Mark Fewer
violin
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Jazz legend Gene DiNovi will headline fundraising event
March 15, 2010, 12:00 am
Jazz legend Gene DiNovi will headline fundraising event
Posted By BILL HENRY, SUN TIMES STAFF
March 12, 2010
Jazz legend Gene DiNovi will headline the Sweetwater Music
Festival's first big fundraising event at Cobble Beach next
month.
The sextet includes violinist Mark Fewer, Sweetwater's artistic
director, who will join the 82- year-old pianist for the April 9
show and regular DiNovi playing partners Dave Young, bass, and
James Campbell, clarinet, along with percussionist Ernesto
Cervini and guitarist Graham Campbell.
Born in Brooklyn, DiNovi first played bebop in New York as a
teenager. He recorded as a sideman with Benny Goodman, Artie
Shaw and Lester Young, and worked with singers Peggy Lee and
Tony Bennett. He was based in Los Angeles for several years
before moving to Toronto in the early 1970s where he has had a
busy performance, composing, television and recording career.
DiNovi has toured with clarinetist James Campbell, a Sweetwater
Music Festival performer last year, for more than 25 years,
mixing jazz and classical repertoire.
Fewer said he has played jazz since childhood, first learning
his improv chops on saxophone. He's best known for his diverse
classical music career -violin soloist, chamber musician,
orchestral leader, university string music educator, arranger,
artistic director since Sweetwater's inception.
But jazz music has increasingly become part of Fewer's identity,
he said. He played a tribute to jazz violin great Stephane
Grapelli last year at MusicFest Vancouver, and arranged music
inspired by Miles Davis for a performance with the Zapp Quartet
at the Festival of the Sound in Parry Sound, where Campbell has
been artistic director since 1985.
There's been increasing interest among Sweetwater's audience in
jazz programming, and from jazz enthusiasts in the area not
connected to the classical music event, Fewer said.
Programming jazz composer and performer Phil Dwyer last year,
with whom Fewer also played jazz afterhours at a city
restaurant, confirmed that interest, he said.
"That convinced us to take a step in the direction of having a
full-on jazz event," he said. "There seems to be enough hunger
for it."
"I still feel like a bit of a neophyte" playing jazz, Fewer
said.
"Classical and jazz playing is definitely two different vibes,
there's no question about it."
Most great chamber musicians have the ear for jazz-style
playing, if not the training and the chops, he said.
"They may not have that end of the language, but the idea of
existing artistically in the moment and coming up with something
creatively in the now, that's something I think great chamber
musicians do all the time," he said. "The difference is I've
spent some time getting the changes figured out."
The "Benny Goodman on Broadway" show at Cobble Beach will begin
with DiNovi's tribute to time he spent with the great and
influential jazz band leader and clarinetist. The show will also
feature DiNovi's "Scandinavian Suite" with a solo violin part,
and some jazz standards.
Tickets for the fundraising concert are $100 and are available
at The Roxy box office, 519- 371-2833. More information is
available at www.swmf.ca.
- - -
Shows to watch for:
MARCH 2010
* 13 -Matt Anderson with Wil -Meaford Hall.
* 13 -Underground66 CD release. Rocky Raccoon restaurant.
* 14 -GBFS Discoveries Showcase. 1:30 p.m. Back Eddie's,
Paisley.
* 15 -GBFS Open Mic night, host Kevin Moyse. Downtown
Bookstore. 7:30
* 19 -Bob Dylan's Acoustic Cafe". Owen Sound area artist pay
tribute. 8 p.m. Knox church. (changed from March 20.)
* 21 -GBFS Discoveries Showcase. 1 p.m. Meaford Hall.
* 22 -GBFS Acoustic Jam, hosts Martin Cooper and Ken Dow.
Downtown Bookstore. 7:30 p.m.
* 23 -Serena Ryder -Meaford Hall
* 24 -Gord Bamford -Meaford Hall
* 25 -Bluegrass show with Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road,
Bluegrass Edition opening. Owen Sound Legion.
* 27 -GBFS Last Chance Saloon. 12 acts compete for Summerfolk
Main
Stage gig. 7 p.m. Harry Lumley Bayshore.
* 28 Chamber music. Praise Lam, violin, Rachel Pomedli, cello,
Jennifer Tung, piano. 2:30 Knox United Church.
* 29 -GBFS Monday Night Music Session, storytelling with host
Zoe Kessler. Downtown Bookstore. 7:30 p.m. APRIL 2010
* 01 "Demons and Saints" CD release concert. Larry Jensen
songs covered by regional artists.
* 03 -Ian Tamblyn -Irish Mountain House Concert Please e-mail
information about upcoming shows to bhenry@thesuntimes.ca.
(Check the Our Sound music blog for a longer look at upcoming
shows at http://suntimesoursound.wordpress.com/)
Article ID# 2488641
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