YOW Jazz, May 28: The James McGowan Ensemble and Diabolus in Musica, plus new releases
Previewing upcoming performances of 2 ensembles based in the National Capital Region, plus some European, American and Canadian new releases
On this week’s show I’m previewing the James McGowan Ensemble, who will be having a CD release performance for their new CD, Reaching Out, at the National Arts Centre on May 28. James McGowan is a pianist (jazz and classical), improviser, accompanist, composer/arranger, conductor, music theorist, and faculty member at Carleton University.
Reaching Out is a jazz-classical fusion combining music, spoken-word and visual arr and is a continuation of the 2023 album, Reaching Out. McGowan describes the new release as using “musical story-telling to tell an autobiographical journey of overcoming personal challenges to offer an uncertain, yet hopeful future”. The ensemble includes the following musicians:
James McGowan: piano/keyboards, composer, producer
Alex Moxon: guitar
Jean-Philippe Lapensée: bass
Jamie Holmes: drums & percussion
Cendrine Despax & Jean Despax: violin
Olivier Philippe-Auguste & Maxime Despax: viola
Valérie Despax & Cal McGowan: cello
Ed Lister: trumpet
Mark Ferguson: trombone
Petr Cancura: tenor saxophone
Mike Tremblay: tenor & soprano saxophones
Jamaal Amir Akbari: spoken word artist
Here’s a video of James McGowan playing live.
On May 29, at noon, the Gatineau-based trio, Diabolus in Musica, will be performing at the Southminster Church in Old Ottawa South. Diabolus in Musica is Denis Rousseau on trombone, Mia Beaudoin-Dion on piano and Kieran Warskett-Lambert on double bass. We will hear an excerpt of their performance at Southminster in 2021. Here is that concert in full.
We will start the show with a fantastic new compilation of Benny Golson standards.
Benny Golson, a tenor saxophonist, has an extensive discography and has written a number of jazz standards, including “I Remember Clifford” - we're going to hear another of his compositions, “Killer Joe”. This track features Art Farmer on trumpet.
We will also hear three new releases from female jazz artists: Kirsten Edkins (saxophone), Kelly Green (piano) and Charlie Pyne (double bass and vocals).
Also on the playlist are two new Canadian releases. One from the Daniel Janke Winter Trio and another from Scott Marshall.
The set list is rounded out with new tracks from Lawrence Fields and the Julian Costello Quartet.
You can listen live at 93.1 FM in Ottawa at 11 a.m., or online. The show is also available for on demand streaming.