary. I was practicing six hours a day before the "One thing about musicians in New York, gig just to feel like I could make it through. they’re not overtly derivative. When you get mature as a jazz musician, you want to shed your influences. You don’t want them to be "I didn’t get serious about obvious, that’s the school I’m from," Ballantyne says. "I was walking by this club playing jazz until I left the other day and there was a guy playing home. And then I started like John Coltrane from 1958. It was like a dead ringer. That’s not easy to do, by the doing 8 to 10 hour practice way, but at the same time, I had to say, how sessions everyday. Then that old is he? If he’s 20, then that’s okay. If he’s 40, I don’t think that’s okay. I think by now 401 -21st Street East Downtown Saskatoon 244-6384 wasn’t good enough." he’d better think about how he wants to sound. I figured he was about 25, so I’ll give him a few years." "Joe was one of the greatest improvisers in jazz. Some nights, the music was For now, with a steady gig and work with his staggering, just staggering. I’m playing with quartet, Ballantyne is pondering the him but I’m also trying to absorb as much possibilities of what comes next. After ten as I can in the hopes that it will rub off. I years in the Big Apple, it comes as mean, you wonder, how is it that this guy something of a surprise to hear he is seriously makes time stand still? That’s what the considering moving back to Canada. greatest musicians in the world do, they Today he divides his time between a small One of Canada’s largest independent make time stand still. It’s a feeling of apartment in Upper Manhattan and a fixer- "My wife is from Finland originally, which is full service investment firms. euphoria when you’re in the midst of that upper house he shares with his wife, Anne, similar to Canada. They brave the winters, kind of greatness." in Pennsylvania. The house is a recent they’re a tough bunch of people, but they’re move; Ballantyne lived off and on in NYC also soulful. In a lot of ways, there are Todd Degelman, M.B.A. National Sales Manager It was the beginning of a journey that has between 1988 and 1992, moved there parallels. We always enjoy it when we go to seen Ballantyne play with some major permanently in 1993 and finally got his Canada. My dream would be to play gigs names. He’s toured with the bands of green card in 1996. Throughout, he has across the country. I’d love to play Henderson, Woody Herman, Dave made his living playing, writing and Yellowknife, I’ve heard audiences are good Where clients come first with our Liebman and , studied in recording jazz. up there. New York with and , FREE self directed RSP. shared stages with and Joe For the past two and a half years, "Oh I’ll definitely keep my ties to New York. Lovano. He’s made eight recordings, Ballantyne’s energies have been focussed on I mean, this is the greatest city for jazz. The including 1991’s A Musing with pianist his quartet, with himself on piano, Boris music has evolved in New York. You can feel Paul Bley, 1994’s The Loose and 1995’s Kozlov on bass, Douglas Yates on bass the vibe. That’s why so many good Reach Todd Degelman at: Trio Live with bassist and clarinet and saxophone and Jeff Hirschfield musicians end up here, at least for some 306-657-4402 or 1-866-844-4400 drummer , 1998’s on drums. They recorded Round Again in period in their careers. But it’s a bit of a Suite 1360, 410 22nd Street East, Saskatoon S7K 5T6 Known/Unknown with Drew Gress and 2001 with Hirschfield and Gene Jackson dream to move back to Canada."

Gene Jackson. sharing drum duty and featuring guest This advertisement is not to be construed as an offer or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell or a recommendation to buy or sell securities. saxophonist . Following the Wellington West Capital Inc. (WW) and /or it’s individual officers and/or it’s directors and/or it’s representatives and/or members of their families may have a position in securities mentioned and may make purchases and/or sales of these securities from time to time in the open market or otherwise. Free RSP are on qualified accounts. 28 October~November 2003