NEWSLETTER OF THE Peter Appleyard with Tommy Banks Trio ® At the Suite Volume 21,Volume 2 – March/April, Issue 2003 • PJ Perry Quartet • Edmonton International Film Festival • Yardbird Suite Blues: D.C. Bellamy • DOUBLE BILL NIGHT: Lane Arndt Trio and Zebradonk ICP Orchestra • ICP Orchestra • Joe LaBarbera Quartet with Hadley Caliman • Steve Slagle/Dave Stryker Band • Peter Appleyard with Tommy Banks Trio • Kirk MacDonald Quintet Dave Stryker/ Steve Slagle Joe LaBarbera Quartet with Hadley Caliman EJS 11 TOMMY BANKS WAY (Corner of 102 St & 86 Ave) EDMONTON AB T6E 2M2 membership Your Edmonton Jazz Society Membership supports a variety of activities and ensures that the best of live jazz will continue to have a home in our city. Membership Options (check one): ❒ Gold Card $200 tax receipt & free admission for one year ..................$387.25 ❒ Silver Card free admission for one year ..............................................$187.25 ❒ Regular .................................................................................................$32.00 ❒ Student or Senior ..................................................................................$22.00 Make cheques payable and mail to: Edmonton Jazz Society, 11 Tommy Banks Way, Edmonton AB T6E 2M2 Name _______________________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________ City ________________________________________________________________ Postal Code ______________________Phone_______________________________ Email Address ________________________________________________________ Purchase Date ________________________________________________________ Amount paid for membership________$ ___________________________________ Amount of tax deductible donation ___$ ___________________________________ Total amount enclosed _____________$ ___________________________________ Bringing the best in live jazz to Edmonton since 1973 Yardbird Suite 11 Tommy Banks Way Edmonton Jazz Society (1973) (corner of 102 Street & 86 Avenue) 11 Tommy Banks Way Edmonton, Alberta T6E 2M2 (corner of 102 Street & 86 Avenue) Phone: (780) 432-0428 Fax: (780) 433-3773 Edmonton, Alberta T6E 2M2 Programming: Adrian Albert, Craig Magill, Phone: (780) 432-0428 Frank Peterson, Jasiek Poznanski, Bruce Stovel Fax: (780) 433-3773 Production: Jasiek Poznanski Yardbird Suite House Managers Co-ordinator: Danielle Burns Board of Directors for 2002-2003: Office: Fred Elgert President: Tara Benoit JAM SESSIONS Transportation: Dwayne Hrynkiw Vice-President: Adrian Albert Press Releases: Paul Wilde Treasurer: Murray Walford Every Tuesday! Members & Guests $3 • Doors: 8pm Show: 9pm Jam Sessions: Blake Kinley, Marcus Taylor Secretary: Leah Wilson Shelley Chebry, Norma Davis, March 4 April 1 Yardbird Suite Newsletter is published five times Dwayne Hrynkiw, Craig Magill, per year by the Edmonton Jazz Society (1973) Blues: Blues: Tara Benoit & Jasiek Poznanski, Kent Sangster, Dave Babcock The Blues Imposters David Trump, Doug Zimmerman Newsletter Editor: Jasiek Poznanski Memberships: Ken Knight Contributing Writers: Adrian Albert, March 11 April 8 Littlebirds Directors: Julie King, Craig Magill, Craig Brenan, Mike Yuzwenko Lane Arndt Dean Pierno Advertising: Shelley Chebry Yardbird Suite Jazz is a registered Graphic Design: Kim Deley, Critical Path March 18 April 15 trademark of the Edmonton Jazz Marketing Communications Rick Garn Blake Kinley Society (1973). Distribution: Monique Bielech, Shelley Chebry, Bill Harper March 25 April 22 Printed by: Nisku Printers (1980) Ltd. Canadian Publication Mail Bob Tildesley Torben Holm-Pederson Product Sales Agreement Yardbird Suite on the Net: April 29 # 1516698 www.yardbirdsuite.com Doug Zimmerman Yardbird Suite co-presentation with the Edmonton International Film Festival 'Strange Fruit', 2002 USA, 57 min. Directed by Joel Katz. Includes performance and/or interviews with: Billie Holiday, Abbey PJ Perry Lincoln, Pete Seeger, Don Byron, Cassandra Wilson, and others. This captivating documentary The schoolteacher who penned Please join us after the movie Quartet traces the journey of the song Strange Fruit under the pseudonym for live music of Billie Holiday and Strange Fruit, written by a Bronx Lewis Allen was named Abel original songs performed by P.J. Perry, Edmonton’s premier schoolteacher, popularized by Billie Meeropol, the same Abe Meeropol Melody Diachun Quartet. alto saxophonist, has a Juno award Holliday, and immortalized by the who adopted the two sons of atom Melody is a vibrant and to his credit. He has also been civil rights struggle. bomb spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg compelling vocalist. A Montreal honored by Jazz Report Magazine Strange Fruit is the first after their 1953 execution. The boys, native, she grew up in Annapolis Critics Choice, as the best documentary exploring the history now middle-aged, help relate the tale, Royal, Nova Scotia where she saxophonist in Canada. This award and legacy of the Billie Holiday illuminating the fevered world of art learned to play electric bass, piano was awarded to P.J. for several years classic. This history of the song's and politics in which they grew up. and French horn, and took her running. This January, P.J. was evolution tells a dramatic story of Folk singer Pete Seeger, premier professional singing gig at honoured as the Saxophonist of the America's racial past using one of playwright and critic Amiri Baraka, age fifteen. Later she was the first Year at the National Jazz Awards in the most influential protest songs veteran civil rights activist Rev. Dr. vocalist admitted to McGill Toronto. ever written. While many people C.T. Vivian, and Milt Gabler of University's Jazz Performance P.J. has shared the stage with assume Strange Fruit was written by Commodore Records, which first Program where she earned her such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday herself, it actually recorded Strange Fruit with Billie music degree. In the mid-90’s she Woody Shaw, Kenny Wheeler and began as a poem by a Jewish Holiday in 1939, add their voices to moved to New York City where she many others. For this show, he will schoolteacher and union activist the story. worked on composition, studied have three musicians assisting him: from the Bronx, who later set it to with Sheila Jordan, and soaked up guitarist Bobby Cairns, bassist Mike music. It was first performed at a the music of the local scene. Lent and Vancouver based drummer New York teachers' union rally and Melody’s singing career has Blaine Wikjord. All of these What they’re saying... was brought to the attention of the taken her from Montreal and New musicians are considered some of manager of Cafe Society, a popular "It still amazes me how York to a three year house gig at the best that Canada has to offer. Greenwich Village nightclub, who twelve lines can change the the Banff Springs Hotel, and most P.J. was asked what words introduced Billy Holiday to the writer. world" recently to Vancouver, where she would describe his concert and he Holiday's record label refused to Joel Katz, has quickly established herself as replied “the place will be a-rocking.” record the song. Holiday persisted and the director of Strange Fruit. one of the area’s most in-demand This will no doubt be one exciting, recorded it on a specialty label instead. performers. Last year she released energetic and entertaining concert, The haunting lyric and melody made it "This film is an invaluable her first CD "Lullaby of the Leaves." so be sure you catch it! impossible for white Americans and illumination of how a singer She has worked with many of politicians to ignore any more the and a song helped to Canada’s top jazz artists including Southern campaign of racist terror. permanently awaken Oliver Gannon, Michel Donato, P.J.Perry – sax The documentary includes a Americans to a horrifying part Bob Murphy, P.J. Perry, Dave Bobby Cairns – guitar moving recitation of the lyric by Abbey of our past that still affects Restivo and many others. She has Mike Lent – bass Lincoln and a powerful musical the present. I knew Billie performed on CBC Radio and Blaine Wikjord –drums performance by Cassandra Wilson. But Holiday and how deeply starred in her own episode of the it's the footage of Lady Day herself Strange Fruit affected her -- television series “JAZZMAN”. The performing her bitter and heart- as this film vividly shows." show features her compositions wrenching signature song that stands Nat Hentoff, and airs regularly on BRAVO! TV FRI & SAT4 at the center of the film. Holiday sang Village Voice and the BET Network. MARCH 7&8 it until her death in 1959. MEMBERS $12/GUESTS $16 Melody Diachun – vocals SUNDAY4 MARCH 9 Doug Stephenson – bass, guitar MOVIE 8PM 4 LIVE MUSIC FOLLOWS 4 MEMBERS $11/GUESTS $15 Wayne Feschuk - piano Sandro Dominelli - drums MARCH/APRIL 2003 Page 3 DC Bellamy with the Jim Guiboche Band DC Bellamy has been a musician he had made the transition to blues, first Canadian appearance as a all his working life. He is a high- and was playing as a sideman for bandleader at the Yardbird Suite, energy guitar player who plays blues artists including Valerie accompanied by Jim Guiboche and straight ahead blues, and who has a Wellington, Artie "Blues Boy" White his band who are known for their talent for connecting with his and Abb Locke. solid performances at previous audience. After three decades as a DC Bellamy has moved around, Yardbird Suite blues engagements. sideman, he has emerged as a great but his home base is now Kansas