Carole Rubin, co-ordinator of the Pender Harbour Jazz Festival, believes she has the best job ever.
“I get to pick all the music and invite all the groups I want to hear,” she says. “There really is nothing like live music. The energy of the performers and audience infuses the music with an electricity that doesn’t come across the same way on a recording.”
Audiences were feeling that electricity at the 20th annual event last weekend that was driven indoors because of the downpour on Saturday morning.
It was stressful this year, Rubin noted, because ticket sales in August and September were slow. Five days before the festival they were not at break even.
“This was a first, and I hope, never to be repeated sales trend,” she said.
Then there is always the event producer’s concern that the bands will not arrive on time. One group asked if the festival could send a boat for them. Well, no, that wasn’t going to happen, but musician Arnt Arntzen flew in from New York at 4:30 that morning and was in Pender Harbour playing with the Jen Hodge All Stars by 1:30 p.m. Their music was the hot jazz of the era from 1910 to 1930 – hot and fast. Other highlights were Maureen Washington’s powerful husky voice at Sunday’s Jazzapalooza event and the Brad Turner Quartet’s straight-up jazz with much improvisation. You should have heard that horn in the hands of a master … and that keyboard. Nothing wrong with the drums and bass, either.
The Sojourners led a gospel concert on Sunday morning and the full house at the Music School sang along on Wade in the Water. Thanks are due to the Pender Harbour Choir that was in the first two rows and were in fine vocal form.
“You just took the best singers in Canada award away from Inuvik,” said Sojourner Khari McClelland. “You were amazing.”
McClelland talked about an interesting project, based on his family heritage when his great-great-great grandmother escaped from slavery and came to Canada. The Sojourners sang a cappella on a tune she would have known: Song of the Agitator.
“Amazing how a song from 150 years ago can have relevance in today’s world,” he said.
Read more about the performers at www.phjazz.ca. Pender Harbour Music Society’s concert series is next, starting on Oct. 15 with the bluegrass sounds of the Cloverpoint Drifters.
