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In the Japanese martial art of aikido, awase, is a state of harmonious movement with one’s partner. Little wonder that Swiss pianist, Nik Bärtsch, a skilled aikido practitioner, chose Awase as the title of the 2018 ECM Records release by his RONIN quartet, which will return to BOP STOP Sunday night.
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It should probably come as no surprise that the wonderfully diverse, world-class city of Toronto is home to a vibrant jazz scene. Just don’t expect to hear about it from a Canadian.
Though chest-pounding exhibitionism is anathema to the unfailingly polite, deferential Canadian character, a group of Toronto’s best will arrive in town this weekend with proof of concept. They call themselves the Canadian Jazz Collective, and though the name implies a certain one-for-all modesty, these six musicians could easily be called the Canadian All-Stars.
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Friendly experiencers,
Have the hints of summer earlier this week stirred you to come out of hibernation? If so, you’ve picked a good week to do so with a variety of musical styles to choose from. Your sense of tradition will be sated by a reappraisal of a beloved musical chestnut while a sense of adventure will rewarded by a paint-peeling excursion to the outer reaches by a young saxophone sensation. Get ready for the ride and remember to tip your servers.
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On his new recording, For All We Know (Savant, 2024), Jim Snidero leaned heavily on the classic repertoire: “Love For Sale,” “Willow Weep For Me,” “My Funny Valentine” and the title cut. But midway through, he throws in an unexpected selection, Alec Wilder’s “Blackberry Winter.”
“Well, I love the melodies,” Snidero said by phone, “One of the prettiest melodies I’ve ever recorded is ‘Blackberry Winter.’ I’m trying to stay true to that melody and still be interesting at the same time. It’s always a balance between knowing and not knowing. For me anyway, I’m trying to have a grounding when I’m playing, but still have surprises and still keep people interested and not sure about what’s going to come next.”
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Friendly Experiencers,
Oops!…I did it again! Last week came and went without a Countdown, and it was a big week of shows, too. Once again, real life intervened (TLDR: we’re preparing to move). Mea culpa, But on to the good news: an early spring efflorescence of musical excellence, and all in the next seven days. Just look at this lineup!
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