With no notes to refer to, Scott Thomson, the new artistic director of the Guelph Jazz Festival, gave a detailed rundown of the many forms of jazz that will make up the slate of performances at this year’s event. Thomson’s love, enthusiasm and knowledge of jazz was obvious. He’s a jazz player himself.
Thomson was introduced Tuesday during a late afternoon gathering at Miijidaa Café and Bistro on Quebec Street.
He said he intends to preserve the foundational brilliance that has made the festival a jazz gem for over two decades, building on the work of retired artistic director Ajay Heble, and adding a few of his own touches to a festival that has never been afraid to experiment.
Heble said his retirement was bittersweet, but he is certain Thomson will both maintain the high standard and quality of the festival, and bring new ideas and approaches to the event.
Heble stepped down after 23 years with the festival, telling GuelphToday last year that the time was right, and that he had many other projects demanding his attention.
Thomson has been an intensely busy man in the jazz scene for many years. He is an improvisational trombonist and composer, known for his work with vocalist/dance artist Susanna Hood. His Muted Note, based on the work of Canadian poet P.K. Page, toured Canada in 2014, and was praised as a striking accomplishment by reviewers.
Thomson had a hand in the formation of the Association of Improvising Musicians Toronto, served as its director, and co-directed the AIMToronto Orchestra.
Last year, Thomson pieced together the 20-piece Montreal-Toronto Art Orchestra, dedicated to playing the music of Roscoe Mitchell. Among many other efforts and accomplishments, he was artistic director of Somewhere There, a live creative music space in Toronto that staged 850 concerts during his tenure from 2007-10.
The artistic lineup for this year’s festival, which starts on Sept. 13 with an evening with German saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Peter Brötzmann, features acts from many parts of the world. Thomson seemed particularly jazzed about jazz with an African influence, and those styles will be represented.
Among the headliners will be BassDrumBone with Ray Anderson, Mark Helias, and Gerry Hemingway, and the group Tom and Gerry, with Thomas Lehn and Gerry Hemingway. Ray Anderson’s Pocket Brass Band, Joshua Zubot’s MendHam, and the Cluttertones with Lee Pui Ming will be here.
Festival officials were giddy over the event's redesigned web site. The rejuvenated site features detailed information on all the acts coming to town and where they’ll be playing. There’s a schedule page with the entire five-day slate of performances.
This year’s concurrent colloquium, held on the University of Guelph campus, circles around the theme of Partnering for Change: Learning Outwards from Jazz and Improvisation. It goes Wednesday to Friday, Sept.13-15, and brings together musicians, academics, critiques and a host of other jazz-enthralled thinkers.
Tickets and festival passes go on sale July 3 through the River Run Centre box office at riverrun.ca.
Thanks to a Ministry of Tourism’s Celebrate Ontario grant, the festival will again offer two days of free music programming in Market Square on the Friday evening and all-day Saturday during the event.
