This blog has moved!

On April 13 - to coincide with our live-to-air lineup announcement at JAZZ.FM91 - we launched a revamped website. From now on I'll be doing my blog posts directly on the new torontojazz.com website, so head on over to torontojazz.com/blog to keep up to date on my latest blog entries!

Thanks for following...I hope to see you at this year's TD Toronto Jazz Festival!

Josh

Just the FACTs

With the demise of the Canada Council's Grants for Specialized Music Sound Recording, artists in the jazz and contemporary classical music genres (among others) are looking for new sources of funding in support of recording projects. With that in mind, I attended a session presented by FACTOR (the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings), to see if FACTOR might be a good alternative to the Canada Council's program.

The short answer, unfortunately, is no. When the Canada Council's program was cut, those funds did not go to FACTOR, nor was a program dedicated to specialized music established at FACTOR. In essence, jazz musicians are competing against pop, country, hip-hop, etc., when applying for FACTOR funding.

That said, the staff who presented the session were sympathetic to the new challenges facing certain musical genres and encourage anyone looking to create a new jazz album to contact them to chat about the possibilities, and find out how to submit the best possible application. Here are a few programs for which jazz musicians might be eligible:

Juried Sound Recording Program (deadlines May 31 and October 29)

There are two branches of this program: the FACTOR loan and the independent loan.

• Apply to the FACTOR loan if you've got a distribution deal in place with one of FACTOR's approved distributers (see their list) or if you can show previous sales of at least 2000 units (physical or digital). Under this program, you can apply for up to $25,000.
• Apply to the independent loan if you don't meet the distribution and sales criteria listed above. Under this program, you can apply for up to $15,000.

Direct Board Approval Sound Recordings (deadlines May 31, August 31, November 30)

To apply to this program, you must be signed to a Canadian owned and Canadian controlled record label that has a proven track record. You can apply for up to $25,000.

Emerging Artist Sound Recording Program (deadlines June 15, September 15, December 15)

The Emerging Artist Program has been created for those grassroots artists whose careers are emerging at the National & International levels. The purpose is to provide a strong financial commitment to each project by funding the sound recording and marketing and promotion respectively, to help artists take their careers to the next level. Funding is available up to $50,000; an emerging artist is defined as an artist who can show previous sales of at least 1500 units.

Marketing & Promotion for Non-FACTOR Supported Sound Recordings (deadlines May 31, October 29)

This program is to support the marketing and promotion of sound recordings for which FACTOR did not provide financial assistance towards the production costs. Applicants may use their marketing funds to cover basic marketing, touring, showcasing and video production expenses. Applicants must apply no later than 12 months following the domestic release date of the sound recording. Funding is available up to $20,000 and funds are limited in this program.

Marketing & Promotion for FACTOR Supported Sound Recordings (deadlines June 25, September 15, November 15)

This program provides marketing support to sound recordings which were approved under the Juried, Direct Board and Emerging Artist programs.

Domestic & International Tour Support (deadlines May 31, July 29, September 30, November 30)

The Tour Support Program's objective is to support domestic and foreign touring activities by Canadian artists and to contribute to the development of the Canadian music industry both domestically and internationally. The maximum amount of funding available is $15,000; the sound recording that this tour will support must have sold a minimum of 2,000 confirmed units.

For the complete list of programs, go to factor.ca. You can browse their site or try using their FACTOR Wizard, which will help direct you to the appropriate program.

A few more thoughts:

1. Sales numbers are important. If you're not yet hooked up with an independent distributor like CD Baby or Tunecore, do that now. They're probably the best and easiest way to track physical and digital sales. The one challenge is venue (i.e. offstage) sales. It seems the only current way to track venue sales is to submit them to Soundscan...but it costs $500 per year to register, which is prohibitive. FACTOR wants to make tracking venue sales easier; if you've got any ideas, let them know.

2. Make sure you do your research. I've listed here the programs that I think are most promising for jazz musicians, but I'm only passing on the information I was given - eligibility, deadline dates, and more might change so make sure you are getting the most accurate information directly from FACTOR.

3. APPLY! One of the best ways to show the government that jazz needs funding programs is to inundate programs like FACTOR with high-quality applications. Let's be sure to not let the government off the hook by becoming complacent - keep the applications coming!

For more information on FACTOR programs I encourage you to speak with Brent Bain in the FACTOR submissions department: (416) 696-2215, ext. 221 or brent.bain@factor.ca.

And finally, if you have other suggestions for funding sources, or other suggestions for how to draw attention to the lack of funding available for jazz recording projects, please add your comments...

Josh

P.S. - For an interesting night of jazz and East Indian fusion, check out the 3rd annual Indo-Jazz Festival, this Thursday, April 29, at Lula Lounge. Details are at lula.ca.

P.P.S. - Congratulations to all of the JUNO Award winners! Terry Clarke, whose album It's About Time won Traditional Jazz Album of the Year, will perform as part of the TD Toronto Jazz Festival on Friday, July 2, at the Trane Studio; a number of the other nominees (Darren Sigesmund, Jaffa Road, Hilario Duran) will also be performing as part of the festival this summer!

Keeping up with Miss Jones

Ever since my first year as a student in the University of Toronto's Jazz Performance Program I've understood that New York City is a hotbed of jazz activity. I've not spent a lot of time there, though, so last weekend I made the first of what I hope to be semi-regular jaunts south of the border. I think it will be helpful to keep track of certain emerging trends, meet new musicians, venue owners and presenters, and help to keep Toronto on everyone's jazz radar.

While I was down there I caught two great acts - the Bad Plus at the Blue Note, and Darcy James Argue's Secret Society at the Galapagos Art Space. They were both excellent shows and well worth the price of admission (and airfare and transit fare and bar tab). I also met up with a few movers and shakers on the scene and was able to pick their brains a bit about jazz venues, where jazz is headed and what makes the New York scene so important.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about how to invigourate Toronto's jazz scene. I know comparing it to New York is hardly fair, but what exactly is the difference between the two scenes? They have world-class musicians; we have world-class musicians. They have excellent post-secondary jazz programs; we have excellent post-secondary jazz programs. They have a vibrant cultural scene overall; we have a vibrant cultural scene overall.

And so, in what could be one of the most hyperbolic oversimplifications in history, I'd like to suggest two main reasons why we're different: population and tourism. New York City has a population of over 8 million and in 2008 they had an estimated 47 million tourists visit; Toronto has a population of 2.5 million and in 2007 we had 10.5 million tourists visit. With four times the population and tourist visits, New York City is dealing with much higher demands for culture, transit (i.e. a way to get to culture), restaurants, etc. (According to everyone I spoke with in New York, for example, the Blue Note depends almost entirely on tourists - that's two shows a night, 200 people per show, every day of the year...)

However, these statistics don't tell the whole story. If we were really operating on a 1:4 ratio, we'd have at least 6 full-time jazz clubs in Toronto. And, as I talk to more and more people on the local jazz community, it's the number of jazz venues that seems to be the major challenge to this city's jazz scene.

The question is, can Toronto sustain more full-time jazz clubs? Two spaces that I saw in New York particularly intrigued me: the Galapagos Art Space and Le Poisson Rouge. Neither space is dedicated to any one art form. The Galapagos presents music, film, theatre, dance, acrobatics and more, and concentrates on presenting emerging and mid-career artists. Le Poisson Rouge primarily presents music, but that includes classical, contemporary, jazz, folk, electronica...and on Friday and Saturday nights the space is converted into happening dance parties. These models allow the space to be booked every day of the week, every week of the year, often times for two shows each day (especially at Le Poisson Rouge), without sacrificing the overall artistic integrity of the acts they present.

It's not clear to me if these models would work in Toronto, though the more I speak to people in a variety of arts organizations the more I think this is exactly the model that this city needs. What is clear is that we need more places for our outstanding jazz musicians to play. And, if that means creating a shared space, where great art of all kinds can be presented, then I think we should give it some thought.

What do you think - how can we give the local community the year-round support it needs?

Josh

P.S. - I had the pleasure of taking in Caitlin Smith's Tiny Alligator Large Band at the Music Gallery last night. It was an excellent night of creative writing and outstanding performing, featuring a great mix of established and emerging local musicians. Keep your eyes and ears open for this band...

P.P.S. - The Rex Hotel continues to program a great mix of the best in local and international jazz talent. Next week is their Power Jazz Guitar Trio Festival featuring Wayne Krantz with Tim Lefebvre & Keith Carlock (April 21 & 22) then Oz Noy with Will Lee & Anton Fig (April 23 & 24). Then, on Monday night April 26, catch John MacLeod's Rex Hotel Orchestra, which features twenty of this city's best jazz musicians.

Showtime...

Three months (since I started, anyway), hundreds of emails and dozens of phone calls later, we're ready for our close-up. This Tuesday, April 13, we'll be live-to-air on JAZZ.FM91 to announce the highlights from the 2010 TD Toronto Jazz Festival lineup. Things get underway around 2 pm; make sure you tune in!

Putting together the lineup is perhaps one of the most exciting parts of festival planning. We get to create - and sometimes even fulfill! - wish lists, listen to a ton of great music, make new connections, and meet new artists and managers. At the same time, it can be challenging, contentious, frustrating...it is, after all, a big puzzle: the right balance of genre, local and international artists, venues and, of course, fees, needs to be struck...and sometimes the pieces just don't fit together. Inevitably, we're going to let some people down, have disagreements and need to come at certain challenges from a variety of angles. But what we come out with is a fantastic mix of music and artists.

(And it's still ongoing...I just now confirmed one of the artists for our Next Wave series after several weeks of negotiations...)

We'll be talking on Tuesday about the performers, but you can look forward to several interesting series of music: we'll have the main stage at Nathan Phillips Square; the Next Wave series at the Music Gallery; three concerts at the Enwave Theatre; three shows upstairs at the Hard Rock Cafe; two shows at Church of the Holy Trinity; the already-announced Koerner Hall series; five shows at Trane Studio; ten shows at Shops at Don Mills; and a variety of shows at other venues across the city. Plus our workshops, talkbacks and a new series of educational programming.

So - it's a full plate of jazz and jazz-related activity. Tune in to JAZZ.FM91, 2 pm on Tuesday for complete the details. And in the meantime, well, jazz-hands...

Josh

Musical refreshment

I was going to wax philosophical in today's blog posting...take on some subject or another such as whether and how musicians need to communicate with their audience...or the effect of the digitization of music and the written word on jazz recordings and magazines...or whether Facebook is a good tool for, well, anything...

But, I had a late rehearsal last night so I've decided not to take on a weighty topic for today lest I'm unable to clearly articulate my articulations. (For example - did that last sentence make any sense?) Instead I thought I would reflect briefly on the music that has moved me recently. As I sat at my desk this morning, groggy eyed and foggy brained, I wanted to find some music that would not necessarily inspire but stimulate my senses. I started online with what I think is a brilliant performance by Imogen Heap, live and solo, of her tune Just for Now. Though I'm not familiar will much of her body of work, I'm floored by what she's able to do with just her voice, some clapping, and some looping. After Imogen I opened up iTunes and, scrolling down the list of music, decided on Maria Schneider's Allegresse (which is on in the background as I type). Just beautiful writing, and outstanding playing. A great way to clear the cobwebs.

I've had a few other musically meaningful moments recently. Last weekend, my wife and I watched Throw Down Your Heart, a documentary which follows Bela Fleck to Africa as he traces the history of the banjo. Although we didn't actually learn a lot about where the banjo started, how it evolved, etc. (that's clearly not the ultimate point of the film), the film features some outstanding performances by professional and amateur musicians, and is a great reminder that music goes far beyond the concert hall - in some parts of the world, it's part of everyday life.

On Sunday night, I headed down to The Rex Hotel to catch the Marilyn Lerner Trio (with Matt Brubeck on cello and Nick Fraser on drums - also known as the Ugly Beauties). I had not yet heard Marilyn play...and the evening was a treat. The group sounded great. Interesting music, fantastic solos, really enjoyable interaction between the musicians - a lot of fun. It was a welcome way to wrap up the weekend. (Plus, I had a fabulous conversation with the 84-year-old and Rex regular Olive, who walked from her house at King and Tecumseh to get to the show...) The trio plays again this Sunday - go check them out (7 pm, pay-what-you-can).

Then, on Tuesday - and thanks to NPR - I checked out a few tracks from Brad Mehldau's new album, Highway Rider. I found them to be completely refreshing: creative, interesting writing and great performances. It hit the spot.

This weekend promises to be great for my ears too: tonight I go to see Bobby McFerrin (a birthday present for my Dad...), tomorrow afternoon I play with the Chris Hunt Tentet at the Rex, and tomorrow night I'm helping to produce the Kurt Rosenwinkel Standards Trio concert at Glenn Gould Studio. It will be a busy, but musically inspiring, 36 hours!

So - maybe next blog post I'll take on controversial topics and use lots of big words. But for today, I'm just happy to talk about music...

Josh

Thank you Paul!

On Wednesday night I attended the University of Toronto jazz program's tribute to Paul Read, who, after 17 years as director of the program, is stepping down at the end of this year. Simply called "Thank you, Paul!", it was a great night - the 10 and 11 O'Clock Jazz Orchestras performed Paul's arrangements and compositions, and the graduate ensemble added one tune (also a Paul Read original) to the mix. There were solos by special guest faculty members (Chase Sanborn, Jim Lewis, Alex Dean and Terry Promane) and some touching words. Kudos to everyone who performed and organized the event.

I first met Paul twenty or so years ago as a camper in National Music Camp's jazz division. I knew him then as the director of the camp, and also the conductor of the camp's faculty big band. That band was always amazing - great players and great tunes. It can't be a coincidence that, after seeing that band perform for five years as a camper, I would one day be inspired to start my own band...

Over the five years as a camper, I got to know Paul and his fantastic wife - vocalist Trish Colter - and when I made the decision to pursue jazz at university, I was excited about working with Paul in a new way. I remember my audition: it was towards the end of what I can only imagine had been a long day of auditions. Paul and Phil Nimmons were on the panel. And they were, I think, a bit slap-happy at that point. The audition was a blast. They made me feel welcome and relaxed. I don't remember how I actually played; but I do remember having a great time. In the end, they saw something they liked and I entered the program.

Under Paul's direction, U of T's jazz program took me - a young musician with a pretty basic knowledge of jazz - and instilled in me a passion for the music. I learned a ton. I played under Paul in the 10 O'Clock Jazz Orchestra and learned how to run a big band (and how, when the conductor stops the band, and with a blank look on his face says "Perfect!", he means it really wasn't perfect...). I learned from Paul about the importance of always being professional, about learning the history and context of the music I play, and about having a sense of humour about it all. (One day, in the elevator, he told me he had figured out the answer to playing high on trumpet: "It's easy: less air, more pressure!")

As I finished my last year of the undergraduate program, I needed some direction. I wasn't sure what I should make my next step, and Paul's door was always open. He took the time to chat with me about different possibilities, and was honest with me about what he thought might or might not work for me. I valued those conversations; it was great to hear his perspective get some honest feedback. So when I got out of school, with Paul's advice ringing in my ears, I made a variety of decisions which, well, have ultimately led me to where I am today.

So thanks, Paul, for everything: for creating a summer camp environment in which a passion for jazz could grow; for taking a chance on a somewhat inexperienced trumpeter; for giving me great tutelage and advice; and for being open to my questions and queries now just as much as you were then. Good luck on this next chapter. I look forward to hearing the results (via the Paul Read Orchestra) and to working with you for many years to come.

Josh

Congratulations to our JUNO nominees!

The 2010 JUNO Awards nominations were announced recently and we're pleased to see a number of names familiar to the local jazz scene on the list! Toronto Downtown Jazz offers congratulations to all of the nominees and especially the Toronto-based jazz musicians:

Emilie-Claire Barlow (Vocal Jazz Album of the Year)

Michael Kaeshammer (Vocal Jazz Album of the Year)

Hilario Duran (Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year)

Kirk MacDonald Quartet (Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year)

Al Henderson Septet (Traditional Jazz Album of the Year)

Darren Sigesmund (Traditional Jazz Album of the Year)

Terry Clarke (Traditional Jazz Album of the Year)

Carlos del Junco (Blues Album of the Year)

Treasa Levasseur (Blues Album of the Year)

Domenic Mancuso (World Music Album of the Year)

Jaffa Road (World Music Album of the Year)

We'll be watching with anticipation on April 18th for the results...and you should be watching out for a number of these musicians at the upcoming TD Toronto Jazz Festival! We're gearing up for an April 13th lineup announcement, and there's lots of great music coming your way...

Stay tuned!

Josh