Archives

Mark, Author at The Panic Manual

TO Jazz Review: George Benson, June 26, Nathan Phillips

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Mark in Concerts, Toronto Jazz Festival | Leave a comment

George Benson is one smooth cat. This was apparent the moment he started playing his brand of soul jazz at Nathan Phillips. The venue was packed inside and out with die hard fans who have been listening to him for decades. It was funky all ages fun for the whole family. His guitar work is legendary. He evokes guitarist Wes Montgomery with his brand of approachable smooth jazz. I hate using that term because smooth jazz conjures up ideas of … →

TO Jazz Review: Bill Frisell, June 26, Enwave Theatre

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Mark in Concerts, Toronto Jazz Festival | Leave a comment

The Enwave Theatre at the Harbourfront is one of my favourite venues in the city. It’s a 400-seater that offers great sight lines throughout, an intimate setting, and amazing acoustics. In truth, it doesn’t feel like the jazz festival until I’ve seen a show here. Thankfully I had the opportunity to catch master guitarist Bill Frisell and his band play music from their 2011 album All We Are Saying. In this latest effort, they re-interpret the music of John Lennon. … →

TO Jazz Review: The Bad Plus with Joshua Redman, June 24, Nathan Phillips

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Mark in Concerts, Toronto Jazz Festival | Leave a comment

The Bad Plus played Nathan Phillips last Sunday as the second half of a double bill with Hiromi. The trio has been playing together for over a decade. They grew popular for their creative re-invention of rocks tunes; from Nirvana to David Bowie. Throughout it all they remain a high calibre jazz act. This time around, the band has shaken things up with the addition of fiery saxophonist Joshua Redman. It made for an intense pairing. Think jazz, with a … →

TO Jazz Review: Hiromi, June 24, Nathan Phillips

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Mark in Concerts, Toronto Jazz Festival | 1 Comment

It’s difficult to describe Hiromi’s performance last Sunday at Nathan Phillips Square. It was my most anticipated of the festival, so the expectations were running wild. For a show to move from good to great requires a lot of moving pieces working in tandem. Both the musicians and the crowd need to be plugged in, the venue needs to work and the sound levels need to be right. For a show to move from great to truly memorable requires a … →