This simply styled animated short is about a young girl and her family who run a junkyard. She repairs electronic equipment in her tree house workshop, while her father drives the magnetic crane, and her mother runs the household.
One night at dinner time, a policewoman comes to the door and shows them mug shots of wanted criminals–cute fuzzy animals. Her father sends the nosy copper away with a well timed game of pull my finger.
After dinner, the girl meets with the fugitive alligator (okay, he's not fuzzy but he is cute) and the true extent of their crimes is revealed. Hidden in the woods, the jazz menagerie band illicitly broadcasts their performances on the girl's pirate radio setup.
A very cute short with a fine sounding jazz band who may or may not actually have been animals. No animals were harmed in the making of this cartoon.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Saturday, October 07, 2006
VIFF Review: The Net
This German documentary tries to link together 1960s counter-culture, the military industrial complex, the new world order, LSD, CIA mind control experiments, the Internet, metaphysics, and Gödel's incompleteness theorem all to the Unabomber–and all narrated in a female German monotone. If this sounds like the recipe for a mind-numbing mess, well that's pretty much what it is.
The film suffers from trying too hard to link everyone and everything to Ted Kaczynski. Even the most incidental subjects are presented in a conspiratorial light. Connections are insinuated but director Lutz Dammbeck offers only conjectures and speculation not proof.
About the only interesting thing that Dammbeck accomplishes is writing to Kaczynski and surprisingly entering into an ongoing correspondence. In German no less. Kaczynski's replies from his cell in the maximum security prison in Florence, CO are lucid and to the point. He even upbraids Dammbeck at one point for misrepresenting Gödel's incompleteness theorem and inappropriately applying it outside its mathematical domain.
As an idea for a film, exploring the societal roots which might underly and produce a Unabomber is a good one but unfortunately this film is not it.
The film suffers from trying too hard to link everyone and everything to Ted Kaczynski. Even the most incidental subjects are presented in a conspiratorial light. Connections are insinuated but director Lutz Dammbeck offers only conjectures and speculation not proof.
About the only interesting thing that Dammbeck accomplishes is writing to Kaczynski and surprisingly entering into an ongoing correspondence. In German no less. Kaczynski's replies from his cell in the maximum security prison in Florence, CO are lucid and to the point. He even upbraids Dammbeck at one point for misrepresenting Gödel's incompleteness theorem and inappropriately applying it outside its mathematical domain.
As an idea for a film, exploring the societal roots which might underly and produce a Unabomber is a good one but unfortunately this film is not it.
VIFF Review: Murch
Famed film editor Walter Murch is the subject of this documentary interview. He has put his cut and splice skills to films such as Apocalypse Now, The English Patient, The Godfather, THX-1138, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Touch of Evil. Not surprisingly, he went to film school with directors Francis Ford Coppola, and George Lucas.
This is mandatory viewing for any film students, or anyone who has any ambition to commit image to celluloid or nowadays hard drive. With his salt and pepper beard, and radio announcer voice he's an engaging and personable speaker. In great detail Murch explains his methods, techniques, and philosophy of editing together a film. Illustrative scenes are taken from the aforementioned movies. The filmmakers use jump cuts and other editing devices as Murch speaks to reinforce the point.
The filmmakers Edie and David Ichioka were in the audience and took questions after the screening. Edie was an assistant editor to Murch so he was quite open to her questions, and she had full access to him for two days. There were many questions and discussion about film editing technology from the audience. The film didn't touch on the transition from analog film splicing to digital editing systems. There was much interest in Murch's transition from the original non-linear editing system Avid to Apple Computer's later entrant Final Cut Pro.
This is mandatory viewing for any film students, or anyone who has any ambition to commit image to celluloid or nowadays hard drive. With his salt and pepper beard, and radio announcer voice he's an engaging and personable speaker. In great detail Murch explains his methods, techniques, and philosophy of editing together a film. Illustrative scenes are taken from the aforementioned movies. The filmmakers use jump cuts and other editing devices as Murch speaks to reinforce the point.
The filmmakers Edie and David Ichioka were in the audience and took questions after the screening. Edie was an assistant editor to Murch so he was quite open to her questions, and she had full access to him for two days. There were many questions and discussion about film editing technology from the audience. The film didn't touch on the transition from analog film splicing to digital editing systems. There was much interest in Murch's transition from the original non-linear editing system Avid to Apple Computer's later entrant Final Cut Pro.
VIFF Review: Absolute Wilson
This German produced documentary on famed stage director Robert Wilson is an insightful, and comprehensive portrait of the man and his unique style of stagecraft.
It starts with an account of his difficult childhood in Waco, Texas. Born into a strict conservative Christian family, he never felt like he fit in. He was painfully shy and had a stuttering problem. His childhood best friend was a black boy–a relationship between two outcasts of this very conservative and segregated society.
Trying to please his father, Wilson enrolled in pre-law at the University of Texas. Things did not go as planned as Wilson hated his studies, discovered his love for dance, came out of the closet, and tried to commit suicide.
With nothing left for him in Texas he went to New York and fell in with the experimental theatre community. He discovered he had an empathy with mentally and physically challenged youth, and put his theatre knowledge to use as therapy. In return, they influenced his early work. He adopted a deaf black boy Raymond Andrews who inspired and starred in his play Deafman Glance. He befriended Christopher Knowles, an autistic son of a friend. Knowles' repetitious behaviour and language inspired the repetitive phrases and gestures in A Letter to Queen Victoria.
It is never explicitly stated in the film, but I wonder if Wilson himself is a high functioning autistic. His behaviour sometimes borders on the insensitive and tyrannical. He is driven to work at all times, and has an exhausting travel schedule. His barely sleeps. His loft space has almost no comforts, but his living room is a sea of unusual chairs he has collected.
Wilson's success has been mainly in Europe and not America. Probably his biggest success in America has been the 1976 opera Einstein on the Beach. This collaboration with Philip Glass who composed the music brought both of them to fame. It was an artistic success but not a financial one which left Wilson $150,000 in debt on production costs. The Metropolitan Opera was no great help as they graciously allowed them to rent the house on a Sunday with incurred triple time wages. Thirty years later–an entire generation–would it be even possible to stage this groundbreaking work outside New York or San Francisco?
Wilson's most spectacular failure was The Civil Wars, also a collaboration with Philip Glass which was killed at the last minute by a nervous 1984 Los Angeles Olympics Arts Committee. A 12 hour production with an international cast and segments produced in several countries, it went too far over the heads of the conservative corporate American games leadership.
But Wilson is no stranger to extreme long form theatre. At 7 continous 24 hour days, his play KA MOUNTain and GUARDenia Terrace produced in 1972 for a festival sponsored by the Shah of Iran in Shiraz, Iran stretched the limits of his actors, and the definition of theatre.
Wilson continues to this day to create theatre in his own unique style, and takes on large projects without a blink. His latest project is staging Wagner's Ring Cycle. At a total length of about 15 hours, this marathon opera is perfectly suited to his talents.
At a sprightly 105 minutes, this film is an absolute success in capturing the essence of the man and his work.
It starts with an account of his difficult childhood in Waco, Texas. Born into a strict conservative Christian family, he never felt like he fit in. He was painfully shy and had a stuttering problem. His childhood best friend was a black boy–a relationship between two outcasts of this very conservative and segregated society.
Trying to please his father, Wilson enrolled in pre-law at the University of Texas. Things did not go as planned as Wilson hated his studies, discovered his love for dance, came out of the closet, and tried to commit suicide.
With nothing left for him in Texas he went to New York and fell in with the experimental theatre community. He discovered he had an empathy with mentally and physically challenged youth, and put his theatre knowledge to use as therapy. In return, they influenced his early work. He adopted a deaf black boy Raymond Andrews who inspired and starred in his play Deafman Glance. He befriended Christopher Knowles, an autistic son of a friend. Knowles' repetitious behaviour and language inspired the repetitive phrases and gestures in A Letter to Queen Victoria.
It is never explicitly stated in the film, but I wonder if Wilson himself is a high functioning autistic. His behaviour sometimes borders on the insensitive and tyrannical. He is driven to work at all times, and has an exhausting travel schedule. His barely sleeps. His loft space has almost no comforts, but his living room is a sea of unusual chairs he has collected.
Wilson's success has been mainly in Europe and not America. Probably his biggest success in America has been the 1976 opera Einstein on the Beach. This collaboration with Philip Glass who composed the music brought both of them to fame. It was an artistic success but not a financial one which left Wilson $150,000 in debt on production costs. The Metropolitan Opera was no great help as they graciously allowed them to rent the house on a Sunday with incurred triple time wages. Thirty years later–an entire generation–would it be even possible to stage this groundbreaking work outside New York or San Francisco?
Wilson's most spectacular failure was The Civil Wars, also a collaboration with Philip Glass which was killed at the last minute by a nervous 1984 Los Angeles Olympics Arts Committee. A 12 hour production with an international cast and segments produced in several countries, it went too far over the heads of the conservative corporate American games leadership.
But Wilson is no stranger to extreme long form theatre. At 7 continous 24 hour days, his play KA MOUNTain and GUARDenia Terrace produced in 1972 for a festival sponsored by the Shah of Iran in Shiraz, Iran stretched the limits of his actors, and the definition of theatre.
Wilson continues to this day to create theatre in his own unique style, and takes on large projects without a blink. His latest project is staging Wagner's Ring Cycle. At a total length of about 15 hours, this marathon opera is perfectly suited to his talents.
At a sprightly 105 minutes, this film is an absolute success in capturing the essence of the man and his work.
Friday, October 06, 2006
VIFF Review: Erni
This has to be the oddest promotional short film for Vienna tourism ever produced. A young Japanese family tours Vienna. Their tour guide is the fashion conscious chicken Erni who leads them all over Vienna, wearing a different outfit at each location.
It's a charming and light-hearted film with high production values. Vienna looks beautiful, and the classical music soundtrack sounds incredible on the Vancity Theatre's sound system.
It's a charming and light-hearted film with high production values. Vienna looks beautiful, and the classical music soundtrack sounds incredible on the Vancity Theatre's sound system.
VIFF Review: To Play and to Fight
"To play and to fight" is the motto of the Venezuelan National System of Children and Youth Orchestras. It was founded 30 years ago by Maestro José Antonio Abreu who believes in nothing less that the transformation of his nation through the power of music. He is the philosopher-king-conductor of Venezuela–a man of deep conviction, an eloquent speaker, and an inspiring teacher. For him, the orchestra is the metaphor for life: coming together as a community to create beauty, and opportunity for the next generation.
It's an inclusive program with a quarter of a million young people participating, including the blind, deaf, mentally, and physically challenged. The deaf kids participate in a miming choir–expressing the music through their facial expressions and gestures of their white gloved hands. Proudly wearing their distinctive track suits in the colors of the Venezuelan flag, the best and brightest play in the travelling orchestra which tours the great concert halls of the world.
All the participants are true believers in Abreu and his philosophy. His success has attracted the attention of prominent guest artists include Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, and Placido Domingo. Rattle is extensively interviewed, and is enthusiastic in his praise for the program.
While the content of the film is inspiring, the film is marred by its technical failings. The fuzzy quality of the video in general, and the even worse quality of some of its historic footage makes for eye squinting viewing. The soundtrack is AM radio quality with both mono sound and restricted frequency response detracting from the performances.
It's an inclusive program with a quarter of a million young people participating, including the blind, deaf, mentally, and physically challenged. The deaf kids participate in a miming choir–expressing the music through their facial expressions and gestures of their white gloved hands. Proudly wearing their distinctive track suits in the colors of the Venezuelan flag, the best and brightest play in the travelling orchestra which tours the great concert halls of the world.
All the participants are true believers in Abreu and his philosophy. His success has attracted the attention of prominent guest artists include Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, and Placido Domingo. Rattle is extensively interviewed, and is enthusiastic in his praise for the program.
While the content of the film is inspiring, the film is marred by its technical failings. The fuzzy quality of the video in general, and the even worse quality of some of its historic footage makes for eye squinting viewing. The soundtrack is AM radio quality with both mono sound and restricted frequency response detracting from the performances.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
VIFF Review: Two Sons of Francisco
This film is based on the true life story of Francisco Camargo and his family's rise from rags to riches. He is a poor farmer in the rural Brazilian state of Goiás struggling to make a living with his wife Helena and raising their seven children.
Francisco dreams of a better life for his children and knows it will not be through farming on land he doesn't own. He loves music and the tabletop transistor radio is always on. He encourages his two eldest sons Mirosmar and Emival to take up music. Without money for formal training Francisco devises some uniquely rural ways of training his sons to sing. How many singers start the day at sunrise with a raw egg? The boys learn to play accordion and guitar, showing enough talent to play the county fair, and other local events, but they cannot advance further without help.
Knowing this, Francisco uproots the family from the farm to the capital city of Goiânia. It's a struggle at first for the whole family–living in a leaky, rundown, shack of a house. The boys turn to busking at the bus station which gives them their first break. They meet Miranda, a slick and outgoing man who becomes their first agent. He has connections but is less than scrupulous.
It's a hard road to success with setbacks at every step. But the family builds on their successes which is alluded to visually as their house subtly improves as the movie progresses. The boys are young men now but a big hit eludes them. It is Francisco's ingenious act of payola which finally ignites the first hit single, and propels them to fame and fortune.
The film ends with an appearance by the real life family that inspired this movie. Now known as Zezé di Camargo and Luciano, the brothers perform in a packed stadium in São Paulo. And we accompany them on a visit to the farm where it all started.
At its heart this is a family film about the strength and resiliency of a family. They survive hardship and tragedy, and share in happiness and success.
Francisco dreams of a better life for his children and knows it will not be through farming on land he doesn't own. He loves music and the tabletop transistor radio is always on. He encourages his two eldest sons Mirosmar and Emival to take up music. Without money for formal training Francisco devises some uniquely rural ways of training his sons to sing. How many singers start the day at sunrise with a raw egg? The boys learn to play accordion and guitar, showing enough talent to play the county fair, and other local events, but they cannot advance further without help.
Knowing this, Francisco uproots the family from the farm to the capital city of Goiânia. It's a struggle at first for the whole family–living in a leaky, rundown, shack of a house. The boys turn to busking at the bus station which gives them their first break. They meet Miranda, a slick and outgoing man who becomes their first agent. He has connections but is less than scrupulous.
It's a hard road to success with setbacks at every step. But the family builds on their successes which is alluded to visually as their house subtly improves as the movie progresses. The boys are young men now but a big hit eludes them. It is Francisco's ingenious act of payola which finally ignites the first hit single, and propels them to fame and fortune.
The film ends with an appearance by the real life family that inspired this movie. Now known as Zezé di Camargo and Luciano, the brothers perform in a packed stadium in São Paulo. And we accompany them on a visit to the farm where it all started.
At its heart this is a family film about the strength and resiliency of a family. They survive hardship and tragedy, and share in happiness and success.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
One Night Stand: Steve Reich
Heritage Hall
October 3, 2006 7:00pm
A new music series called Music on Main debuts with a tribute concert to composer Steve Reich in celebration of his 70th birthday. This concert featured his most well known pieces as well as new material.
The concert started off with Come Out, his seminal experiment with tape loops. Using modern music technology instead, the piece was performed by a 15-inch MacBook Pro. Are you supposed to clap after a computer finishes playing?
Next was Piano Phase performed on two marimbas by Vern Griffiths and Lauri Lyster. The shifting phase of the musical lines on the marimbas generated beat frequencies of harp-like sounds in between the striking of the keys. An amazing effect from a beautiful and beautifully constructed piece.
What is the sound of four hands clapping? Clapping Music is a short but delightful piece which answers this question with two musicians, Lauri Lyster and Robin Reid. At times they sounded like more than four hands clapping, as the rhythms and textures were rich and mesmerizing. I guess there was a good reason Reich kept it a short piece as it looked quite tiring even for two seasoned percussionists.
The format of the evening was to have a 15 minute or so break every hour. It made for a long but very relaxed evening. Very civilized indeed to enjoy a chat and a libation with the musicians.
The next hour continued on with Different Trains performed by the Penderecki String Quartet with recorded elements. The piece strongly conveys trains in motion, and has a restless feel to it.
The penultimate hour brought eight cellos onto stage for the Canadian Premiere of Reich's newer work Cello Counterpoint. From eight cellos to eight bongos–four pairs of tuned bongos were brought onto stage for Drumming: Part One. The careful tuning paid off as the phase shifting pattern effect was conjured up with precise percussion.
The final part of the concert featured the avant-jazz Coat Cooke Trio performing improvisations on Reich's music. I noticed that not everyone stayed for the improv jazz portion of the evening as we were getting into the fourth hour. Nonetheless, they sounded great with lots of interesting patterns and textures. Clyde Reed played his double bass in a most unique way with the back handle of the bow tapping and plucking on the strings at the bridge.
Overall, an auspicious beginning to this new music series. I look forward to hearing more great music from Music on Main.
October 3, 2006 7:00pm
A new music series called Music on Main debuts with a tribute concert to composer Steve Reich in celebration of his 70th birthday. This concert featured his most well known pieces as well as new material.
The concert started off with Come Out, his seminal experiment with tape loops. Using modern music technology instead, the piece was performed by a 15-inch MacBook Pro. Are you supposed to clap after a computer finishes playing?
Next was Piano Phase performed on two marimbas by Vern Griffiths and Lauri Lyster. The shifting phase of the musical lines on the marimbas generated beat frequencies of harp-like sounds in between the striking of the keys. An amazing effect from a beautiful and beautifully constructed piece.
What is the sound of four hands clapping? Clapping Music is a short but delightful piece which answers this question with two musicians, Lauri Lyster and Robin Reid. At times they sounded like more than four hands clapping, as the rhythms and textures were rich and mesmerizing. I guess there was a good reason Reich kept it a short piece as it looked quite tiring even for two seasoned percussionists.
The format of the evening was to have a 15 minute or so break every hour. It made for a long but very relaxed evening. Very civilized indeed to enjoy a chat and a libation with the musicians.
The next hour continued on with Different Trains performed by the Penderecki String Quartet with recorded elements. The piece strongly conveys trains in motion, and has a restless feel to it.
The penultimate hour brought eight cellos onto stage for the Canadian Premiere of Reich's newer work Cello Counterpoint. From eight cellos to eight bongos–four pairs of tuned bongos were brought onto stage for Drumming: Part One. The careful tuning paid off as the phase shifting pattern effect was conjured up with precise percussion.
The final part of the concert featured the avant-jazz Coat Cooke Trio performing improvisations on Reich's music. I noticed that not everyone stayed for the improv jazz portion of the evening as we were getting into the fourth hour. Nonetheless, they sounded great with lots of interesting patterns and textures. Clyde Reed played his double bass in a most unique way with the back handle of the bow tapping and plucking on the strings at the bridge.
Overall, an auspicious beginning to this new music series. I look forward to hearing more great music from Music on Main.
VIFF Review: Tachigui: The Amazing Lives of the Fast-Food Grifters
This is the North American premiere of anime director Mamoru Oshii's highly satirical and subversive mock documentary. It's a huge departure from the more mainstream science fiction anime films like Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor, and Urusei Yatsura which have made Oshii famous. Most people outside of Japan will probably be a bit mystified by the subject matter. It's a scholarly exposé of the post-war phenomenon of the fast-food grifters–individuals who make a living by scamming free meals out of the noodle shops and fast-food outlets of Japan.
The film was rendered in a stylish new 2-D 3-D process. It looks sort of like a computerized version of the cut-out animations Terry Gilliam pioneered in Monty Python's Flying Circus. The visual look suits the story of this motley collection of characters.
In post-war occupied Tokyo, Moongaze Ginji is the original grifter, beguiling the hapless noodle shop owner with his philosophizing over the landscape of egg, soba noodles, and broth in the bowl. Foxy Croquette O-Gin is the first female grifter, wielding her feminine charms for her favorite dish of Kisune Soba with a Croquette. Beefbowl Ushigoro bankrupts a restaurant chain with his gluttonous gang. Frankfurter Tatsu still obsesses over his failure at ******land (I'm not sure if it was part of the joke to bleep this out or if Oshii-san got a visit from Mickey's lawyers–don't mess with the mouse!).
So what significance is this subject matter especially to an audience that is not Japanese? My guess is that Oshii is commenting on the state of post-war Japanese society. These characters are outsiders surviving on the periphery of Japanese society. Japan recovered from the war and launched its economic miracle, but not everyone benefitted. Those forgotten, ignored, and left behind are represented here. This is an uniquely Japanese tale in a Swiftian vein.
The film was rendered in a stylish new 2-D 3-D process. It looks sort of like a computerized version of the cut-out animations Terry Gilliam pioneered in Monty Python's Flying Circus. The visual look suits the story of this motley collection of characters.
In post-war occupied Tokyo, Moongaze Ginji is the original grifter, beguiling the hapless noodle shop owner with his philosophizing over the landscape of egg, soba noodles, and broth in the bowl. Foxy Croquette O-Gin is the first female grifter, wielding her feminine charms for her favorite dish of Kisune Soba with a Croquette. Beefbowl Ushigoro bankrupts a restaurant chain with his gluttonous gang. Frankfurter Tatsu still obsesses over his failure at ******land (I'm not sure if it was part of the joke to bleep this out or if Oshii-san got a visit from Mickey's lawyers–don't mess with the mouse!).
So what significance is this subject matter especially to an audience that is not Japanese? My guess is that Oshii is commenting on the state of post-war Japanese society. These characters are outsiders surviving on the periphery of Japanese society. Japan recovered from the war and launched its economic miracle, but not everyone benefitted. Those forgotten, ignored, and left behind are represented here. This is an uniquely Japanese tale in a Swiftian vein.
VIFF Review: Opera Jawa
One of the things the film festival does is plunge you headlong into another culture. Opera Jawa offers up a beautiful, bewildering, and tragic story in operatic style with Indonesian sensibilities.
The story is inspired by the Hindu epic poem Ramayana in which prince Rama loses his wife Sita to the demon king Ravana. The story is hard to follow at times, but is essentially about potter Setyo and his wife Siti who are living the good life in rural Java. Unfortunately their relationship falters, leaving Siti open to seduction by butcher Ludiro who has always lusted after her. At the same time, the idyllic country life of the villagers is wrenched by civil unrest, and sectarian violence.
The dialog is sung throughout, accompanied by the gamelan and other traditional Indonesian instruments. The music creates an exotic, otherworldly, and at times uneasy atmosphere.
Visually the film presents beautiful, surreal, and sometimes disturbing imagery. There are various styles of dance including martial arts, and a fully clothed yet erotic mingling in bed. An impossibly long bolt of red fabric leads Siti from her home to Ludiro's rendezvous in the jungle. Lotus flower candles light the house of Ludiro in an eerily romantic setting. A clay drenched scene with Setyo and Siti recalls the pottery wheel scene in Ghost but with a totally different context and emotion. Full-sized human head shaped candles drip red wax onto white mannequin bodies like blood.
While not the most accessible film–some scenes and character actions are quite inexplicable without a knowledge of Indonesian culture–it is interesting for its music and imagery.
The story is inspired by the Hindu epic poem Ramayana in which prince Rama loses his wife Sita to the demon king Ravana. The story is hard to follow at times, but is essentially about potter Setyo and his wife Siti who are living the good life in rural Java. Unfortunately their relationship falters, leaving Siti open to seduction by butcher Ludiro who has always lusted after her. At the same time, the idyllic country life of the villagers is wrenched by civil unrest, and sectarian violence.
The dialog is sung throughout, accompanied by the gamelan and other traditional Indonesian instruments. The music creates an exotic, otherworldly, and at times uneasy atmosphere.
Visually the film presents beautiful, surreal, and sometimes disturbing imagery. There are various styles of dance including martial arts, and a fully clothed yet erotic mingling in bed. An impossibly long bolt of red fabric leads Siti from her home to Ludiro's rendezvous in the jungle. Lotus flower candles light the house of Ludiro in an eerily romantic setting. A clay drenched scene with Setyo and Siti recalls the pottery wheel scene in Ghost but with a totally different context and emotion. Full-sized human head shaped candles drip red wax onto white mannequin bodies like blood.
While not the most accessible film–some scenes and character actions are quite inexplicable without a knowledge of Indonesian culture–it is interesting for its music and imagery.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
VIFF Review: Norman McLaren Retrospective
What a delight it is to rediscover the artistic genius of Canadian animator Norman McLaren. His animations are pioneering classics of the genre which are still fresh and enjoyable today. This retrospective presents a judicious sample of his work.
Trouble with Inanimate Objects
In Opening Speech, McLaren attempts to give a speech on the occasion of the first annual Montréal Film Festival where he has trouble with an uncooperative microphone stand. In A Chairy Tale he has trouble trying to sit down on a chair with a mind of its own. The hilarious action is perfectly matched by Ravi Shankar's soundtrack. Both of these films could be live action versions of classic Warner Brothers cartoons.
Abstract Images and Music
Begone Dull Care is an explosion of lines and colour–a brilliant visualization of the music of a young and energetic Oscar Peterson Trio. Synchromy is a colorful experiment with early music synthesizers. The beeps, boops, and other sounds strongly remind me of the Atari 2600 game console. The moving groups of lines in Lines Horizontal generate interesting interference patterns, all to the music of Pete Seeger.
The Birds
McLaren seemed to have an affinity for whimsically animated birds. Hen Hop features a chicken–whole and in parts–dancing to a square dance song. Le Merle is a bird-like figure animated to a French-Canadian folk/children's song.
Award Winning Shorts
McLaren won an Oscar for his billiant anti-war film, Neighbours. Also notable for its soundtrack which sounds like early electronic music. Possibly tape loops or directly painting onto the film sound track.
McLaren received an Oscar nomination and won the BAFTA award for Pas de Deux. It's a beautiful ballet duo filmed in black and white with multiple exposures and stroboscopic effects. It reminds me of The Matrix's bullet time effects.
About McLaren
McLaren's Negatives is a brief tribute to, and interview with McLaren. In animated form, he explains some of his techniques, and reflects on his work. It is amazing to think that all of his work predated the computer age, and much of it involved painstakingly hand painting images onto each film frame.
If you miss this retrospective you don't have to wait until the next film festival to enjoy McLaren's work. A DVD box set of all his films is available from the National Film Board of Canada website.
Trouble with Inanimate Objects
In Opening Speech, McLaren attempts to give a speech on the occasion of the first annual Montréal Film Festival where he has trouble with an uncooperative microphone stand. In A Chairy Tale he has trouble trying to sit down on a chair with a mind of its own. The hilarious action is perfectly matched by Ravi Shankar's soundtrack. Both of these films could be live action versions of classic Warner Brothers cartoons.
Abstract Images and Music
Begone Dull Care is an explosion of lines and colour–a brilliant visualization of the music of a young and energetic Oscar Peterson Trio. Synchromy is a colorful experiment with early music synthesizers. The beeps, boops, and other sounds strongly remind me of the Atari 2600 game console. The moving groups of lines in Lines Horizontal generate interesting interference patterns, all to the music of Pete Seeger.
The Birds
McLaren seemed to have an affinity for whimsically animated birds. Hen Hop features a chicken–whole and in parts–dancing to a square dance song. Le Merle is a bird-like figure animated to a French-Canadian folk/children's song.
Award Winning Shorts
McLaren won an Oscar for his billiant anti-war film, Neighbours. Also notable for its soundtrack which sounds like early electronic music. Possibly tape loops or directly painting onto the film sound track.
McLaren received an Oscar nomination and won the BAFTA award for Pas de Deux. It's a beautiful ballet duo filmed in black and white with multiple exposures and stroboscopic effects. It reminds me of The Matrix's bullet time effects.
About McLaren
McLaren's Negatives is a brief tribute to, and interview with McLaren. In animated form, he explains some of his techniques, and reflects on his work. It is amazing to think that all of his work predated the computer age, and much of it involved painstakingly hand painting images onto each film frame.
If you miss this retrospective you don't have to wait until the next film festival to enjoy McLaren's work. A DVD box set of all his films is available from the National Film Board of Canada website.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
VIFF Review: Antonio Vivaldi: A Prince of Venice
The obvious comparison for this French produced biography of the life of Baroque composer Vivaldi is the movie Amadeus. Both are visually, and musically lavish accounts of great classical composers, but they differ significantly in their dramatic structure. While Mozart's story is told in a traditional movie fashion, Vivaldi's story is composed in a series of vignettes of events in his life. It doesn't have the dramatic impact, and emotional involvement of Amadeus, but serves its purpose in detailing Vivaldi's life. It's more PBS docu-drama than Hollywood bio-pic, which I guess is why it was classified in the non-fiction category. It's also sometimes a little disorienting to be reading English subtitles for French dialog of Italian conversations.
Visually, the film is splendid. 18th century Venice is convincingly conjured up with historic locations, detailed sets, and period costumes.
Musically, the soundtrack is sumptuous. It would be impossible to include more than a small selection of his prodigious output. The brief exerpts are enough to pique my curiosity and seek out more of his music.
As a priest in the Catholic Church his musical talent was put to limited use as he was appointed as violin master of the La Prietà orphanage. His Church superiors did not seem to appreciate his musical talent outside teaching his pupils, and composing sacred music for the Church. He was discouraged from writing secular pieces, and it was scandalous to the Bishop that he would write operas. They seemed to consider non-sacred music–especially opera–a distraction to the masses from religion.
There was more than a little jealousy on his peers part as this simple priest was feted by the nobility. Despite the intrigues set against him and his own poor health, he composed and performed in all the great cities of Europe to people like Emperor Charles VI of Austria.
The depiction of Vivaldi's character is somewhat enigmatic. He is obsessed by music, and has little interest in anything else, not even romantic attachments. The life long relationship with his favorite singer Anna Giro is depicted as chaste. Perhaps his priestly vows allowed him the space to romance his muse instead.
Knowing little about Vivaldi beforehand–other than his Four Seasons–it was surprising to learn that he lapsed into obscurity in the 19th century, and was not rediscovered until 1927 when some of his manuscripts were discovered. The modern popularity of his music didn't happen until the 1950s when his music was finally recorded. This film puts the Red Priest of Venice into his place in musical history.
Visually, the film is splendid. 18th century Venice is convincingly conjured up with historic locations, detailed sets, and period costumes.
Musically, the soundtrack is sumptuous. It would be impossible to include more than a small selection of his prodigious output. The brief exerpts are enough to pique my curiosity and seek out more of his music.
As a priest in the Catholic Church his musical talent was put to limited use as he was appointed as violin master of the La Prietà orphanage. His Church superiors did not seem to appreciate his musical talent outside teaching his pupils, and composing sacred music for the Church. He was discouraged from writing secular pieces, and it was scandalous to the Bishop that he would write operas. They seemed to consider non-sacred music–especially opera–a distraction to the masses from religion.
There was more than a little jealousy on his peers part as this simple priest was feted by the nobility. Despite the intrigues set against him and his own poor health, he composed and performed in all the great cities of Europe to people like Emperor Charles VI of Austria.
The depiction of Vivaldi's character is somewhat enigmatic. He is obsessed by music, and has little interest in anything else, not even romantic attachments. The life long relationship with his favorite singer Anna Giro is depicted as chaste. Perhaps his priestly vows allowed him the space to romance his muse instead.
Knowing little about Vivaldi beforehand–other than his Four Seasons–it was surprising to learn that he lapsed into obscurity in the 19th century, and was not rediscovered until 1927 when some of his manuscripts were discovered. The modern popularity of his music didn't happen until the 1950s when his music was finally recorded. This film puts the Red Priest of Venice into his place in musical history.
VIFF Review: The Root of All Evil?
Richard Dawkins' multi-part television documentary is a provocative, and caustic criticism on religion and the religious world view. The well known biologist, and popular science writer of books such as The Selfish Gene, The Blind Watchmaker, and Climbing Mount Improbable argues that the consequences of unquestioning faith, violent emnity between religious groups, and attacks on science outweighs the good from religion. The whole enterprise should be abandoned, and the only viable alternative for human society's survival is thinking and belief based on evidence, reason, and science.
He travels the world, interviewing clergy from the Abraham descended monotheistic religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. In Jerusalem he interviews a former New York Jew who is now a ultra-conservative Muslim espousing his outright disgust with Western society and values. In London he meets with a Jewish rabbi of an orthodox sect which barely interacts with the outside society. But for reasons of familiarity to the audience, the main focus is on Christianity.
In conservative Colorado Springs he interviews Pastor Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals and ally of George W. Bush. The irony seems lost on Haggard as he commands Dawkins not to be arrogant with his scientific beliefs. There are many hilarous moments when Dawkins skewers ignorant and unquestioning belief with Douglas Adams-like wit.
Dawkins explores the evolutionary roots of belief. A child's malleable mind is accepting of parental authority because it is the most effective way for a child to learn enough about the world to survive. But as we grow up, we switch around and learn to question the accepted wisdom, or often not.
If religion is no longer a viable path to morality and social harmony then what is the alternative? Dawkins presents the case for atheism, and a rational scientific outlook on the world. Belief must be backed up by evidence. Morality naturally evolves because a harmonious group can succeed better than a divided group. Without gods, hell, and heaven, humans must make the best of what we have in the here and now, and take personal responsibility for ourselves, the natural world, and our fragile place in it.
He travels the world, interviewing clergy from the Abraham descended monotheistic religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. In Jerusalem he interviews a former New York Jew who is now a ultra-conservative Muslim espousing his outright disgust with Western society and values. In London he meets with a Jewish rabbi of an orthodox sect which barely interacts with the outside society. But for reasons of familiarity to the audience, the main focus is on Christianity.
In conservative Colorado Springs he interviews Pastor Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals and ally of George W. Bush. The irony seems lost on Haggard as he commands Dawkins not to be arrogant with his scientific beliefs. There are many hilarous moments when Dawkins skewers ignorant and unquestioning belief with Douglas Adams-like wit.
Dawkins explores the evolutionary roots of belief. A child's malleable mind is accepting of parental authority because it is the most effective way for a child to learn enough about the world to survive. But as we grow up, we switch around and learn to question the accepted wisdom, or often not.
If religion is no longer a viable path to morality and social harmony then what is the alternative? Dawkins presents the case for atheism, and a rational scientific outlook on the world. Belief must be backed up by evidence. Morality naturally evolves because a harmonious group can succeed better than a divided group. Without gods, hell, and heaven, humans must make the best of what we have in the here and now, and take personal responsibility for ourselves, the natural world, and our fragile place in it.
Friday, September 29, 2006
VIFF Review: Vinícius
This film details the incredible life of Vinícius De Moraes, one of the founders of Brazil's signature musical style–bossa nova. A passionate and prolific man, he wrote hundreds of poems, several musical plays, countless song lyrics, and married nine times. His day job of diplomat took him around the world to places like Los Angeles, Paris, and New Orleans which were influential to his creativity.
He befriended, collaborated and partied with the greats of Brazilian music including Antonio Jobim, João Gilberto, Baden Powell, and Pixinguinha. Some of his most famous works are the lyrics to The Girl from Ipanema, and the play which would become the Oscar winning film Black Orpheus.
Woven into the narrative of his life are readings of his poems, performances of his songs by fellow Brazilian musicians, and interviews with famous Brazilian musicians like Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, Gilberto Gil, and many others.
A prominent theme is the yearning for happiness and love, not only in his creative work but also in his personal life. Like an addict, he always needed the next hit whether it was a new song, a new young wife, or another glass of scotch. Even as a well paid member of the diplomatic corps, his bacchanal lifestyle left him short on money.
In words, music, and stories the film presents Vinícius as a restless, and creative free spirit–an embodiment of Brazil.
He befriended, collaborated and partied with the greats of Brazilian music including Antonio Jobim, João Gilberto, Baden Powell, and Pixinguinha. Some of his most famous works are the lyrics to The Girl from Ipanema, and the play which would become the Oscar winning film Black Orpheus.
Woven into the narrative of his life are readings of his poems, performances of his songs by fellow Brazilian musicians, and interviews with famous Brazilian musicians like Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, Gilberto Gil, and many others.
A prominent theme is the yearning for happiness and love, not only in his creative work but also in his personal life. Like an addict, he always needed the next hit whether it was a new song, a new young wife, or another glass of scotch. Even as a well paid member of the diplomatic corps, his bacchanal lifestyle left him short on money.
In words, music, and stories the film presents Vinícius as a restless, and creative free spirit–an embodiment of Brazil.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Vancouver International Film Festival 2006
This year is the 25th anniversary of the Vancouver International Film Festival. There's over a dozen films I want to see, and I'll be posting the reviews here. Once again I'm concentrating on the music related films, but there are also films on technology, atheism, and Japanese fast food to see.
These are the films I'm planning to see:
Vinicius
The Root of All Evil?
Antonio Vivaldi: A Prince in Venice
Norman McLaren Retrospective
Opera Jawa
Tachigui: The Amazing Lives of the Fast-Food Grifters
Two Sons of Francisco
To Play and to Fight
Absolute Wilson
Murch
The Net
Mozartballs
The War Symphonies: Shostakovich Against Stalin
Tis Autumn--The Search for Jackie Paris
Bring down the house lights and roll the film!
These are the films I'm planning to see:
Vinicius
The Root of All Evil?
Antonio Vivaldi: A Prince in Venice
Norman McLaren Retrospective
Opera Jawa
Tachigui: The Amazing Lives of the Fast-Food Grifters
Two Sons of Francisco
To Play and to Fight
Absolute Wilson
Murch
The Net
Mozartballs
The War Symphonies: Shostakovich Against Stalin
Tis Autumn--The Search for Jackie Paris
Bring down the house lights and roll the film!
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Dance Review: STONE: Drift
Scotiabank Dance Centre
September 21, 2006 8:00pm
I first experienced the wonderment of the Aeriosa Dance Society at this year's Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Suspended four stories above Gastown on climbing ropes anchored to the roof, they performed their gravity defying dance using the side of the building as their stage.
With STONE: Drift they bring their aerial dancing inside to the more predictable atmosphere of a theatre. With no worries about wind, weather, and building rash they are allowed the luxury to create an entirely new show. By combining the music of François Houle, lighting, and projected imagery with their acrobatic dance choreography, they form an entirely new dance experience.
Aeriosa brings a whole new meaning to "breaking the fourth wall" as the dancers swing right over the heads of the audience. No longer limited to the floor they make full use of the entire three dimensional space of the stage. The back wall of the theatre becomes another floor as we get a bird's eye view of a dance sequence. With still and motion picture images projected onto the wall the dancers enter a new environment before our eyes.
I have to marvel at the athleticism and skill of the dancers. Suspended in mid-air in their climbing harnesses they almost effortlessly twirl, spin, pose, push, and catch each other. Only when the music fades do you hear the grunts and pants of their considerable efforts. If you thought your Pilates class was challenging try doing it suspended in mid-air, and upside down.
This energetic young dance company is breaking new ground. There's nothing like this outside a Cirque du Soleil show. Check them out at the Scotia Dance Centre until September 30.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Fringe Review: Legoland
Arts Club Theatre
September 16, 2006 2:00pm
This is what I love about the Fringe--walking into a play with no expectations and finding something extraordinary. 16 year old Penny Lamb and her 13 year old brother Ezra are two precocious kids from Elysium Farm, a hippy commune outside of Uranium City, Saskatchewan. Sheltered from the outside world their entire lives, they must rely on their wits and each other when Penny's crush on a teen idol singer takes then on a adventure across America--winding up in more trouble than they could possibly imagine.
It's a multimedia, multidiscipline extravaganza with every element thrown in including music, singing, dance, puppetry, and slides. The script is clever, and packed with wit and pointed commentary as the siblings experience the rediculousness of modern North American society.
The acting is terrific and the actors revel in their parts with energetic glee. Penny's cherubic face is fixed with a beatific smile and manic glint in her eyes, like some demented angel. Ezra seems quiet and nerdy until one of his penetrating outbursts hits you in the funnybone.
This is easily the best show of this year's Fringe, and I'm not the only one who thinks so. Legoland is one of Georgia Straight's Pick of the Fringe. Encore performances are on from September 21 to 24. Congratulations to the wonderful performers of Atomic Vaudeville!
September 16, 2006 2:00pm
This is what I love about the Fringe--walking into a play with no expectations and finding something extraordinary. 16 year old Penny Lamb and her 13 year old brother Ezra are two precocious kids from Elysium Farm, a hippy commune outside of Uranium City, Saskatchewan. Sheltered from the outside world their entire lives, they must rely on their wits and each other when Penny's crush on a teen idol singer takes then on a adventure across America--winding up in more trouble than they could possibly imagine.
It's a multimedia, multidiscipline extravaganza with every element thrown in including music, singing, dance, puppetry, and slides. The script is clever, and packed with wit and pointed commentary as the siblings experience the rediculousness of modern North American society.
The acting is terrific and the actors revel in their parts with energetic glee. Penny's cherubic face is fixed with a beatific smile and manic glint in her eyes, like some demented angel. Ezra seems quiet and nerdy until one of his penetrating outbursts hits you in the funnybone.
This is easily the best show of this year's Fringe, and I'm not the only one who thinks so. Legoland is one of Georgia Straight's Pick of the Fringe. Encore performances are on from September 21 to 24. Congratulations to the wonderful performers of Atomic Vaudeville!
Fringe Review: The Big Kiss Off
Performance Works
September 15, 2006 10:45pm
The Big Kiss Off is a film noir musical as hard-boiled as a greasy spoon egg. It's the story of a singer whose life is almost destroyed by mobsters and how she gets her revenge. All the story conventions of a Raymond Chandler novel are brought to life on stage with plot twists, shady characters, violence, steely dialog, and shifting time line. The atmosphere and look of those noir films is captured in the monochromatic costumes, and shadowy lighting. All that was missing was a cigarette holder in the singer's hand with the smoke twirling into the air. In smoke-free Vancouver an ever present glass of "booze" substituted for that iconic vice.
Stefanie Wiens plays the singer to femme fatale perfection. She starts out as a starry eyed young innocent who is harshly changed into a cynical, and world-weary woman. Her voice is archetypally dark and sultry as you would expect. She also sings well, delivering rediculous lyrics like "Your cigarette smoke reminds me of Christmas when the house burned down," with a dead-pan seriousness.
Alternately funny, and tragic but always totally engrossing. Recommended with a bullet.
September 15, 2006 10:45pm
The Big Kiss Off is a film noir musical as hard-boiled as a greasy spoon egg. It's the story of a singer whose life is almost destroyed by mobsters and how she gets her revenge. All the story conventions of a Raymond Chandler novel are brought to life on stage with plot twists, shady characters, violence, steely dialog, and shifting time line. The atmosphere and look of those noir films is captured in the monochromatic costumes, and shadowy lighting. All that was missing was a cigarette holder in the singer's hand with the smoke twirling into the air. In smoke-free Vancouver an ever present glass of "booze" substituted for that iconic vice.
Stefanie Wiens plays the singer to femme fatale perfection. She starts out as a starry eyed young innocent who is harshly changed into a cynical, and world-weary woman. Her voice is archetypally dark and sultry as you would expect. She also sings well, delivering rediculous lyrics like "Your cigarette smoke reminds me of Christmas when the house burned down," with a dead-pan seriousness.
Alternately funny, and tragic but always totally engrossing. Recommended with a bullet.
Fringe Review: 40 Needles
Playwrights Theatre Centre at Festival House
September 15, 2006 9:15pm
Kristian Reimer plays a young comedian who is trying to make it in standup comedy in Toronto. Finding his comedy career not taking off, and his tedious part-time jobs failing to pay the bills, he answers an ad for pharmaceutical test volunteers--becoming a human guinea pig. One wonders if this plot line is autobiographical.
This one man play is mildly amusing and follows a typical sit-com storyline. Reimer is the straight man to an oddball cast of characters he meets in the drug trials. There's Don the slacker who does this for a living. Cliff is the generically ethnic taxi driver who calls everyone "my friend". Reimer makes fun of quintessentially Toronto fixtures like the Globe and Mail, Quizno's and Swiss Chalet.
At the end of the one week drug trial, Reimer gets his $4000 cheque but is left dissatisfied by the experience. At the end of the play, I got a few laughs but was left dissatisfied by the experience.
September 15, 2006 9:15pm
Kristian Reimer plays a young comedian who is trying to make it in standup comedy in Toronto. Finding his comedy career not taking off, and his tedious part-time jobs failing to pay the bills, he answers an ad for pharmaceutical test volunteers--becoming a human guinea pig. One wonders if this plot line is autobiographical.
This one man play is mildly amusing and follows a typical sit-com storyline. Reimer is the straight man to an oddball cast of characters he meets in the drug trials. There's Don the slacker who does this for a living. Cliff is the generically ethnic taxi driver who calls everyone "my friend". Reimer makes fun of quintessentially Toronto fixtures like the Globe and Mail, Quizno's and Swiss Chalet.
At the end of the one week drug trial, Reimer gets his $4000 cheque but is left dissatisfied by the experience. At the end of the play, I got a few laughs but was left dissatisfied by the experience.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Fringe Review: The Excursionists
Playwrights Theatre Centre
September 9, 2006 3:30pm
The Excursionists is a hilarious send up of a Jules Verne style adventure movie. Equal parts 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, and Black Adder on a severely limited budget.
Our protagonists are Professor Goggins, and his sponsor and friend Lord Necksycracksy—two absurdly foppish British gentlemen who unexpectedly find that England has sunk into the ocean. Fortunately for them, they are aboard Goggins' fantastic invention, the underwater train christened the Neptunia Express.
They circumnavigate the globe in search of a new England. Along the way they encounter the usual mix of hostile natives, hostile cephalopods, and their own dark secrets. What's a Victorian era undersea adventure without a giant killer squid? That battle sequence is hilarious as Goggins and Necksycracksy make calamari out of the tentacled foe.
The show is torridly paced, and never lulls. Much of the humour is based on the stereotypical British eccentricities of our heroes. The no-budget special effects are cleverly done and—along with the score—recall the 1950's and 1960's British science fiction films.
Like all modern adventure series scripts they leave an opening for a sequel. Which I'd gladly see for Fringe Festival 2007. Highly recommended.
September 9, 2006 3:30pm
The Excursionists is a hilarious send up of a Jules Verne style adventure movie. Equal parts 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, and Black Adder on a severely limited budget.
Our protagonists are Professor Goggins, and his sponsor and friend Lord Necksycracksy—two absurdly foppish British gentlemen who unexpectedly find that England has sunk into the ocean. Fortunately for them, they are aboard Goggins' fantastic invention, the underwater train christened the Neptunia Express.
They circumnavigate the globe in search of a new England. Along the way they encounter the usual mix of hostile natives, hostile cephalopods, and their own dark secrets. What's a Victorian era undersea adventure without a giant killer squid? That battle sequence is hilarious as Goggins and Necksycracksy make calamari out of the tentacled foe.
The show is torridly paced, and never lulls. Much of the humour is based on the stereotypical British eccentricities of our heroes. The no-budget special effects are cleverly done and—along with the score—recall the 1950's and 1960's British science fiction films.
Like all modern adventure series scripts they leave an opening for a sequel. Which I'd gladly see for Fringe Festival 2007. Highly recommended.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Fringe Review: This May Feel a Little Funny
Playwrights Theatre Centre
September 9, 2006 1:15pm
Randy Rutherford's One Frigid Shiny Knight was a highlight of the 2005 Fringe. With his gift for storytelling and acting, he wove a vivid and engaging tale of his character's formative experience of love and loss in Alaska. It was such a personal performance that I wondered if it was autobiographical.
So it was with much anticipation that I went to his new show. While Rutherford was entertaining and gave a good performance it didn't live up to the brilliance of Knight.
Randy is a 40 year-old recently divorced guitar player. His friend Brian invites him to play at a camp where he hopes Randy might meet someone. Randy is dismayed by his friend's questionable judgement as he feels a fish out of water among the new-agey California hippy participants. His discomfort turns into acceptance through his musical skills. He meets a beguiling woman whom he dubs the Hummingbird woman for her beauty and flighty manner. He is entranced by her, but she's already married and so they go their separate ways.
10 years later they unexpectedly meet again, and this time the sparks fly. His introduction to Samantha's new age alternative California lifestyle is hilarious as he deals with the vegan diet, organic wine, and omnipresent driftwood decor. While jokes about bodily functions are usually crude, Randy's experience with colonic cleansing is cleverly staged, and very funny.
I guess the problems with they story are structural. The opening scene introducing his character as a young teenager during a traumatic incident with his mother leads into but doesn't seem to connect with the rest of the story. The character's story arc seems incomplete and the ending feels abrupt.
Despite the story's shortcomings, it's still worthwhile to see Rutherford's performance. He really makes you feel what his character feels, and evokes the scenery and other characters onto the empty stage.
September 9, 2006 1:15pm
Randy Rutherford's One Frigid Shiny Knight was a highlight of the 2005 Fringe. With his gift for storytelling and acting, he wove a vivid and engaging tale of his character's formative experience of love and loss in Alaska. It was such a personal performance that I wondered if it was autobiographical.
So it was with much anticipation that I went to his new show. While Rutherford was entertaining and gave a good performance it didn't live up to the brilliance of Knight.
Randy is a 40 year-old recently divorced guitar player. His friend Brian invites him to play at a camp where he hopes Randy might meet someone. Randy is dismayed by his friend's questionable judgement as he feels a fish out of water among the new-agey California hippy participants. His discomfort turns into acceptance through his musical skills. He meets a beguiling woman whom he dubs the Hummingbird woman for her beauty and flighty manner. He is entranced by her, but she's already married and so they go their separate ways.
10 years later they unexpectedly meet again, and this time the sparks fly. His introduction to Samantha's new age alternative California lifestyle is hilarious as he deals with the vegan diet, organic wine, and omnipresent driftwood decor. While jokes about bodily functions are usually crude, Randy's experience with colonic cleansing is cleverly staged, and very funny.
I guess the problems with they story are structural. The opening scene introducing his character as a young teenager during a traumatic incident with his mother leads into but doesn't seem to connect with the rest of the story. The character's story arc seems incomplete and the ending feels abrupt.
Despite the story's shortcomings, it's still worthwhile to see Rutherford's performance. He really makes you feel what his character feels, and evokes the scenery and other characters onto the empty stage.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Fringe Review: Sex, Violence, and Nursery Rhymes
Arts Club Theatre
September 7, 2006 8:45pm
With a rhyming script, tear-away costumes, and pasties, Burlesque prances onto stage at this year's Fringe. The nursery rhymes of your childhood take on a decidedly adult twist as Mother Goose, her sister Grimm, and the rest of the sexy cast of Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society re-enact them in Freudian ways.
Our narrator and host is Mother Goose who is a cross between Mae West and Marilyn Monroe. She's the best actress, with a voluptuous delivery, and naughty but nice charm. Sister Grimm is also good as the dark and kinky counterpoint to Goose with a Goth attitude. Each of them try to outdo the other in telling the audience their nursery rhymes.
Humpty Dumpty was the least erotic nursery rhyme of the evening. Which isn't surprising given that it really is a gruesome tale of death and dismemberment. And the budget probably didn't allow for all the king's horses and all the king's men to appear on stage.
The homoerotic portion of the evening was featured in the nursery rhyme of Jack Sprat. Jack's rotund wife was played by a man, and Jack is eventually stripped down to his fig leaf.
Little Miss Muffet is seductively stripped and wrapped in the Black Widow Spider's sheer silk before she meets a gruesome end as her brunch. Anne Rice would approve.
The Empress' New Clothes drags during the dance sequences expressing the Empress' appreciation of the nebulous garments. Maybe a little more practice in spinning her tassles would liven up this fairy tale.
Three Maids in a Tub is more comic than erotic with the imbibing butcher, baker, and candlestick maker really feeling the intoxicating effects of their hot tub.
Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep to a leather clad cowgirl. As the two lustily dance off to win the sheep's affections, Cowgirl has a wardrobe malfunction when she pops out of her leather bra. Good thing for pasties and body paint. Or bad depending on your point of view.
Overall, it's entertaining if a bit uneven with some opening night jitters. Recommended, especially if you feel nostalgic for Benny Hill.
Rating: Two garters and a pasty.
September 7, 2006 8:45pm
With a rhyming script, tear-away costumes, and pasties, Burlesque prances onto stage at this year's Fringe. The nursery rhymes of your childhood take on a decidedly adult twist as Mother Goose, her sister Grimm, and the rest of the sexy cast of Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society re-enact them in Freudian ways.
Our narrator and host is Mother Goose who is a cross between Mae West and Marilyn Monroe. She's the best actress, with a voluptuous delivery, and naughty but nice charm. Sister Grimm is also good as the dark and kinky counterpoint to Goose with a Goth attitude. Each of them try to outdo the other in telling the audience their nursery rhymes.
Humpty Dumpty was the least erotic nursery rhyme of the evening. Which isn't surprising given that it really is a gruesome tale of death and dismemberment. And the budget probably didn't allow for all the king's horses and all the king's men to appear on stage.
The homoerotic portion of the evening was featured in the nursery rhyme of Jack Sprat. Jack's rotund wife was played by a man, and Jack is eventually stripped down to his fig leaf.
Little Miss Muffet is seductively stripped and wrapped in the Black Widow Spider's sheer silk before she meets a gruesome end as her brunch. Anne Rice would approve.
The Empress' New Clothes drags during the dance sequences expressing the Empress' appreciation of the nebulous garments. Maybe a little more practice in spinning her tassles would liven up this fairy tale.
Three Maids in a Tub is more comic than erotic with the imbibing butcher, baker, and candlestick maker really feeling the intoxicating effects of their hot tub.
Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep to a leather clad cowgirl. As the two lustily dance off to win the sheep's affections, Cowgirl has a wardrobe malfunction when she pops out of her leather bra. Good thing for pasties and body paint. Or bad depending on your point of view.
Overall, it's entertaining if a bit uneven with some opening night jitters. Recommended, especially if you feel nostalgic for Benny Hill.
Rating: Two garters and a pasty.
Vancouver Fringe Festival 2006
Got Fringe? The sexy blonde wrapped in tinsel on the cover of the festival guide beckons you to experience the most uninhibited theatre to be found in the city. I'll be posting reviews of the shows I've seen. Dim the lights and raise the curtain, it's time again for Fringe!
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Reuben's Restaurant Delicatessen
It's my final meal in Montréal so I have to have a final taste of smoked meat. Reuben's is located downtown at 1116 rue St. Catherine Ouest. Of all the delicatessens I've visited so far this one's the fanciest. It has a beautiful art deco interior with dark wood panels, and artwork on the wall. The shelves behind the bar are backlit to highlight the high-end bottles of vodka, scotches, and brandies. The staff is well dressed in black collared shirts, and diagonal striped black/grey ties. It's a far cry from the linoleum, vinyl, and stained T-shirts elsewhere.
There's even reasonable quality beer on tap–Rickard's Red and Honey Brown.
To maximize the quantity of smoked meat I order the plate. With over 10oz of smoked meat, fries, cole slaw, pickle, and rye bread, this is a meal and a half. The smoked meat is nice and juicy with medium fat and a peppery outside crust. Washed down with a couple of pints of Rickard's Red this makes for a satisfying final meal.
There's even reasonable quality beer on tap–Rickard's Red and Honey Brown.
To maximize the quantity of smoked meat I order the plate. With over 10oz of smoked meat, fries, cole slaw, pickle, and rye bread, this is a meal and a half. The smoked meat is nice and juicy with medium fat and a peppery outside crust. Washed down with a couple of pints of Rickard's Red this makes for a satisfying final meal.
World Cup in Little Italy
It's World Cup Final Day! And the natural thing to do is hang out in Little Italy with all the flag waving, horn honking, "Italia!" shouting crowds. I emerge from the Jean-Talon métro station at lunch time so getting some sustenance is the first order of business. There's a Vietnamese restaurant nearby without a TV so I bypass the football mad crowd and fuel up on Vietnamese instead of Italian noodles.
After lunch I wandered into the open air market, Marché Jean-Talon. Amidst the fresh fruits and vegetable stands I found a small Italian restaurant and watched the game on their large TV. I wasn't alone standing beside the patio as a small crowd of onlookers gathered as the game progressed. The crowd groaned as Zidane made his penalty shot into the goal scoring the first goal for France. But the tide can turn quickly in soccer and 15 minutes later everyone was on their feet cheering as Materazzi evened up the score for Italy. A few minutes later shock and disbelief as the power on the whole block and many other blocks of Little Italy went out and we were left in suspense over the game.
I made my way across the street to Café Zanetti where they also had a patio and large plasma TV. The crowd was larger here as everyone who was blacked out gravitated to this empowered oasis. The minutes ticked by but neither side could manage another goal. A sudden rush by Italy put the ball in the net and everyone jumped up and roared but were quickly silenced as it was declared offside.
The crowd was on their feet and shouting again for a very different reason. What was Zidane thinking for deliberately head-butting Materazzi? The crowd jeers and hurls epithets at the TV as the ignoble moment is replayed again. I don't blame them as it's certain to become one of the most shameful sporting moments in World Cup history.
After two hours of play it's still tied at 1-1. The tension is as thick as the humid afternoon heat. Everyone knows that it's down to penalty kicks to decide the World Cup champions. As Italy's fifth and final penalty kick goes in, Little Italy just explodes!
It's New Year's Eve, Canada Day, and the Pope's visit all rolled into one. Everyone streams into the main street of Little Italy, boulevard St. Laurent. The entire street from sidewalk to sidewalk is filled with deliriously happy Italians. It's a wave of red, white and green, and Azurri blue parading down the street. The noise is deafening with people employing everything from whistles, to horns, to pots and pans. A semi-trailer truck parked on the street has its air horn continuously blaring. The entirety of boulevard St. Laurent is closed to traffic from rue Jean-Talon to rue Beaubien–the whole stretch from métro station to métro station. The street party will last well into the night, but I have to move on.
After lunch I wandered into the open air market, Marché Jean-Talon. Amidst the fresh fruits and vegetable stands I found a small Italian restaurant and watched the game on their large TV. I wasn't alone standing beside the patio as a small crowd of onlookers gathered as the game progressed. The crowd groaned as Zidane made his penalty shot into the goal scoring the first goal for France. But the tide can turn quickly in soccer and 15 minutes later everyone was on their feet cheering as Materazzi evened up the score for Italy. A few minutes later shock and disbelief as the power on the whole block and many other blocks of Little Italy went out and we were left in suspense over the game.
I made my way across the street to Café Zanetti where they also had a patio and large plasma TV. The crowd was larger here as everyone who was blacked out gravitated to this empowered oasis. The minutes ticked by but neither side could manage another goal. A sudden rush by Italy put the ball in the net and everyone jumped up and roared but were quickly silenced as it was declared offside.
The crowd was on their feet and shouting again for a very different reason. What was Zidane thinking for deliberately head-butting Materazzi? The crowd jeers and hurls epithets at the TV as the ignoble moment is replayed again. I don't blame them as it's certain to become one of the most shameful sporting moments in World Cup history.
After two hours of play it's still tied at 1-1. The tension is as thick as the humid afternoon heat. Everyone knows that it's down to penalty kicks to decide the World Cup champions. As Italy's fifth and final penalty kick goes in, Little Italy just explodes!
It's New Year's Eve, Canada Day, and the Pope's visit all rolled into one. Everyone streams into the main street of Little Italy, boulevard St. Laurent. The entire street from sidewalk to sidewalk is filled with deliriously happy Italians. It's a wave of red, white and green, and Azurri blue parading down the street. The noise is deafening with people employing everything from whistles, to horns, to pots and pans. A semi-trailer truck parked on the street has its air horn continuously blaring. The entirety of boulevard St. Laurent is closed to traffic from rue Jean-Talon to rue Beaubien–the whole stretch from métro station to métro station. The street party will last well into the night, but I have to move on.
Final Jam Session at the Hyatt
Surprisingly I only made it out to two jam sessions at the jazz festival. I guess playing tourist in the heat and humidity of the day doesn't leave enough energy to attend every single one like in Vancouver. Tonight's jam is the last one at the festival. Sunday night is the last evening of the festival but there's no jam session that night. Presumably they don't want any visiting musicians (or fans) to miss their flight out on Monday morning.
Salon Jeanne-Mance is almost full again with only a few seats left in the front near the stage. The chatter buzzes through the crowd but you sense a tinge of sadness knowing that this night marks the end of another festival. There aren't any big name stars at tonight's jam, but there are some talented locals and out of towners. I recognized Australian singer Christina from the first night. She doesn't sing tonight but is hanging out for the last time. Probably the highest profile musicians here tonight are the drummer and bass player from Matt Dusk's band. These guys swing hard and inject a lot of energy into the jam.
Not everyone who plays is good. Tonight we get a hilarious brother and sister lounge act. The middle age pair look the part of a cheesy lounge act. The brother's poofy brown hair and moustache looks 70's retro. The sister's overweight frame is squeezed into a white suit and too much makeup and jewelry. Their overwrought singing and piano playing can only be described as high parody. We get even more of a good laugh near the end of their song as a drunk Quebec biker type goes up to the stage and comes on to her.
I stayed to the very end at 3:00am along with the small group of hardcore music fans. Tired but happy, I leave after host John Roney announces the end of the jam sessions for edition 27 of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.
Salon Jeanne-Mance is almost full again with only a few seats left in the front near the stage. The chatter buzzes through the crowd but you sense a tinge of sadness knowing that this night marks the end of another festival. There aren't any big name stars at tonight's jam, but there are some talented locals and out of towners. I recognized Australian singer Christina from the first night. She doesn't sing tonight but is hanging out for the last time. Probably the highest profile musicians here tonight are the drummer and bass player from Matt Dusk's band. These guys swing hard and inject a lot of energy into the jam.
Not everyone who plays is good. Tonight we get a hilarious brother and sister lounge act. The middle age pair look the part of a cheesy lounge act. The brother's poofy brown hair and moustache looks 70's retro. The sister's overweight frame is squeezed into a white suit and too much makeup and jewelry. Their overwrought singing and piano playing can only be described as high parody. We get even more of a good laugh near the end of their song as a drunk Quebec biker type goes up to the stage and comes on to her.
I stayed to the very end at 3:00am along with the small group of hardcore music fans. Tired but happy, I leave after host John Roney announces the end of the jam sessions for edition 27 of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Dave Brubeck Quartet
Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier
8:00pm
This town loves 85 year-old Dave Brubeck. There was a standing ovation for him as soon as he stepped out on stage. While he's a bit slow to cross the stage to the piano, once he's seated at the high backed chair (the only visible concession to his age) his fingers fly across the keyboard.
Altogether there must have been over 200 years of jazz playing experience on stage. Playing with Dave are his current quartet of Randy Jones (drums), Bobby Militello (alto saxophone, flute), and Michael Moore (bass). They are all seniors with Dave being the most senior.
The concert was mostly Dave's originals. He charmed the audience with the story behind the title song off his latest album London Flat, London Sharp. The promoter had no sense of world geography and booked Dave on a whirlwind tour consisting of three trips to Europe with San Diego and Philadelphia in between. He was no better with English geography, sending Dave out on a crisscrossing bus tour of England. Dave's complaints about the bus accommodations lead to the rental of a flat in London which was much nicer than the bus but resulted in hours long drives to and from the venues. So it was back on the bus for the band.
The show ended off with Brubeck's timeless classic Take Five, and the crowd gave him a long standing ovation. We managed to get two encores out of the band. The first was a lullaby–a gentle musical joke to tell the audience it's time for old musicians to get to bed. The second encore was Strayhorn's Take the A Train. Despite another protracted standing ovation the lights went up, and the musicians could finally get some well deserved rest.
8:00pm
This town loves 85 year-old Dave Brubeck. There was a standing ovation for him as soon as he stepped out on stage. While he's a bit slow to cross the stage to the piano, once he's seated at the high backed chair (the only visible concession to his age) his fingers fly across the keyboard.
Altogether there must have been over 200 years of jazz playing experience on stage. Playing with Dave are his current quartet of Randy Jones (drums), Bobby Militello (alto saxophone, flute), and Michael Moore (bass). They are all seniors with Dave being the most senior.
The concert was mostly Dave's originals. He charmed the audience with the story behind the title song off his latest album London Flat, London Sharp. The promoter had no sense of world geography and booked Dave on a whirlwind tour consisting of three trips to Europe with San Diego and Philadelphia in between. He was no better with English geography, sending Dave out on a crisscrossing bus tour of England. Dave's complaints about the bus accommodations lead to the rental of a flat in London which was much nicer than the bus but resulted in hours long drives to and from the venues. So it was back on the bus for the band.
The show ended off with Brubeck's timeless classic Take Five, and the crowd gave him a long standing ovation. We managed to get two encores out of the band. The first was a lullaby–a gentle musical joke to tell the audience it's time for old musicians to get to bed. The second encore was Strayhorn's Take the A Train. Despite another protracted standing ovation the lights went up, and the musicians could finally get some well deserved rest.
Bières et Compagnie
The tastefully decorated restaurant at 4350 rue St. Denis is famous for their huge selection of over 100 beers, and all you can eat mussels and fries from Monday to Wednesday. Unfortunately I couldn't time my visit for that Belgian binge. I had to satisfy myself with the Belgian-style white beer on tap, Cheval Blanc, which is brewed by local brewers Les Brasseurs RJ.
Their menu had lots of goodies with beer as part of the ingredients. I tried a modern twist on the traditional Quebec tourtière–a Cajun buffalo meat pie covered in a Hoegaarden witbier cream sauce, served with roast vegetables, and a side of fries with spicy garlic mayonnaise. All very tasty, and they weren''t stingy with the garlic mayo–there was more than enough to dip all the fries. You might think the fries were just a vehicle to carry the addictive spicy garlic mayo–and you would be right!
For dessert I tried the McAuslan apricot wheat ale. Another local brew, it's got a refreshingly dry apricot flavor.
Their menu had lots of goodies with beer as part of the ingredients. I tried a modern twist on the traditional Quebec tourtière–a Cajun buffalo meat pie covered in a Hoegaarden witbier cream sauce, served with roast vegetables, and a side of fries with spicy garlic mayonnaise. All very tasty, and they weren''t stingy with the garlic mayo–there was more than enough to dip all the fries. You might think the fries were just a vehicle to carry the addictive spicy garlic mayo–and you would be right!
For dessert I tried the McAuslan apricot wheat ale. Another local brew, it's got a refreshingly dry apricot flavor.
Canadian Centre for Architecture
It's the hottest day yet this week in Montréal with the temperature peaking at 30C. Time to stay indoors and go museum hopping.
The Canadian Centre for Architecture is a short walk from the Guy-Concordia métro station in residential area. It's an understated building presenting a low rectangular profile within the walled grounds. It's row of pyramid skylights are barely visible as they are set quite far back in the centre of the roof. The grounds have simple landscaping with an expanse of grass, a hedge along the building, and a few trees.
The main exhibit is entitled Sense of the City. Each exhibit room contains different sensory aspects of life in the city. From obvious ones like smells and sounds to ones we wouldn't ordinarily think about like touch. A row of flasks contain various odours you might encounter in a city from pleasant like grass, to nauseating like rotting garbage. The sound display compares the sounds of Vancouver in the 1970's to the 1990's. Binaural sound recordings were taken at specific times and places in both decades. The growth and change in Vancouver are immediately obvious to your ears as you lounge on the oversized cushions and listen to the Sennheiser headphones dangling from the ceiling. Touch is represented by asphalt. The sample of pure processed asphalt is almost spongy and yields to finger pressure which in the final product contributes to its comfortableness for walking and driving on.
A much smaller exhibit showcases the work of Vancouver-based landscape architect Cornelia Hahn Oberlander. You may not know her name but you've definitely seen her work. Robson Square Courthouses, UBC Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver Public Library Square, and the National Gallery of Canada are among her many commissions.
The Canadian Centre for Architecture is a short walk from the Guy-Concordia métro station in residential area. It's an understated building presenting a low rectangular profile within the walled grounds. It's row of pyramid skylights are barely visible as they are set quite far back in the centre of the roof. The grounds have simple landscaping with an expanse of grass, a hedge along the building, and a few trees.
The main exhibit is entitled Sense of the City. Each exhibit room contains different sensory aspects of life in the city. From obvious ones like smells and sounds to ones we wouldn't ordinarily think about like touch. A row of flasks contain various odours you might encounter in a city from pleasant like grass, to nauseating like rotting garbage. The sound display compares the sounds of Vancouver in the 1970's to the 1990's. Binaural sound recordings were taken at specific times and places in both decades. The growth and change in Vancouver are immediately obvious to your ears as you lounge on the oversized cushions and listen to the Sennheiser headphones dangling from the ceiling. Touch is represented by asphalt. The sample of pure processed asphalt is almost spongy and yields to finger pressure which in the final product contributes to its comfortableness for walking and driving on.
A much smaller exhibit showcases the work of Vancouver-based landscape architect Cornelia Hahn Oberlander. You may not know her name but you've definitely seen her work. Robson Square Courthouses, UBC Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver Public Library Square, and the National Gallery of Canada are among her many commissions.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Lorraine Demarais Big Band
Spectrum de Montréal
10:00pm
The legendary Spectrum theatre has hosted an incredible variety of acts with everyone from the Afro-Celt Sound System, U2, Miles Davis, Céline Dion, to Weird Al Yankovic gracing the stage. The caberet style seating on the main and mezzanine level means you have to come early for a good spot, and you'll probably be meeting some new people. The bar seating on the sides is not bad either with good sight lines and quick service. The right side bar is better than the left because you are very close to the sound console and are hearing the intended mix.
The Lorraine Demarais Big Band is sounding hot! The large stage easily holds the group consisting of 4 trumpets of various sizes, 4 trombones of various sizes, 5 saxophones of various sizes, bass, drums, and Lorraine on piano. I think it was all original tunes. My limited French combined with my limited knowledge of Chick Corea tunes meant I couldn't determine if Demarais' mention of Chick Corea refered to one of his tunes or if it was her tribute tune to him. Despite the language barrier it was a great two sets of music.
10:00pm
The legendary Spectrum theatre has hosted an incredible variety of acts with everyone from the Afro-Celt Sound System, U2, Miles Davis, Céline Dion, to Weird Al Yankovic gracing the stage. The caberet style seating on the main and mezzanine level means you have to come early for a good spot, and you'll probably be meeting some new people. The bar seating on the sides is not bad either with good sight lines and quick service. The right side bar is better than the left because you are very close to the sound console and are hearing the intended mix.
The Lorraine Demarais Big Band is sounding hot! The large stage easily holds the group consisting of 4 trumpets of various sizes, 4 trombones of various sizes, 5 saxophones of various sizes, bass, drums, and Lorraine on piano. I think it was all original tunes. My limited French combined with my limited knowledge of Chick Corea tunes meant I couldn't determine if Demarais' mention of Chick Corea refered to one of his tunes or if it was her tribute tune to him. Despite the language barrier it was a great two sets of music.
Dieu du Ciel
"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
–Benjamin Franklin
Sample a few too many beers here at 29 avenue Laurier Ouest just off boulevard St. Laurent and you really will be seeing the "God of the sky". It's a hard thing to avoid because this has to be the best brewpub Montréal. The only downside is the limited selection of food so fortify yourself elsewhere for that long evening of beer tasting.
Since I had to actually be sober enough to attend a concert tonight I could only sample half their beers. I will have to try to make it back here again to taste the other half.
Not only is the beer excellent but the patrons are very friendly around here. I had an informative conversation with the assistant to the brewmaster. Apparently he's striking out on his own and will be opening up a brewpub. Also had an entertaining conversation with an older couple from Alabama who were also very knowledgeable about beer.
–Benjamin Franklin
Sample a few too many beers here at 29 avenue Laurier Ouest just off boulevard St. Laurent and you really will be seeing the "God of the sky". It's a hard thing to avoid because this has to be the best brewpub Montréal. The only downside is the limited selection of food so fortify yourself elsewhere for that long evening of beer tasting.
Since I had to actually be sober enough to attend a concert tonight I could only sample half their beers. I will have to try to make it back here again to taste the other half.
- Blonde Ale - Their blonde ale has more of an edge than usual with a hint of bitterness and slight sourness.
- Solstice d'été - The seasonal sour wheat beer with raspberries is refreshing in its tartness and fruity raspberry flavor.
- Blanche du paradise - This Belgian Wit beer has flavors of citrus rind, banana, spices, and floral notes. Excellent! The perfect thirst quencher on a humid Montréal summer day!
- American India Pale Ale - A wonderful example of the IPA style. Its strong bitterness is nicely balanced by floral and spice notes. The flavor just lingers on the tongue.
- Stout - Black and full bodied stout tasting of roasted barley, and slightly smokey. A great winter sipper.
Not only is the beer excellent but the patrons are very friendly around here. I had an informative conversation with the assistant to the brewmaster. Apparently he's striking out on his own and will be opening up a brewpub. Also had an entertaining conversation with an older couple from Alabama who were also very knowledgeable about beer.
Île Sainte-Hélène
Time to burn off the meal of over 1/2 pound of smoked meat. A day in a park with lots of area to explore is in order. The old Expo 67 site is now Parc Jean-Drapeau which is composed of two islands–Île Ste-Hélène and Île Notre-Dame–in the St. Lawrence river within view of Vieux Montréal. It's easily accessible by the yellow métro line which was built for Expo 67.
Among the few buildings left from Expo 67 is Buckminister Fuller's iconic geodesic dome. The former United States Pavilion is now known as the Biosphère which houses exhibits on ecology and the environment.
The history on this island extends much further back in time. There are architectural remnants of old colonial days. The fort strategically overlooking the river is now the Stewart Museum. Unfortunately I arrived too late in the day to see the exhibits and costumed recreation of life at the fortifications.
Scattered around the island are interesting large scale art works. The large metal sculpture simply called Man looks like an alien spider robot. The slender white granite columns called Imaginary Village would not look out of place in the background of an episode of Stargate SG-1.
I didn't have time to check out Île Notre-Dame but since the main draws there are the casino and the Grand Prix track I'm probably not missing out on too much. I took the ferry back to Montréal which drops you off at the Jean Cartier Quay in the Vieux Port.
Among the few buildings left from Expo 67 is Buckminister Fuller's iconic geodesic dome. The former United States Pavilion is now known as the Biosphère which houses exhibits on ecology and the environment.
The history on this island extends much further back in time. There are architectural remnants of old colonial days. The fort strategically overlooking the river is now the Stewart Museum. Unfortunately I arrived too late in the day to see the exhibits and costumed recreation of life at the fortifications.
Scattered around the island are interesting large scale art works. The large metal sculpture simply called Man looks like an alien spider robot. The slender white granite columns called Imaginary Village would not look out of place in the background of an episode of Stargate SG-1.
I didn't have time to check out Île Notre-Dame but since the main draws there are the casino and the Grand Prix track I'm probably not missing out on too much. I took the ferry back to Montréal which drops you off at the Jean Cartier Quay in the Vieux Port.
Dunn's Famous
I think I'm becoming addicted to Montréal smoked meat. This is the third lunch in a row featuring cured and smoked beef brisket. Instead of the sandwich, I try Dunn's smoked meat plate. If the regular sandwich doesn't fill you up then the plate with over 1/2 pound of smoked meat, rye bread, pickle, cole slaw, and fries will.
Thanks to the kind staff at Dunn's for confirming what was starting to become apparent to my taste buds in the last two lunches. There is a scale of quality of smoked meat from lean to fatty. Lean smoked meat is healthier but tastes drier. Fatty smoked meat is moist and flavorful but is a heart attack on rye. The popular compromise is medium fat which gives you all the flavor and slightly less of the health risk.
Dunn's smoked meat was good but not as good as Schwartz's, however the service was the best. Dunn's is more of a family-style restaurant with clean, cheery decor and clean, cheery staff.
Thanks to the kind staff at Dunn's for confirming what was starting to become apparent to my taste buds in the last two lunches. There is a scale of quality of smoked meat from lean to fatty. Lean smoked meat is healthier but tastes drier. Fatty smoked meat is moist and flavorful but is a heart attack on rye. The popular compromise is medium fat which gives you all the flavor and slightly less of the health risk.
Dunn's smoked meat was good but not as good as Schwartz's, however the service was the best. Dunn's is more of a family-style restaurant with clean, cheery decor and clean, cheery staff.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Coco
The musician who came the farthest to the Montréal Jazz Festival is a young singer from Shanghai. With his delicate manner and higher than tenor voice, Coco reminds me a bit of Jimmy Scott. He performs songs in both Mandarin and English. When I listen to him singing songs from old Shanghai it transports me back to a swanky 1930s jazz club in the Bund.
His own compositions like Mischief are much more modern sounding with elements of scat, free jazz, and vocalese. He gave his scarf to the pianist to place in the piano and mute the lower keys. He's definitely no insipid pop crooner. His band had slightly unusual instrumentation with a violinist on a white open body electric violin, and vibraphones in addition to the usual piano, bass, and drums.
His own compositions like Mischief are much more modern sounding with elements of scat, free jazz, and vocalese. He gave his scarf to the pianist to place in the piano and mute the lower keys. He's definitely no insipid pop crooner. His band had slightly unusual instrumentation with a violinist on a white open body electric violin, and vibraphones in addition to the usual piano, bass, and drums.
Caribbean Curry House
There's more than just smoked meat on Montréal's ethnic menu. A friend recommended this authentic taste of the tropics. It's located a bit outside the city centre two blocks from the Plamondon métro station at 6892 avenue Victoria. It looks like a very culturally mixed neighbourhood with residents from every part of the world walking around enjoying the evening warmth.
This is not a fancy restaurant. Most customers order to go, or if they stay in get cafeteria style self service. I try the most basic curry beef plate consisting of curry beef and potatoes, rice and beans, salad, deep fried plantain, and a slice of papaya. The curry blend is delicious and unlike any other I've tried. The salad is rather plain until you add the hot sauce. They have a killer hot sauce on the table. It's HOT but you don't notice at first because the sauce is rather flavorful and the heat sneaks up on you. I'm not quite sure what's in it, maybe Scotch bonnet?
To cool the fires, I try the sorrel slushy. It's red, sweet, and tasty with a fragrant quality but the slush ice gives you brain freeze something fierce.
This is not a fancy restaurant. Most customers order to go, or if they stay in get cafeteria style self service. I try the most basic curry beef plate consisting of curry beef and potatoes, rice and beans, salad, deep fried plantain, and a slice of papaya. The curry blend is delicious and unlike any other I've tried. The salad is rather plain until you add the hot sauce. They have a killer hot sauce on the table. It's HOT but you don't notice at first because the sauce is rather flavorful and the heat sneaks up on you. I'm not quite sure what's in it, maybe Scotch bonnet?
To cool the fires, I try the sorrel slushy. It's red, sweet, and tasty with a fragrant quality but the slush ice gives you brain freeze something fierce.
Parc du Mont-Royal
While fitter Montréalers jog and cycle up the winding road and trails I stick with the #11 bus which takes you to the top of the mountain. Mountain is a relative term as the peak is only 233m in elevation which is only 2/3 as high as Burnaby Mountain at 370m.
What Mount Royal lacks in height it makes up for in beauty and facilities. Its formal design holds many ways of enjoying the park. Lac aux Castors (Beaver Lake) is a man-made lake where you can try out a peddle-boat. The Maison Smith holds an exhibit about the history of the park and houses a café. In the nearby field are various abstract sculptures for the visitor to contemplate and puzzle over. Undoubtably, the best views are from the Chalet. The city spreads out below the Chalet plaza. It's a view reminiscent of Hong Kong from Victoria Peak. There are even facilities for the dead–a Protestant and a Catholic cemetaries are located on the mountain.
Further up the mountain is the huge steel membered illuminated cross which can be seen from the city below. There are also two large antenna towers which broadcast TV, radio, and cell phone service down to the city.
This is a beautiful place to be on a hot summer day with lots of shady trees, slightly cooler air, and a breeze.
What Mount Royal lacks in height it makes up for in beauty and facilities. Its formal design holds many ways of enjoying the park. Lac aux Castors (Beaver Lake) is a man-made lake where you can try out a peddle-boat. The Maison Smith holds an exhibit about the history of the park and houses a café. In the nearby field are various abstract sculptures for the visitor to contemplate and puzzle over. Undoubtably, the best views are from the Chalet. The city spreads out below the Chalet plaza. It's a view reminiscent of Hong Kong from Victoria Peak. There are even facilities for the dead–a Protestant and a Catholic cemetaries are located on the mountain.
Further up the mountain is the huge steel membered illuminated cross which can be seen from the city below. There are also two large antenna towers which broadcast TV, radio, and cell phone service down to the city.
This is a beautiful place to be on a hot summer day with lots of shady trees, slightly cooler air, and a breeze.
Schwartz's Delicatessen
There's a line-up at this Montréal institution at 3895 boulevard St. Laurent. Since it's after 1:00pm the wait isn't too bad–only about 15-20 minutes. It's a narrow hole in the wall place, with barely enough width for a long counter and several rows of tables. It's definitely not the decor of plain white walls and fake wood laminate countertop which attract crowds to this place. What everyone comes for can be seen resting on the the large metal trays behind the counter. Steaming hot briskets of smoked meat the size of a man's calf.
Schwartz's smoked meat is different from Ben's. The meat is fattier and milder spiced to let the beef flavour through. The thick cuts of meat are very tender. The strands of brisket are barely held together by the fat and separates easily when the fat melts in your mouth. This culinary wonder may harden your arteries, but it delights the palate and that's worth the risk. Recommended for carnivores everywhere.
Schwartz's smoked meat is different from Ben's. The meat is fattier and milder spiced to let the beef flavour through. The thick cuts of meat are very tender. The strands of brisket are barely held together by the fat and separates easily when the fat melts in your mouth. This culinary wonder may harden your arteries, but it delights the palate and that's worth the risk. Recommended for carnivores everywhere.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Katie Melua / Denzal Sinclaire
The first ticketed concert of the festival is a double bill at Club Soda in the slightly seedy area of rue St. Catherine and boulevard St. Laurent with Katie Melua and Denzal Sinclaire. If jazz doesn't float your boat there's aways the strippers and lap dances down the block. I almost didn't make it into this concert. Not because of the other entertainment choices in the area, but because it was sold out. Hanging out in front of the theatre as showtime passed eventually lead the patient to nirvana. No overpriced ticket from the creepy fat scalper, but a last minute ticket released from the Club Soda box office.
I'd heard of this young British singer/songwriter but never seen her performing before. She's sounds more like a pop artist than jazz artist but I enjoyed her engaging performance. Her most recognizable tune for me was her hit single The Closest Thing to Crazy which received radio play a few years ago.
I had already caught Denzal's show at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival this year at Performance Works on Granville Island. He performed mostly songs from his latest album My One and Only Love in his inimitably smooth and warm style. This show was similar but abbreviated as there was only one set. Which meant that he only had the chance to tell one joke–the turtles and the snail joke–which I think I've heard him tell at every concert I've seen.
Katie Melua
I'd heard of this young British singer/songwriter but never seen her performing before. She's sounds more like a pop artist than jazz artist but I enjoyed her engaging performance. Her most recognizable tune for me was her hit single The Closest Thing to Crazy which received radio play a few years ago.
Denzal Sinclaire
I had already caught Denzal's show at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival this year at Performance Works on Granville Island. He performed mostly songs from his latest album My One and Only Love in his inimitably smooth and warm style. This show was similar but abbreviated as there was only one set. Which meant that he only had the chance to tell one joke–the turtles and the snail joke–which I think I've heard him tell at every concert I've seen.
France beats Portugal
The cars horns are honking all over downtown Montréal and the French flags are flying. This sets things up for a France versus Italy final. I think I will be spending Sunday in Montréal's Little Italy. Viva Italia!
Underground Montréal
Since the weather was looking questionable with intermittent showers predicted, I tried to see how far I could walk underground. It was also a good way to burn off all that Montréal smoked meat. Starting from the Eaton Place shopping mall, I descended down and headed south. The next area is the complex under Place Ville Marie with more shops and a food court. You can see daylight through the skylights. The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel is next followed by the concourse of the Central train station. Place Bonaventure marks the southern end of the underground. Since Montréal is an island with slopes to the St. Laurence River, this part of the underground is actually above ground with large windows looking outside.
The passages east to Palais des Congrès are quite interesting. There's art works, and some passages would not look out of place in a science fiction movie. Palais des Congrès itself would make a good set especially its art installation of lipstick pink tree trunks. The underground turns north to through the government offices of Complex Guy-Favreau, on to the Complexe Desjardins shopping centre, and finally ending underneath the jazz festival site at Place des Arts.
It's been an over two hour tour under Montréal. Very nice to get out of the heat and humidity and I suspect during the winter the cold and snow. It would be very possible to live life underground without coming out into daylight or weather but it would be very strange.
The passages east to Palais des Congrès are quite interesting. There's art works, and some passages would not look out of place in a science fiction movie. Palais des Congrès itself would make a good set especially its art installation of lipstick pink tree trunks. The underground turns north to through the government offices of Complex Guy-Favreau, on to the Complexe Desjardins shopping centre, and finally ending underneath the jazz festival site at Place des Arts.
It's been an over two hour tour under Montréal. Very nice to get out of the heat and humidity and I suspect during the winter the cold and snow. It would be very possible to live life underground without coming out into daylight or weather but it would be very strange.
Ben's Delicatessen
I've been looking forward to this culinary treat. Real Montréal smoked meat in a real Montréal deli. While you can get the smoked meat in Vancouver (flown in direct from Montréal), you can't get the old fashioned deli ambience. Walking into Ben's at 990 boulevard de Maisonneuve Ouest is like stepping back in time. The interior decor hasn't changed since the 1950's. The staff looks like it hasn't changed since the 1950's either. On the back wall are photographs of some of the famous patrons. I spotted fading black and white photos of Arnold Schwartzenegger, and Gilles Villeneuve. There were many photos of Montreal Canadiens players.
I seated myself at the mustard yellow laminate counter on a worn red vinyl stool. For $12 you get the smoked meat sandwich meal with fries, pickle, cole slaw, and glass of Coke. The large slab of smoked meat is thinly sliced and tastes peppery and satisfyingly salty. Without a doubt this is the real Montréal experience I was hoping for.
I seated myself at the mustard yellow laminate counter on a worn red vinyl stool. For $12 you get the smoked meat sandwich meal with fries, pickle, cole slaw, and glass of Coke. The large slab of smoked meat is thinly sliced and tastes peppery and satisfyingly salty. Without a doubt this is the real Montréal experience I was hoping for.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Tribute Concert to Paul Simon
Ahead of his jazz festival appearance on the next day a tribute concert was held in honour of Paul Simon.
It seemed like half of Montréal braved the inclement weather to see this free outdoor show. The early evening thundershowers magically ended and the skies cleared just in time. The organizers were so confident of the clear weather that they even took down the tent protecting the sound equipment.
Opened with a poetic tribute to Simon and Garfunkel's first album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. read by Leonard Cohen. An incredible array of talent starting with Colin James, followed by Holly Cole, Bedouin Soundclash, Sam Roberts, Jamie Cullen, Elvis Costello, Allan Toussaint, Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo, Kevin Parent, Jeri Brown, Zachary Richard, Michel Rivard, Daniel Lanois, and ending with the JB Pumped Singers of Montreal performing a spine tingling a cappella gospel version of Slip Sliding Away. I never realized how many songs Paul Simon wrote until this concert as they sang two hours of his hits.
They recorded the show for later broadcast so look for it on CBC or Bravo! sometime in the future.
It seemed like half of Montréal braved the inclement weather to see this free outdoor show. The early evening thundershowers magically ended and the skies cleared just in time. The organizers were so confident of the clear weather that they even took down the tent protecting the sound equipment.
Opened with a poetic tribute to Simon and Garfunkel's first album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. read by Leonard Cohen. An incredible array of talent starting with Colin James, followed by Holly Cole, Bedouin Soundclash, Sam Roberts, Jamie Cullen, Elvis Costello, Allan Toussaint, Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo, Kevin Parent, Jeri Brown, Zachary Richard, Michel Rivard, Daniel Lanois, and ending with the JB Pumped Singers of Montreal performing a spine tingling a cappella gospel version of Slip Sliding Away. I never realized how many songs Paul Simon wrote until this concert as they sang two hours of his hits.
They recorded the show for later broadcast so look for it on CBC or Bravo! sometime in the future.
Brutopia
There's an incredible selection of beers at this downtown brewpub restaurant. Conveniently located in the heart of the bar district on rue Crescent only a short walk from the Guy-Concordia métro station.
I had a sample of all their beers on tap:
They have an eclectic selection of bar food with everything from nachos, and quesadillas to edamame, and pakoras.
I really liked their darker beers, the India Pale Ale, Nut Brown Ale, and Stout.
I had a sample of all their beers on tap:
- Extra Blonde - The lightest of their beers.
- Honey Ale - All the honey flavor without the sweetness.
- Nut Brown Ale - Roasted malt.
- India Pale Ale - Crisp, hoppy, and floral. Slightly on the bitter side. Lingers nicely.
- Stout - Very black, very flavorful, and very good.
- Raspberry Blonde - Refreshing raspberry flavor.
- Maple - Subtle maple flavor.
- Cream Ale - An interesting cardamon flavor to this light amber ale.
They have an eclectic selection of bar food with everything from nachos, and quesadillas to edamame, and pakoras.
I really liked their darker beers, the India Pale Ale, Nut Brown Ale, and Stout.
Italy beats Germany
An upset for the host nation as Italy puts Germany away in extra time. There's a few Italian flagged cars driving around honking their horns.
Rue Notre-Dame
After lunch I went for a stroll along rue Notre-Dame. There are many historic buildings along this street especially around the Place d'Armes square. On the south side of the square is the grand Basilique Notre-Dame cathedral. A cathedral of a different order is the original Bank of Montréal on the north side. On the east side is the Art Deco style Aldred Building. The 1960's stark black monolithic Banque Nationale on the west side completes this vignette of Montréal's history and architecture.
Titanic
On a friend's recommendation I went back to Vieux Montréal to seek the Titanic. Tucked away downstairs at 445 rue St Pierre, there are no Celine Dion songs here, just great artisanal sandwiches and light fare. In light of the Italy/Germany World Cup match I had the Italian sandwich with cheese, capicolli, and roasted vegetables drizzled in very good olive oil. To complete the Italian theme, I washed it down with a San Pellegrino Limonata. Great little intimate lunch spot and free Wi-Fi too.
Monday, July 03, 2006
Early Night
Had a bit too much sun, and humidity today. And it hasn't even begun to get warm here yet! Will make it an early night. Too bad I'll have to miss out on the Christine Jensen Quintet and Susi Hyldgaard.
Around the Vieux Port
Just south of the Old City is the Old Port. The Old Port has been converted to tourist use while the real port facilities have moved eastward. The former King Edward Quay now holds the Science Centre and IMAX theatre. On a holiday Monday it's packed with families.
Nearby there's a book fair along the promenade by the river. An endless row of tents and tables hold new and used books, CDs and DVDs. Most of it is in French so my wallet is safe this time around.
Nearby there's a book fair along the promenade by the river. An endless row of tents and tables hold new and used books, CDs and DVDs. Most of it is in French so my wallet is safe this time around.
Les Trois Brasseurs
What luck! Wandering along the art galleries, souvenir shops, and restaurants I find myself in front of a brewpub restaurant. The restaurant is in an old and beautifully restored building. Lots of dark wood and brown painted tin ceiling tiles with raised relief detailing give the place an intimate old world club atmosphere. A copper kettle is displayed prominently at the front of the restaurant behind glass. Someone is cleaning it out. A row of steel tanks for fermenting is along the side of the restaurant also behind glass.
They have four beers on tap brewed right on the premises.
Of course drinking beer on an empty stomach in the heat makes for a short touring day. I try the house specialty, the Flammekueche. I've had something similar in Germany. It's like a thin crust pizza. Naturally I order Quebecoise style which is topped with bacon, onions, and cheese curds. Tasty!
http://www.les3brasseurs.ca
They have four beers on tap brewed right on the premises.
- la Blonde - fairly bitter for a lighter beer.
- l'Ambrée - amber beer with a hint of caramel and also a bitter edge.
- la Brune - brown ale with that nice dark roasted malt flavour. The best of the bunch.
- la Blanche - Belgian style white beer. Hints of fruit, slightly sour, and that house style bitterness.
Of course drinking beer on an empty stomach in the heat makes for a short touring day. I try the house specialty, the Flammekueche. I've had something similar in Germany. It's like a thin crust pizza. Naturally I order Quebecoise style which is topped with bacon, onions, and cheese curds. Tasty!
http://www.les3brasseurs.ca
Around Vieux Montréal
The first place of interest is Old Montréal. With its narrow stone lined streets and old restored buildings it's almost like being in Europe. The distinctive sound of horse hooves can be heard in the narrow streets of the old town. The one horse power calèches carry tourists around at a leisurely pace.
It's not just the tourists with their cameras out in this area. I spot a photo shoot with a model in a ballerina outfit posing in front of the starkly angular Pointe-à-Calliere Museum of Archeology and History of Montréal.
It's not just the tourists with their cameras out in this area. I spot a photo shoot with a model in a ballerina outfit posing in front of the starkly angular Pointe-à-Calliere Museum of Archeology and History of Montréal.
Riding the Rails
Time to get my bearings and figure out the way around the city. The Métro system is extensive with four lines snaking their way under Montréal. A weekly pass is $18 and good for unlimited travel on the entire STM network of trains and buses. The Place-des-Arts metro station is conveniently located a block away from the hotel.
Jam Session at the Hyatt
I came in just after 11:00pm to hear the jam in the Salon Jeanne-Mance. With the recent change in Quebec smoking regulations it's now a pleasantly smoke-free environment. The space is a bit cavernous with the stage at the end of a long room. It's quite a professional set up with a raised stage, lighting, monitors, microphones, and a sound man on the console. Dozens of tables are set up cabaret style.
I can't find a seat at the tables, but there are empty seats by the side of the stage so I snag one. This area turns out to be where the musicians congregate. Unlike the jam in Vancouver at O'Doul's, I don't know a single musician in this crowd.
The jam is hosted every night by the John Roney Trio. Roney is a pianist originally from Mississauga. They play for a one hour set. There is a half hour break as Roney chats with musicians and writes the ones who will play into his little black book.
So things don't really get interesting until after 12:30am. Canadian folk great Ron Sexsmith made an appearance and got all Buble on us (his words) and sang two tunes—But Not For Me and Witchcraft.
A young woman from Australia named Christina did her best Etta James impression on At Last.
Kenney Garrett's rhythm section (bass, drums) played with another pianist. They were hot. Just incredible!
Unfortunately it's been a long day and I can't stay awake until 3:00am. Will have to catch the jam another night.
I can't find a seat at the tables, but there are empty seats by the side of the stage so I snag one. This area turns out to be where the musicians congregate. Unlike the jam in Vancouver at O'Doul's, I don't know a single musician in this crowd.
The jam is hosted every night by the John Roney Trio. Roney is a pianist originally from Mississauga. They play for a one hour set. There is a half hour break as Roney chats with musicians and writes the ones who will play into his little black book.
So things don't really get interesting until after 12:30am. Canadian folk great Ron Sexsmith made an appearance and got all Buble on us (his words) and sang two tunes—But Not For Me and Witchcraft.
A young woman from Australia named Christina did her best Etta James impression on At Last.
Kenney Garrett's rhythm section (bass, drums) played with another pianist. They were hot. Just incredible!
Unfortunately it's been a long day and I can't stay awake until 3:00am. Will have to catch the jam another night.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Festival Bargain
The best deal at the festival is La Carte des Amis du Festival. For $12 + GST/QST the Friends of the Festival Card comes with a compilation CD of some the artists performing, a free daily bottle of water, free daily sunscreen, and a free daily back massage, and admission to the nightly jam session.
On the Ground Running
After a long but uneventful flight and check-in to the hotel, I wander straight over to the festival grounds. It's a warm evening in Montréal with a strong gusty wind making the humidity bearable.
The size of the Jazz Festival is overwhelming compared to the Vancouver one. The grounds cover several city blocks—by my guess at least 8. The streets are closed to traffic and there are thousands of people wandering around. Stages are set up around the periphery and in the plaza of the Place Des Arts—9 of them!
It's going to take a bit of time and shoe leather to get my bearings!
The size of the Jazz Festival is overwhelming compared to the Vancouver one. The grounds cover several city blocks—by my guess at least 8. The streets are closed to traffic and there are thousands of people wandering around. Stages are set up around the periphery and in the plaza of the Place Des Arts—9 of them!
It's going to take a bit of time and shoe leather to get my bearings!
A Culture Vulture in Montréal
Yes, things have been inactive around here. But with a temporary change of venue the writing juices are flowing again.
I'm in la Belle Province for the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. With free high-speed Internet access in the Delta Montréal hotel and my Apple PowerBook in tow I'll try to give you my impressions of the city and the festival.
Let the festivities commence!
I'm in la Belle Province for the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. With free high-speed Internet access in the Delta Montréal hotel and my Apple PowerBook in tow I'll try to give you my impressions of the city and the festival.
Let the festivities commence!
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Concert Review: Kurt Elling
Kurt Elling and the Laurence Hobgood Trio
with guests the Marois Vocal Project
Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
Saturday February 4 2006 8:00pm
While Kurt Elling has made several appearances in Vancouver over the last few years this is the first time I've managed to hear his influential voice. There is a more than passing similarity to other male jazz singers like Mark Murphy, and George Evans. Elling has remarkable control over his instrument. There is a richness to his voice which is really noticeable in the lower register. He has a wide range, and can make surprisingly effortless jumps across the octaves.
My favorite number from the first set was his arrangement of Bye Bye Blackbird. It was unlike anyone else's rendition I've ever heard. He really let loose, and I was enveloped by his vocalese prowess.
In the second set Elling brought in some of Vancouver's best and brightest young jazz singers. On Orange Blossoms in the Summertime the Marois Vocal Project joined Elling on stage. The Marois Vocal Project is a vocal quartet composed of graduates of Capilano College's Jazz Studies program including Carman J. Price, and Bess Durey. This number also included wonderful solos from Elling's backing band of Laurence Hobgood (piano), Rob Amster (bass) and Frank Parker (drums).
After a final number with the Marois Vocal Project, the audience gave a standing ovation. Which of course required an encore in response. Elling returned to stage with Hobgood for a piano duo. They performed a gorgeous rendition of In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning which Elling dedicated to his wife and 15 week old daughter. This moving performance garnered another standing ovation, and warmly sent the crowd home.
with guests the Marois Vocal Project
Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
Saturday February 4 2006 8:00pm
While Kurt Elling has made several appearances in Vancouver over the last few years this is the first time I've managed to hear his influential voice. There is a more than passing similarity to other male jazz singers like Mark Murphy, and George Evans. Elling has remarkable control over his instrument. There is a richness to his voice which is really noticeable in the lower register. He has a wide range, and can make surprisingly effortless jumps across the octaves.
My favorite number from the first set was his arrangement of Bye Bye Blackbird. It was unlike anyone else's rendition I've ever heard. He really let loose, and I was enveloped by his vocalese prowess.
In the second set Elling brought in some of Vancouver's best and brightest young jazz singers. On Orange Blossoms in the Summertime the Marois Vocal Project joined Elling on stage. The Marois Vocal Project is a vocal quartet composed of graduates of Capilano College's Jazz Studies program including Carman J. Price, and Bess Durey. This number also included wonderful solos from Elling's backing band of Laurence Hobgood (piano), Rob Amster (bass) and Frank Parker (drums).
After a final number with the Marois Vocal Project, the audience gave a standing ovation. Which of course required an encore in response. Elling returned to stage with Hobgood for a piano duo. They performed a gorgeous rendition of In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning which Elling dedicated to his wife and 15 week old daughter. This moving performance garnered another standing ovation, and warmly sent the crowd home.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Concert Review: Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
General Motors Place
Wednesday January 18, 2006 8:00pm
Everywhere he goes, the kid still rocks. The ageless rocker returned home to a fairly full house and there was no way he was going to disappoint the hometown fans. For over two hours Adams and his four sidemen pumped GM Place with music and energy.
It was an all ages crowd with a significant demographic who came of age in the 1980's (including me). Not surprisingly, it was his chart topping hits of that era that got the biggest reaction and the most play. Summer of '69, Heaven, Cuts Like a Knife, Somebody, It's Only Love (with guitarist Keith Scott substituting for Tina Turner), and (Everything I Do) I Do It For You were among the many classic Adams hits performed.
One crowd pleasing moment came when Adams picked a young woman out of the audience to sing with him onstage. Burnaby esthetician Tiffany will probably never forget her five minutes of fame singing (substituting for Spice Girl Mel C) When Your Gone.
For the final encore Adams performed a solo acoustic guitar set. Being the seasoned pro he pulled off an intimate set in the voluminous stadium confines. It was an unconventional and satisfying way to send the crowd home.
General Motors Place
Wednesday January 18, 2006 8:00pm
Everywhere he goes, the kid still rocks. The ageless rocker returned home to a fairly full house and there was no way he was going to disappoint the hometown fans. For over two hours Adams and his four sidemen pumped GM Place with music and energy.
It was an all ages crowd with a significant demographic who came of age in the 1980's (including me). Not surprisingly, it was his chart topping hits of that era that got the biggest reaction and the most play. Summer of '69, Heaven, Cuts Like a Knife, Somebody, It's Only Love (with guitarist Keith Scott substituting for Tina Turner), and (Everything I Do) I Do It For You were among the many classic Adams hits performed.
One crowd pleasing moment came when Adams picked a young woman out of the audience to sing with him onstage. Burnaby esthetician Tiffany will probably never forget her five minutes of fame singing (substituting for Spice Girl Mel C) When Your Gone.
For the final encore Adams performed a solo acoustic guitar set. Being the seasoned pro he pulled off an intimate set in the voluminous stadium confines. It was an unconventional and satisfying way to send the crowd home.
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