Welcome to My Foggy Day

My favourite song is A Foggy Day In London and musician friends often include this standard in their playlist when I am out front. Here’s a sweet rendition you might like to listen to while you browse this first post.
Something Elwy Yost whispered to me during a boring rubber chicken dinner seems apropos. He said “what did the the earwig say as he fell off the wall?” The former TVO personality didn’t wait for me to reply; chuckling he whispered “‘ere we go!”
And so, my friends, ‘ere we go again with my rejuvenated jazz column on its own blog page. Maybe signs of spring have also revived everyone’s spirits and we can exchange some upbeat updates to share among jazz addicts.
Let’s try to get as much info as we can on line – as well as into print with the support of Mosaic publisher Vi Bland, a free arts magazine covering Grey and Bruce counties.
Orchestrating jazz events? Here’s what you do: email dates and copy to me – webcrone@gmail.com – before the deadline for the month to appear. Deadline? You may ask? That’s before the 11th of the previous month! Of course, advertising has a bit more leeway – email copy to mosaic@bmts.com
It’s been a long, cold, snowy winter here in Ontario, but the good news on the jazz scene, although taking some years to develop, is the genre is spreading.
And spread more it must to have our local musicians incorporated solidly into the fabric of our communities.
There is some light at the end of the downbeat. Progress due, in large part, to Tom Lewis and his diligent recording of happenings and distribution of a free emailed newsletter as well as his weekly newspaper column, Jazz Beat.
Tom’s incredible resource of years addicted to jazz is hardly allowed ink in his Thursday wrap-up, thanks to editors at the Owen Sound Sun Times, and the largely obtuse attitude of staffer Bill Henry. Not that I fault Bill entirely as he is charged with covering ALL music in the readership area and jazz coverage in the newspaper is certainly better these days.
The local jazz scene was pretty thin a few years ago when one lone restaurant in town offered weekly jazz entertainment. Today that restaurant has switched to other music genres. A downtown jazz bar tried and failed to draw enough customers. An ownership change led to diminished smooth jazz gigs at a hotel restaurant.
Today, among several locations offering jazz for more than a year, is a local eatery showcasing jazz talent to entertain the Saturday night diners.. Rob Gasidlo, on keyboard, anchors the ongoing program drawing sellout crowds at Chaise Lounge, Owen Sound and he brings some excellent musicians to the weekly gig.
Recently it was standing room only when Chesley diva Carole Warren, husband Steve Kennedy, soprano sax, Don Buchanan, tenor sax and Rob on keyboard wowed the fans. Shelaugh Hart swooped in next from Barrie to deliver a mix of smooth and zingy vocals. Check out this and other events in the area at www.jazzbythebay.com