TORONTO (djc) – The du Maurier Downtown Jazz Festival in Toronto proved that jazz isn’t all be-bop crooners and 1940s-era piano. From the conscious hip-hop of Toronto’s K-os to the improv funk pouring out of Medeski Martin & Wood, this year’s fest blazed past the standard fare to expose 400,000 jazz-lovers to wildly exciting artists.
While I would love to report on every landmark performance that touched down last week, the flood of journalists (more than 250 of us) allowed minimal tickets per event. The most impressive score, though, was watching New York-area Medeski Martin & Wood drop funk-dipped grooves at the Nathan Phillips Square tent. Behind bassist Chris Wood’s head-bopping hook, drummer Billy Martin laid down beats that allowed keyboardist John Medeski to go ballistic on his Hammond B-3 organ. Medeski flew his hands over the keys like a man possessed, and the set segued seamlessly between free jazz transitions. The swelled crowds didn’t do the limb-shaking music justice, although the individual solos evoked tidal waves of applause.
At the Hummingbird Centre for the Arts, Ray Charles brought along a 17-piece orchestra to showcase his legendary repertoire. While I didn’t get a chance to attend the show, a Globe and Mail colleague remarked how Charles stuck to a style of bland pop-jazz, veering off occasionally for a “soulful, swaying read of country ballad I Can’t Stop Loving You, and the bouncy rollick of Hit the Road, Jack and What I’d Say.” The 72-year-old might be eschewing retirement for more touring dollars, or he could be so infused with musical passion his fingers can’t help dancing on ivory, and his head can’t help but sway to the beat.
That same night, I checked out the youngish foursome Metalwood at El Mocambo on Spadina Road. Expecting some experimental jazz fusion, I endured too many flat solos and meandering tunes — basically, Metalwood put the crowd to sleep. There was even a napping man sitting behind me. The American-Canadian group may have won two Juno Awards for their recordings but their live vibe became a chore to listen to — and even play, it seems. Saxophonist Mike Murley often scolded his alto sax for emitting such painful notes, and he then switched to a baby sax that only fared marginally better. The listless crowd barely clapped excitedly enough to be deemed appreciative of the boring Metalwood set.
But the next night at the ElMo, energetic hip-hopper K-os shook the foundations of the fest to offer an un-jazzy blend of Flamenco guitar, African drums and politically-conscious lyrics. Playing tunes mainly from his 2002 release “Exit”, K-os rapped smoothly over flashy guitar-strumming and keyboard effects. Follow Me involved the sweaty crowd during the chorus, and his take on the Beatle’s Yesterday invited a sing-along with lyrics such as “Yesterday, hip-hop’s not the way it used to be.” As any K-os fan knows, the Torontonian likes to get political, and his vulgarities toward George Bush seemed like cheap tricks to attract applause; but K-os stuck to his trusty weapons of flowing from Peter Tosh to Bob Marley, and then flying into an extended version of Heaven Only Knows. Sure, hip-hop is a far cry from jazz, but the K-os show managed to wrap his live-drum beats in a quaint groovy feel — without the bling-bling filler.
Every downtown jazz fest in Toronto features free shows at the Nathan Phillips Square tent (integral this year to attract tourists to a SARS-tainted city). And more than 40 venues displayed an array of talent to behold. Saxophonist Joshua Redman be-bopped his tunes, while Canadian singer Molly Johnson offered the expected Ella Fitzgerald fare.
However, it was this year’s surprise hits — Medeski and K-os — that elevated the 17th du Maurier Downtown Jazz Festival to a shelf beside the country’s more explosive music festivals. It may not be your grandfather’s jazz, but the sound of music is changing with the times.
