Jazz@The Pat A Flugelhorn and Painting with Drums

3 pm Saturday December 15 - Dan Gaucher makes the voyage from Galiano Island to Vancouver to play the music of Thelonious Monk @ The Pat with these wonderful musicians:

Dave Sikula - guitar

Dave Say - saxophones

Brad Turner - trumpet

James Meger - bass

Dan Gaucher – drums

3 pm Saturday December 22 Jazz @ The Pat presents a Bill Sample Christmas, proving once again that Christmas can be cool…

Darlene Ketchum - vocals

Marcus Mosley - vocals

Bill Sample - piano

Rene Worst - bass

Buff Allen - drums

3 pm Saturday December 29 - Electric Miles

Big Fun, Live Evil, On the Corner, Bitches Brew, In a Silent Way, We Want Miles, Tutu…

Bill Clark - trumpet

Bill Runge - saxophone

Hugh Fraser - piano

Kerry Galloway - bass

Bernie Arai - drums

Ron Samworth – guitar

I have been attending some of the 3pm Saturday afternoons of jazz at the Patricia on East Hastings. Music that to me was avant-garde when I listened to it in my youth (18 onwards) in the late 50s has now become comfort music much like mashed potatoes and stew are comfort food. What makes it so darn comfortable is that many of the people attending the performances are people I know. In particular the Thelonious Monk themed show of December 15 had at least five former journalists (former because journalism is dead) and one still employed, Ian Mulgrew who works at the Sun. It was most pleasant to chat with them.

In my past of being a magazine photographer I never really photographed musicians who were not rock or punk musicians and recently new music and early music performers. As I photographed Brad Turner for a second time on the 15 (I did predict that he would also play the piano as a Thelonious Monk themed concert really needed some piano) I had a nagging feeling of déjà vu. It has persisted and only today did I finally remember. I did photograph another famous jazz trumpet player in my past. It was at the Commodore sometime between 1982 and 1985. His name was Ornette Coleman. After the performance I was able to ask him a question, “Mr. Coleman why did you play on a plastic saxophone?” His answer was just a smile.

I have one very good reason to attend tomorrow’s December 22 session at the Pat. This is because in a distant past when I used to go to Thursdays at the Classical Joint, Rene Worst usually was the bassist playing with Gavin Walker. And I have two stories involving him.

The first is that when I photographed 6 local jazz performers at the original CP Train Station sometime in the mid 80s I asked Worst to bring his bass. In my minimalist mode then (as now) I told him that only one instrument would be sufficient to make them all musicians.

The second story involves my Rosemary and I (and perhaps with our daughters) going to Victoria (also the 80s). When we boarded the ferry we ran into Gavin Walker and his quartet.  They were going to perform at Herman's. I do not remember who the drummer was but Michael Guild (guitar) and René Worst were there with Walker. Once we were underway they indicated that the best stuff to be had on the ferry was the ice milk that was served from a machine. Somehow it was whipped. So these jazz performers ( known for loving stronger stuff) and we all indulged over and over!