Sun, February 3, 2008
If music be the food of love ...
By KATHLEEN ROBINSON
Wow! (Note the exclamation mark. In my business, we
don't use them often.)
The Big Band Brunch at the Ironwood Stage and Grill is
amazing. I had no idea Calgary had something like that.
I heard Ironwood Grill had a jazz brunch, so when I
invited Andrea and Ingrid to join me there, I expected a
few instruments playing in the background while we ate.
Was I ever wrong. And being wrong never sounded so
good.
The Prime Time Big Band is an incredibly talented
ensemble of musicians committed to preserving the big
band genre. Calgary is blessed to have them. In fact,
Prime Time is the only big band in Canada with regular
performance dates.
From the first time I heard Glen Miller or rock bands
such as Chicago, with a big horn sound, I have been a
fan. I could write a whole column waxing poetic about
the music that earned the Ironwood such a great score
for ambience.
But I should devote a few words to the food.
The entranceway to the Ironwood Grill is so
unprepossessing, I thought I had the wrong door, but
inside it's kind of funky and cosy with a scuffed
hardwood floor, a bar to the left, a stage angled into a
corner, tables tightly packed and lamps like
old-fashioned street lights.
Our very engaging server explained brunch begins with a
menu selection made fresh and delivered to your table.
Then you visit the buffet to round out your meal.
There was eggs benedict with back bacon or smoked
salmon. I went with the vegetarian version -- I love
meat, but the combination of grilled portobello
mushrooms and marinated artichokes sounded delicious,
and it was.
The two eggs were poached perfectly in big round spheres
that stayed intact even when one went rolling around on
my plate.
But when I poked each with my fork, they burst in a most
satisfying way with hot, runny yolk. The ample mushroom
and artichoke were both lightly fried and delicious, and
the hollandaise was smooth, rich and piquant.
The scrambles choices included a bacon, spinach and Jack
cheese combo, or goat's cheese with basil and sun-dried
tomato.
Andrea opted for the ice shrimp version, with green
onion and tomatoes.
"You can really taste the shrimp," she said. "Every time
you take a bite, there is a shrimp in it.
"The tomato is nice and firm and the eggs are done just
right. I would like a bit more spice, but then I always
want more spice than most people."
You can also get two eggs prepared any style, or the
daily special.
Ingrid went with the special and was served slow-cooked
bison with mushrooms and carrots served on roasted
potatoes.
"It's very spicy with lots of pepper," she said. "It
leaves that peppery taste on your tongue for a long
time. And you can taste the bison, that tinge of wild,
which I like."
The buffet is abbreviated, but has a nice range. My
favourite item was a salad made of broccoli, red pepper,
red onions and feta cheese in a creamy dressing.
"It's nice and fresh," said Ingrid. "And they are
generous with the feta."
The fruit salad was large chunks of pineapple,
cantaloupe, honeymelon and grapes -- all fresh and
tasty.
There were also hot roasted potatoes. I scooped down to
the bottom of the dish and got a nice serving of onions
and red peppers with mine.
There were two kinds of sausage. Andrea tried the
smaller ones. "They look like hotdogs, but they taste
like a maple breakfast sausage. It's very good."
Ingrid tried the other: "This one's not sweet. It's a
nice mild pork."
Ingrid also tried one of the croissants and wasn't
thrilled. So I took a bite and found it was light and
fluffy. "What are you, some kind of croissant
snob?" I demanded. "I like them fresh from the
oven," she replied. So we agreed to disagree on that
one.
Next, we hit the dessert selections. My favourite was a
light carrot cake square with a smattering of crushed
nuts on top. Ingrid sided with the Nanaimo bars. But
Andrea staunchly defended her cinnamon bun as the best.
"It's almost like a cake, layered with icing, and the
cinnamon goes through the whole thing. It is very, very
good."
As we finished up, more and more musicians kept
assembling on the stage:
Four saxophones, five trumpets, four trombones, a
keyboard, bass, drums, guitar.
We were right at the front and soon enveloped in the
fabulous, rich and evocative sound of tunes such as On
Green Dolphin Street, featuring a magnificent trumpet
section. Shari Chaskin added powerful vocals with an
impressive range demonstrated by her big finish for
Deedle's Blues.
Dave Jones does admirable triple duty as conductor,
emcee and trumpet section fill-in.
And Pat Belliveau's gorgeous tenor sax solos highlight
many pieces.
Both Andrea and Ingrid were impressed enough to snap up
copies of Prime Times's CD.
Ironwood Grill deserves major kudos for showcasing such
great talent, both in the kitchen and on stage.
---
IRONWOOD STAGE AND GRILL
1429 9 AVE. S.E.
269-5581
FOOD
4 out of 5 stars
AMBIENCE
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
SERVICE
4 out of 5 stars
BIG BAND BRUNCH BUFFET, ALTERNATE SATURDAYS STARTING AT
NOON.
RECOMMENDED
VEGETARIAN EGGS BENEDICT
PRICES
ADULTS $29 STUDENTS $22
Eats and
Drinks Article
42kb
Tune into John Reid's "Canadian Music
Centre Presents" radio program at CJSW on Tuesday
morning to hear an interview with Dave Jones!
'Canadian Music Centre Presents' runs from 9 - 10 a.m.
on CJSW Radio, 90.9 FM.
CD Review / Big Band
Prime Time Big Band / for our Friends
Last Blast Band Inc.
/ 2006
As rare as hen’s teeth these days, the Canadian Big
Bands that continue to thrive on the scene in spite of
the challenges are there because they perform great
music and showcase great talent. Without the large
college circuit that is the backbone of the US Big Band
market, it is increasingly more difficult for Canadian
bands to find venues that can accommodate those numbers.
Yet the music draws a loyal audience and players love to
perform the orchestrations, so thankfully this combined
enthusiasm and support keeps the vital genre alive.
Such is the case with Prime Time Big Band, a
Calgary-based unit that holds down the only regular club
date in the nation, performing bi-monthly at a local
establishment for over a dozen years. Under the
leadership of trumpeter/conductor Dave Jones, the 19
piece ensemble continues to warm hearts with it’s
first-rate musicianship and music that spans time and
styles from the Big Band Era to today’s contemporary
pop, jazz, and adult/contemporary genres. Local singer
Shari Chaskin graces the sound with her powerful voice,
lending the leading edge to the mix.
With a repertoire that numbers over 500 songs, the group
recently chose 13 of them to create their debut CD
for my Friends. over sixty minutes of lush
arrangements artfully performed by the ensemble and
featuring standout solos by band members, as well as
four tracks showcasing Chaskin’s vocals. JUNO
Award-winning saxophonist P.J. Perry makes a notable
guest appearance, lending his sterling sound to two
tracks.
Starting with Don Menza’s Groovin’ Hard, this
medium swing reading does indeed groove, with the horns
carrying the lyrical melody and drummer John DeWaal
driving the crisp sound. Pat Belliveau contributes a
fine tenor sax solo that leads into a dynamic horn
section ‘solo’ before the ensemble re-enters to build
the energetic finish. 5-5-7 is a melodic jazz
composition written by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays, and
has a gorgeous Latin-funk feel with a pulse suspending
the buoyant melody over its evolving time signature.
Guitarist Ralf Buschmeyer and the soprano sax of Richard
Harding put the finishing touches on the track and are
the perfect choice of soloists for this contemporary
sound. The memorable Lonely Carousel, a jazz
waltz masterfully played by Al Muirhead on flugelhorn,
is a captivating rendition of this Bob Florence gem, and
features Muirhead’s thoughtful performance and sublime
obligatto ending. P.J. Perry’s distinctive voice comes
clearly through on his Nicolia, with Buschmeyer’s
fiery guitar kicking off the tune and the band carving
out a slice of urban blues; Perry’s soprano describes
it’s edgy swing feel with his lively performance. The
saxophonist makes a second featured appearance on the
title track for my Friends, choosing his soprano
for this Jill Townsend composition and sharing the
spotlight with tenor man Jim Brenan for extended solos
over the half-time funk feel, drizzling be-bop lines
over the layered horns that build to a crescendo.
Sands of Time, a gorgeous Phil Nimmons contribution,
offers a pulsing rhythm laid down by Derek Stoll’s
Fender-Rhodes piano, and showcases the superb horn work
of saxophonists Jim Brenan (tenor), and Eric Friedenberg
(alto), as well a tasteful solo by bassist Kai Poscente.
Vocalist Chaskin shines on My One and Only Love
as she melts the lyrics with her tender read on the
first half and belting out the second, taking the
composition by storm. The arrangement builds with a
brassy 6/8 feel on the bridge, adding a bold colour to
the Wood/Mellin peice and drawing the standard into a
modern pop feel, with Bob Day’s refined flugelhorn
lending a modern jazz affect. The vocalist jump starts
the heart with her take on I Got a Touch of Your Love,
showing off her impressive range for this commanding
performance, then switches gears for the Mercer/Arlen
jewel Come Rain or Come Shine, rendered in a lazy
6/8 feel that segues into a punchy 4/4 swing, creating
tension and release as the arrangement moves back and
forth between the two and builds to a powerful vocal
ending. Shari contributes another strong performance on
Deedle’s Blues, making the Diane Schur
composition her own with her self-assured delivery,
while saluting the great vocalist.
With something for everyone, for my Friends
offers rich tones of swing, Latin, pop, and blues, all
performed impeccably by some of the finest in Canadian
jazz. This recording is sure to not only put Prime Time
Big Band on the map in this country, but is bound to
gain them international attention. Recommended.
Reviewed by:
Cindy McLeod
www.jazzelements.com |
