Michael Becker News Editor mbecker@nsnews.com THE Cool is reborn tonight at Capilano College Performing Arts Theatre. The Alan Matheson Nonet celebrates some of the influential Birth of the Cool sessicns put out by Miles Davis and company from 1948 to 1950. Davis’ break with Charlie Parker in 1948 to pioneer a sound that hes come to be known as cool jazz. — versus “hot” bebop jazz — proved to be one of those calculat- ed risks that would go on to be hugely influential on the broad- er music scene. The sound is built on a foundation of ferm and rhythmic patterns rather than individual soloists. Performing with trumpeter-composer-pianist Marheson are Rob McKenzie on trombone; Dawn Haylett on french horn; David Branter and Julia Nolan on saxophones; Chris Sigerson on piano; Russ Botten on bass; Steven Toren on tuba and Craig Scott on drums. : Vocalist Shanthi Resso joins the group for a song. Matheson, who was already playing trumpet and piano, first heard some of the Birth of the Cool sessions as a teen in a record store in 1973. “The first thing | liked was Miles’ sound and his approach to the trumpet and also the arranging. I’ve learned a lor just from that (album) alone. “It was a first exposure to a fot of important players besides Miles — Lee Konitz, Gerry Mulligan and Max Roach were on that album as well. I had never really heard them and it made a big impression on me. “These players were looking fer a more lyrical approach to playing modern jazz. All of them were inspired by Dizzie Gillespie and Charlie Parker, but they were looking for a more understated approach in some respects and also a more orches- ‘tral approach as well. Tenight’s show will feature music from the Airth of the Cool LP, compositions that the Miles Davis band played back in 1948, 1949 and 1950. The remaining material will be music arranged Sy Matheson, including compositions by Billy Strayhorn, Stan Kenton and Duke Ellingron. As an arranger, Matheson finds the nonet format (nine play- ers) works well. “Tr’s not thar common — it’s midway between a smail band and a big band. It allows you a lot of latitude as an arranger — having the trumpet at one end and the tuba on the other and some of the colour instruments like french horn and baritone sax in the middle. “You can get the power of the big band without as many people,” he said. Three configurations of Birth of the Cool sessions were released: The Real Birth of the Coul (1948); The Complete Birth of the Cool (recorded 1948 through 1950); Birth of the Cool (recorded 1949 through 1950). The show starts tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15; students and seniors can get in for $10. For ticket information call 990- 7810. ADVERT 4 Britney Spears is coming to Family! SoGeRn eat Apa oe NEWS gholo Pa: nm SHEOSTATICS’ Dave Bidini dropped by the News in October 1598 tu gromote his first beok On A Cold Read. His next book is / Ams’ Hockey Hound: Shinry in Unilkely Places. tHe also wrate The Story of Harmelodia. ays “It’s nice to have made the record and now it’s passed on to other people to iake and sell and produce. Hopefilly this pro- ject can keep on manifesting in different forms, whether it’s a little animated cartoon or radio drama or a stage play or book, that’s really what we’re hoping happens.” Bidini says the Rheostatics aren’t going to be performing The Story of Harmelodia in its entirety just yet. They’re hoping to mount a week-long string of dates later this year in ‘loronte and Vancouver theatres with all their friends who heiped in the stu- io. In the ineantime, they'll be touring the country through winter, heading to Europe in April to perform Songs Inspired by the Grasp of 7 with Vancouver’s Veda Hille and debuting a mil- lennial piece at Canada Day celebrations in Toronto. In his spare time, Bidini is writing his second book, J Am A Hockey Hound: Shinny In Unlikely Places. 0's about travelling around the world to play hockey in non-hockey towns. Last year he played in Belfast, Dublin, Dubai and a small town in Romania’s Transylvania region where hockey has been played since 1929. “The Transyivanians are ike Quebecois hockey people, they go way back and they’re very, very proud of their heritage. It was fascinating to be with them to talk hockey. ‘They knew so much about the game.” But the highlight of his journey was scoring a goal in a Hong Kong shopping mall’s rink in the presence of Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe. “Gordie saw it,” Bidini says proudly. “It’s the only goal £ scored while I was there and it was against an all-Chinese team. From Page 19 c EAT U RE i Teen queen Britney Spears Ries, performs in Britney Spears and ss Joey Melntyre In Concert, a new Disney special premiering in Canada on Family in January. Taped at Walt Disney World, the special features exclusive concert footage j and interviews. To celebrate this event, you're invited to take part in the “Irs Time for Britney on Family” contest. Enteririg is easy! Just watch the special, write down the name of the first song Britney sings and send it to Family. Or enter at wwwfantly.ca. Ten winners receive a framed and_ personally autographed Britney Spears poster and a Family prize pack. There's also another 150 prizes available, including Britney dolls, her latest CD single and her newest video. You can catch Britney Spears and joey Melutyre In Concert on Family on Jan. 16 at 8:00 pin, Jan. 18 at 10:00 pm, Jan. 22 at 4:00 pm and Jan. 27 at 8:00 pm ET/PT. > farpity: * TRADEMARY OWED BY THE FARNLY CHANEL ING ID ixSNEY ockey and guitar We played four-on-four because the rinks were smaller. I just beat a defenceman to the outside, it was amazing. It ended up being the winning goal and gat us to the semi-finals.” Howe was there to promote the hockey tousnament, but Bidini says he didn’t sample much of the indigenous cuisine. “Gordie Howe aie a lot of pizza in China. That's what (wife Colleen Howe) said to him, ‘What do you want to do for din- ner tonight Gordie? Pizza again?’ He didn’t really take to the Chinese foud.” ; 88 The Rheostatics play with Veal Wednesday in Whistler av Carfinkel’s, Thursday at the Commodore Ballroom in _ Vancouver, Jan. 21 and 22 at Vertigo in Victoria and Jan. 23 at the Cowichan Community Centre in Duncan. Check out the band’s Web site at . Q-Tip goes seio in quest ior success From Page 28 “gangsta rap” can. A contradiction in terms but the interaction between factions tells you this was a heartfelt project. There is a lot going on — with cre- ative energy to spare — some of the tracks don’t even refer back to B.1.G. It’s interesting that cven though both the Marley and - Biggie records were record- ed by hip hop artists there is _ almost no overlap between the discs. There are dozens of talented artists represent- ed on the two projects. B kkk Q-Tip — Amplified (Arista) Music category: Pointillistic hip hop. - The former deader of A Cr a as Tribe Called Quest, is back with his solo debur Amplified. : Q-Tip and producer Jay Dee stake'a claim for a wider audi- ence with these fast-paced tracks. ; : ol Content-wise the music goes wide into a party atmos- pherc with the production giving a formal nod to...” Timbaland and Missy Elliott’s pointillistic beats. Busta.“ - Rhymes (he’s also on the: Marley and Biggie tributes) and ™.- Xarn make appearances in Q-Tips’s quest for chart success.. He deserves it with this first-class production’ 00°" Bxkk*& The Silent Treatment —- Splitsville or B (Independent release) Music category: Alters exploration. . Local tric The Silent Treatment (Yvette M and acoustic guitar, vocals, bass, Cody Gander: bass,-vaca baritone, electric guitar; Daron Sauve: drums) impresses with their severt-song CD Splizsville of Buast ee Produced by Cecil English and recorded ‘at: Profile: Studios the group describes their sound as intélligent, alter- - . native pop music. Despite their name The Silene Treatment makes a tuneful noise. oe we Tomorrow night the band plays at the Brew Pub in = Squamish with Porchclimber and Wednesday, Feb.'23 they °: perform at The Railway Ciub. Worth checking 0 "