Live jazz in Toronto ?

[cool_blue]

Anyone have suggestions where to go and enjoy a evening of jazz (bop) in the TO area ?

Cb

Edited February 2, 2005 by cool_blue

[LWayne]

Two immediate suggestions come to mind:

Top O' The Senator-very good, atmospheric, club.

Montreal Bistro

http://www.jazzintoronto.com/

LWayne

[sidewinder]

to both of those suggestions.

'Montreal Bistro' has a nice, intimate feel and is a good place to check out solo piano artists.

Good local groups also on at the Rex Hotel in Queen Street West.

[cool_blue]

What is good edicate/rules for these clubs ?

Dress code, drink/food minimum, better to eat out after/before, cover charge, reservations ?

Thx guys!!

Edited February 2, 2005 by cool_blue

[Nate Dorward]

Etiquette? Nothing out of the ordinary. Both are restaurant/bars, you can get plenty of food there (been a while since I ordered anything from them but my recollection was the food was OK). As long as you turn off your cellphone & don't chatter on top of the music (both are listening clubs, the music's not just there for background noise to chatter) you'll be fine.

There's also the Rex on Queen Street, usually a focus on local musicians & jams & student ensembles. It's more raucous in atmosphere than the other two.

[Nate Dorward]

Forgot to say: yes you can reserve a table for the evening at both the Montreal Bistro & Senator, I believe. Neither tends to be extremely packed unelss it's a big name like Kenny Barron on a Thurs/Fri/Sat night. Arrive about 30-45 mins early if you want a decent seat, though, or you might be left at the back. The Senator in particular puts a lot of gigs on on the 2nd floor stage which is a very long narrow room, so if it's packed you could be some distance from the stage.

Cover charge is pretty modest, usually $10-$20 (Cdn) for even the big names, if memory serves.

[sidewinder]

  Nate Dorward said:

The Senator in particular puts a lot of gigs on on the 2nd floor stage which is a very long narrow room, so if it's packed you could be some distance from the stage.

Good memories of that long, narrow room. Caught fine gigs by Joe Henderson and Red Rodney there back in 1990. The restaurant at the 'Senator' if my memory is correct is ground floor and 'classic American', good place for steaks.

Check also the listings for places like the O'Keefe Centre (concert hall) and the Art Gallery of Ontario (who sometimes host jazz performances).

[LWayne]

All very good advice.

I was at the Benny Green/ Russell Malone show at Top O' The Senator last January when Russell Malone go so irritated by a fan sitting at a table near the stage talking so much that he stopped playing guitar midway through a song to ask the guy (very kindly) to shut-up.

Refreshing because I, for one, come to the shows to listen, and I also object to all the idle chatter.

LWayne

[sidewinder]

The punters can be loud in Toronto

[Nate Dorward]

Can they? I always thought the crowds were pretty nonraucous.

Though you might get the wrong impression if you listen to Bill Mays' new live album (taped in the Montreal Bistro), which has extremely loud club noise. A little birdie tells me that actually this is the result of the producer dubbing in the crowd noise.

[John Tapscott]

  Nate Dorward said:

Though you might get the wrong impression if you listen to Bill Mays' new live album (taped in the Montreal Bistro),

Nate: I haven't heard of this one or seen it yet, but I like Bill Mays. What are the details?

Thanks

[Nate Dorward]

It's a very nice one, called Bick's Bag. Neil Swainson & Terry Clarke for the rhythm section. It's on Triplet Records, a Toronto record label. The title track's an homage to Ed Bickert (who's retired from public performance), there's a Neil Swainson original too, & the rest is a thoughtful trawl of mostly lesser-played tunes: "Hallucinations", "Laura", "Bean & the Boys", "Blue Daniel" (Frank Rosolino's tune, featured on Manne's Blackhawk albums), "I Do It for Your Love" & an arrangement of Frede Grofe's "On the Trail".

The only downside of the disc is as I said the somewhat bizarre production--very loud club announcement from Lothar at the start & the loud (& possibly canned) applause. But the music's great, as you'd expect from Mays & his partners.

[sidewinder]

  Nate Dorward said:

Can they? I always thought the crowds were pretty nonraucous.

Probably not so much the clubs - indeed at Montreal Bistro the audience is usually very appreciative. I'm thinking more of places like that set of restaurants which were run by Honest Ed - I wonder if they are still going.

My memories of Montreal Bistro are of when it was known as 'Cafe Des Copains'. There were some superb solo piano sets to check out there - I recall seeing Sir Charles Thompson, Jay McShann, John Lewis and Joanne Brackeen. Somehow missed Stanley Cowell. Watched the Lewis performance stood right next to him at the grand whilst he was doing one of his 'Parisian' suites - wonderful !

[marcello]

The good music continues there with Geoffrey Keezer in April.

Geoff's web site with his itinerary:Geoff Keezer

[Nate Dorward]

  sidewinder said:

I'm thinking more of places like that set of restaurants which were run by Honest Ed - I wonder if they are still going.

Oh, that rings a faint bell...... but (1) I'm not a Toronto native (was here in the early 1990s, then moved here permanently in 1997) & (2) I'm pretty sure that the venues you speak of are no more. But maybe older hands than I can give a better answer.

[uli]

  sidewinder said:

  Nate Dorward said:

Probably not so much the clubs - indeed at Montreal Bistro the audience is usually very appreciative.

I can confirm this because I was "the audience" when I heard John Hicks there sometimes in the 80ies.

[sidewinder]

  Nate Dorward said:

  sidewinder said:

I'm thinking more of places like that set of restaurants which were run by Honest Ed - I wonder if they are still going.

Oh, that rings a faint bell...... but (1) I'm not a Toronto native (was here in the early 1990s, then moved here permanently in 1997) & (2) I'm pretty sure that the venues you speak of are no more. But maybe older hands than I can give a better answer.

They were down by the lakefront, bottom of Yonge I seem to recall. 'Honest Ed' Mirvish was a high profile Toronto entrepeneur who in addition to his 'pile em high' outlets also ran a group of restaurants in this complex, catering to a variety of cuisines. Interesting place !

Several other great musical experiences in the Toronto area. Sun Ra's 1989 band at the O'Keefe Centre, doing the 'Disney' and 'Fletcher Henderson Tribute' sets. Miles Davis performance in early 1990 at Massey Hall. Also a wonderful, no-charge open air performance by Tony Williams' group at Nathan Philips Square, around the time that 'Angel Heart' came out.

There was also a really great club called 'Bermuda Onion' on Bloor West that, very sadly, folded in the early 1990s. The likes of Elvin, Pharoah Sanders and Lee Konitz played there around that time.

Edited February 5, 2005 by sidewinder

[Nate Dorward]

Yeah those were great times--but jeez, that feels like ancient history. You really won't find anything like that here anymore: the Toronto jazz festival is more & more perfunctory, & the Onion's long gone. Sigh.

[sidewinder]

Shame ! Yep, sure feels like ancient history these days I'm afraid ( ). Those shows at the TJF were legendary. Those shows with T. Williams, Loose Tubes and a stack of others for free, courtesy of the Ontario taxpayer (glad that some of it found a good home ).

Edited February 7, 2005 by sidewinder

[cool_blue]

Enjoyed a nice night of Jazz at the Reservoir Lounge on Wellington this past Saturday night.

Tory Cassis, & a portion of the band from the Tuesday night band of Tyler

Yarema and His Rhythm were really swingin'.

http://www.reservoirlounge.com/index2.html

Cb

Edited April 20, 2005 by cool_blue