March 27: Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts

The IJO presents its 2009-2010 season finale on March 27, 8 PM at Dominion-Chalmers United Church.

Fifty artists for a single Ottawa-premiere performance of music from the three sacred concerts that were hailed by Ellington as “the most important thing I’ve ever done or am ever likely to do.”

Featuring the IJO’s fifteen-piece jazz orchestra, the Capital Vox jazz choir, bass-baritone Marcus Nance from Toronto, soprano Doreen Taylor-Claxton, jazz vocalist Elise Letourneau and tap dancer Melissa Roy.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students.  As a special offer, each paid adult may be accompanied by up to three elementary or high school students.

Ticket are available now online at TicketWeb.ca or in person at Compact Music in the Glebe, 3 locations of CD Warehouse or at the door on the evening of the concert.

For more information visit http://www.impressionsinjazz.ca/DC-270310.html.

About our upcoming season finale

Duke Ellington hailed his three sacred concerts as “the most important thing I’ve ever done or am ever likely to do.”

In five years the IJO has done a great deal.  We’ve performed no less than 12 Ottawa/Canadian premieres of great works including Miles Ahead, Sketches of Spain, Ellington’s Liberian Suite, Such Sweet Thunder, Far East Suite and the list goes on.

For me personally, the opportunity to perform music from Ellington’s sacred concerts will top all of these by far.  Words are not enough to express what this music means.  It’s also important for me to say that if you rule out attending this concert simply because it is “sacred music” then you’re really missing out a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience something special.

As many of you know, I am a big fan of collaboration and the IJO has collaborated extensively over the years.  This promises to be our most fruitful collaboration to date.  Fifty artists on stage - all local except for one guest artist from Toronto.  I don’t need to wax lyrical about the orchestra but something needs to be said about our guest artists.

The Capital Vox jazz choir features many of Ottawa’s best jazz vocalists.  They not only sound great but they know how to swing, groove and perform.  This music will really give them something to sink their teeth into with elements of gospel, jazz and classical music in four, five and six-part harmony.

Marcus Nance has one helluva of a voice.  Some of you may remember that he performed with us back in 2006.  He had a great time performing with us and it’s great to have him back.  He’ll have a starring role in this show singing bass and baritone parts and narrating.

Doreen Taylor-Claxton.  What can I say?  I love her voice, her spirit and her fantastic attitude to performing and collaborating.  She’s got it all and the idea of her and Marcus singing together - WOW!  Doreen will sing the parts made famous by Swedish soprano, Alice Babs.  Hint:  We are planning a show with Doreen for next season.

Elise Letourneau.  Elise will not only be directing the choir but singing a few solo pieces as well.  She’s acknowledged as one of the best jazz vocalists and when you hear her scat on “David Danced” you’ll know why.

Melissa Roy.  Yes it’s true, there is one number in this concert that requires tap dancing.  Only Ellington could have come up with the idea of tap dancing for “David Danced Before the Lord.”  To be honest I have no idea what Melissa will do but I know it will be great.

Don’t miss this concert.  To be honest, this is a guaranteed money-loser for the IJO.  No one can put 50 professional artists up on stage for $25/ticket and not lose money.  We’re not only doing that but selling student tickets at $15 and we have a special offer for each adult to bring along up to three high-school students for free.  I’m almost beyond caring about whether we lose money (disclaimer: my wife and I are covering any losses the IJO incurs) but I do care a great deal about sharing this amazing music with others.

So… Please come out and join us and bring everyone else you can drag along.  You’ll hear live music that you’re unlikely to ever hear again in Ottawa and you’ll be supporting some great Ottawa artists.

For those that have expressed some concerns about the sound quality in Dominion-Chalmers, this music is ideally suited to the church’s acoustics.  Additionally we’ll have pro audio man Brad Summerfield on hand to ensure that it all sounds great.

Cheers

Adrian

January 31: Jazz Vespers: Concert for Haitian Relief

Join us at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church this Sunday, January 31 for a special jazz vespers service benefiting vicitms of the Haiti earthquake. Featuring small group ensembles of IJO musicians with special guest vocalist Elise Letourneau. No charge for admission. Offerings will be received for the Canadian Lutheran World Relief Haiti Earthquake Appeal. Canadian Lutheran World Relief is a registered Canadian charity. Tax receipts for donations will be provided upon request. Mount Calvary is located at 933 Smyth Rd next to the Bank of Montreal, just west of St. Laurent Boulevard. The service begins at 7 PM. Visit http://www.impressionsinjazz.ca/MC-310110.html for more information.

Whose Solo Is It This Time?

On Saturday, Jan 23, 2010, 8 PM, the IJO returns to the National Arts Centre Fourth Stage for an evening of wild and wacky musical fun. “Whose Solo Is It This Time?” is the sequel to last season’s hugely successful “Whose Solo Is It Anyway?” Eight musicians from the IJO perform an entire show of pure improvisation with assistance from the audience. It’s chamber music meets improv theatre meets free jazz. Audience members are invited to bring paper, writing implements and mobile phones as these will all be used during the evening. Tickets just $20 for adults and $15 for students. Visit http://www.impressionsinjazz.ca/NAC-230110.html to purchase tickets online or to view the photo gallery and read reviews from last year’s show. Tickets are also available in person at the NAC Box Office or by calling Ticketmaster at (613) 755-1111.

When Joni Met Mingus

The IJO brings you another ground-breaking concert. This year is the 30th anniversary of Charles Mingus’ passing and also of his 1979 collaboration with Canadian singing and songwriting legend, Joni Mitchell.

Special guest vocalist Christine Fagan and a unique chamber jazz orchestra will perform classic Mitchell and Mingus tunes as well as all the music from their collaborative album. This concert will feature elements of jazz, pop, folk and gospel with a surprising blend of written and improvised music arranged by Adrian Cho. Come and hear Joni and Mingus’ music like you’ve never heard it before!

Tickets are on sale now. For details visit http://www.impressionsinjazz.ca/DC-301009.html.

P.S. Please note changes to our season schedule. Whose Solo Is It This Time? has been moved from January 22 to January 23 and will now be at the NAC Fourth Stage. Jazz vespers in May 2010 has been moved to May 2nd.

Ellington: From Cotton Club to Concert Hall

On Friday, September 4th, 2009, Ellington: From Cotton Club to Concert Hall will kick off the Impressions in Jazz Orchestra (IJO)’s 2009-2010 season at the recently opened Shenkman Arts Centre. This not-to-be-missed concert will chronicle Duke Ellington’s storied musical career with selections from 1927 to 1970 including music written for the Cotton Club, concert halls, cathedrals and the silver screen. The IJO’s 16-piece repertory orchestra will perform seminal Ellington works including Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue, Black and Tan Fantasy, Billy Strayhorn’s arrangement of Rhapsody in Blue, Cotton Tail and Theme from “The Asphalt Jungle” along with many other rarely heard works. The concert will begin at 8 PM with a bonus short set of Ellington’s music from the 1920s and 1930s beginning as soon as the doors open at 7:30 PM.

Ellington: From Cotton Club to Concert Hall will be presented at Harold Shenkman Hall in the Shenkman Arts Centre. The hall is Ottawa’s newest concert venue with seating for 500 and superb acoustics. The Shenkman Arts Centre is located at 245 Centrum Boulevard. Tickets for the concert are $25 for adults and $15 for students. Adult tickets may be purchased online at http://www.shenkmanarts.ca or by calling (613) 580-2700 or visiting the box office at the Shenkman Arts Centre. Student tickets are only available by phone or at the box office and student identification is required.

Since bursting onto the Ottawa arts scene in 2005, the Impressions in Jazz Orchestra led by Ottawa bassist and conductor, Adrian Cho, has thrilled audiences with its highly entertaining and educational presentations of jazz-centric music. In just four years, the IJO has presented over 25 concerts and premiered over 12 extended works and countless shorter pieces while featuring a dazzling array of Ottawa’s finest jazz and symphony musicians with guest musicians, dancers and actors from across Canada and the US. Each season the IJO presents a full programme of concerts in addition to performing for Ottawa’s hottest swing dance events and at the request of event organizers such as the Ottawa International Jazz Festival, the City of Ottawa and the National Capital Commission. To find out more about the IJO, visit http://www.impressionsinjazz.ca.

Join us for our first concert of the summer

This coming Sunday, July 19, the Impressions in Jazz Orchestra returns to the Billings Estate for a Concert in the Park. This is the third year we’ve been invited to perform at Billings. In 2007 we performed two concerts focusing on the 1920s and 1940s. Last year we covered 100 years of music from 1850 - 1950. This year in view of the economic climate, our theme is The Great Depression and we will perform music from 1929 to 1939 with a 14-piece repertory orchestra. Once again we’ll be joined by the fabulous dancers from Swing Dynamite. Our musical tour through history will look at how the depression affected jazz and how jazz affected the ways in which people coped with the financial hardships of the time.

We’re always delighted to be invited back by the City of Ottawa to participate in these historical retrospectives. Check out photos from last year’s concert. The musicians and the dancers kept the excitement going even through a torrential downpour that never let up.

In previous years the Billings Estate Museum has staged multiple concerts with one concert per week. This year the format is different with a single day full of unique and interesting performances and workshops. Admission of $20 per adult or $45 per family (maximum of two adults) includes the following:

You can join in the festivities at any point with the price of admission fixed for the entire day.

This concert will kick off our summer festivities which will then be followed by our 2009-2010 season beginning in September. Between now and next March we will deliver twelve performances for our most packed season yet. It’s an exciting time for us and includes a move to a new venue at the recently opened Shenkman Arts Centre. Last month we provided ensembles for two evenings during the opening of this fabulous new arts complex and we’re proud to be on the roster to perform at the new hall. Our impressive programming for this season is made possible by an arts grant from the City of Ottawa, similar to the one we received last year which enabled us to stage our spectacular season finale.

We hope you’ll join us at the Billings Estate Museum this Sunday evening. Tickets are available at the estate museum at 2100 Cabot Street or by phoning (613) 247-4830.

Don’t miss our biggest show ever!

Mark your calendars for April 16, 2009! The IJO’s spectacular 2008-2009 season finale promises to be the orchestra’s biggest, most exciting and most challenging concert ever. Bringing together 35 jazz and symphony musicians, the IJO will present Ottawa premieres of three amazing masterpieces showcasing the talents of two great composers and a diverse set of musical styles.

Seattle-based composer, Richard Peaslee is as comfortable writing in the styles of jazz as he is classical and anything else in between. Nightsongs, was composed in 1973 for a recital at Carnegie Hall by trumpeter Harold Lieberman. The IJO’s performance will feature Ottawa trumpeter, Rick Rangno, accompanied by an ensemble of strings and harp featuring some of Ottawa’s finest string players. Nightsongs is a beautiful, haunting piece of music that clearly demonstrates the depth of Peaslee’s phenomenal writing.

Chicago Concerto, composed by Peaslee in 1967, is a four-movement baritone saxophone concerto commissioned by jazz bandleader and Kenton alumni, Bill Russo, for the great baritone saxophonist, Gerry Mulligan. It’s nothing less than a total romp featuring burning improvised solo sections, imaginative use of the blues form, more odd-meter bars than you could imagine (7/8, 5/8, 4/8, 6/8, 9/8, 11/8, 10/8, 12/8 left, right and centre), and challenging ensemble writing. What’s more astounding is the way in which it all flows together. The IJO’s performance will feature Ottawa saxophonist, Mike Tremblay and a 22-piece ensemble featuring the big band plus cello quartet instrumentation that was used by Russo’s London Jazz Orchestra.

The closer for the evening will be a performance of the Far East Suite, composed by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn in 1966, after the Ellington orchestra’s tour of the Middle East region. This nine-movement tour de force features some of Ellington’s grooviest themes and conjures up the sights, sounds and smells of the Middle and Far East.

As a special bonus, the IJO will announce its 2009-2010 season and present a preview of each of the concerts. Two tidbits for now: Yes we’re moving to a wonderful new venue and yes, next season’s finale is even bigger than this one’s!

Masterpieces: Ellington + Peaslee will be presented at Dominion-Chalmers United Church on April 16, 2009. The concert begins at 8 PM with doors opening at 7:30 PM. Tickets are just $25 for adults and $15 for university students. They can be purchased online at TicketWeb (click on the TicketWeb link from the IJO website) or in person at Compact Music in the Glebe or CD Warehouse on St. Laurent Boulevard, Clyde Avenue or at the Signature Centre in Kanata.

As a special offer, for any adult with a paid ticket, we will admit for free, up to three accompanying elementary or high-school students.

We hope you’ll join us for this special evening of great music.

Chamber music meets improv theatre meets free jazz on Jan 17, 2009

On Saturday, January 17, 2009, the Impressions in Jazz Orchestra will present a bold, new performance in the intimate space of the National Arts Centre Fourth Stage. “Whose Solo Is It Anyway?” is a daring experiment in audience-directed improvisation. The evening, described as “chamber music meets improv theatre meets free jazz,” will be hosted by IJO Artistic Director, Adrian Cho. Cho and eight other IJO musicians will improvise an entire concert of music with help from the audience who will assist in both the composition and the performance of musical pieces. Like all IJO presentations, this innovative programme is intended to both entertain and educate. Cho will lead the musicians through performances in which they will deconstruct music to its barest elements of melody, harmony, rhythm and form while interpreting visual art, literature and much more.

Cho will also announce the forthcoming release of his book entitled “The Jazz Process: Collaboration, Innovation & Agility,” to be published by Addison-Wesley in the summer of 2009. Drawing on business, music, sports and even Shakespeare, it documents the best practices of jazz musicians for anyone seeking to better collaborate, innovate and perform with agility. A portion of the royalties from the book will be donated to the IJO to help fund its ongoing programming.

This exciting and innovative evening will bring together a unique ensemble of symphony and jazz musicians including violinist Laura Nerenberg, cellist Kirk Starkey, woodwind players Brian Asselin, David Renaud and Mike Tremblay, trumpeter Rick Rangno, trombonist and vocalist Steve Berndt and percussionist Mark Rehder. Tickets are priced at just $20 and can be purchased at the NAC Box Office or online through Ticketmaster. Visit the IJO website for full details including links to purchase tickets online.

The show begins at 8 PM with doors opening at 7:30 PM. Audience members are invited to bring paper, writing implements and mobile phones as these will all be used during the evening.

Benny Goodman @ Carnegie Hall

On Thursday, December 4, 2008 the Impressions in Jazz Orchestra (IJO) will pay tribute to the legendary 1938 “killer diller” performance of Benny Goodman @ Carnegie Hall with a fifteen-piece repertory orchestra featuring clarinet wizard, David Renaud, and vocalist, Jozée Devoua.

Using transcriptions and the original charts used by the Goodman orchestra, the IJO will perform the King of Swing’s greatest hits including Don’t Be That Way, Sing Sing Sing and Swingtime in the Rockies. Detailed programme notes will feature information about the Jewish influence in jazz that reached a pinnacle with Goodman’s use of klezmer frailach.

Don’t miss this unique tribute to one of the greatest jazz performances of all time. The concert begins at 8 PM at Dominion-Chalmers United Church at 355 Cooper Street. Doors open at 7:30 PM. Tickets priced at just $25 for adults and $15 for students are available from all three locations of CD Warehouse, Compact Music in the Glebe, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at TicketWeb.ca and at the door on the evening of the performance. For further information about this event, visit the IJO’s website at http://www.impressionsinjazz.ca or call (613) 858-7904.

IJO resume DanceJam sessions - move to improvised music

Unleash Your Creativity!

The IJO is proud to announce our continued involvement in the DanceJam series organized by the School of Dance. At each session, two musicians from the IJO improvise music for the benefit of the workshop participants who explore creativity through body movement with the help of dancer and choreographer, Mary Catherine Jack. It’s always a thoroughly enjoyable and creative experience for all the artists and the participants.

Sessions take place at Dovercourt Recreation Centre in Westboro on Sunday afternoons from 1:15 to 3:15 PM. This next series is short and will run from November 2 to November 23 with another series planned to begin in January. Cost of attendance is $12 for the entire series. Full details at the IJO website.

Early Bird draw, Benny Goodman tribute concert

We hope you can join us at Dominion-Chalmers United Church on December 4, 2008 for what will surely be a night to remember: the IJO will pay tribute to the legendary 1938 performance of the Benny Goodman Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. A fifteen-piece repertory orchestra will feature clarinet wizard David Renaud, and vocalist Jozée Devoua, performing the charts used at the 1938 concert, as well as small group jams showcasing the talents of the IJO musicians. 

As if that weren’t enough, we’re conducting an “Early Bird” contest for this event, open exclusively to members of our e-mail list. Purchase one or more tickets by November 15, 2008, then contact us to have your name entered in a draw for a pair of free tickets to the show. For each ticket purchased, you will be given one entry to the draw for two free tickets. 

Tickets are on sale now. If you purchase your tickets online via TicketWeb, please send an email to Shelley Martin, smartin@impressionsinjazz.ca, indicating that you have purchased your tickets and would like to be entered into the draw. You can access the ticket site for the event here.

If you purchase your tickets at Compact Music (Glebe location only), CD Warehouse (3 locations) or any Ticketmaster outlet, please send an email to Shelley Martin, smartin@impressionsinjazz.ca, listing your name AND the ticket number(s) for the ticket(s) that you have purchased. The number for each ticket is the last line of text on the front of the ticket and looks something like: “Order: XYZ1ABCDEF - #100”.

The prize draw will be held on November 18, and the winner will be notified by November 20.

Again, this exciting performance will be held at Dominion-Chalmers United Church, 355 Cooper St., at 8 PM on December 4, 2008. Visit the IJO website for additional details.

We look forward to seeing you at the show!

Impressions in Jazz Orchestra launches 2008-2009 season with an evening of cool chamber jazz

On September 19, 2008, the Impressions in Jazz Orchestra (IJO) will launch its 2008-2009 season.  Rebirth of the Cool will feature nine IJO musicians performing cool chamber jazz in the intimate setting of the National Arts Centre Fourth Stage.  The concert will begin at 8 PM with a presentation of the Miles Davis classic, Birth of the Cool with compositions and arrangements by Johnny Carisi, Miles Davis, Gil Evans, John Lewis and Gerry Mulligan.  Originally performed and recorded in 1948-50, the suite of twelve miniature masterpieces marries a unique blend of jazz and symphonic instrumentation with the music of bebop.  The second half of the concert will present a Canadian premiere performance of eight musical vignettes by American composer, Terry Vosbein.  Written in 2004, Vosbein’s superbly crafted suite features elements of swing, bebop, latin and contemporary jazz.  Also featured will be the crowd-pleaser, Impressions and Fugue in D minor, an arrangement by IJO leader, Adrian Cho, integrating the music of J.S. Bach and John Coltrane.  Tickets for Rebirth of the Cool are just $20 and available now in person at the NAC box office or at Ticketmaster outlets, online at the Ticketmaster website, or by phone through Ticketmaster at (613) 755-1111.

The IJO’s five-concert 2008-2009 season promises to be its most exciting yet.  On September 27, 2008 the IJO performs with its fourteen-piece repertory orchestra at the Swing Explosion Gala.  The Gala is the premiere swing dance event on the Ottawa calendar.  The IJO will present three hours of toe-tapping swing dance music from the 1920s to the 1950s.

On December 4, 2008 the IJO will pay tribute to the legendary 1938 “killer diller” performance of Benny Goodman @ Carnegie Hall.  A fifteen-piece repertory orchestra will feature clarinet wizard, David Renaud, and vocalist, Jozée Devoua, performing the charts used at the 1938 concert as well as small group jams showcasing the talents of the IJO musicians.

On January 17, 2009, the IJO will break new ground with a daring show in which “free jazz meets chamber music meets improv theatre.”  In Whose Solo Is It Anyway? IJO musicians will take direction from audience members in a series of musical improvisation exercises.  The lineup of nine musicians will include members of the IJO’s woodwind, brass and rhythm sections along with violinist, Laura Nerenberg, and cellist, Kirk Starkey.

April 16, 2009 is the date for the IJO’s not-to-be-missed season finale.  Masterpieces: Ellington + Peaslee will showcase 35 musicians in a night of premiere performances.  The evening will begin with the Canadian premieres of two works by Richard Peaslee, a brilliant composer who is as comfortable writing classical music as he is jazz.  IJO trumpeter, Rick Rangno, will perform Peaslee’s Nightsongs, a hauntingly beautiful solo trumpet feature composed in 1973.  Rangno will be backed by an orchestra of strings and harp featuring many of Ottawa’s leading string players.  IJO saxophonist, Mike Tremblay takes the spotlight as a 22-piece neophonic orchestra performs Peaslee’s Chicago Concerto, a sophisticated four-movement baritone saxophone piece written for Gerry Mulligan in 1967.  The IJO’s 15-piece repertory orchestra will present a showcase of short works by Duke Ellington and then complete the evening with an Ottawa premiere performance of Ellington’s exhilarating Far East Suite.  The nine-movement suite is one of Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s greatest works, inspired by the travels of the Ellington orchestra to the Middle East and Far East.

Founded in 2005 by Ottawa bassist and conductor Adrian Cho, the IJO features many of Ottawa’s finest jazz and symphony orchestra musicians performing in both small and large ensembles.  Performing a huge range of jazz-centric music from 1850 to the present day, the orchestra has garnered critical acclaim for its innovative, educational and highly entertaining presentations.  During the summer of 2008, the IJO performed at the invitation of the City of Ottawa, the National Capital Commission and the Ottawa International Jazz Festival where they were featured on the festival’s main stage in Confederation Park.  The IJO gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the City of Ottawa.

This Sunday, August 10, the Impressions in Jazz Orchestra performs a free concert in Gatineau Park

At the invitation of the National Capital Commission, the Impressions in Jazz Orchestra will perform this Sunday, August 10 on the grounds of Mackenzie King Estate in Gatineau Park.  The concert is part of the NCC’s celebration of the 70th anniversary of Gatineau Park.  Performances will take place from 1:30 - 4:30 PM with the IJO’s 17-piece repertory orchestra and the dancers from Swing Dynamite who will both perform and give free swing dance lessons.  The orchestra will perform a varied repertoire of music from the 1920s to the 1950s with a special focus on Duke Ellington.  Admission is free and as long as it doesn’t rain, this promises to be a great family day.

This concert will conclude the IJO’s spring and summer programming which has included appearances at the invitation of the Billings Estate Museum and the Ottawa International Jazz Festival.  Full details of the IJO’s exciting nine-concert 2008-2009 season can be found at the IJO website.

IJO returns to Billings Estate Museum for a Concert by Candlelight

This Wednesday, June 18, 2008, the IJO returns to the Billings Estate Museum. Now in its second year, the City of Ottawa’s Concert by Candlelight series presents four concerts of music on the grounds of the Billings Estate during each Wednesday of June. Last year the IJO and frequent collaborators Swing Dynamite, performed two concerts celebrating music and dance of the 1920s and the 1940s. This year’s single performance will present over 100 years of music and dance beginning with the mid-19th century fusion of African and European music culture that would lead to the birth of jazz 70 years later. 17 musicians and 10 dancers will take part in this exciting performance with historical narrative provided by the IJO’s Artistic Director, Adrian Cho, and Swing Dynamite’s Artistic Director, Byron Alley.

Wednesday’s performance will take place on the grounds of the Estate from 8 - 10 PM. Seating will be provided although attendees may wish to bring seating as last year’s concerts were both well attended. Light refreshments will be served and free parking is available. Billings Estate Museum is located at 2100 Cabot St, Ottawa.  Cost for tickets is $20 per person or $30 per couple. Call (613) 247-4830 for information or to reserve tickets.