JAZZ, JAZZ and MORE JAZZ

HELLO EVERYBODY!          

This is my first blog, and being a musician, what better way to start than to do a music review?

Karen and Angus

Friday, May 10, The Art Salon of St.Marys GALA was hosted by Trevor Exner and Susan Ratz at the Black Angus Restaurant. The guest artist for the evening was Southwestern Ontario's foremost jazz diva Karen Calder.* Karen was accompanied by the wizard of the keyboard Angus Sinclair, who is known far and wide as a superb organist (he is the associate organist at the Anglican Cathedral in London). Sinclair is also in great demand as a jazz pianist, and he proved his dexterity at the keyboard on Friday night.His accompaniments were first class, as were his solo forays into different styles....a little Mozart even!

The featured star of the night was at her best, as usual, and sang without a break for ninety minutes. It was interesting to watch the audience react to her, as she moved up and down the Black Angus (bedecked that evening with local art), stopping here and there to bestow a pat on the back or even to sit with a gentleman as she sang. She knows how to work a room, and tailors her moves to the reactions of the audience. There were so many songs that I don't have room here to list them, but my favorite, “All The Things You Are,” was given a rousing performance. The people at our table loved the evening and were tapping their toes as Karen gave us one hit after another including “Satin Doll,” “Frim Fram Sauce,” “The Lady is a Tramp” and “Orange Colored Sky.” This lady is going places...and I will definitely keep track of her in my blog.

*Quote by Pauline Finch, former music reviewer for the Kitchener-Waterloo Record.

Angus, Anya, Rev'd Andreas, Karen

This was Karen's fifth time performing at the Black Angus, and owner Trevor Exner was thrilled at the turnout. Trevor's wife Susan Ratz is a fine artist in her own right. At the restaurant she produces designer cakes, and in her spare time she works in that most difficult medium...watercolors. Her art work is beautiful and she also does crafts which are real eye-catchers.

Trevor is an extremely generous gentleman, and donated a portion of the ticket sales to the Art Salon. He has been sponsoring a series of various acts for the past few years at the restaurant on Saturday nights for the people of St.Marys.He outdid himself this time by bringing Karen Calder and Angus Sinclair back.

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 I am going to close every blog with a rhyme from my collection,"Doggerel."

The Afghan

Look at the Afghan, so beautifully built...
You'd never suspect that he's only a quilt!
( c 2000, Anya Laurence)
                                                   
Please come back in two weeks when I will be writing about the way the English language is being spoken (murdered) these days.