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June 2007

Today is June 1st and here in Vancouver it truly is summer. Last night I met with friends at The Fairview Pub which on Thursday evenings is home to drummer John Nolan’s excellent jazz combo with pianist Ron Johnston, bassist Dave Guiney and occasionally if you choose the right night to go (I did!) you are treated to the horn magic of players such as Al Would and Donny Clark. They were definitely the bebop kings last night. These are some of our cities greatest players and I consider them the unsung heroes of the music. They truly are incredible players and although they may never become famous, as is the case with many jazz musicians, they have touched many hearts and reached many ears over the years. How wonderful to hear them still loving what they do, played in an inspired fashion and enjoying each other’s musical company.

Typically in the last set vocalists are invited to sit in and so that I did as did my singing girlfriends Lorraine Foster and Colleen Savage. I can’t often attend this gig because I am usually teaching too late to make it on time but it worked out yesterday and I was really happy to have the social time with friends and acquaintances and I love hearing John’s wonderful group play. I had ridden my bike there and as I made my way home late into the night my way was led by a perfect full moon. It was such a lovely sight to see that perfectly huge white moon against a cloudless night sky. I love summer nights such as this when the air is just barely cool and it is wind still. There are so many things in bloom at this time of year that the scent in the air is absolutely intoxicating. What a gift our senses are!
I really have been enjoying being on my bike this year more than ever. Circumstances have led me to be on my bike almost daily and I relish the rides now and our city has become very bike friendly with bike routes literally taking you throughout the city. While on my bike of course I am paying attention to the traffic but I am also free to let my mind work through things; problems, concerns or something more fun such as memorizing lyrics to tunes.

June is going to be very busy with various kinds of performances and hopefully I will be properly prepared and inspired to do a good job at each of them. I have been trying to work on updating repertoire and I am quite excited about some new arranging ideas I have for some of the music I have chosen. I haven’t been quite as successful in the composing area but I will just have to relax about it and wait for the ideas to flow. How I admire those great composers who simply write each and every day and don’t seem to run out of ideas. My creative mind doesn’t work that way. I suppose that’s ok too but it always surprises me when I think about those composers who come up with complete pieces each and every day. Some years I only write things in the summer months when I am in holiday mode. Hopefully that will happen for me again this year because I am itching to write something again and yet the ideas thus far have been rather stiff and forced. Somehow you can always tell that yourself if you are truly honest about what you come up with.

I haven’t been able to go and hear much live music this past month for whatever reason but of course jazz festival season is fast approaching and there will be a wealth of music in our city. I am disappointed that I will have to miss one of my musical heroes; Sonny Rollins. I am performing that night also, which in some ways is too bad I suppose since I do have to miss that concert. I have decided I will have to do a Sonny Rollins tune in his honor and I have composed a lyric that I am quite happy with for his piece DOXY. Soon I will study the festival guide and research all the artists that I really want to hear this year.

I believe that is all I have to say on this the first day of June 2007.

Karin