A roll, a bomb, and then a crash. The thunderous drum solo is over.
Lifting both sticks high above his set, drummer Jesse Cahill swiftly wipes his brow while in the other corner of the illuminated stage, hunched over the keyboard, Miles Black resumes the riffs of the fast-paced number. Facing the piano, upright bass player Jodi Proznick, her face impassive, fingers moving swiftly, plucks the strings up and down the neck of the bodacious instrument, producing infectious doom-doom-dooms.
As loud applause jets out from the darkened room, the musicians exchange a complicit nod. Then, tenor saxman steps forward and lifts his shimmering horn towards the mike. The end of the melodic story soars into the room.
All around, patrons lean back in their chairs, their heads bopping while their fingers tap on their tables. Appreciative Yeps! and Yeahs! spur the band towards the final crescendo of Hank Mobleys song.
A professional musician for more than 15 years, Cory Weeds is committed to bebop jazz. He first went into a deep search for his own voice, originally on alto sax, then tenor, listening to masters of styles from across the board. From Smooth Jazzs David Sanborn to Hard Bops John Coltrane and back and forth from old to new, the choice was wide. He is now influenced by the likes of Mobley, Stanley Turrentine and Sonny Rollins.
When he resurfaced, having shed the early years of doubt, his decision was made. Weeds sums it up: I love straight-down-the-middle jazz. I need melody, I need groove, so while looking ahead, I went back to the old guys.
The music world agrees with his choice. Weeds is nominated for a Juno award for Traditional Jazz Album of the Year following the launch of his CD Up a Step: The Music of Hank Mobley.
A self-effacing man, he admits You dont play this music to be recognized, you play because you love it. But when you get recognized, its really nice.
As owner of the , trying to balance a family life with the demands of his business and his career as a musician, Weeds seems constantly preoccupied by a perpetual to-do list. On top of this, he still goes for weeks-long road tours across the continent.
On any night at the Cory Weeds Cellar, Vancouvers only all-jazz venue, music can be heard that harkens back to the heyday when clubs were smoky and boozy scenes frequented by legendary musicians such as Duke Ellington, Charlie Mingus and Dizzie Gillespie. Today, the spirit of these legends comes to life at the West Broadway venue.
Down a staircase off the street, reminiscent of New Yorks cellar clubs of the 50s, patrons are welcomed through the door with posters of past and upcoming events. Once in the darkened space which is lined with paintings of jazz greats such as Lester Young or Billie Holiday one steps into a different world. A world where the energetic vibe of creativity awaits. Often, jazz musicians step off the page to compose on the go, as they play. This improvisation creates unpredictable and often brilliant solos, to the delight of the audience.
Whether sitting at the bar or at one of the tables of the restaurant, the stage can be seen from everywhere. Wait staff dance around the tables to take orders and deliver pub-style food. Patrons at the bar twist between watching the stage and their drinks.
Here, at the Cellar, Weeds has created a place that takes one right back to the essentials of stepping out for the evening. Get ready for uncontrollable toe tapping and finger snapping. Groovy.
The Junos will be broadcast live on CTV on April 21 starting at 8pm. The host is Vancouvers Michael Bublé.
