live blues, Calgary

King Eddy Reunion Jam & Bash
Saturday, August 16
Shamrock Tavern & Grill, Calgary

Flamekeeper for the King Eddy Plans 4th Annual Event

The 4th annual King Eddy Reunion Jam & Bash takes place at the Shamrock Tavern & Grill in Calgary on Saturday, August 16th from 2pm till 2am.

Hosting the afternoon jam will be Blueswak, who will be joined throughout the day by local players and blues giants such as Sonny Rhodes and other King Eddy alumni.

The King Eddy, once known as “home of the blues” for the world class music that rolled through the doors, was the hub of Calgary’s blues music scene before closing in August of 2004, when the building was condemned due to mould. Over the years the venerable club presented such names as John Hammond, Pinetop Perkins, Otis Rush and Buddy Guy, along with hosting some of the city’s most popular jam sessions on Saturday afternoons.

Since that time Calgary blues fans have rallied to save the colourful history and culture of the King Eddy, creating an advocacy group and hosting events to raise awareness about the importance of the building to the blues scene in the city. Recent announcements have been made that the initiative has been successful in saving the name and perhaps part of the actual building.

One of its great supporters, the Shamrock Tavern & Grill, have hosted multiple events and become an ad hoc replacement venue for the famous King Eddy Saturday afternoon jams. Organizer Darcy Clendenning has put together the 4th annual King Eddy Reunion Jam & Bash in honour of the establishment. As Clendenning puts it ” The Shamrock Hotel is the proud to carry the flame, so to speak, for as long as necessary. When the King Eddy re-opens, we can hand back the torch to the new operators and re-establish blues music at The King Eddy.”

for more info phone 403-290-0084

jazz news, Canada

Jazz Legend
Bobby Durham
1937-2008

Master Musician Known for Work With Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald

Jazz drummer and vocalist Bobby Durham has died of lung cancer on Monday in Genoa, Italy. Durham, who was 71, owned homes in both Genoa and Basel, Switzerland.

In demand for his understated style, Bobby Durham worked with numerous jazz legends but was likely best known for his work in Oscar Peterson’s classic trio with Ray Brown (1966 to 1971) and with Ella Fitzgerald (1973-1980). The master musician was considered an expert in brush technique and renowned for his outstanding scat singing, making him a sensitive accompanist for vocalists.

With a career spanning over four decades, Durham worked with jazz greats such as Lionel Hampton (1962) and Duke Ellington (1966) and recorded with trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Roy Eldridge, pianist Tommy Flanagan, guitarist Joe Pass and alto saxophonist Benny Carter, to name a few.

Born Robert Joseph Durham in Philadelphia on Feb. 3, 1937, Durham’s father was a professional tap dancer who taught his son the art at the tender age of 2. Bobby started singing well before his teens, when he began playing drums with his junior high school band at age 16, going on to play professionally with the group the Orioles. He was also part of a Marine Corps band from 1956 to 1959.

Upon moving to New York in 1960, his career took off, working with mainstream jazz greats including Lloyd Price, Wild Bill Davis, Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Slide Hampton, Grant Green, Hary Edison, Tommy Flanagan, and Jimmy Rowles. He met trombonist Al Grey in the Basie band and was later a part of Grey’s own combos.

Settling in Europe after touring the region numerous times, Durham formed trios with Italian and Scanadanivian musicians including Aldo Zunino, Andrea Zonzaterra, and Massimo Farao.

Bobby Durham was predeceased by his wife, the former Betsy Perkins, in 1996. He is survived by two daughters and four grandchildren.

for more info visit http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=107292403

jazz festivals, Canada

Maple Ridge Jazz & Blues Festival
Saturday, August 9
Memorial Peace Park
Maple Ridge, BC

A Full Day of World Class Jazz, Blues & Latin Music Runs on Two Stages

The 12th annual Maple Ridge Jazz and Blues Festival takes place Saturday, August 9 at Memorial Peace Park in Maple Ridge, B.C.

Running from noon - 11pm, the festival features two outdoor stages with 11 hours of non-stop live music by jazz, blues and roots veterans alongside emerging talent. Other festival attractions include a beer garden, food and arts vendors, displays and more.

A wide range of jazz styles are represented in the headline roster, including the 13-piece Cuban ensemble La Gran Union lead by Wil Campa (Cuba, Vancouver), award-winning tenor saxophonist Eli Bennett (Vancouver); Dixieland greats The Creole Jazz Band (Vancouver); Last Train Home - The Metheny Project (Vancouver) and marimba/percussion ensemble Kutapira (Vancouver), who perform a mix of Zimbabwe marimba music and Afro-Cuban drumming.

Blues artists include keyboard giant John Lee Sanders (New Orleans, Kelowna), vocalist Sibel Thrasher (Vancouver), guitarist Gerald Charlie & Black Owl Blues (Scowlitz Reserve, Lake Errock), guitarist Nigel Mack & the Blues Attack (Vancouver) and the Russell Jackson Band (Vancouver), to name a few.

Tickets are $20, (half price for seniors 65+) and are available at the gates and only on the day of the festival. Children 12 & under are free.

MAPLE RIDGE JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL HEADLINE ROSTER

Alouette Stage

Kutapira
Eli Bennett
Sibel Thrasher
Last Train Home
John Lee Sanders
Russell Jackson Band
La Gran Union with Wil Campa

BC 150 Spirit Stage

Gerald Charlie & Black Owl Blues
Nigel Mack & The Blues Attack
The Lavalights
The Creole Jazz Band
Arsen Shomakhov

for more info visit www.jazzblues.ca