God is in the house

REVEREND Gord
Yurner’s voice fills the
church.

His vocal chords are fight-
ing an infection, but the
impeccable acoustical envi-
ronment at St. Andrew's-

Burke on flute and
vocals, Russ Botten on
bass and Lou Hoover
on the drum kit — fills
in behind her. It’s
Louis Armstrong’s mes-
sage of hope, What A
Wonderful World.

Sibel does this thing

with a white handker-
chief and adds a little
growl to her voice. For a moment,

Wesley Church on Burrard
and Nelson in Vancouver
gives wings to the words. The

“jazz psalm” for rhe Jazz Vespers service

NEWS photos Cindy Goodman

REV. Gordon Turner addresses the congregation at St. Andrew’s-Wesley.
Church in Vancouver during a Sunday Jazz Vespers service.

Michael Becker

- drummer John Betsch.

on this Sunday is The Souls of the
Righteous.

Turner intones: “When God comes to
them they will kindle into flame, like |
sparks that sweep through stubble...

The gathered meditate upon the mes-
sage. This is followed by a prayer by the
minister and congregation: “We will wel-
come the stranger in our midst; we will
forgive as We are forgiv 3 we will seek jus-
tice and resist evil...

‘And then the music begins. Sibel
Thrasher’s fine gospel voice rings out. The
Fran Jare Quartet — Jare on piano, Holly

Jazz dates
confirmed

ALONG with the Time Flies
improvised music festival (see
page 32 for dates and times }
there are two other major jazz
events scheduled for next week.

The. Steve Lacy Trio per-
forms Sunday, Nov. 23, 9 p.m.
at the Starfish Room, 1055
Homer St. The soprano saxo-
phonist is bringing with him
bassist Jean-Jacques Avenal and

Bluegrass/jazz innovators

the jazz iegend’s ghost is in the
room.

The good reverend shares with the
congregation the fact that he travels with a
CD copy of Armstrong’s great recording
in his car. It’s one of his favorites.

Turner lives in Lions Bay. He’s headed
the church in Vancouver for a number of
years now. Jazz is a passion for him.
Turner came to the music playing trom-
bone as a young man in Montreal. He
packed it in when he went into the min-
istry.

“Those were the days when a minister

would never be seen
dead in a night club. I
lived that schizo-
phrenic life between
jazz clubs and the
church. So J put it
away (the trambone).
I still have it. It sits in
a corner of my study at
home,” Turner said.
For a little more chan
four years now he’s

SIBEL
Thrasher per-
forms her ver-
sion of Louis
Armstrong’s
What A
Wonderful
World.

LE

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~ SEL ANNUAL

featured the Sunday afternoon jazz gather-
ings in the church.

It’s an inspired move on his part. He’s
attracting new people to word and song.
Anywhere from 100 ta 700 warm the
pews weekly. More recently the church has
been offering soul gospel and the blues in
a similar format on Thursday nights.

The fit between jazz and the church is
a natural one. Said Turner: “Jazz was born
in the church. It’s only coming back to
where it was born. The roots of jazz are in
the African slaves coming over to the
south of the U.S.A. The only place they
were able.to sing their freedom music was
in the church. Louis Armstrong, all those
kinds of guys, grew up plaving in the
church.

“That was jazz’s roots. It was the
church thar nurtured it and protected it.
So, when people say to me it doesn’t
belong there, that's dead wrong,” he said.

“There’s something about jazz that
makes it a visceral music. It’s down in your
gut. You don’t have to intellectually go
with the lyrics.

“It does its own kind of number in
your gut. It’s a very moving, liberating,
engaging kind of music.”

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