Music and Wine Series: LIVE LEARN JAZZ
Enjoy a night out with wine, craft beer and light fare while learning about jazz from the seasoned professionals. An extension of the NOTL Library’s Wine & Words series, Wine & Music brings musicians into intimate settings where they can teach the fundamentals of jazz while demonstrating on their instruments. It is a fun and interactive event where the audience can engage with the musician in a setting that is truly definitive of Niagara.
New Orleans and Beyond, Trius Winery — Wednesday, May 4
New Orleans in wine country… a match made in heaven! Trombonist Christopher Butcher of the Heavyweights Brass Band plays selections learned during his recent trip to New Orleans.
This session will cover the role of the trombone in New Orleans jazz as well as other idioms of jazz. Caribbean music will be covered with stories interspersed from his travels and touring. He will be joined by Peter Shea, Artistic Director of the TD Niagara Jazz Festival, to demonstrate some music with the New Orleans feel.
Beer and Banjos, The Exchange Brewery — Wednesday, June 1
Alex Andrews and Shawn Fehlow of the Niagara String Band will lead us through a chronological overview of ragtime and its transition to jazz in the early 20th century. Focusing on pioneering banjo composers and recording artists, including Fred Van Eps, Vess L. Ossman, Johnny St. Cyr and Papa Charlie Jackson, they will examine the stylistic similarities and differences between ragtime, jazz and early blues. The discussion will include a look at some of the contributing factors that lead to the decline of banjos across all three genres by the 1930s. And yes, there’s a beer for that!
Sessions are $25 per person or $85 for the series pass.
*** Scroll down for other two shows in the series…***
(De)constructing the Archtop Jazz Guitar, Southbrook Vineyards — Wednesday, July 6
Paul Saunders takes a close look at the techniques, methods and materials of building the archtop jazz guitar, including a concise look at the evolution of the instrument and its place in jazz music now and in the future from the perspective of a guitar maker. Includes a performance by local jazz guitarist Warren Stirtzinger. The guitar is built… now enjoy listening to it with a glass of Southbrook Wine.
Piano Players and Player Pianos, Stratus Vineyards — Wednesday, July 27
Celebrated jazz pianist John Sherwood guides us on a history lesson of the piano as it applies to jazz, starting with Joplin and moving onto James P. Johnson before taking us through the progression of left-hand stride and boogie patterns. This is an exploration of harmony in general terms, mainly how it relates to things in nature and physics, the altered notes that make jazz chords sound so cool and a brief touch on improvisation and right-hand. John will demonstrate all of this on a world-class Steinway Spirio Grand Piano in a world class winery.
Sessions are $25 per person or $85 for the series pass.
