2010 workshop

Jazz evening shows just how vital arts are to a community

Jazz is kind of like a different language and the people who play jazz are a different breed, maybe even a different species altogether.

On Thursday night, a mix of more than 50 of them (and their closest friends, family members and extraterrestrial visitors) gathered at the patio of Petra’s Arts Kafe and listened to the music, whether they were fluent or not.

They sat outside by the palm trees with their sun umbrellas, lawn chairs and smoothies for a two-hour open jam jazz session put on by a mix of amateur and professional musicians — a night that has now become tradition at the seventh annual South Delta Jazz Festival.

The atmosphere was a little otherworldly, with the sun and the saxophones and the music carrying across 12th Avenue, and to an outsider it was definitely an out-of-this-world experience.

In July 2004, the Delta Community Music School, along with instructors Jared Burrows and Stephen Robb, planted the seeds for this night when they founded the first annual jazz festival. Since then, it has grown to become a staple of the summer months like the Sun Festival, the Tour de Delta and skimboarding at Centennial Beach.

For one week, music students of all ages take part in workshops that teach them the subtle nuances of improvisational jazz, and the culmination is that one night, out in the sun, when 12-year-old bass players jam alongside 50-year-old saxophonists.

The positive benefits that each student and teacher, along with the community, gain from the South Delta Jazz Festival cannot be measured in any tangible form, but they also cannot be denied.

What’s unfortunate, then, is that like countless other arts programs in our province, the Delta Community Music School and the jazz festival lost significant financial support from the government of B.C. when it cut gaming grants.

They’ve secured private sponsors, sure, and they cut costs where they can, but harbouring the talents of young musicians doesn’t come cheap. (Through it all, they even manage to offer scholarships so students who can’t afford the cost of the workshops can still attend.)

I asked one of the more experienced performers why he was at Petra’s playing jazz on a Thursday night and he suggested that maybe it was because he was dropped on his head as a baby. Or maybe it was the drugs. (I learned that night that jazz players also know the subtle nuances of self-deprecation.)

Arts grants are just a slice of the province’s budget, yet they contribute to an important part of Canada’s social fabric. Sometimes, you need a jazz jam session out on the streets to remind people of that.
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Day 4 and 5

Friday was a great day at the workshop and festival with two performances. Lunchtime with Al Matheson with the faculty band, followed by the evening concert with Len Aruliah and Jared Burrows.  Both performances were well received with a standing ovation for the band in the evening performance.  Well done!

In the afternoon, all the groups worked together with Alan as he visited our 6 workshop bands in rehearsal.

Saturday saw us make final preparations for our student performances under the tents at Delta Hospital. Our students performed  really well, and some really exciting performances were heard this afternoon on a great Saturday afternoon on the hospital grounds.

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Day 3

Thursday was day 3 of this year’s workshop and festival.  Our lunch time concert featured some innovative arrangements featuring the music of Rob Kohler with the Infinitus String Trio.  Len Aruliah and Jared also joined in for this concert.

Our Thursday night Jam at Petra’s was wonderful. We enjoyed a warm summer evening here on the westcoast, and large number of our workshop students participated in the performance.  Over 100 people attended throughout the evening and heard some great live jazz from our workshop students.

At noon today (Friday July 9th) we feature Alan Matheson with our workshop faculty. He has worked with a variety of local groups including the Vancouver Symphony, Vancouver Opera orchestra and Fred Stride’s Big Band, and is the leader of his own big band, nonet and septet.

Mr. Matheson studied with Vincent Cichowicz and has performed with such renowned artists as Clark Terry, Phil Woods and Louis Bellson. His compositions and arrangements have been performed by Martin Hackleman, Julia Nolan and Clark Terry. He has also been featured on C.B.C. Radio, and at the Montréal, Paris and Tartu (Estonia) Jazz Festivals. Mr. Matheson has also recorded a CD titled Intrada. Matheson has taught at the Otava, Finland Jazz Camp (2008).

On Friday evening the Len Aruliah Quartet performs at the All Saints Anglican Church. Admission is $10 at the door.

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Day 2

Day 2 of the workshop and festival was another busy day of music making. Today the faculty band was featured in a concert at the Kin House.  Len featured a few of his new compositions with the faculty band.

Tomorrow’s noon hour concert will feature saxophonist Rob Kohler with some original arrangements and compositions. This year we are fortunate to have the string trio Infinitus in residence with us.  They will be performing tomorrow with Rob and faculty.

Tomorrow evening (Thursday) is the open jazz jam session at Petra’s Kafe in Tsawwassen. Come out and enjoy some live jazz, and of course – bring your horn!

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