Monday, September 10, 2012

Post Jazz Festival and Nuit Blanche

Well, it's time to wind down after the weekend... and what a fabulous weekend.  MK visited (a very close friend of mine from back home) and it was nice to spend time together as we only get together once or twice a year.  We had all sorts of amazing food and we hit up the Jazz Festival in town and Nuit Blanche (overnight) - where, if you ask me - are some of the best acts; nestled in a corner of the city in some cafe or yoga studio.  I watched some of these musicians and.. they amaze me.  Take Matt Brubeck, for one (son of jazz legend Dave Brubeck).  The link shows his performance at last year's Jazz Fest and I was among the crowd; great quality video showing his improvisation and a very cool, very industrial-looking cello :)  A typical eccentric artist by appearance (black hair, black clothes, black runners with hot pink accents), his hand naturally curls and rests around the neck of the cello and it's always there; almost like it's an extension of who he is.  Except, it's more than that.  It's not an extension, it's literally a part of him.  Not a half; a whole, almost as if they've melded into one being.  This isn't simply a hobby or an interest or a career, this is who he is.  I guess he lived out in San Francisco for some time, but he's living in the Toronto area again?  Anyways, if you're in either city/area and you have the chance to see him, please try to get out.

Another act we caught is Gordon Grdina; played Arabic music with a Turkish guitar (the link is horrible quality but shows you the type of music he does which was very enjoyable in an intimate setting).  I might check for one of his CD's.  It was mostly a solo performance, not the group you see, though there was also a couple guys there with the odd accompaniment of voice and/or percussion.

Anyways.. enough about that.  I'm tired now.  We made it until after 3am last night and were in bed for 04:00, with another busy day.  It's just after 9pm and I'm gonna get ready for bed and maybe relax a bit with a book.

Hope you had as great of a weekend.  The weather has finally changed and it's absolutely perfect.  I will try to get out and enjoy it as much as I can before we have to ... shhh.. hibernate!

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