Jazz drummer
Curtis Nowosad
has established himself as one the most popular musicians in the
Winnipeg jazz scene, seemingly gigging all the time with a crop of
young, rising players, and many of the local veterans, as well as the
University of Manitoba's Jazz Studies professors.
My evening at
The Park Theatre Café,
a refurbished movie theatre that has become one of the hottest venues
for live music of all genres, began with my arrival about 15 minutes
before the doors were opened. I had a feeling the show would sell out
and I wanted to sit in a particular location. As I handed over my $10
ticket, I also paid the special pre-sale price of $10 for the CD,
Nowosad's first, entitled
The Skeptic & The Cynic.
As the venue began to fill up, I noticed a few fans spontaneously
clapping as Nowosad strolled from the stage to the floor. I recognized
several people from other jazz shows. The audience was comprised of
teenagers and people who may have been in their 70s and above. This just
confirms for me that jazz is still growing its fan base.
When the band finally took to the stage, they were warmly greeted by
the audience. I recognized everyone, save for the alto saxophonist,
Craig Bailey,
who recently joined the U of M faculty as a jazz educator. In fact,
five of the seven performers are U of M jazz educators, including
Bonness, trumpeter
Derrick Gardner, guitarist Laurent Roy and the head of the Jazz Studies program, Professor
Steve Kirby on bass. Tenor saxophonist
Niall Bakkestad-Legare is another popular young player on the local scene.
As soloists, I was particularly bowled over by the force and
authority of Gardner's trumpet. He earned some of the loudest ovations
from the audience all evening. Roy, who was known by his Anglicized name
"Larry" for a long time, was stellar on electric guitar, deftly
releasing notes with the creativity and spontaneity that many guitarists
aspire to but few possess. Bassist Kirby performed with enthusiasm,
bringing excitement to an instrument that is sometimes performed without
enough flair. Kirby's performance was totally involved, physically
moving around and giving the audience another worthwhile focal point.
Bailey's alto sax was given the type of workout that can only be
expected from someone of his pedigree, who has put in the endless hours
of performance with cream-of-the-crop players, over many years. His
sound is potent but also fluently soulful. Bakkestad-Legare confirmed
for me that he is more than capable of sharing the stage with masterful
musicians. His craft is always on the up-rise every time I see him.
Bonness showed his sense of humour by injecting a few (piano) notes
here and there as Nowosad was speaking, sometimes mimicking the organ
sound at hockey games. The audience enjoyed these moments and once
again, they were spellbound by his performance. I've never been a fan of
the sound of electric pianos, but I do understand how they are far
easier to schlep around than acoustic ones. Having heard Bonness on a
grand piano before, I felt as if I was missing out on hearing a superior
piano sound.
Nowosad's command of the drums displays his skills for subtlety and
nuance, as well as strong fluidity when he gets into a groove. Given the
quality of the musicians he plays with, I expect him to continue to
develop his style and craft.
To add to the diversity of the sounds that evening, local hip-hop
singer/poet Ismaila Alfa appeared as a special guest and impressed me
with his performance. It's not the kind of thing you would see at a
traditional jazz show, but times are changing. (Witness the almost
unheard of popularity for the Robert Glasper Experiment's
Black Radio CD.)
Numerous times throughout the show, the affable Nowosad recognized
his bandmates for the evening and was gracious as he thanked them as
well as his other critical influences in his life, including all his
teachers, the Park Theatre, and finally, his wife.
At the end of the band's performance, it came as no surprise that the
audience quickly rose to their feet and offered up a heart-felt
standing ovation. This was a terrific evening, exactly what I was
expecting, and an important and well derserved milestone for Curtis
Nowosad.
