Join, View and add Photo’s and Video to the Wreckhouse Jazz & Blues Flickr Group

Why not join Flickr and submit some of your photographs and video from the festival to the Wreckhouse Jazz and Blues Flickr group. It is totally free and we would love to see your pictures of the festival.

All you have to do is follow the link http://www.flickr.com/groups_members.gne?id=867017@N20 and sign in or sign up for a yahoo ID. Once logged in you will be given the option to sign up to the group and be sent notifications when new photos are added.

If you just wish to pictures from the this festival and the past you can view them on our photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/wreckhousejazzandblues/

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A 360 View of the 2010 Wreckhouse International Jazz & Blues Festival

By Simon Miminis

Simon performed in several groups including the Al Robmon Quintet at 2010 WIJBF

This year marked another great year for our festival. We brought in some of our best performers to date and put off some of the best shows we’ve ever hosted. It was a real treat to be a part of this organization during this time and in that time I have seen this festival from many angles. I’ve been a performer, a staff member and like all of you I’ve been part of many of the wonderful and welcoming audiences that have made our festival a favourite amongst touring musicians. So, as you can imagine, festival week was a rather busy time for me.

As a performer, I had the opportunity to play with several groups spanning a variety of music. Greek music on Wednesday, Contemporary Jazz on Sunday and Film Scoring Sunday night… What a week! The venues were wonderful to play in, (with a special nod to Yellow Belly) and as an assistant to our logistics department I could appreciate the back line we were provided. With a couple of exceptions, I believe our artists appreciated it as well. With 200 artists you can imagine how difficult it is to please everyone! A unique experience for me however was definitely the Nickel Film Festival portion of our festival’s closing ceremonies. If you didn’t make it down I strongly suggest you do next year! Watching some of Newfoundland‘s most talented musicians score these films year after year in a live setting is not only interesting and fun to listen to but also inspiring. It definitely gave me a new perspective on scoring for film (an area which I’ve become more involved in over the last few years) and the importance of improvisation in scoring which is an essential part of a good score.

As an audience member I had the pleasure of seeing some absolutely fantastic bands and artists. Anyone who attended this year’s festival can definitely confirm this. Watching Matt Anderson sing and play the blues by himself was a real treat, Creaking Tree String Quartet blast through some beautiful blue grass pieces was marvelous and seeing Rinsethealgorithm tear through some back breaking grooves was as always a pleasure. Unfortunately, being a staff member also only allowed me to catch pockets of shows as there was always something that needed to be done, but from what I did manage to see I definitely felt that this year’s artists blew me away and I’m sure that next year will only be better.

Which leads me to working here. As a staff member you realize how much work is put into a festival such as ours. We’re by no means the biggest, but even at our stage in the game the challenges to putting off a festival of our size is still immense. Harder still is trying to promote a jazz festival in a province that doesn’t have a booming jazz scene. However, since the inception of our festival and with the hard work of our staff I have seen jazz music (and styles that fall under this very large umbrella) slowly become more prominent in the minds of Newfoundlanders, we hope this only grows in the future.

So, to say the least, my view on this festival has definitely been multi-faceted and in seeing it in the way that I have I believe that all of our efforts in Marketing, Logistics, Transportation, Volunteering, etc are working in shaping a jazz festival that’s constantly growing and bringing more great music to our province year after year. Hope to see you next year at WJB Fest 2011!

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Thank you Sponsors of the 2010 Wreckhouse International Jazz & Blues Festival!

Thank you Sponsors of the 2010 Wreckhouse International Jazz & Blues Festival!

Putting on a festival that meets the standards of Wreckhouse Jazz & Blues can be costly! In addition to paying artist fees, WJB also has a long list of expenses, such as travel and accommodations support for touring artists, equipment and performance space rentals, promotional materials and administrative overhead.

Festival sponsors lighten the load, and for that WJB wishes a very warm and sincere thank you. Without their support, the festival would simply not succeed at this level. In a sense, WJB’s sponsors own a part of the Festival’s success, and WJB encourages its sponsors to take pride in its involvement with the Festival.

For a full listing of the sponsors of the 2010 Wreckhouse International Jazz & Blues Festival, you can follow this link.

Sponsorship of the Wreckhouse International Jazz & Blues Festival has many benefits, such as ticket packages, brand exposure at the events, inclusion in promotional materials, concert presenting status, and contesting opportunities. The sponsorship campaign for the 2011 Festival is now underway!

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MusicNL Artists Emergency Fund Fundraiser

Where: The Rock House

When: Sunday August 15^th, 2010 Time: 8:30pm – 12 Midnight

Why: To assist artists unable to work for medical reasons http://www.nlac.nf.ca/funds/index.htm

Lineup: All-star Jam featuring members of The Monday Nights, The Novaks, Denis Parker Band, Mark Bragg and Brothers in Stereo

Cover: Pay what you can

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Take the 2010 WIJBF Audience Survey!

Attention 2010 Wreckhouse International Jazz & Blues Festival audience members:  We want to know about your experiences attending the 2010 WIJBF!

If you attended at least one event during the festival (from July 13-18), this survey is for you.  The ten-minute-or-less survey is your opportunity to tell WJB what you liked about the Festival and where you saw room for improvement.   Your participation is voluntary; please be assured that your responses will be kept completely anonymous and confidential.

Take the survey by clicking here

Your input is very important to the growth of the Wreckhouse Jazz & Blues organization.  Your participation would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you for considering WJB’s survey request!

Thank You Volunteers!

From July 13^th to July 18^th St. John’s came alive with electric jazz, blues and world music!  The 2010 Wreckhouse International Jazz & Blues Festival was the buzz of the entertainment world in St. John’s, featuring over 50 performances from 200+ artists.

Amidst the performers, the media representatives, and elated audience members there were dozens of volunteers in their “Texas Orange” t-shirts, working hard to make the festival’s events successful.  WJB’s volunteers were there all week long, attending to merchandise tables, box offices, security and stage hand postings, driving artists all over the city, and helping WJB staffers handle the daunting task of keeping the festival organized and running smoothly.

THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS!

Wreckhouse Jazz & Blues owes so much to its volunteers, and would like to invite them all to the upcoming Volunteer Appreciation Party, the date, time and location of which are currently being negotiated.  The party will take place sometime in the month of August, and will feature prizes, awards, food and beverages.

For now, please join Wreckhouse Jazz & Blues in offering its volunteers a sincere and boisterous round of applause!  Cheers!

If you volunteered during the Festival, we want to know about your experiences!  You can take a very short online volunteer survey by clicking here. Your responses will remain completely anonymous and confidential.

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Thursday July 29th @ The Ship, King Pierson’s Bridge and Brad Jefford Trio +

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Music Newfoundland and Labrador and SOCAN present: SOCAN 101 Information Session with Tim Hardy

Music Newfoundland and Labrador and SOCAN present:  SOCAN 101 Information Session with Tim Hardy

Tuesday, August 17th @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm, MusicNL Offices – 186 Duckworth Street.
The information session is free for all Music Newfoundland and Labrador members  PLEASE RSVP to denis@musicnl.ca by Friday August 13th. Seating is limited!
Do you want to know how to earn money as a songwriter / composer? Chances are you are not getting the most money out of your music and we’re going to show you how SOCAN can help.
Tim Hardy, SOCAN’s Member & Industry Relations Executive for Atlantic Canada, will be on hand to discuss the following topics:
• How to join SOCAN if you’re not already a member
• How SOCAN collects you money (radio, TV, film, live performances, Internet)
• What’s new at SOCAN
• Understanding copyright
• SOCAN Foundation funding for artists and presenters

Tim Hardy has worked with SOCAN in a variety of positions within their Licensing & Membership Departments in both their head office in Toronto and their Atlantic Canadian Office based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia since 1995. Tim’s current role with SOCAN as the Member & Industry Relations Executive – Atlantic Region has him based in Dartmouth, but on the road throughout Atlantic Canada. The Member Relations role allows Tim to work with songwriters, composers and music publishers, as well as industry associations and key influencers within the region, spreading the word about SOCAN and its role within the Canadian music industry. The Industry Relations role allows Tim to work directly with many industry associations in Atlantic Canada (Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, chambers of commerce, hospitality associations, restaurant associations, etc.) who’s membership is effected by SOCAN licensing. Tim also does numerous presentations and workshops throughout the region discussing SOCAN, copyright, performing rights and the SOCAN Foundation.

About SOCAN:

At SOCAN, we understand that the Canadian music industry is only as strong as the sum of its parts. We are proud to play a leading role, working with other organizations to ensure the long-term health of our members’ livelihoods and the Canadian music industry as a whole. SOCAN is the Canadian copyright collective for the right to communicate to the public and publicly perform musical works. We administer these rights on behalf of our members (composers, lyricists, songwriters and their publishers) and those of affiliated international organizations by licensing this use of their music in Canada. The fees collected are distributed as royalties to our members and to affiliated organizations throughout the world. We also distribute royalties received from those organizations to our members for the use of their music worldwide. SOCAN has offices in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton and Dartmouth.

For more information please contact:

Jen Winsor
Communications/Program Officer
MusicNL
186 Duckworth Street
St. John’s, NL
A1C 1G5
Tel: (709) 754-2574
Fax: (709) 754-5758
www.musicnl.ca

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2010 Festival Shorts – A Night in awe of the Duane Andrews Quintet

By Justin Ried

On Thursday night (July 15) the Duane Andrews Quartet made their contribution to this year’s Wreckhouse International Jazz & Blues Festival at the Masonic Temple. Duane and his band lead the audience through a spine-tingling experience with their own take on many Django Reinhardt tunes, manouche infused traditional folk songs, as well as some of their own breathtaking compositions.

The atmosphere of the night was similar to that of a traditional Newfoundland kitchen party rather than just a performance given by four strangers. With Duane’s parents, brother, wife and child in attendance it gave the vibe similar to that of a house party, where Duane, Steve, Pat, and Dave where merely entertaining their guests rather than performing for an audience, eliminating the feeling of distance between musician and listener. Not only did Duane provide his audience with his mesmerizing gypsy jazz, but he also captivated them between songs with short stories and brief history on the tunes played. The stories seemed to continue after he had finished speaking and began playing his guitar almost as if the song was a continuation of the words he spoke, making for not only a remarkable musical performance, but a wonderfully entertaining evening as well.

What added to the enjoyment of the performance was the chemistry between the band members that was strikingly evident throughout the show. Steve Hussy, on rhythm guitar would often look back and forth between the audience and Duane and couldn’t help but flash an occasional smirk, displaying how much fun he was having providing the backbone for such a substantial ensemble, despite filling the role for as long as he has. Also adding to the personality of the quartet’s performance was Dave Rowe, who would occasionally crane his neck over his double bass to catch a glimpse of Duane to follow his lead, each time looking on with a huge smile on his face looking as though he was experiencing something new and wonderful with each note being played. Completing the bands persona was Patrick Boyle who sat still, looking as if he were listening to the music very intently until it reached the trumpet section when he would take a deep breath and work his magic, playing the tunes with dizzying solos or smooth sounds with his muted trumpet, rounding out the entire performance.

As the night progressed there was evidence of the bands energy spilling into the room as the crowd began to take on a life of its own with heads nodding, bodies swaying, and feet tapping everywhere you looked. With their brilliant performance and their contagious energy, the Duane Andrews Quartet made for an amazing evening and a colourful piece of this year’s Wreckhouse International Jazz & Blues Festival.

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Taking It On the Road

Sunday, August 1st, 2-5 PM, Gower St. United Church

Free workshop for musicians on management, booking, touring and contracts

There are hundreds of excellent songwriters, musicians and bands in Newfoundland and Labrador. Most start without a degree in management or business and without a manager they are forced to do everything themselves.

The questions many musicians ask when starting out are “Where do I start? How do I book a venue? How do I promote myself?” It is hard to know where to start and what things you should do when you are starting a musical career.

To help musicians better understand how to book engagements and manage themselves, the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and the Newfoundland and Labrador Musicians’ Association will jointly sponsor a free workshop for musicians at the Gower Street United Church Hall on the afternoon of Sunday August 1st 2010, from 2 to 5 PM.

This workshop will feature a panel presentation by:

Shelly Chase – music manager for Garrison Hill Entertainment

Jerry Stamp – experienced musician from St. John’s who has toured for years

Paul Schirelli-Earle, Chris Harnett and John Duff of the Idlers – recently returned from a self-booked tour across Canada

Jordan Young – Outreach & Education Officer for the NL Musicians’ Association.

This event is open to musicians of all levels of experience. There will be lots of time for participants to ask questions. This workshop is FREE but participants should pre-register by sending email confirmation to nlmusicians@hotmail.com. Contact: Jordan Young, NL Musicians’ Association (709-722-8005)
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR MUSICIANS’ ASSOCIATION
59 Duckworth St.,
St. John’s, NL
A1C 1E6
(709) 722-8005
nlmusicians@hotmail.com

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