Charles Spearin: The Happiness Project | Jerry Granelli Trio w/special guest Mary Jane Lamond

One of the eighty grand affairs at the TD Halifax Jazz Festival, July 8-16, 2011.

Charles Spearin: The Happiness Project (TO)
contemporary jazz / improv

Charles Spearin has been instrumental in creating a new voice in Canadian music. As a founding member of post-rockers Do Make Say Think and art-poppers Broken Social Scene, Spearin has helped turn new international ears towards Canada. His most recent project began as a personal exploration of the connections between everyday speech and music, and wound up exciting a neighborhood and eventually a nation. The jittery horns and skittish drums of The Happiness Project follow excerpts from interviews with people in his community as they explore the subject of hap- piness. Having been awarded the JUNO for Best Contemporary Jazz Album in 2010, Spearin boldly combines personality, speech patterns and explor- atory music that celebrates a unique creative spirit and the melodies of everyday life.

Personnel: Charles Spearin (guitar), Julie Penner (violin), Dave Clark (drums), Michael Barth (trumpet), Sulia Seger Scott (harp) and Karen Ng (tenor and alto saxophone)

Jerry Granelli* Trio (HFX)
contemporary jazz / improv

This is the final concert in a special series of four celebrating Jerry Granelli’s 70th birthday... This is the first time in a career spanning over half a century that Jerry Granelli has led his own trio. Joined by two of Canada’s brightest upstarts, Dani Oore and Simon Fisk, one senses that this music has been a long time coming. The long-time friends and collaborators make curious post-bop that sounds built, destroyed and rebuilt, to swagger into your ears like a drunken criminal. It feels exotic and hazy, a little bit dangerous even. The unusual inclusion of cello and baritone sax no doubt contributes to this fresh sound. There is a looseness to the music that is achieved by these expert players paying close attention to one another and each picking their own spots to shine. The trio will be joined on stage by Mary Jane Lamond, who contributed vocals to their newest album Let Go. Happy 70th Jerry!

Personnel: Jerry Granelli (drums), Simon Fisk (bass and cello), Danny Oore (tenor, soprano and baritone saxo- phone) and special guest Mary Jane Lamond (voice)

*A Festival Special: Jerry Granelli's 70th BIrthday SerIes - Jerry Granelli has spent his life as a cosmic outlaw deep in the trenches of popular culture. His fight is against the most evil of opponents: musical complacency. His weapon of choice, among the myriad instruments he has tamed, is the art of improvisation. To insure victory, Jerry has become an aural shape shifter. Each new project takes the music and the musicians in a new direction, which makes pinning him down next to impossible. Words that often get tossed around when describing Jerry are: inspirational, creative, energetic, passion- ate, driven and always surprising. The reason Jerry remains on the cutting edge is that he refuses to stop creating or experimenting. He has been a driving force of the festival since the very beginning, and this 25th festival marks his 70th Birthday! This celebratory series joins Granelli with an incredible array of musi- cal collaborators to help mark a great many of the stops he has made along the way.

Designated All ages.

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