Beaches

Checked out the Beaches Jazz Fest last night. The Beaches fest has never been a favourite of mine. Firstly, it ain't a jazz festival. Now, I know that I have prattled on at great length in the past on old Bloggy McBloggerson here about being opposed to narrow definitions of the jazz music. I'm open minded. The truth remains, the same 12 bar blues over and over again isn't jazz. Gypsy King covers? Not so much jazz as much as some sort of strange Pavlovian tool that makes me think it's 1988, I'm working at the Second Cup and I need to go brew a VAT of Irish Cream coffee. Because that's what we did in coffee shops in the late 80's. Brewed VATS of Irish Cream coffee. Then we'd go home smelling of it and carrying the grinds around in our pours. Like coal miners. Coincidentally, the Beaches fest kicked off in 1988.

But I digress.

Despite the fact that it really should be called The Beaches Music Festival or something, anything, other than "jazz festival" this festive street party does offer up some great jazz this weekend...namely, the Andrew Scott Quartet. If you can hear them over the student big band across the street and the harmonica blues thing that made me want to put a knife through my eye (my very own eye!) a few storefronts over, it's well worth the trip. And if you don't yet own a copy of "This One's For Barney", get yee to the Beaches "jazz" Fest and pick one up already.

The Robeau is also around backing up a lovely and talented 17 year old girl singer by the name of Samantha Shepherd. He's put together a great band and the young lady is most charming, as they say, on the mic. She had a huge crowd watching last night, swooning and slow dancing. They are playing in front of the Remax, which is near Starbucks, and that, is a good thing. You know, cause they don't brew VATS of Irish Cream coffee there.

Ah, the Beaches Jazz Fest. Annoying me with memories of my coffee shop servitude days since 1988.