Getting to know vocalist Ori Dagan

It’s surprises me to know that the last time I wrote anything for my blog was about a year ago and that was one of my “get to know” blogs featuring my Toronto based friend Maureen Kennedy who was coming to town to perform. Now, fast forward to May 2024 and I am going to introduce you Toronto based jazz vocalist Ori Dagan who is coming out on his first ever West Coast tour. Perhaps you know him already? Welcome to our beautiful province Ori!

Ori and I will share the stage for one concert on May 16^th we’re calling “These Are A Few of Our Favourite Tunes” at Brentwood Presbyterian Church in Burnaby and then Ori heads to the island where he will sing as part of a Big Band Festival in Nanaimo followed by a performance in Victoria and then he’ll return to Vancouver where he’ll perform his special “Rat Pack Songbook” tribute show on May 21^st at Tyrant Studios. As you can see he is a busy guy!

I’m delighted to have Ori do this Q & A with me and I hope you enjoy getting to know a bit more about this uniquely talented and hardworking artist.

K. Ori, you have performed many duets in concerts and for recordings. What are the aspects of singing a duet that you particularly enjoy?

O: For me what makes jazz music so interesting is the element of surprise – so it is always fun to work with different musicians, play for different audiences – and the best is if I manage to surprise myself! I find that duets always lend themselves to moments of surprise, especially when performed live. I have had the honour of singing with some of my favourite vocalists including Alex Pangman, Heather Bambrick, Simone Denny and of course, Sheila Jordan which was a career highlight! It is particularly enjoyable to do this with the standards we know and love and to see how another artist might approach something familiar and make it feel brand new.

K. Who would be some of your main influences in jazz that have helped inspire and guide you in music?

O: It was Ella who got me into the music, with her “Mack the Knife: Live in Berlin” album which I listened to over 10,000 times. My other big influence in terms of vocalists is Anita O’Day – absolutely love her sense of time, use of dynamics, creativity in arranging and her ability to reinvent the familiar. Louis Armstrong I adore forever for the joy, the swing, the love. Carmen McRae is someone I greatly admire for the depth of her interpretation – there is never an instance where she isn’t truthful, and when she takes liberties with melodies these always manage to enhance the lyric.  Of course I adore Billie Holiday – it took me a few years to get into her approach but now I can never get enough. Sarah Vaughan is another one who is almost superhuman in terms of how she makes virtuosity seem effortless – a true goddess of music.  More and more I realize that Mark Murphy is a huge influence of mine, especially when I find myself exploring the possibilities of a song and stepping outside of the box. I am not generally a fan of choral singing in jazz but I absolutely adore Lambert, Hendricks & Ross as a collective and individually – such intense creativity and pure genius in those recordings. Sheila Jordan is like my spiritual grandmother – not only for her brilliantly original approach to singing but also for her role as a “jazz ambassador” which I strive to live up to as well. Besides all of these vocalists I get a lot of inspiration from horn players – saxophone is my favourite instrument to listen to and some of my favourites include Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, Don Byas and Arnett Cobb to name a few.

K. When you listen to recordings do you listen to CD’s, Vinyl or do you prefer streaming platforms?

O: I love collecting vinyl – have to stop going to these stores for a while because I have no more space haha. Generally I don’t buy CD’s anymore unless there is a good reason (e.g. a live album by Anita O’Day in Tokyo!) or if I am supporting a fellow artist. I do listen to streaming for the convenience of it. Everyone please check out Bandcamp!!!

K. When you write songs do you sit at the piano or do you do that away from any instruments?

O: It is strange but for me songs just come out of nowhere and I have to run to the piano to try and lay them down. The challenge is always FINISHING the song – this could take months or in some cases years.  Hoping to become more disciplined about songwriting as the years go by, maybe one day I will work on it every day. As the great Sheila Jordan says, “dedication is the key” and I think that applies to everything in life and music.

K. What are some factors you look for when you are putting bands together for your various shows? Do you look for specific qualities in the musicians you like to work with?

O: YES! I love to work with musicians who have good positive energy, who smile, who listen, who swing, and who have a good time.

K. Do you have a specific vocal regime that you use to prepare for a gig?

O: I have a classical vocal exercise that I go through, but I am not too religious about it, just a few minutes in the shower.  I do sing just about every single day whether it’s at my gig, a jam session, a friend’s gig or on a walk, so I find that keeps my voice in pretty good shape.

K. Other than jazz-based music are you drawn to any other genres?

O: Anything that has heart and soul and especially creativity! I only don’t connect very well to heavy metal music because I find the instrumentation to be a bit jarring….but I am always open to something new.

K. What do you find the most challenging aspect of being a musician?

O: Staying positive in the face of regularly being rejected; making a living in an industry that is barely functional from an economic standpoint. And yet I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world!

K. Do you have any advice for young budding musicians who are very early in their musical development?

O: Yes – dedication and discipline, and then go out there! Jam. Listen to others. Meet others. Support others. We have to help each other – community is so important. 

K. Are there any special projects coming up in 2024 that you are very excited about?

O: I just launched a brand new project: The Rat Pack Songbook with jazz orchestra, which debuted in Quebec last month.  I will be performing it again May 18 at the Nanaimo Big Band Festival with the Vancouver Island Repertory Jazz Orchestra and am so looking forward to this!  Also I am working on a brand new album in collaboration with master pianist Hila Kulik and one of my greatest inspirations Jane Bunnett, stay tuned at @oridaganjazz! 

Thank you Ori. Wishing you every success on this tour and, of course I am excited about sharing the stage with you this month!

Here’s a link for our “These Are A Few of Our Favourite Tunes” concert: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/these-are-a-few-of-our-favourite-tunes-ori-dagan-karin-plato-in-concert-tickets-884263063627?aff=oddtdtcreator

And here is a link to Ori’s website for all of you: https://oridagan.com/home

Toronto jazz vocalist Maureen Kennedy

Photo of Maureen Kennedy Quintet at Frankie’s by KP

Here is a brief excerpt of the words I wrote after my colleague Maureen Kennedy appeared at Frankie’s Jazz Club in 2019:

My Toronto friend and colleague Maureen Kennedy calls herself a type of “nerd”. I giggle at the word “nerd” as it relates to Maureen since I never thought of her as such. She may be a nerd however she also happens to be a fabulous jazz vocalist, one with sophisticated taste in repertoire, one with a gorgeous nuanced vocal tone, an ease and natural ability to deliver the songs without fuss or extra “stuff” The purity of Maureen’s vocal sound and her exquisite phrasing puts a smile on my face. From the first phrase of each tune, there’s something about the quality of Maureen’s singing voice that pulls in you in, or perhaps it coaxes you in. Can a singing voice sound silky and sandy at the same time? Maureen’s voice does to me.

Now, more currently on May 2nd/2023 are the questions I recently asked Maureen. (Some of you may recall I do enjoy interviewing artists from time to time) Perhaps reading Maureen’s answers will be a way of getting to know a bit more about her musical path in advance of the upcoming dates at Frankie’s Jazz Club. Yes! Maureen is returning to Vancouver to perform May 19 and May 20.

Karin’s Q & A with Maureen Kennedy

K. What draws you to certain songs and songwriters when you select your repertoire?

M. I am drawn to a varied selection of songwriters. I like to dig deep into the vault of lesser-known tunes, but I also love some of the classic ones people know.  Recently I’ve been uncovering some beautiful Vernon Duke songs.  And I am also drawn to the lyrics of Lorenz Hart and John Latouche. Latouche wrote the lyrics to “Lazy Afternoon” and the Billy Strayhorn / Ellington tune “Daydream.” I find what they’ve written very relatable. I tend to like songs with a sense of melancholy and longing.

K. Are there any artists who you believe have influenced your own style and approach to singing jazz standards?

M. I’ve been influenced by many singers for different reasons. The list is very long.  I’ll name a few Irene Kral, Frank Sinatra, Helen Merrill, Carmen McRae, June Christy, Annie Ross, Jackie Paris, Nat King Cole, Mark Murphy – and this is a few!  I like the fact that all of these singers not only had incredible voices but also vast repertoires. A singer for me, like a horn player, has to have a personal sound. 

K. What are some specifics about the jazz genre that entice and captivate you?

M. I was drawn to jazz because it challenges you to never sing or play a tune the same way.  You can do this by altering the melody a bit or in how you phrase.  And playing with jazz musicians is a constant learning experience.  It’s a vocabulary that keeps expanding.  I listen to as much instrumental jazz as I do vocal.  When I hear a tune, I love I want to hear an instrumental version of it to get more ideas.

K. Do you recall when and why you first decided to become a jazz vocalist/recording artist?

M. I started singing in my early 20s. I was very green.  It took me time to develop a style and a repertoire. Studying with trumpet and flugelhorn player Fred Stone was very important to me. 

K. Is there a practice routine you use to keep your voice in singing condition?

M. I just vocalize a lot and I have a piano so I can really focus on learning the original melody of a tune.  I like to get the original sheet music for this reason. I think that having studied with Fred helped me with technique.  He once said the moment I stopped thinking about breathing was the moment I did it right.  It’s important to sing from the diaphragm for support. I’m distracted when I hear a singer breathing strongly between phrasing.  I suggest checking out Frank Sinatra for great breathing technique. He developed his breath control from watching trombonist Tommy Dorsey playing night after night. “Eventually he worked out that Dorsey had a pinhole in the corner of his mouth through which he was taking furtive breaths (circular breathing). Sinatra came to see that singing, too, was about breath control and that the secret was never to break the phrase.” 

K. Are there certain instruments that you are drawn to in music?

M. I love all the instruments used in jazz.  I listen to a lot of saxophonists. I also love trumpet and clarinet.  I love to sing with guitar and piano. The double bass is such a great instrument too – in terms of sound. 

K. What is something that you enjoy about performing live for an in-person audience? 

M. I find singing live challenging but necessary.  I love introducing audiences to songs they may have not heard.  And I love to tell them where I discovered the song – who performed it on recordings I love. I’m a curious person and I think that audiences are too.

K. Other than jazz music are there other genres you enjoy listening to?

M. I was in high school in the 1970s when the singer songwriter was a big thing. I went to a lot of great concerts then and was lucky to hear Bob Dylan, The Band, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Elton John in their primes.

K. Do you listen to CD’s or vinyl, or do you stream your music when you listen?

M. I do it all.  My daughter’s both have turntables and great collections of music.  And I’ve kept all my CDs.  I like to buy CDs if I go to someone’s launch. The problem with streaming is there are no liner notes.

K. What advice would you give to up-and-coming jazz vocalists?

M. Focus just as much if not more on learning tunes, listening, practicing, than on social media. Social media is a promotional tool but, in some ways, it can be anti-social. Music is not a popularity contest. The great thing about jazz is that young musicians can get together with older musicians. I think that cultivating these kinds of relationships can be very enriching. Lately, I’ve been getting together with a very talented pianist and singer Hannah Barstow who is in her twenties. I love that she is curious about tunes and singers.  She recently did a great recording on Cornerstone records with Mike Murley and Jim Vivian. I love the tunes she has covered as well as her own compositions.

Thanks Maureen! See you in a few weeks.

Photo of Maureen Kennedy singing with bassist John Lee by Vincent Lim

Snowflake Season

Today is November 22nd 2022 and I am going to post about (gulp) Christmas. Still, I see that several neighbors have put up Christmas lights and, the truth is December is just around the corner. I tend to have mixed feelings about the Christmas season, and I suppose I am not alone in feeling this way. There is such a mash up of emotions all swished and swirled together and along with that comes the MUSIC. Ah, yes Christmas music! The sacred, the secular, the popular, the annual favourites, vocal and instrumental, the new ones you discover or write yourself.

*photo depicts Plato’s Pinecone People made by me many years ago and posed in the snow last December while visiting my Mom on the prairies.

Christmas Music: It’s true I’ve always loved hauling out the Christmas music books and producing new arrangements of standards and I’ve also written songs related to the season. Do you know my tune “Olive, the other reindeer”? Ha ha! You probably do NOT know that one. Maybe if you live in Vancouver, you have heard it since I have sung it in performance with We Three Queens. It’s fun and it’s silly and no, I have not recorded that one. *There is another song or two written about that less than famous reindeer if you do some swifter than a reindeer can fly internet search.

Yesterday while digging through my Christmas box, I found my song “Fa, La, La It’s Christmas” and a few other KP compositions which I had honesty forgotten about. A few are “throwaways,” but others seem catchy somehow and worth revisiting.

Moving forward and looking back at the same time:

Over 20 years ago now I recorded a Christmas Jazz album called “snowflake season”. The recording features some wonderful musicians and quite a cross section of music. Swing, Bossa, Ballads, more. Much has happened in life since that recording however, I still enjoy all the song choices I made. It is not a “commercial Christmas cd” if, you know what I mean? *Admittedly I don’t play my own album much during the holiday season because I have other annual faves I turn to. More on that another day. snowflake season is available on various streaming platforms and, the physical CD is available from my online store: https://www.karinplato.com/past-cds

Christmas Jazz Concert featuring KP Quintet:

Lucky me! I will be singing and swinging Christmas Jazz at The Anvil Theatre on St. Nicholas Day December 6^th. How appropriate that the concert lands on St. Nicholas Day! A family tradition for us was this: When we were children on the evening of December 5^th, we would set out one of our shoes at the front door and in the morning, St. Nicholas would have put chocolate or marzipan treats or some other Christmas delight in there for us. Yeah, we liked St. Nicholas!

Tickets are available now. https://anviltheatre.ca/event/piva-presents-a-jazz-christmas/ I hope you decide to come to the concert. I am currently working on the program of songs and certainly I will perform a few from my album snowflake season. The band I have assembled is exceptional: Miles Black, Tom Keenlyside, Conrad Good and Dave Robbins. The Anvil Theatre is located in New Westminster and is easily accessible by skytrain.

In closing, may the season that we are facing be filled with good chocolate and good music and if possible some real joy.

Thanks! Karin

I’ll Send This Dream

I’ll Send This Dream is the title of the new recording I’ve been fortunate enough to make with acclaimed mandolin player John Reischman and harmonic master on the guitar John Miller. We’re going to be playing two special Vancouver concerts this December to celebrate the release and we’ll play music from the recording as well as new material we have been working on.

December 12 – 7 PM @ Roedde House Museum Tix for concert

December 20 – 8 PM @ Tipper Review Room Tix for concert

Two summers ago, and rather soon after my quintet recorded This Could Be The One in Warehouse Studio in Vancouver the two Johns and I recorded I’ll Send This Dream in a much more basic setting: The dining room of our home!

** I can barely believe that I had the notion? the determination? the will? to make two recordings within just a few weeks that July!  However crazy it may sound, I was prepared and I worked hard to maintain a healthy strong voice and I had a good feeling about both projects.

I have always appreciated the warmth of the sound in our dining room and thought it would be fun to capture the natural sound of the trio for our recording. I enlisted engineer Marc L’Esperance who was able to bring his recording studio gear and set up his control room in the kitchen area while we three musicians sat on our chairs facing each other in the same way we would while rehearsing. It was lovely. It was relaxed. It seemed to be just the right approach for us to record this music.

We did a few takes of each of the songs and only once did we have to stop recording while the sound of a large truck rumbled by. That’s rather remarkable in a city such as ours I think and it seemed that luck was on our side.  I love the way we could record this music without wearing headphones. As always, I enjoyed hearing all the beauty that these two men put into the music and I feel so fortunate to be able to sing with them both.

The recording includes some new originals for the recording such as my song “Soon” (the only song I play the uke on for this recording) and John Miller’s song “To No End” for which I composed a lyric.

Thanks to my incredible husband Gorm Damborg who always encourages and supports my efforts with his positive attitude and, who didn’t mind that we turned our house into a recording studio for this project!

Karin

 

What do you know! ‘Tis AUTUMN

I am somewhat surprised and yet willing to accept the fact that Autumn has indeed arrived. Summer was wonderful and filled with music and vacation time too.

I’m back to teaching in my music studio and I certainly do have some interesting piano and voice students ranging from very young to much older. Some like jazz. Some like classical music. Some are pop singer-songwriters. Some are absolute beginners. My task? To help teach and guide and motivate and cultivate the joy of music no matter what genre my students are interested in studying.

I still have space for new students in case someone out there is considering lessons. Note: typically, my music room is far more cluttered than this photo indicates and that is a fact! Often song books and piano books begin to pile up during the week. There is table for that specific purpose and every once in awhile I decide to place books back on the shelf in an attempt to keep things tidy, at least for a day or so. Ha!

Aside from my teaching I have some lovely opportunities to perform coming up, here in Vancouver and also in Toronto and I am certainly excited about the month of October.

Soon, I’ll be singing at Vancouver’s premiere jazz club: October 11th at Frankie’s!  I’m delighted about sharing some of the music I’ve been working on this past September. I’ll be singing lots of jazz standards, some are new to me and others I have revised after many years of neglecting or “resting” them. I have one new original that I will debut that evening with my band mates. Reservations can be made here: Frankie’s Jazz Club

Just a week later I will be heading to Toronto to attend the Audio Festival and the Vinyl Festival and, even more exciting to me, I’ll be singing two exclusive concerts with the acclaimed Mark Eisenman Trio. The one of a kind “Jazz In The Kitchen” concert series is where these performances will take place and tickets are available here: Jazz In The Kitchen

Last but certainly not least it’s time for the new Joy of Jazz Concert season to kick off and Sunday October 27 will be a doozy! Kate Hammett-Vaughan and I will be joined by Miles Black and Conrad Good and the evening will be a Cole Porter celebration.

Many years ago Kate performed Porter themed concerts entitled “Kate Loves Cole”. We both love Cole! So, our concert is entitled “Let’s Do It” and we’ll definitely include that song as well as many others. Further information at the website: Joy of Jazz Concerts

Enjoy your Autumn days everyone!

Karin

What’s Your Story Morning Glory?

August greetings everyone! Here in my Vancouver garden the flowers seems content with today’s refreshing rain. Moments before the rain really kicked in, I ran outside to take a photo of my Morning Glory flowers. I love this blue! It’s a good day for me to write a blog about some of the music related projects in my life right now.

I have a new recording which will be officially released in December. It’s called “I’ll Send This Dream” and it is dedicated to the memory of Nancy Thorwardson, a musician who really made an impact on many people with her songs, her sense of humour and her engaging personality. She is dearly missed. Check out more about Nancy at her website: https://www.nancythorwardson.com/

I consider myself lucky to make music with and record with mandolin star John Reischman and incredible guitarist John Miller.  I admire and respect the musicality of both these men so much! Recording engineer Marc L’Esperance  was able to record us “live off the floor” here in our dining room and I am very happy with the end result. It’s natural and unadorned and just the way we like it! We recorded some beautiful jazz standards and we also included some original songs. We’ll be performing a CD release concert later in the year. Thank you to Paul Norton for the graphic design:

I’ve been putting the finishing touches on the next Joy of Jazz Concert Series for 2019-2020. These concerts take place at Hood 29 on Main Street and this year we’re presenting the concerts on Sunday evenings: October 27, December 15, February 23 and April 26. These are early evening concerts starting at 7:30 PM so even people who are working the next morning will (hopefully) consider attending. This is my labour of love series! I am part of each concert however some of my personal pleasure comes from hearing my fellow musicians in performance together and in solo presentations as well. Web-Meister Paul Norton will have the new website up and running soon. Here’s a link to last year’s series: www.joyofjazzconcerts.com 

Take a look at who is involved in the 2019/2020 series!! Yeah, it’s going to be a doozy…

There may be one more “Plato Pop Up Performance” which will be part of this series in 2020. I’m still scheming…

Enjoy the rest of your summer days everyone and thanks for reading my blog.

Karin

She Can Bloom

March is the month that signifies the beginning of a new season. It’s also the month when I’m involved in assisting with and performing as part of the Strong Women Strong Music concerts. These fund raising events specifically help Enterprising Women Making Art (EWMA), a program of Atira Women’s Resource Society based in Vancouver. This will be the 13th year we’ve presented women in jazz performing these concerts.

This year, since the SWSM concerts take place March 5-7 and, because International Women’s Day is actually Friday March 8th, I decided I’d like to produce another special event celebrating creative women artists. She Can Bloom will be an intimate community event which will take place on the Hood 29 Stage in East Vancouver. Hood 29 is a local Bistro with a warm and inviting atmosphere with a good stage and room to seat 100 people max. Expect spontaneous laughter, tears, joy and appreciation when these artists take to the stage with songs, poems, prose and thought provoking themes with wide ranging appeal. All are welcome to attend! Consider this a Dinner + Show event with the show starting at 8 PM, doors open for dinner by 6:30 PM.

Five creative, intrepid & inspiring artists in collaborative and solo works:

Kristina Olsen -American based song-writer/multi-instrumentalist

Jodi Proznick – Juno Award winning bassist/composer/educator

Shauna Johannesen- Leo Award winning actor/writer/film maker

Kate Braid – Acclaimed Canadian poet/writer

Karin Plato – Juno nominated vocalist/composer

I am absolutely thrilled that these extraordinary women have agreed to perform for the ‘She Can Bloom’ project. These are women I have watched and listened to, have been inspired and deeply moved by. I have cried, I have laughed, I have cheered for these talented artists. I have read the poems, books and songs that they have written. I have watched their films and plays. I have listened to their recordings and in some cases I have been able to share the stage with them. Now, the Vancouver audience will be able to attend an evening featuring each of these creative women in celebration of International Women’s Day.

Advance tickets are available through eventbrite.ca (She Can Bloom) Here’s the link:

She Can Bloom Tix

She Can Bloom – Friday, March 8th – 8 PM at Hood 29 – 4470 Main Street Vancouver 

Do you LIKE karinplatomusic?

Not so many months ago I released a new recording and although there hasn’t yet been a tour associated with the recording (maybe in the future?) my band mates and I performed two concerts in the Vancouver area to celebrate. I’ve only just begun to send out CD’s to radio stations and music reviewers.  Fans of my music have been very supportive already and have made various requests to have my music heard and featured on radio stations in their region of the globe. Thank you everyone! A spiffy new website will be up any minute now as designed by my good friend and at times the busiest man in town Paul Norton. I’ll let everyone know when it’s up and happening!

These days it appears that social media activity is rather important as it relates to an independent artist’s life and therefore I decided to hold a type of contest to give away a special KP gift package to some individual who “likes” my official facebook karinplatomusic page  karinplatomusic

It’s a bit of silliness to have to request people to like your page (in my opinion) however if you can imagine this: Apparently there are certain artist grants that musicians are currently applying for will look at those numbers and apparently are making some decisions based on those figures. Not the numbers on your “regular” facebook profile but the numbers on your artist page. So, rather than simply request those “likes” I’ve decided to give something back in the form of this gift package. It includes a copy of my new CD This Could Be The One, a spiffy new bebop bo bag featuring the character Bo who appears within the graphics of the CD and vinyl plus a gift card once again featuring Bo.

To enter simply go to my the karinplatomusic page on facebook and there are two things you will need to do to be “officially” in the contest:

1. LIKE the page itself.

2. LIKE the photo image of the KP Gift when you find it on the karinplatomusic page

I will make a draw for the winner on December 21 which, people often associate as being the first official day of winter. I’ll probably do a little video and have one of my friends be there to make the draw with me. I’ll have the package ready to be mailed (or if you live in the lower mainland I’ll try to have it delivered directly to you)

Do you like the sound of the contest? Ha!

Thanks everyone!
Karin

 

Karin’s Q & A with vocalist Jaclyn Guillou

It’s Sunday May 17th and about 2 weeks from now American vocalist Kate McGarry (a favorite of mine and of vocalist Jaclyn Guillou) is coming to perform in Vancouver along with her wonderful guitarist husband Keith Ganz. There’s much excitement building up to their first ever Canadian performance. This will be the 3rd of the Joy Of Jazz Concert Series shows at St. James Hall.

I thought it might be fun to get Jaclyn’s perspective on Kate’s influence and appeal. Here is my little Q & A with Jaclyn’s thoughtful and detailed responses. Jaclyn is a wonderful vocalist and composer in her own right and has graciously taken the time to answer my questions while in the midst of recording her new album…

1. What in particular do you like about Kate’s style/approach to singing?

I have always been drawn to singers that have an open hearted rich quality to the way they express a story and lyrics. Singers like Betty Carter, Billie Holiday, Shirley Horn and Nancy King for example. Kate is amongst these singers, as she is deeply connected to the lyrics and also allows herself to draw closer to the music, exploring notes she would like to emphasize within the song. She honors the tradition and takes the melody to improvise around it in such a beautiful way without disrupting the lyrics. That is a hard thing to do. It is very apparent to me that she has an incredible amount of vocal technique but you can never “hear the technique” because her approach to the voice is expressed in an extremely natural way. That is what I love most about her singing. Above all, she spends time thinking about the arrangements and comes up with a unique interpretation that doesn’t distract from the original, it enhances it. And all of her choices, especially in her embellishments, come from within the message of the song. This creates a deep layered approach that brings so much more to the music and engages the listener to be able to hear the entire band surrounding her voice. I can listen to her albums over and over again experiencing new things each time.

2.  In what ways has the music of Kate McGarry influenced or informed your own style?

 Kate’s soloing has been the most inspiring thing. She has concrete ideas that don’t sound mechanical or cold. And while it’s easy to listen to, it’s not easy to transcribe, an example of her vast vocabulary and understanding of the changes on each tune.

Her arranging and overall general vibe of her albums have also been inspiring to me. Excluding her recent release, all of her recordings feature 2 chordal instruments (guitar and piano) with bass and drums in a quintet format and have arrangements that fully support her vocal choices. Her tunes yield a particular groove and vibe but don’t appear to feel dictated or overly arranged. It won’t always be a straight ahead or swing feel, maybe a slower straight 8ths tempo with everyone playing in the right places that lift her voice in a powerful way. In her albums Target & If Less Is More..Nothing Is Everything with Gary Versace & Keith Ganz there seems to be a collaborative sound going on which has certainly inspired me to be more part of the band.

3. Do you have favorite songs as recorded by Kate from her various acclaimed records over the years?

My favorite tracks of hers are sometimes tunes that I wasn’t too fond of or have been tired of hearing and she has converted me to become instantly in love with her versions. I remember feeling that way when I heard  “Can’t Help Loving That Man” from her duo album with Keith Ganz. I’ll name one favorite tune from each of her recordings: from The Target “It Might As Well Be Spring”, from Girl Talk “We Kiss In A Shadow”, from Less Is More “You’re My Thrill”, from Mercy Streets “How Deep Is The Ocean”, from Show Me “Gypsy In My Soul”.

4. The live record Genevieve & Ferdinand (except for one track) is a duo record with guitar/voice combination. Are there qualities you were able to hear in this record compared to other ensemble recordings which Kate has made?

I was certainly excited to hear her voice in this duo format because it truly is such a different thing playing duo! I am such a fan of Keith’s playing and it has been wonderful to hear him accompany her in such an acoustic way. The first time I heard Kate in concert 4 years ago was in duo with Keith so I know that the album must have been a long time coming. The intimate sound in her voice is highlighted on this album but it doesn’t feel like a departure from all her other recordings. It is a special treat that they shared this side of their playing for all of us to enjoy.

5. Kate is also a composer (as you are) What do you enjoy about her original compositions? 

In my opinion it is actually because Kate is a composer is what makes her a great interpreter. There is always a fresh approach to the tune regardless of whether she wrote it or not. In her own compositions I can appreciate the way that the lyrics and melody create a synthesis together. You don’t notice either one on its own so much which to me means that there are no sacrifices being made in order to find a more interesting note or word. They work as one and the feeling that exudes all of that is expressive and very much alive. Her song “Ten Little Indians” is one of the most beautiful pieces of music, it gets me every time.

6. If you were to describe what a new listener might experience at a Kate McGarry concert, what might you tell them in advance?

I would tell music lovers that despite whatever genres they might usually be interested in will not matter when it comes to this concert. That Kate & Keith will bring them into a whole new world of sound, so they should go for the experience of that. If you are looking for music that is real and without pretense, this will be a delight.

7. How did you personally discover Kate McGarry’s music?

I was first introduced to Kate by way of Randy Porter (piano player from Portland) who was working with me on my first album. We were discussing various singers and he was going through a list of all his favorites and all of a sudden he stopped dead in his tracks and said “You know Kate McGarry right? If you don’t, you must check her out right away! That’s your kind of singing, I just know it.” A few months later I drove 4 hours to Tacoma, Washington in the pouring rain to see her play. A night I will never forget!

So dear reader….if you’re reading this and it is not yet Sunday May 31st you still have a chance to obtain tickets to see this remarkable duo perform in Vancouver at St. James Hall. Go to http://www.joyofjazzconcerts.com

In closing here’s a little pic of us on stage at “Strong Women Strong Music” (Jaclyn Guillou & Karin Plato) from about a year ago now…

Kate McGarry and Keith Ganz…for the love of music

For the love of music…That’s right! The love of music is the reason I decided to produce the “Joy of Jazz Concerts” series in Vancouver.  Over a year ago now I began to sculpt and hone and shape my idea of presenting a small concert series which would enable the musicians to perform a nuanced and dynamic program where each and every note, phrase, word and musical line would be heard by the audience.  It’s all about the intimate and shared experience of a jazz performance whereby freedom of expression and playing in the moment help create the situation where both the listener and the music makers come together and connect and experience a type of bond.

The 3^rd and final concert of this inaugural season takes place at the end on Sunday May 31 at St. James Hall.  Entitled “Songbird of May” the concert will feature Grammy nominee vocalist Kate McGarry and her husband Keith Ganz; an absolutely exceptional guitarist. This will be their Canadian debut and I certainly wish for a warm Vancouver welcome for the two of them. It is true that here in Vancouver Kate and Keith might not necessarily be house hold names.  I am one of several jazz fans who admire and appreciate these two fine artists and their approach to music making. Together they have made several recording together within larger ensembles and their latest release “Genevieve & Ferdinand” is a celebration of their ten year marriage and musical relationship. It’s a duo record and the recording has been receiving rave reviews from music columnists and reviewers everywhere. If not yet widely known in Vancouver, Kate and Keith are certainly well known in the USA and beyond and they have fans all around the world.

As I am concert presenter I believe I must cling to that adage “if you build it, they will come” and I need to continue to work on spreading the word of the upcoming concert in a variety of ways. I admit to having had a few insomnia-filled nights as I worry about how to attract a full house for these acclaimed musicians. Let me tell you more about Kate McGarry and Keith Ganz and why I love their music so much.

Kate and Keith perform what I call “music without glam or glitz”. It’s all about the soul, the story, the improvisations.  Those who know, really KNOW about these two great musicians and are well aware of their exciting musical chemistry and the high level of artistry they present in concerts and on recordings. Kate and Keith dig deep within songs you may have heard before but will hear again for the first time as new meaning announces itself within the lyric interpretation and harmonic development and soundscape. They seem to dig deeper still into their own souls and reveal some fragility while remaining strong at the same time (yes, that might sound like a contradiction) The duo remain confident in their exploration of the human condition. Their candor and truth allows us to experience our own personal stories and emotions and reactions. We are gently led on a type of journey that lays it all out on the table: this is life, this is love, this is sorrow, this is beauty, this is in the moment, this happened, this is connection…

It’s not all a deep chasm of serious stuff. There’s joyful abandon in the musical motifs and rhythms and improvisations.  There’s exhilaration in the energy release in the faster burning grooves and the interplay between voice and guitar. Above all there remains this truth seeking within each song interpretation. We breathe more deeply, we listen, we dance, we experience, we think, we identify, we remember.

Tickets are available now at Brownpapertickets.com  or follow links at www.joyofjazzconcerts.com You can also buy tickets at Red Cat Records on Main Street in Vancouver.

Special thank you to The Georgia Straight, Stikjazz Music, The Rogue Folk Club, Oceanwest Construction and to Coastal Jazz and Blues Society.