From Be Bop to Boss Brass

Guido Basso (centre) will perform on the opening and closing nights of the Jazz Festival, with Russ Little on Wednesday at the Waring House and with his old friends of The Boss Brass on Sunday night at the Regent Theatre.

County Jazz Festival unveils 2012 headliners

It may be the best lineup for the County’s Jazz Festival ever. That was the prevailing view among volunteers, sponsors and well-wishers on hand to kick off the annual week-long celebration of jazz held amid the bustling tasting room of Huff Estates Winery on Friday afternoon.

Perhaps the highest of the highlights was the announcement that on Sunday, August 19, the Regent Theatre will be the scene of a first-ever reunion on The Boss Brass since the death of Rob McConnell in 2010. Mc- Connell, the band’s leader, let it be known that he did not want his band performing after he was gone. The jazz legend want to free his band members to make their own mark, not be trapped in his shadow, reliving fading glory.

But for one night only, the band is getting back together for one very special night of celebration—of Rob McConnell and the music that made The Boss Brass perhaps the most entertaining act in Canadian jazz history. It wasn’t easy. It is a project only made possible through the impressive connections and relationships belonging to the Festival’s Creative Director Brian Barlow and artist-in-residence Guido Basso. Basso performed with McConnell for more than 40 years. The special event is made possible with the sponsorship of Lanny Huff.

Kicking off the festival, Guido Basso will be joined by trombonist Russ Little. Little, too, was a regular performer in The Boss Brass. While jazz performing and arranging has been his focus, Little has found success in other genres as well. He was an original member of the 70s rock group Lighthouse, performing on hits such as Sunny Days and One Fine Morning. Little has also had a distinguished career, writing and conducting music for television specials and series including SCTV with John Candy and Eugene Levy. Little began his career performing in the Woody Herman Orchestra and the County Basie Orchestra. Last year Little released his fourth album.

Festival Creative Director Brian Barlow with sponsors Scott Wentworth and Elizabeth Crombie.

Little and Basso perform at Waring Hall on Wednesday August 15.

On Thursday Emilie- Claire Barlow takes the Regent Stage. Barlow has been called “the next best thing in jazz.” She has been nominated for a pair of Juno Awards and named Female Vocalist of the Year in the National Jazz Awards.

Through her rise to prominence over the past decade, her schedule has precluded performing in the County Jazz Festival— this despite the fact that her dad, Brian, is its creative director.

“We are fixing this in August,” said a very proud dad.

Emilie-Claire’s most recent album, her eighth, is titled The Beat Goes On and features music inspired the 60s. It debuted in the number one spot on the Neilson Soundscan Jazz Charts in Canada.

New York City jazz star Louis Hayes brings his tribute to Cannonball Adderley to the Regent Theatre on the Friday night of the Festival.

Barlow suggests that while Hayes’s name may not be familiar to all jazz fans, the granddaddy of jazz drumming is a giant in the U.S. music scene, having performed with some of the biggest names over that past half century— names such as John Coltrane, Kenny Barron, Freddie Hubbard and Booker Little. Perhaps his two most important associations include two years playing drums with Oscar Peterson and, before that, six years with saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, best known as one of the defining interpreters of Be Bop.

Clair Devlin of the Nepean All City Jazz Band has been named the winner of the 2012 TD Canada Trust Rising Young Star.

On Saturday night the night will be given over to the music of George Shearing. Born blind, the son of working class parents in England learned piano at age three. He went on to compose more than 300 titles, including Lullaby in Birdland, and had multiple albums reside on Billboard charts. Shearing died last November at the age of 91. The tribute features Don Thompson on vibes, Reg Schwager on guitar, Terry Clarke on drums and Neil Swainson on bass. All were members of Shearing’s band. The group will be joined by Bernie Senensky on piano.

While a thrilling lineup for many jazz fans— the August festival will be a particularly momentous occasion for one 17 year old. Claire Devlin of Nepean was named the Rising Young Star as part of the TD Canada Trust Jazz Education Program in April. As reward for her achievement, Devlin will perform with each of the headline acts—absorbing more jazz history in five nights than others will accumulate in a lifetime.

Tickets are on sale now at the Regent Theatre box office.