18 ~ Friday, June 11,

1999 — North Shore News

Oliver Jones will close his piano lid Dec. 31

Michael Becker

News Editor
michacl@nsnews.com

CANADIAN jazz giant
Oliver Jones is packing
it in.

The piano great has been
in semi-retirement since
1994.

While his last live perfor-
mance is scheduled Dec. 31
in his hometown of
Montreal, Vancouver fans
will have a chance to say
farewell on June 28 when
the Oliver Jones Trio plays
the Stanley Theatre as part
of the du Maurier
international Jazz Festival
Vancouver,

He’s had a 60-year run in
the music business. Jones
began touring international-
ly in the early 1960s, accom-
panying pop singers Kenny
Hamilton and Terry
Malone.

It wasn’t until 1980 that
he turned to jazz.

Many critics place this
fine player in the class of
Oscar Peterson and Glenn
Gould. Jones actually grew
up in the same neighbour-
hood as Peterson and stud- _
ied for 12 years with Daisy
Peterson Sweeney, the
Oscar’s sister.

Although the music
comes across as deceptively
relaxed in the listening,
Jones is a true technical vir-
tuoso with a distinctively
melodic style.

He can be fast and
robust, with each note pre-
cisely articulated, every
phrase masterfully delineat-
e

His style is influenced by
fellow players Oscar
Peterson and Art Tatum,
Bill Evans and Herbic
Hancock.

Jones’s most recent
recording is Jast year's Jsst
In Time, a double-disc with
bassist Dave Young and
drummer Norman Marshall
Villeneuve recorded live at
The Montreal Bistro in
Toronto in 1997.

The dises mark the 15th
anniversary of Montreal- -
based jazz-label Justin Time
Records.

The session is stacked
with Gershwin standards and
swings through many moods
courtesy of accompanying
compositions by Oscar
Peterson, Radgers and Hart,

Rideau Manor
Retirement Community

Cole Porter and Mr. Jones
himself.

The Vancouver show will
feature Jones, Villeneuve
and Young.

In talking to Jones it’s
quickly evident that the
decision to make this year
his last as a live performer
was well-considered.

Said Jones, “I decided
that December 31, at the
Millennium, that was going
to be it for me. That and
along with some aches and
pains, arthritis and so
forth...

“The only thing I will
do, if the
hands permit,

Til continue to
record and
compose prob-
ably for the
next two or
three years,
but no more
public : appear-
ances.

The pace
was often gru-
elling during
his most active
touring period.

The musi-
cian spent
about 15 years
playing 130 to
150 concerts a
year.

It wasn’t
unusual to
travel between
400,000 and
500,000 miles
a year. He’d be
gone from
home, nine to
10 months a.
year.

He has toured the world,
including concerts in China,
at the invitation of the
Canadian government.

“Ever since I decided to
go into semi-retirement five
years ago — I cut way back
— I was only doing approxi-
mately 20% of what J was
doing before, it’s worked
out well,” said Jones.

But he added, “I think
it’s time. Now that my wife
(Monique) and I still have
pretty good health, I want
to be able to enjoy a little of
the family life and catch up
with such things as comput-
ers, an old Spanish language
course that I started quite a
while ago, and also a lot of
golf.”

He’s touring Canada
coast to coast to bid adieu.

“Pm doing it right from
Victoria, through to Prince
Edward [sland. It’s an
opportunity for me to say
goodbye and thank you tu a
lot of wonderful fans who
have supported me over the

fase 60 vears of performance.

“J must say T have been
very fortunate. It's been a
wonderful experience and
career, but I’m looking for-
ward to other things,” he
said.

Jones was at the piano
long before he caught up
with Oscar Peterson’s sister.

His first fans were his family.

Jones’s parents were
immigrants from Barbados.

His father, also Oliver,
had a piano and studied the
instrument as home.

“Apparently when he
carne home from work he
would try to do his studies
and I would yell and scream
until he picked me up on to
his knee. He said that went
on for about a year until I
was about one and a half.

“So my mother (Jestina)
decided that during the day
when she was doing her
housework, she would tie
me on the chair in front of
the piano and she said I
would stay there and’bang
on the piano and scream
when she took me off.

“My older sister said one
day at supper time when I
was about, two and a half ro

rer

HARD-SWINGING world-class jazz pianist Oliver Jones says his touring
days will be over when this year closes. His last show will be in his home
town, Montreal. Local fans will be able to catch the Oliver Jones Trio in
action in Vancouver on June 28. Just in Time is his latest release.

three years old,
they heard me
actually playing a
melody from
something that I
heard on the
radio.

“They said from that
point on I continuously
picked up songs off the
radio and played them.”

His first public perfor-
mance took place when he
was five years old, pounding
“boogie woogie in the base-

. ment of the Union United
Church in Montreal.

Over the years he’s been
much honoured. He’s
receiving two honourary
doctorates this year alone.

In 1994 he was given
The Order of Canada for
outstanding contributions to
music in Canada and inter-
nationally.

Jones picked, up a Juno
Award for best jazz album
of 1986, Lights of Burgundy.

In Jamaica he’s just been
awarded an international
jazz award.

The award that has
meant the most?

Said Jones, “The Order
of Canada, primarily because
I think it legitimizes this
music. Since Oscar Peterson
has reecived one and I have,
there have been several
other Canadian jazz artists,
such as Rob McConnell, Ed
Bickert, Phil Nimmons, It
shows that the government
and the country is starting
to appreciate this kind of
music.

“It’s not just considered
incidental or devil’s music as
they used to say. They’ve
been calling me the Jazz
Ambassador for Canada. It’s
been wonderful. I’ve had
the opportunity. of doing
things for all of our
embassies all over the world.

“People ask about other
Canadians. Within the last
10 years there's been such
an influx of Canadian musi-
cians who have done
extremely wel]. We have a
lot to be proud of and T-
think this is something we

We are just over the bridge, only 15 minutes away!

FRIDAY, JUNE 18 and SATURDAY JUNE 19th

haven't taken cnough pride
in,” said Jones.

Six of his concerts this
year will be recorded for a
CD to be released early next
year. ;

His last gig will be Dec.
31 ata Miliennium Party
hosted by the Festival
International de Jazz de
Montréal at the Palais de
Congress. .

Some Oliver Jones
albums to look for: Speak
Low, Swing Hard (1985);
Requestfully Yours (1985),
The Many Moods Of Oisver -
Jones (1986), Jazz And Ribs
Live At Biddle’s (1986);
Cookin’ At Sweet Basil :
(1987); Northern Summit
(1990); A Class Act (1991);
From Lush To Lively (1995);
Just In Time (1998). :

For tickets to the June
28 show at the Stanley ,

_ Theatre contact the Jazz

Hotline at 872-5200 or
Tickermaster at 280-4444.
Vancouver jazz singer
and pianist Eve Smith opens
for. Jones. ; :

12 noon - 4 p.m.

¢ Enter to WIN a trip for two + Enjoy a complimentary BBQ
(airlhotel) to Reno, Nevada _—_on our patio

e Meet Ed Jurak live on location with AM 1040
Call 291-1792

Rideau Manor -
Retirement Community

1850 Rosser Avenue,
Burnab