Now that Canada Day weekend is done, we find ourselves well into the summer music season in Niagara, and with it comes a veritable musical feast for jazz and blues lovers in the Region. Of course, both jazz and blues are available throughout the year at many popular watering holes such as Cat's Caboose in St. Catharines, for example.
But with summer comes the outside venues, often at area wineries where wine, food and jazz or blues go hand-in-hand to make for a great weekend getaway right here in Niagara. Here's a sampling of what 's coming up in July and August in the area.
Just over the river in Lewiston, New York, the Lewiston Council on the Arts has many events planned, including the popular Lewiston Jazz Project on Wednesday evenings starting July 9th through to August 13th. The Lewiston Jazz Project is an art colony of musicians dedicated to composing, arranging and performing; they're primarily a seven-piece group under the direction of pianist/composer Ron Corsaro, and the septet performs original as well as classic jazz repertoire, swing and modern jazz accompanied by guest artists and student musicians. They meet Wednesday evenings at the Hennepin Park Gazebo in the heart of Lewiston at 4th and Centre Streets, and the events are all free to attend.
More information on the entire Lewiston Council on the Arts program is available by going to www.artcouncil.org or by calling 1-716-754-0166.
Closer to home, Henry of Pelham winery in south St. Catharines presents two Blues in the Vineyard events in July, both to benefit the Niagara Children's Centre. The first event is July 13th from 3 to 9 pm and features Harper & Midwest Kind, Kelly Riley and Selwyn Birchwood. The second event is July 20th from 3 to 9 and features Steve Strongman, Jack de Keyzer and Lionel Young.
If you want more information on this very worthwhile event, go to www.bluesinthevineyard.com.
Perhaps the grand-daddy of all jazz & blues events in the summer here in Niagara is the Trius Jazz & Blues at the Winery at Hillebrand Estates Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake. I've been to the jazz weekend once or twice over the years and it is always well-attended and the music is always first rate. The jazz weekend comes up July 12th, and features Robi Botos, Ted Quinland, Kevin Breit, Heather Bambrick, Mike Downes, Bill King, Stich Wynston, George Koller, Julie Michels, Liberty Silver, Richard Underhill, Kelly Jefferson, Jake Langley, Trish Colter and Mark Kelson.
The blues weekend comes up August 9th and features Carlos del Junco, Chris Antonik, The MacKenzie Blues Band and the Ben Racine Band. Seems like there are more jazz musicians readily available than blues musicians, looking at the lineup, but perhaps that's why the blues musicians are singing the blues...just kidding!
Anyway, if you want more information, call 1-800-582-8412 or go to www.triuswines.com.
Meantime, into the jazz fray comes a new jazz festival, also in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and also featuring some rather high-powered talent. The aptly-titled Niagara Jazz Festival comes up August 22nd to 24th at various locations in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ranging from the local library to Stratus Vineyards, The Village, Garrison House, Jackson-Triggs, Oast House Brewery and The Old Winery.
This new event joins a crowded field of summer jazz and blues events, particularly in Niagara-on-the-Lake, but Juliet Dunn, Executive Director of the Festival along with her husband, pianist Peter Shea, are confident they can carve out a nice little niche for themselves in Niagara and grow into a marquee event for music lovers throughout the Region.
They are musicians themselves, of course, so they know the people they are bringing on board for the weekend, having engaged many of them for their popular Twilight Jazz series that showcased local jazz talent since 2011. Dunn and Shea are also wise enough to know a project like this can easily get out of hand if all the bases are not covered, so they are employing the considerable talents of bassist, composer and arranger Duncan Hopkins as Artistic Director for the event.
The music will range from traditional jazz vocals to dixieland and beyond, drawing talent from the considerable pool of resources right here in Niagara. On tap to perform at the first festival are such names as the Blue Note Tribute Quintet, John Neudorf, Heather Bambrick, John Sherwood, Ashley St. Pierre, Alistair Robertson, Barbra Lica, Brian Dickinson, Brian O'Kane, Brownman Electryc Trio, Chase Sanborn, Dixie Demons, Don Naduriak, Frank's Bus Brass Band and Graham Lear among others.
While much of the talent is local, both Dunn and Shea hope over time the Festival will grow and in turn draw international artists as well as local musicians. Why not? Musicians love to perform, and feed off each other's unique talents.
The question remains whether Niagara will come out and support the fledgling jazz festival so we can hopefully see it grow and prosper here in Niagara. Both Juliet and Peter know their way around jazz and the musicians who make it, and together with local boy who did good Duncan Hopkins, they have the groundwork in place. Now, it is up to the public to show their support.
If that includes you, more information is available at www.niagarajazzfestival.com.
Enjoy summer in Niagara...and all that jazz!
July 2nd, 2014.
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