DAVE TURNER UPSTAIRS – Journal de montreal



Par Christophe Rodriguez
Publié le 7 Janvier 2012 dans le Journal de Montréal

By Peter Hum

Originally published November 18th, 2011 on blogs.ottawacitizen.com.

Bookmark this link now, and expect to be enjoying it during the nights ahead, thanks to the largesse and promotional savvy of the Upstairs Jazz Bar and Grill in Montreal, and its owner, Joel Giberovitch.

Upstairs is committing to not only streaming its shows live, but also to archiving them for time-shifted enjoyment. The newborn archive, just a few weeks old, already contains a set by Sheila Jordan (one that she dedicated to the late Len Dobbin, Montreal’s greatest friend of jazz) and a set by Theo Bleckmann/Ben Monder duo, as well as many shows by Montreal groups worth watching.

It looks like Smalls, the storied Greenwich Village jazz haunt that streams its nightly shows live on the Internet and has compiled a mammoth and impressive audio-only archive, will be getting some serious Canadian competition for the attention of web-savvy jazz fans.

For not quite a month, Upstairs has been quietly but effectively streaming shows on its recently improved website. While Giberovitch tells me that he has been working out the kinks regarding sound and lighting, I can say that both music and audio that I caught last night was already impressive. Upstairs, which is using player technology from the company BitGravity, is raising the bar for jazz streaming live on the Net.

“I think streaming is the future,” says Giberovitch, who has wanted to stream the music from Upstairs for more than year. He has not only invested in the video gear; it’s taking the audio from its soundboard and pumping it up on the Net. He’s clearly excited about taking his music to the Web, and while he says it has occurred to him to seek sponsors to help him recoup his investment, he otherwise says, “I don’t know where this going to bring us.”

For now, he’s happy to hear reports of Montreal music students tuning in to the feed and being inspired to compose music. He’s heard from musicians who are pleased that their friends and relatives in other Canadian cities and elsewhere can watch them perform. He’s not perturbed about potential customers staying home and watching the music without paying the in-person cover charge — he says some people have popped by for a night’s second set, saying that they were moved to come by after watching the first set online.

Giberovitch says that his old, no-frills website that he replaced earlier this year garnered as many as 5,000 unique visitors a month. His updated website, which featured YouTube videos was drawing up to 6,500 unique visitors a month. Now, with the streaming shows, the site’s numbers are climbing toward 10,000 unique visitors a month. “It’s unreal,” Giberovitch says.

Coming up at Upstairs:

Nov. 26, 27: New York saxophonist Ben van Gelder, with pianist Aaron Parks, vibraphonist Peter Schlamb, bassist Rick Rosato and drummer Craig Weinrib.

Dec 2, 3: New York baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan with Montreal’s Chateauguay Tenors group, co-led by Al McLean and Cameron Wallis.

Feb 24, 25: Drum elder Jimmy Cobb with the Chateauguay Tenors.

As well, Montreal musicians such as pianist Francois Bourassa, Josh Rager and Steven Johnston have gigs at Upstairs before too long.

Legendary jazz vocalist Sheila Jordan will be giving a masterclass tomorrow, Saturday November 12th, at the Upstairs! The masterclass, which begins at noon, is open to the public ($15 admission will be charged at the door). You definitely don’t want to miss this incredible opportunity to learn from a true jazz legend!

EN SPECTACLE À MONTRÉAL
18 NOVEMBRE À LʼUPSTAIRS
19 H ET 21 H 45

Montréal, novembre 2011 — Suite à la sortie en juin dernier de leur tout premier album The Sun Will Shine, qui fut très bien été accueilli par la critique, le quatuor Misses Satchmo prendra d’assaut la scène du Upstairs le 18 novembre prochain.

La formation, qui a vu le jour en 2008, a pris part l’été dernier à la programmation du Festival international de jazz de Montréal. Ils y ont offert deux performances extérieures enivrantes au plus grand bonheur des amateurs de jazz réunis pour l’occasion dans le Quartier des spectacles.

Mené par la pétillante Lysandre Champagne (voix et trompette), le quatuor qui est composé de Maude Alain-Gendreau au piano, de Frédéric Pauze à la contrebasse et de Marton Maderspach à la caisse claire, présente sur cet album une relecture actuelle et originale de l’œuvre du célèbre trompettiste Louis Armstrong. Si la règle veut que le masculin l’emporte, ici, l’inverse s’impose et c’est pourquoi le groupe aborde aussi le nom de « Misses », puisque deux des quatre membres du groupe sont des femmes. L’appellation Satchmo, pour sa part, est un surnom affectueux pour désigner le trompettiste Louis Amstrong.

L’album The Sun Will Shine reflète bien ce que propose Misses Satchmo en spectacle; chaleureux, empreint de bonne humeur et de sincérité, des arrangements riches, mais fidèles au vocabulaire et thèmes d’Armstrong et un salut aux grandes dames du jazz au passage. L’album a été salué positivement par la critique, le journal Voir disait à leur sujet l’été passé : «De la relecture enjouée d’ On the Sunny Side of the Street à celle, plus sobre et sombre, de Trouble in Mind, nos sympathiques canailles déploient la fougue de leur jeunesse dans ces chansons qui portaient déjà des pattes d’oie à la naissance de leurs grands-parents. »

www.myspace.com/missessatchmo

By Erica Ruth Kelly
Published November 1st, 2011 in The Globe and Mail.

For post-dinner fun, look no further than the Upstairs Jazz Bar and Grill at 1254 MacKay. Located in the basement (get it?), this cozy establishment features world-class musicians who play in a range of styles, from American songbook to blues to avant-garde jazz (consult the schedule at http://www.upstairsjazz.com/en/). Bonus: You won’t have to strain to hear the music, as speaking while performers are on stage is prohibited.

Read more…