tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42732966545330990922024-03-12T19:56:49.396-07:00Dr. Jared BurrowsGuitarist/Composer/EducatorJared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-42738492495513348562018-09-30T11:41:00.002-07:002018-09-30T12:49:08.289-07:00Trichy Sankaran - a week of magic.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've just finished a week of rehearsing, recording and performing with Trichy Sankaran and the Offering of Curtis Andrews. Curtis has been Sankaran's disciple for over twenty years and did all the work organizing the visit, grant writing (thanks Canada Council!) logistics as well as writing some music. Sankaran Sir was also commissioned to write a piece for the occasion "Chapu Tala Malika", a piece that turned out to be as difficult as it is beautiful in its rhythmic architecture. The piece was constructed around a 24 beat cycle of chapu talas in 3, 5, 7, and 9.<br />
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To spend time playing with and learning from Sanakarn Sir was truly a privilege. I feel like my rhythmic understanding and ability has grown exponentially as a result. His musical precision, gorgeous drum tones, deep <i>laya</i> (time feel or groove), improvisational prowess, and excellent jokes made for an enlightening and uplifting ten days. The experience was surely one of the top musical highlights of my career thus far.</div>
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Curtis, Dave Spidel, Robin Layne, Vidyasagar Vankayala, and Kaushik Sivaramakrishnan were dream band-mates throughout.</div>
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Pictures courtesy of Kaushik.</div>
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Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-20809076657274064292018-08-15T20:07:00.000-07:002018-08-15T20:07:00.739-07:00Upcoming gig with Trichy Sankaran<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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I am really excited about an upcoming gig with Sri Trichy Sankaran. Sankaran is one of the world's foremost Carnatic percussionists performing on mrdangam and kanjira. His 6 decade-long career has taken him around the globe as a performer, composer, collaborator, and teacher. This amazing opportunity has come my way through my friend, <a href="http://www.curtisandrews.ca/">Curtis Andrews</a>, a drummer and composer who is one of Sankaran's disciples and the organizer of this concert.<div>
<br />We'll perform music by Curtis and his guru in traditional Carnatic contexts as well as more fusion-oriented settings. There are some other excellent musicians and friends on board including: Robin Layne (vibraphone, percussion), David Spidel (electric bass), Kaushik Sivaramakrishnan (Carnatic violin), Vidyasagar Vankayala (Carnatic vocal)<br /><br />Don't miss this one if you are in Vancouver on September 22.<br /><br />Facebook event: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/2169186210027012/">https://www.facebook.com/events/2169186210027012/</a></div>
Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-83980174569893202982018-07-02T09:09:00.001-07:002018-07-02T09:09:31.881-07:00Recording with Vinny GoliaI've been fortunate to spend the last week rehearsing, recording and playing with <a href="http://www.vinnygolia.com/" target="_blank">Vinny Golia</a>, Clyde Reed, and Greg Campbell. It has been a lot of fun musically and very important opportunity for personal growth as well. Vinny is amazing in so many ways.<br />
Many thanks to the Quan Family PD Fund for help in making this happen.<br />
Recording will come out later this year.<br />
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<br />Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-67280990126814477772017-12-02T15:04:00.001-08:002017-12-02T15:04:24.112-08:00Photos from Narwhal concert Nov 28, 2017Narwhal is a mixed vocal/instrumental ensemble that I direct at Capilano University.<br />
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The group focuses on student compositions and arrangements as well as collaborations with composers and players from a wide variety of musical styles and genre.<br />
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Recent Cap Jazz grads, Sara Kim (voice) and Mili Hong (drums) were special guests this semester as we explored a large ensemble version of Sara's Watermill Project: fusions between Korean folk music, jazz, and rock.<br />
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More photos of the concert can be viewed here: <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHsksgUpeA">https://flic.kr/s/aHsksgUpeA</a><br />
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Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-69687075280029072772017-10-03T23:51:00.001-07:002017-10-03T23:51:27.330-07:00New CD plus release concert: Brad Muirhead 4tet and moreI've been working regularly with trombonist and composer, <a href="http://www.bradmuirhead%2Ccom/" target="_blank">Brad Muirhead</a>, since 1992. He is quite an amazing musician and organizer with his own unique way of thinking about and playing music. Playing with him and trying to achieve his vision for his work has taught me a great deal about myself and about music in general.<br />
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Brad is releasing his new CD "Old/In/Out/New" at pat's Pub this saturday. as on the record, there will be the regular quartet with Bernie Arai (drums), Brent Gubbels (bass) and me (guitar) plus Jennifer Scott (voice), Raphael Geronimo (percussion), Brad Turner (piano/trumpet) and a host of trombones including Luis Melgar, Ellen Marple, Greg Farrugia, and Brian Harding.<br />
Don't miss it!<br />
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Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-66936081336000248002017-08-05T09:24:00.002-07:002017-08-06T08:41:28.521-07:00New CD from Len Aruliah<br />
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I'm excited to be part of <i><b>No Complications</b>,</i> a new CD recording by my dear friend, <a href="http://www.lenaruliah.com/" target="_blank">Len Aruliah</a>. Len and I have been working together since 1990 and it is always a joy and a challenge to play his beautiful and intricate compositions. I play guitar and accordion on the album and also mixed and mastered it.<br />
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It sounds great, so please go to CD Baby to buy a download or physical CD !<br />
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Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-63480224338788482092017-06-30T20:01:00.001-07:002017-07-14T13:35:05.768-07:00I'm very pleased to be among the authors in this new book, The Oxford Handbook of Critical Improvisation Studies. My co-author, Clyde Reed, is a tremendous improvising bass player and emeritus professor of Economics at Simon Fraser University. I learned a lot by writing the chapter with him. I've just been getting around to reading and enjoying some of the other chapters in the book. Many thanks to editors, George Lewis and Ben Piekut for their incredible work on seeing this project through to completion. It is a pretty expensive book, so perhaps you may ask your local library to get a copy. <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-handbook-of-critical-improvisation-studies-volume-1-9780195370935?cc=us&lang=en&"></a><br />
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<a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-handbook-of-critical-improvisation-studies-volume-1-9780195370935?cc=us&lang=en&">https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-handbook-of-critical-improvisation-studies-volume-1-9780195370935?cc=us&lang=en&</a>Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-16477938925744764782017-06-30T19:29:00.001-07:002017-06-30T19:29:27.812-07:00Note the new page links above. I'm gradually moving my website over to blogger to make it easier to control and update.
You can still access my website at www.jaredburrows.comJared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-72809333476617467572017-06-16T08:38:00.002-07:002017-06-16T08:38:26.818-07:00Gigs in June and JulyI hear blogs are old fashioned these days. My kids tell me I should have an instagram account. Not likely. That is just as well as I will now feel less guilty for failing to post anything for months on end...I have been extremely busy playing and teaching as always and working on a very special studio project with brilliant young composer and reed player, Ridley Bishop. More on that soon.<br />
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Here are some upcoming gigs in June and July<br />
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<li>June 15 and 16 with Thunder Lizard at Frankie's jazz club. Happy hour gig 4:15-6:15</li>
<li>June 17 with Len Aruliah Quintet at Pat's Pub. 3-7pm</li>
<li>July 1 with Jared Burrows Sextet at Vancouver Jazz Festival 12:30-2:30. Railspur Alley stage.</li>
<li>July 1 with Offering of Curtis Andrews at Vancouver Jazz Festival 2:30-4:30. Ron Basford park stage.</li>
<li>July 4-8 at South Delta Jazz Festival. Daily performances at noon with SDJF workshop faculty and evening show on July 7. Ladner, BC. <a href="http://www.southdeltajazzfestival.com/">www.southdeltajazzfestival.com<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-44672282860591727222016-03-17T19:50:00.002-07:002017-07-02T22:04:38.973-07:00Carnatic music/jazz fusionYes, I know I haven't blogged for ages. I've been busy with several significant musical undertakings including a massive project of arranging traditional Carnatic (South Indian Classical) compositions for my student ensemble, Narwhal. I've also been writing a whole pile of arrangements of Len Aruliah's music for Narwhal and for Capilano University C Band.<br />
Some of the Carnatic/jazz fusion stuff was performed and recorded Feb. 24 and will be performed again on April 13 at the Blueshore theatre. Len's music will be performed by C Band this Saturday, March 19, at Moberly Community Centre at 1:15pm and again at the Blueshore Theatre on March 30.<br />
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Here are some video recordings of the Carnatic material. My students did a great job and we were very fortunate to have some wonderful guest musicians perform with us. More video to come soon.<br />
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<br />Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-68286110173640348992015-12-12T08:05:00.000-08:002015-12-19T13:28:57.748-08:00Video from Thunder Lizard GigHere is some video from a recent gig with Thunder Lizard. Joe and Nick are two of my favourite musicians.<br />
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<br />Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-19083722039226946722015-11-12T17:07:00.000-08:002015-11-12T21:44:55.903-08:00Thunder Lizard Recording on SoundcloudI have been playing with an exciting new trio for the past few months. The band is called Thunder Lizard and features two of my favourite musicians and friends: Nick Peck (virtual B3 organ) and Joe Poole (drums). The band shows influences from rock, jazz, and also from non-western musical sources. The focus is on grooves and stretching for new things in our improvising. It is also a chance for Nick and I to play our compositions and have Joe make them sound really great. I've been trying some more rock/blues oriented sounds in my guitar playing and that has been a lot of fun. There is video coming soon and the band may record a studio album in December.<br />
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This recording is from a live gig a few weeks back. Many thanks to my learned colleague, Lawrence Wu for his expert recording of the gig.<br />
I really love playing with these guys and I'm excited to share the music with everyone. Enjoy<br />
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<iframe width="100%" height="450" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playlists/162464616&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true"></iframe>Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-83063196023853477912015-11-04T13:14:00.003-08:002015-11-04T13:14:58.776-08:00The blog is not dead...it only smells funnyNo, the blog is not dead. Not yet anyway. Despite the lack of digital evidence, lots of things have been happening. Too many and too much to have time to relate here, loyal readers.<div>
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In short, I played a lot of gigs in the spring, our family had a lovely holiday in France and Italy in the summer, and I have been very busy at Capilano U since September running a bunch of artist residencies and major concert events.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oyHXgBPE0sw/VjpynnHTCXI/AAAAAAAAArw/vtSHA1zuF-8/s1600/at%2BJazz%2BFest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oyHXgBPE0sw/VjpynnHTCXI/AAAAAAAAArw/vtSHA1zuF-8/s320/at%2BJazz%2BFest.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Vancouver Jazz Fest w my sextet.</td></tr>
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Highlights of my current work include: preparing a field school in Ghana with my friend, Kofi Gbolonyo and raising funds for the Nunya Musica Academy in Dzodze; mixing a new live recording with Thunder Lizard, a trio I play in with Joe Poole (drums) and Nick Peck (B3 organ); and writing some big band music.</div>
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Here are some pictures from the last few months to prove I haven't been idle...<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1Xl_kXIz1Wo/VjpvlaOC0NI/AAAAAAAAAqw/YTlsdluuv3s/s1600/quartet%2Bw%2Bbill%2Bclyde%2Bdylan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1Xl_kXIz1Wo/VjpvlaOC0NI/AAAAAAAAAqw/YTlsdluuv3s/s320/quartet%2Bw%2Bbill%2Bclyde%2Bdylan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">With Clyde Reed, Dylan VanderSchyff, Bill Clark at <br />Ron Samworth benefit show. Vince Lim photo.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F1KRCFoWj3Y/VjpvnhhBuKI/AAAAAAAAAq4/8ccux30bGso/s1600/trio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F1KRCFoWj3Y/VjpvnhhBuKI/AAAAAAAAAq4/8ccux30bGso/s320/trio.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at Tangent Cafe with Thunder Lizard. Vince Lim photo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K7aLs7F05TA/Vjpw4jAE3mI/AAAAAAAAArE/WP4j3es7GNc/s1600/three%2Bguitars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K7aLs7F05TA/Vjpw4jAE3mI/AAAAAAAAArE/WP4j3es7GNc/s320/three%2Bguitars.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Andre Lachane, Bill Coon, Ihor Kukurudza, <br />Brad Turner, Dave Robbins. 3 guitars!<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> Vince Lim photo.<br /></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i6lYbNSQCoc/Vjpw6X3NFjI/AAAAAAAAArM/6r2YojPGp9s/s1600/with%2BBill%2BClark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i6lYbNSQCoc/Vjpw6X3NFjI/AAAAAAAAArM/6r2YojPGp9s/s320/with%2BBill%2BClark.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">With Bill Clark at Ron Samworth benefit show. Vince Lim photo.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCZnCkazv1I/Vjpw9Qb5nNI/AAAAAAAAArU/r-ZnYvYTLDo/s1600/jared%2Bat%2Bselkirk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCZnCkazv1I/Vjpw9Qb5nNI/AAAAAAAAArU/r-ZnYvYTLDo/s320/jared%2Bat%2Bselkirk.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at Selkirk College for Cantando festival.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VlZEd6SaC6U/VjpxBOGXPOI/AAAAAAAAArc/NBalmd04_LY/s1600/Thunder%2BLizard%2Bat%2BPat%2527s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VlZEd6SaC6U/VjpxBOGXPOI/AAAAAAAAArc/NBalmd04_LY/s320/Thunder%2BLizard%2Bat%2BPat%2527s.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">At Pat's Pub with Thunder Lizard. Vince Lim photo.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RiI-L_IU750/VjpxC3zeckI/AAAAAAAAArk/6eZjHUGspho/s1600/with%2BIan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RiI-L_IU750/VjpxC3zeckI/AAAAAAAAArk/6eZjHUGspho/s320/with%2BIan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">w. Ian McDougall at Cap U. Laura Dunfiled photo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CCYyBffNwpQ/Vjpz4jxIeeI/AAAAAAAAAsA/7cnNTKnhCi4/s1600/with%2BSDJF%2Bfaculty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CCYyBffNwpQ/Vjpz4jxIeeI/AAAAAAAAAsA/7cnNTKnhCi4/s320/with%2BSDJF%2Bfaculty.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">w. South Delta Jazz Workshop faculty</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U3XZyOxD1YU/VjpvfNcCPUI/AAAAAAAAAqs/WKdvEoe0_RI/s1600/jared%2Bat%2Brons%2Bconcert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U3XZyOxD1YU/VjpvfNcCPUI/AAAAAAAAAqs/WKdvEoe0_RI/s320/jared%2Bat%2Brons%2Bconcert.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at Ron Samworth benefit show. Vince Lim photo.</td></tr>
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Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-70254140684739133962015-02-09T10:58:00.001-08:002015-02-11T16:38:21.320-08:00Nice gig with Curtis AndrewsNothing major to report, but I don't want to completely neglect the blog...<br />
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I played with the <a href="http://www.curtisandrews.ca/" target="_blank">Offering of Curtis Andrews</a> on Saturday night. Lots of listening people were there in the audience, including quite a number of my students. It was nice to see them there and see them really having a great time. The music was intense, as it always is when I play with Curtis. He tends to write impossibly difficult tunes that make your eyes cross when you are learning them but then things get loose and crazy on stage. I don't think I have ever experienced anything quite like the musical contrasts and challenges that this band presents. They are all great guys to play with. John Korsrud (trumpet), Robin Layne (vibes), Russell Shumsky (percussion), David Spidel (bass, and Colin Maskell (saxes/flute). Most of all, I get to exorcise/exercise my rock and roll roots a bit as you'll see in the clip... Thanks to John for taking a minute to record a snippet of my solo.<br />
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<br />Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-49831536982010409252015-01-20T09:30:00.005-08:002015-01-20T09:30:52.878-08:00Spring GigsHere is a guide to some of my upcoming public performances... I'm not playing quite as much as usual this spring. There are a lot of private functions and that, coupled with my crazy teaching and administrative load at Capilano makes for a full schedule. I<br />
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There are some good quality gigs coming up that should be a lot of fun. I'm sure there'll be more announced, so watch this space or drop me a line if you're in town and want to know where I'm playing. Hope to see you around.<br />
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Jan 21 - Brad Muirhead Quartet at Presentation House Studio. 8pm $10 at the door.<br />
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Jan 30 - Tribute to Brazil show at Blueshore Theatre 8pm. Capilano U box office for tickets.<br />
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Feb 4 - Jared Burrows Quartet at Presentation House Studio. 8pm $10 at the door.<br />
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Feb 7 - The Offering of Curtis Andrews at Cafe Deux Soleils. 9pm. $7 at the door.<br />
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Feb 18 - Soundimagenet at with Paul Cram at Presentation House Studio. 8pm $10 at the door.<br />
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Feb 26 - NARWHAL at Capilano U Room Fir 113. 11:30am. Free admission.<br />
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Mar 4 - Jazz Faculty concert with Kofi Gbolonyo at Capilano U. Room Fir 113. noon. Free admission.<br />
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Mar 11 - Valtkovich/Campbell/Burrows/Reed at Presentation House Studio. 8pm $10 at the door.<br />
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Apr 7 - Cap Jazz Faculty Quartet at Capilano U. Room Fir 113. 11:30am. Free admission.<br />
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Apr 9 - NARWHAL at Capilano U Room Fir 113. 11:30am. Free admission.<br />
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Apr 18-19 - Adjudicating at Cantando Festival, Sun Peaks.<br />
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Apr 25-26 - Adjudicating at Cantando Festival, Nelson. Performance with Cap Jazz Faculty Quartet.<br />
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May 2-3 - Adjudicating at Cantando Festival, Whistler. Performance with Cap Jazz Faculty Quartet.<br />
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July 7-11 South Delta Jazz Festival daily teaching and performances.Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-54931803929757007172014-10-23T01:02:00.000-07:002014-10-28T12:10:03.570-07:00Tipping the Scales<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the last few weeks, I have been talking with my students about their reasons for making music. Why do we do it? Today is Diwali, a festival that celebrates the victory of light over darkness. With all that is going on in the world these days, I feel more and more that I do it because making music is a meaningful response to the wave of negative and destructive energy with which we are confronted on a daily basis. Music creates order out of chaos, meaning out of emptiness, reveals the beauty of humanity in opposition to the base and the crude. In contrast to the hard, smooth edges of technology and the cold, algorithmic calculations of the machines that we invent and invite to govern more and more of our lives, music is organic and welcoming. Even the wildest, noisiest, most rambunctious music is beautiful to me and has an accessibility and a fleshy vulnerability that we need somehow.<br />
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Today, violence and hatred was visited on the sleepy capital of our country. It was a shock to most of us. This is of course a very small taste of the kind of pain and suffering people in other lands must face on a daily basis. We watch images of it on television on the nightly news, but it is always far away. When such evil surfaces in our society, in any of its myriad forms, what can we do? Heightened security measures won't prevent it, more guns won't help, political rhetoric of any kind will aggravate it.</div>
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When others wage war, musicians can wage peace.</div>
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I got to play a lovely concert tonight with some fine musicians from the Hindustani and Carnatic music traditions. The sound of the tanpura drone gently filled the room, melodies unfolded, ideas and rhythms were traded back and forth. The audience was sitting very close, listening very hard, completely focused on the music. Outside, the rain was pouring down with a vengeance, there were traffic and city noises, a drug deal was probably going down at the 7-11 across the street. But music made the outside world disappear for a time. People smiled, hugged, drank tea and ate cookies, laughed and chatted with each other at the intermission. Even the ear infection that has been bothering me for 2 days completely stopped. I think it was Vidyasagar's incredible singing of raga Pantuvarali that did it.</div>
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I know that while we were playing our concert, in many places in the world people were and are at war, suffering from cold, hunger, disease, and fear. But I also know that in many other places in the world, people were playing music, painting, dancing, speaking poetry, writing books, acting plays, telling stories. Darkness and destruction will continue to be realities, but we don't have to despair or succumb. We can choose to exercise our true birthright as human beings to create beauty, order, light, and meaning and to share these things with each other. These acts of creation and sharing are acts of love. When we choose to do engage with acts of creation, as artists or audience members, we are in that moment tipping the scales ever so slightly in favour of the good and the just, the pure and the beautiful.<br />
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Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-83323661428359811222014-10-08T10:19:00.000-07:002014-10-08T11:29:38.309-07:00Reaction to Geoff Dyer's "Catastophic Coltrane"<br />
Geoff Dyer's recent article in theNY Times "Catastrophic Coltrane" was brought to my attention this morning. Here is a link to the article and a brief reaction to his piece.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/gallery/2014/oct/04/catastrophic-coltrane/">http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/gallery/2014/oct/04/catastrophic-coltrane/</a><br />
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Dyer does raise an important issue: the Temple University concert represents a last rather than late example of Coltrane's art. We don't and can't know what he would have done if he had been able to stay on this planet longer. Thus, both Dyer's analysis and my reaction to it are both speculation based on our understandings of Trane's legacy. Perhaps the difference is that Dyer wants to understand Coltrane's music within the scope of jazz and his impact on that idiom. I want to understand Trane in the broader cultural and musical sense. He was not just a jazz musician, he was a cultural, revolutionary, spiritual and artistic force.<br />
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Dyer’s analysis makes sense if one views Trane’s music only through the window of ‘jazz’. In this article, the writer fails to acknowledge the power of the activity of music making as a communal experience and process and as a site of not only personal development, but also cultural exploration, revolution, and redefinition. In my view, these issues were extremely important to Coltrane and essential for any kind of understanding of the last few years of his life. Dyer seems to be looking for coherence in terms of the traditional harmonic, rhythmic, melodic, and formal concepts deriving from the jazz tradition. Such obvious points of reference may be beside the point when we consider the music from the Temple University concert or other recordings from this last period of Trane's life.<br />
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I believe that Trane saw (or was beginning to see) the activity of doing/making music with and for people as primary. The recording from Temple University seems clear evidence of that to me. The actual sounds resulting from the process might even be secondary to what was happening with Coltrane's music during that time, hence his tendency to include more and more participants in the music making. Perhaps the use of the older tune-based improvisations like “Favorite Things” served as a warm-up or as a way of drawing in participants to a deeper experience. In any case, the importance of actual musical results as observed and evaluated by outsiders (let’s not forget that we are listening to a live recording nearly 37 years later) is secondary or perhaps even further removed. <br />
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The author’s suggestion that ‘free jazz' had hit a brick wall shows his lack of understanding of the communal aspect of music making and of subsequent developments in European (and now international) directions and developments in free playing. Trane was simply pointing music in another direction. Many people moved in that direction and the road has not ended yet. Coltrane’s own career demonstrates an incredible arc of development: from simple imitation and music as entertainment to complete technical mastery of the idiom to artistry and innovation within the idiom. Eventually, through intense self-examination and searching he eventually broke the bands of that idiom and began to question not only his relationship to the jazz tradition, but the purposes of music itself and the changing roles of performers and listeners. <br />
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This search and questioning should be viewed not within the narrow window of ‘jazz’ but rather within the broader cultural revolutions of the 1960s. Speaking just within the field of music, we have at the same time period John Cage, Terry Riley, Lamonte Young, the Fluxus movement, etc. all asking similar questions. Some of them were very much inspired by Trane of course. What is music? What is it for? Who is the performer and who is the listener? I find it interesting that in 2014 we still have not fully come to terms with the things people like Coltrane and Cage were saying and exploring. Many in the jazz world (and many critics certainly) are still extremely conservative. What happened to the tradition of innovation left to us by Trane and other giants of the 20th century? Has the malaise of the post-modern (or post-post-modern?!) condition extinguished the desire for revolution? This question is directed first and foremost to myself and my own music, but it is worthwhile for anyone to consider it.Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-18876721279921387672014-09-25T09:29:00.000-07:002014-09-30T12:01:32.503-07:00Autumn Performance ScheduleHi All,<br />
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I took the summer off from blogging and some other things too. The summer in Vancouver has lasted so far into September that I feel reluctant to get back to work on teaching and playing music. Nevertheless, Autumn is officially upon us and there are gigs to play. I am very fortunate to be involved in a wide range of exciting musical projects. Please come out and hear some great music and be part of the scene.<br />
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<b>Sept 25 - JB Trio at Tangent Cafe.</b> 8:30-11:30pm No cover. food and drink are excellent. I'll be playing with Kerry Galloway (bass) and Joe Poole (drums). Mostly jazz standards stretched and pulled into new shapes. 2095 Commercial Drive.<br />
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<b>Sept 28 - Swamp People at Tangent Cafe. </b>6-9pm. I'll be performing the music of Jimmy Giuffre with two young geniuses: Geoff Claridge (bass clarinet), Emma Postl (voice). 2095 Commercial Drive.<br />
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<b>Oct 8 - Danderfer/Claridge Quintet at Presentation House.</b> 8pm. $10 at the door. Free tea and cookies. Playing the music of Benny Goodman and his successors with clarinettists Geoff Claridge and James Danderfer, Joe Poole (drums), Graham Clark (bass). 333 Chesterfield, North Van.<br />
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<b>Oct 16 - Terry Riley's "In C" at Capilano U</b>. Fir 113. Free admission. 11:40am.<br />
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<b>Oct 17 - the Offering of <a href="http://www.curtisandrews.ca/" target="_blank">Curtis Andrews </a>at Cafe Deux Soleil</b>. 8-10pm. Curtis' indo-afro-jazz-rock fusion extravaganza with a 7 piece band for your listening and dancing pleasure. 2096 Commercial Drive.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EV0EcPNKKC4/VCRFJvMCtfI/AAAAAAAAAf4/I6fI6Sc7Mys/s1600/trasoff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EV0EcPNKKC4/VCRFJvMCtfI/AAAAAAAAAf4/I6fI6Sc7Mys/s1600/trasoff.jpg" height="177" width="320" /></a><b>Oct 22 - Indian Music at Presentation House. </b>8pm. $10 at the door. Free tea and cookies. Classical Indian music from North and South and all points in between with renowned sarode player, <a href="http://www.davidtrasoff.com/" target="_blank">David Trasoff</a>, Karnatic vocalist, Vidyasagar Vankayala, Curtis Andrews (mrdangam), and me.<br />
<br />
<b>Oct 23 - </b><a href="http://www.davidtrasoff.com/" target="_blank">David Trasoff</a> (sarode) and Sunny Matharu (tabla) play at Capilano U, Fir 113, 11:40am. Free admission. I will join these two fine fellows for a few tunes.<br />
<br />
<b>Oct 26 and 27 - <a href="http://www.capilanou.ca/blueshorefinancialcentre/14-Convergence-Cap-Jazz-Faculty/" target="_blank">Convergence: Capilano Jazz Faculty Concert and Live Recording. </a></b> 21 of Vancouver's finest jazz musicians work at Capilano U. The concert will feature all of them in various combinations, with special compositions and arrangements written just for this show. <a href="http://www.capilanou.ca/blueshorefinancialcentre/14-Convergence-Cap-Jazz-Faculty/" target="_blank"> Click here </a>for tickets and info. Oct 26 is for the public. Oct 27 for Cap Jazz students.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wUDpBn_GXUQ/VCRFdKE4XfI/AAAAAAAAAgA/4Gj59tyZLNk/s1600/Cap%2BJazz%2BFaculty%2BEktron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wUDpBn_GXUQ/VCRFdKE4XfI/AAAAAAAAAgA/4Gj59tyZLNk/s1600/Cap%2BJazz%2BFaculty%2BEktron.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Nov 6 - Music of Kenny Wheeler at Capilano U. </b> Fir 113, 11:00-1:00. Free admission. Bassist, Dr. Paul Rushka, presents a lecture on the music of Kenny Wheeler followed by a concert of that music with Brad Turner (trumpet), Dave Robbins (drums), Dennis Esson (trombone), and Bill Coon and I on guitars.<br />
<br />
<b>Nov 7 Colin MacDonald <a href="http://www.crypticmusic.ca/home" target="_blank">Pocket Orchestra</a> plays Eliezer's, "Fantasia. </b>Port Moody. Details TBA.<br />
<br />
<b>Nov 12 - Music of Kenny Wheeler and Benefit for Doreen Wheeler at Presentation House. </b>Brad Turner (trumpet), Dave Robbins (drums), Dennis Esson (trombone), and Bill Coon and I on guitars. 8pm. $10 at the door. 333 Chesterfield, North Van.<br />
<br />Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-41226098270011085792014-05-13T20:06:00.003-07:002014-05-13T20:06:41.478-07:00Academic Freedom/Censorship Debate at Capilano U<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had taken this post down, but in the interest of full public discussion of the matter have decided to put it back up and keep updating as the story progresses. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wrote the following on the morning of Monday May 13. Many others wrote letter of protest or called the University.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Free speech and academic freedom have been under attack at Capilano University. Please check out the article in the Straight (link below). My letter to Cap U President, Dr. Kris Bulcroft explains. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dear Dr. Bulcroft,</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I learned today from an article in the Georgia Straight that the University has taken George Rammell's sculpture. The following article is making the rounds of social media this morning at lightning speed:</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<a href="http://www.straight.com/arts/643126/capilano-university-seizes-instructors-sculpture-president-poodle" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.straight.com/arts/<wbr></wbr>643126/capilano-university-<wbr></wbr>seizes-instructors-sculpture-<wbr></wbr>president-poodle</span></i></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I saw the work when it was unveiled and thought it was hurtful and in very poor taste. I feel it damaged the relationship between the Faculty Association and the Cap U administration and did not help dialogue between the parties. I expressed that opinion to the Faculty Association executive. Be that as it may, I believe that George had a right to make the sculpture and show it in any public forum he likes. This is Canada, not North Korea. George has a right to express his opinion through his art or in any other way he chooses, even if that opinion is unpopular in some quarters or seems to some to be in poor taste. The idea that the work belongs to the University because it was created on University property is a gross abuse of University policies in this area and a flagrant violation of George's academic freedom and intellectual property rights. George Rammell is the owner and creator of this work and the University has stolen it. It makes me wonder whose work will be next and I am sure it makes the public wonder what kind of University we have.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">This seems destined to ruin a year's worth of positive efforts to put the pain and tumult of the last year's cuts behind us. Why would the Administration want to create more bad press for the University at this critical time in its development? Many departments at Capilano, including mine, have spent the past year in damage control trying to recover from the harm done to our reputation by the cuts of last year. Now basics rights to free speech, intellectual property, and academic freedom at our University are called into question. The recent budgeting and academic planning processes have done much to restore trust and collegiality between faculty and administration. I was so hopeful for the future of this kind of dialogue. This seriously damages that relationship again. What a terrible mistake. Please do the right thing and give back George's art.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Most sincerely,</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dr. Jared Burrows</span></i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Coordinator, Jazz Studies</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>*UPDATE*</b> as of evening May 13, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I wrote this, the University has given the sculpture back to George (perhaps in damaged condition or in pieces? waiting for news on that). They sent the following outrageous and laughable explanation to the University community</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">;</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Late last week, an effigy of the University President, produced by George Rammell, was removed from campus on my direction.</span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.866666793823242px;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The effigy has been repeatedly displayed on and off campus and online over the last year. The decision to remove the effigy was not taken lightly, but rather was the result of endeavouring to find the right balance among many competing values.</span></i></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Times-New-Roman; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.866666793823242px;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Our University is committed to the open and vigorous discourse that is essential in an academic community, the inherent value of artistic expression, and the rights to free speech and protest that all Canadians enjoy. No one wants Capilano to be a place where art is arbitrarily removed or censored.</span></i></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: Times-New-Roman; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.866666793823242px;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">We must also be mindful of the University's obligations to cultivate and protect a respectful workplace in which personal harassment and bullying are prohibited. These obligations are reflected in our employment policies, as well as legislation. Our policies are intended to protect the interests of all individuals in our community - including our president, as well as our faculty and all others.</span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.866666793823242px;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I am satisfied that recently the effigy has been used in a manner amounting to workplace harassment of an individual employee, intended to belittle and humiliate the President. This led me, as <span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">Board</span> Chair, to take action.</span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.866666793823242px;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I understand the University's Administration has offered to give Mr. Rammell the effigy. The condition attached to this is that it not be returned to campus, and I fully support that position.</span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.866666793823242px;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jane Shackell, QC </span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.866666793823242px;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">Board</span> Chair</span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.866666793823242px;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Capilano University</span></i></span></div>
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Stay tuned for more!</div>
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Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-87955123204308226752014-05-09T09:56:00.000-07:002014-05-09T18:58:36.882-07:00A Serious Post about Education.This is a posting prompted by a Facebook comment, but is also in
reaction to the BC Government's "BC Jobs Plan" announced
last week. For those of you who haven't heard yet, the BC
Liberals decided to "redirect" funds away from universities and
colleges who aren't in the business of training students to serve big
industry. Their plan relies almost completely on the long term
availability of fossil fuel extraction jobs, and on the
still-hypothetical Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) industry in the North in
particular.<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong. I'm 100% in favour of giving people
opportunities and funding for trades training IF they want to be trained and IF
the jobs are REAL and of long-term benefit to the province. Whether
that is so with LNG is very much up for debate. If these jobs are so
certain, surely the Province should be keen to invest new money and
demand that big industry contribute their share to train their future
workers. Why will it be necessary to take funding away from other
areas of higher education that are already suffering from
underfunding? It makes me angry and it makes me wonder if anyone
actually values education for its own sake. Then one of my
students posted the following on Facebook today.<br />
<br />
"LOL Jazz Education: preparing musicians for a future…in
Jazz Education."<br />
<br />
I responded with "No one is twisting your arm. YOU decide
what your future will be."<br />
<br />
He said: "It's just a joke." ;-)<br />
<br />
I know it was a joke. But my response was in earnest. I
guess I don't like it even as a joke because music, learning, art,
and knowledge are central in my life. I really believe passionately
in what I do as a teacher, researcher, and musician. I also believe
in the historical purpose of a university education. That purpose is
(or was) a tripartite purpose comprising the sharing, preservation,
and discovery of knowledge. It is an opening of the world to the
student - an opening that I hope stays open when students leave. Job
training or preparation as expressed in the idea of 'preparing
students for their futures' has always been an important,
but secondary, function deriving from education, not the
primary purpose for it.<br />
<br />
There is nothing wrong with getting training to do a
specific job. If you want to become a welder or a bank manager or a
nurse or a plumber, that is great. These are all worthwhile pursuits
and specific training and skills are required in addition to broader
kinds of education. But the idea of education, especially an
arts-based education, is so much more than training. The more our
society holds universities responsible for job training and career
preparation, the poorer we become as a society. When we hold the
ideals of education hostage to job outcomes, we push our society
toward becoming nothing more than an ant colony where individuals
mindlessly serve in limited, foreordained roles. We cut off the
benefits of the expansion of knowledge and limit the meaning of
education for successive generations. The freedom to be educated and
choose what we will do with our lives has been a great dream of
humankind for millenia. Only a few societies in the world today have
the wealth, political freedom, and economic conditions to support the
kind of education that has been available in universities. Even
within our society, access to education is far from universal.
Barriers of many kinds remain for those who are poor and marginalized in various ways. Those of us who have been born into
this position of privilege should hold the ideals of education and
free access to it sacred and safeguard the privilege for our children
against whatever forces seek to erode it.<br />
<br />
To all of my students I say the future is now. Your "real life" is now. Don't think about your education as having some future payoff other than the possibility of spending the rest
of your life trying to reach your potential as a human being. A
university education can give you a glimpse
of that potential. It might become, and is likely to become, the basis for further training for a job related to your field of study. If it doesn't, you may wish you had pursued more specific vocational training (and that possibility always remains open) but I doubt very much you will regret the educational process itself or wish you hadn't learned the things you learned. It is a tremendous privilege to spend part of
your life in the full time pursuit of knowledge. The seriousness and dedication with which you approach this period
will be a pattern for the way you relate to the pursuit of knowledge,
skill, and artistry for the rest of your life. <br />
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</div>
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<br />
<br />Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-84500100131578337532014-02-17T18:51:00.003-08:002014-02-17T21:27:26.653-08:00The Tao of Ron (On Tribute Bands)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uGne5LdqcoM/UwLKdOOueEI/AAAAAAAAAZs/4px_VDzWxsQ/s1600/ron-samworth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uGne5LdqcoM/UwLKdOOueEI/AAAAAAAAAZs/4px_VDzWxsQ/s1600/ron-samworth.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ron Samworth</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I'm writing this post in response to two things. First, I've got the flu and can't do much except lay in bed with a computer on my lap. Secondly, and much more important, this is a response to Facebook post by my friend, Ron Samworth. Ron is a great guitarist
and composer here in town, a musician of striking originality and
invention. He simply wrote:</div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>"I'</b><b>m
putting together a tribute band to pay tribute to my favourite
tribute bands in Vancouver. Cool idea, huh?"</b></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I and others thought this was pretty
funny. Very pithy. But it is not so funny in some ways. It seems to me that the
number of tribute bands/projects in Vancouver has grown exponentially
over the years that I have been playing music.
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In classical music this 'tribute act'
thing has been a feature for more than 100 years. They might not do
"Tribute to Beethoven", but a performance of his Ninth amounts to the same thing and is likely to attract a huge audience
compared to a presentation of "Violin Concerto by Joe from East
Van". In the pop world, this starts as cover tunes and extends
further to Elvis tribute artists, Beatles tribute bands and on and
on.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I suppose the attraction of the
"Tribute to So and So" is that it makes an easy point of access for a
public. It seems that, despite the massive variety on offer, the listening public is interested in
safer and safer entertainment accessed, if at all possible, at the effortless click of a mouse.(I'm listening to a live broadcast of a Peter Bernstein gig while I write this...) We at Cap U are certainly part of this
'tribute inflation' with our annual January tribute series. The
Brubeck tribute this year was sold out and we turned away many, many
people. I'd like to think this is because everyone loves our
students (I'm sure they do) but I don't think that is the only
reason. Even though we creatively reinterpreted and rearranged Brubeck's music
(I arranged “Blue Shadows in the Street” for the big band) it
still felt in some ways equivalent to an orchestra playing greatest
hits from the Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. That is not a bad thing of course! It was actually a really worthwhile and challenging project for faculty and students, as the shows in this series always are. It was an easy
sale for the folks promoting the show (a whole other department at
the U) and I'm glad they sold tickets. I'm glad people heard our
students play so well. Truly, I am happy about these things. At
the same time, I am a bit sad that this same huge and receptive audience
didn't hear the amazing tunes of my students like Jesus Caballero,
Bronson Wright, Mike Allen, Nikko Whitworth and others who are
writing such original and engaging music that reflects their own
unique experience and position as musicians at the beginning of a new
century. I don't think we could have sold out without the established, proven popularity and genius of Brubeck.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I dig the tribute thing for what its
worth. Many of you may know that my friend Cory has used it to some
benefit in getting bums in seats at the Cellar and I don't take issue
with that at all. I'm not suggesting that marketing is a primary motivation. Musicians usually engage in such projects out of love and reverence for music and musicians of the past. An audience listening to Cory's Hank Mobley tribute is
going to hear some great music played by wonderful players (Olly Gannon was in the band - you can't do better than that) and that
is clear a benefit to our community of musicians and listeners, even to society as a whole. It isn't that tribute bands can't be creative. In jazz at least, the tribute in the title generally
refers to a source of repertoire and general style. The solos and
improvised band interactions are going to be relatively fresh and new
every night. This is a noble motivation to be sure. There is a lot of music of Monk, Ornette, Ellington,
that I use over and over again in various ways and it is a massive
challenge and a lot of fun to try and put one's own stamp on music of
that calibre. Lots of good music is made in this way. The latest development in the tribute trend seems to be that if you can find someone obscure or unlikely to whom to pay tribute (Nick Drake or Liberace) then that is the hippest way to go. I have seen tribute bands with stunning musicians and musicianship and sometimes with creative and original approaches to the material. </div>
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<br /></div>
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On the other hand, I think about
Charles Mingus. Mingus loved Ellington and honoured him, but he'd
never have made a “Tribute to Ellington” band. He wrote “Duke
Ellington's Sound of Love” instead. That tune feels like Ellington
heard through Mingus' ears, but it belongs organically to Mingus. I
think about John Coltrane's love of Johnny Hodges. He didn't do a
Hodges tribute band, but he did display that influence to great
effect on “John Coltrane Ballads”. I have my Grandpa's (large)
nose and bald head. If you knew him you'd know where I came from. But you
wouldn't really know much about me. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The proliferation of tributes makes me
a wonder and worry a bit (not too much worry – I'm too optimistic
to get really hung up on it...). The tribute band is, essentially, a
move toward a classical view of an art form that used to be part of
the avant garde. When I got into jazz, in the late 80s, the big
deal for me and my friends was to hear local people doing their own
thing. I'm thinking of many shows at the Glass Slipper hearing Ron, Tony Wilson (including Tony's Albert Ayler and Monk tributes that were both totally original, unique, and beautiful) Claude Ranger, Paul Plimley, Lisle Ellis, Bruce
Freedman, Gregg Simpson, and hoping I could come up with my
own thing too one day. When I got my first gig at the Slipper, I
fully expected that it was my responsibility, nay, my divinely
appointed duty and destiny to write and perform something that was
somehow an honest reflection of me, at the very least an attempt at an original
contribution. Maybe that way of thinking is ebbing in the jazz world
or some corners of it? The tribute band can be a great creative vehicle.
You can buy a cake mix and make a great cake. You can grow a plant
from a seedling you buy at a shop and it can be a great plant. </div>
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I just think I would rather hear something cooked from raw ingredients or grown from the seed.</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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Thanks for the inspiration, Ron!</div>
Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-82085802390667705172014-02-05T11:11:00.002-08:002014-02-11T19:12:14.498-08:00Locker-room Conversations and the Power of MusicI swim a few times a week at a pool near the University. Conversations in the locker room tend to be quite limited; perhaps a nod or hello here and there. Nudity among groups of men seems to demand a certain anonymity. Despite this, one does hear interesting exchanges between friends at times and, occasionally, strangers strike up a conversation. So it was yesterday. An old gentleman in his nineties engaged me in small talk that quickly became much more. Fortunately, my memory for scenes and conversations is extremely good so I'll present this story as he told it to me. <br />
<br />
Dennis: The best part of a work out is when its over, eh?<br />
<br />
Me: Yeah. It feels that way sometimes. I really look forward to it, and then find once I'm doing it, it can feel like I want to quit pretty fast.<br />
<br />
Dennis: Ya gotta do it though.<br />
<br />
Me: Yes. I really need it to take out my frustrations. It helps me deal with problems at work. I guess just helps me be happier overall.<br />
<br />
Dennis: You know I was at a sort of talk the other day. A bunch of retired guys from all walks of life. It was at UBC. I was a student there way back. There was this fellow called Helliwell <i>(<a href="http://faculty.arts.ubc.ca/jhelliwell/" target="_blank">John Helliwell</a>)</i> who is a real famous economist. He goes around measuring people's happiness with numbers and such somehow. He had all of us singing that song, "If You're Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands". You know what? Pretty soon everyone was doing it and clapping and singing and smiling and laughing. It was great.<br />
<br />
Me: Wow. That is really neat. I actually just co-authored a paper in that field with my friend Clyde, who is also an economist. It is all about how improvised music performance can teach people how to interact with each other and how it can help them be happier by understanding relationships with each other. As it happens I know a little bit about this fellow, Helliwell. He is an important figure in this field called the Economics of Happiness. What an amazing coincidence that you should mention this to me.<br />
<br />
Dennis: Are you involved with music then?<br />
<br />
Me: Yes. I teach music at Capilano University, just up the hill.<br />
<br />
Dennis: I don't know much about music. Know the white and black keys on the piano? I'm always there in the cracks. No kidding! <br />
<br />
<i>We both laugh briefly. After a second or two, he fixes me intently with his one good eye, the other cloudy with a cataract. His face flushes and tears begin to form.</i><br />
<br />
Dennis: I want to tell you a story about the power of music. There we're two times in my life when I learned about the power of music<br />
<br />
<i>I nod.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>Dennis: If I go on too long just stop me.<br />
<br />
Me: I'm not in a rush.<br />
<br />
Dennis: We were in a landing craft waiting to go to France. Off the south of England somewhere. It was dark and there were three boats there, all anchored close together. You could see the men in the other boats and hear 'em. There was a boat of Poles, you know, from Poland? All the men were pacing around pretty nervous and smoking cigarettes. Everyone smoked back then, or just about everyone. We didn't know <i>what </i>was going to happen in the morning when we got to France. D-Day, you know? So these Poles start singing Lili Marlene. In Polish, and then some other languages. Everyone was laughing and singing. One of the other boats was English guys. Mostly miners I think. Well they got into singing their songs and had some kind of routine going too. Everyone was having a great time. And you know what? When they were done singing, one by one you saw the cigarettes go out and everyone went below deck and slept. we slept like babies. Can you believe it? With all that going on.<br />
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<br />
Me: That is amazing. Beautiful. I guess the music just relieved all that stress that everyone was feeling. Everyone must have been really nervous.<br />
<br />
Dennis: Yup. I'll tell you another time when I understood the power of music.<br />
<br />
Me: Ok. Sure.<br />
<br />
Dennis: This was in Europe. A place called Leopold Canal. Ever heard of it?<br />
<br />
<i>Subsequent research has taught me that <a href="http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/leopoldcanal.htm" target="_blank">Leopold Canal</a> was an important turning point in the Battle of the Scheldt.</i><br />
<br />
Me: Is it in Holland or Belgium or...<br />
<br />
Dennis: Yeah. Well were were stuck in a hole there for fifteen days playing catch with hand grenades at Leopold Canal. Fifteen days, ya know?! Stuck in the mud throwing hand grenades across the canal. We didn't have hardly anything to eat. Everything was filthy. Covered in mud. Well, after fifteen days we finally got some relief. Those Buffalos came in, ya know? <i>(Buffalos are amphibious landing craft in the picture). </i> It was all over and we started walking out of there. We were in a village and somehow one of the boys found a piano. Just in a house in the village. He went in and started to play that piano. Beautiful music. Classical music I guess. It was so beautiful. We all just sat down right there in the mud and listened to him play that piano for hours. Forgot all about getting a shower or food or anything. Just listening to that beautiful music. That's the power of music, ya know?<br />
<br />
Me: Wow. What an amazing story. Thanks for telling me about that.<br />
<br />
Dennis: So what kind of music do you do?<br />
<br />
Me: I play the guitar. I play a lot of jazz, some classical music. I compose. I teach people.<br />
<br />
Dennis: That is really wonderful! To make music every day. What a wonderful thing. You must be very happy in your choice. To be a musician that is.<br />
<br />
Me: I guess I am pretty happy, yeah. It beats a lot of other things I've tried.<br />
<br />
Dennis: Yup. The power of music. That is really something, boy. I'll never forget.<br />
<br />
<i>At this point I look at the clock and realize I'm almost late for work....</i><br />
<br />
Me: Thanks for sharing those stories with me. I really appreciate that. I have to get to work now though.<br />
<br />
Dennis: No problem. See ya later.<br />
<br />
Me: Have a great day! Bye!<br />
<br />
<br />
Why did he take the moment to talk to me? Why not someone else? With the passing of Pete Seeger last week, I've been thinking a lot about what music means and what it can do. I learned a lot from this experience. In relating the story to my wife, I found the whole thing very emotional and moving. Some things happen for a reason and I'm grateful that they do. <br />
<br />
UPDATE: This week I got some more stories about D-Day and the liberation of Holland. Dennis is an amazing guy.<br />
<br />Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-5864746118743982312014-01-22T10:08:00.001-08:002014-01-22T10:08:40.350-08:00Inspired by Anthony Braxton <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This past week, I watched the NEA Jazz Masters award ceremony. Among the other award recipients was Anthony Braxton. Braxton is probably the most unusual choice the NEA organization has ever made for the award, but perhaps one of the most important in the sense that the NEA has sometimes taken a very narrow and 'classical' approach to the idiom, celebrating the mainstream artists whose music can very clearly be called jazz by the public, even if some of the masters themselves might dislike the name. Braxton's composing and saxophone playing have a clear relationship to jazz, but also to just about any other art or folk music. His speech showed an incredible generosity of spirit and deep humility. The fascinating quirks of his eccentric genius were very much in evidence. Of all the music presented during the awards ceremony, the excerpts from Braxton's opera, <i>Trillium J,</i> seemed the most alive and fresh to me. I must admit that his music hasn't always been at the top of my personal playlist, but that really doesn't diminish my admiration for the man. I can think of few other musicians or artists in any genre that have shown such courage, ingenuity, integrity, and such incredible productivity over such a long period. Truly inspiring.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://kfunkfunkfunk.tumblr.com/post/74074982466/anthony-braxton-speaks-at-the-nea-jazz-masters-award" target="_blank">Kristin Fung has transcribed the speech here</a>. <br />
<br />
For a while, you can still view all the <a href="http://new.livestream.com/jazz/neajazzmasters14/videos/39595741" target="_blank">speeches and the music here.</a><br />
<br />
<br />Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-6161721376163515322013-12-26T17:59:00.002-08:002013-12-26T17:59:35.787-08:00New VideosI'm laying low for Christmas and New Year celebrations and taking a much-deserved break.<br />
Here are some new recordings of my sextet on my<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rgtb31dXgA&list=PLLjkO7hgXDLrUP--lewqrfLJc_iVirMaw" target="_blank">Youtube channel.</a> The video is kind of primitive, but the guys played amazingly well and Lawrence Wu did a great job recording things as usual. Hope you enjoy.<br />
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<br />Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273296654533099092.post-30063971816895431562013-11-04T00:40:00.003-08:002013-11-04T19:42:02.342-08:00The More the Merrier<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SVAp5IxeLAw/UndZErsXIMI/AAAAAAAAAWU/iwjexVM4z08/s1600/with+geoff+and+emma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SVAp5IxeLAw/UndZErsXIMI/AAAAAAAAAWU/iwjexVM4z08/s320/with+geoff+and+emma.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Geoff and Emma (photo by Vincent Lim)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My friend Dave Branter (a great saxophonist and teacher) mentioned in an email how he likes being 'the old guy' in Colin MacDonald's Pocket Orchestra. I'm not as old as Dave, but I do know how he feels. One of the best things about being a music educator is watching students mature technically and artistically into wonderful musicians with whom I get to perform. That seems to be happening a lot in the past little while and I have really enjoyed it. Stefan Thordarson (violin) was on the Colin MacDonald Pocket Orchestra gig with me last Friday and I've also been playing with him Lyle Hopkins (bass)<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WLgVcUja1U" target="_blank"> Trio</a>. The week before that I played the music of Jimmy Giuffre at the Tangent Cafe in a trio with Emma Postl (voice) and Geoff Claridge (clarinet). Two weeks ago Luis Melgar was playing second trombone with the Hard Rubber Orchestra and I see that Jeff Gammon (bass) is playing with Steve Kaldestad at the Cellar this coming week a. In a few weeks I'll be playing in Bill Clark's band with John Paton (sax). We've been featuring Capilano U students at Presentation House each week since September and I've heard some really good <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7ZP7ZHALBI" target="_blank">music from students</a>. This past week at the BCMEA conference I ran into a whole bunch of my students who have gone on to be really successful school music teachers and players. It just feels good to see people continuing the tradition of bringing beauty into the world.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MXAhVZ6pME8/Unda3nQ-WJI/AAAAAAAAAWg/AW8d81htvzE/s1600/stef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MXAhVZ6pME8/Unda3nQ-WJI/AAAAAAAAAWg/AW8d81htvzE/s320/stef.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stefan with CMPO between two other talented <br />
young players, Elyse Jacobsen and Doug Gorkoff.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lktIdAiHgkg/UndYlwsJKCI/AAAAAAAAAWM/mGLEg9bDLKc/s1600/cmpo+gig+nov+1+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lktIdAiHgkg/UndYlwsJKCI/AAAAAAAAAWM/mGLEg9bDLKc/s320/cmpo+gig+nov+1+2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CMPO w. Dave, me Stefan and great<br />
musicians of various generations.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jared Burrowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08188578560192197007noreply@blogger.com0