Cellar Live Jazz From Canada's West Coast.
Vancouver’s West Coast Jazz Musicians Records For Cellar Label
Sep 4, 2009
The Cellar in Vancouver has over the years become the place to be if you’re into jazz. Its reputation has grown, not only by word of mouth, but also by hearing the fine recordings of performances taped live at the club.
Starting Out On West Broadway
This all started when Cory Weeds a musician himself, bought the Cellar a club located on a street called Broadway; its address 3611 W. Broadway Vancouver BC. He had an idea to record live performance and this club which already had a great reputation, seemed like the place to launch his plans.
He began booking some great musicians to play at the club and then bought some equipment to record the music that was played almost every night.
By mid 2001, Weeds had acquired many hours of musical performances. He began to pour over them with a producers’ ear, selecting some of the best performances for a compilation record.
As his plans began to cement themselves he met Brian Watson of Maximum Jazz a label also based in Vancouver. Wilson offered him a production and distribution deal. Weeds accepted and in September of 2001 Maximum Presents Live At The Cellar, a compilation CD was released to critical acclaim. This was the beginning of Weeds career as a producer.
Recording Legendary and Local Jazz Musicians
Since 2001 Cory Weeds and the Cellar crew have gone on to release many live recording, featuring some of Canada’s best musicians. They have also released a few live recording featuring legendary jazz musicians like Dr Lonnie Smith who recorded an album with the Vancouver based group Crash in 2003.
The late great tenor saxophonist David Fathead Newman was also recorded live at the Cellar with the Tilden Webb Trio in December of 2004. Two years earlier Charles McPherson another great tenor man was captured on stage at The Cellar, his album Charles McPherson Quartet was released in 2003.
Being the student of Jazz history that he is, Cory has stepped back into time and released on the Cellar live label a recording made by the Fraser MacPherson Trio, recorded in 1977. The album Live At Puccini’s, never before released was greeted by enthusiastic jazz aficionados. Fraser MacPherson was a much loved legend of The Canadian jazz scene and many of his recordings are not available, so this release was a great coup for the label.
Winning Awards For Label And Artist
2009 and has been a landmark year for the Cellar Label. They have just released their 50th recording, Presenting the Ross Taggart Trio. They have picked up an award for Label of the Year courtesy of the National Jazz Awards and founder Cory Weed has been named Producer of the Year.
In the artist category, bassist Jodi Proznick has had an enchanting year. She won the Bassist of the year award. Her group picked up the Acoustic Group of the year award and her album Foundations released on Cellar Live won album of the year, all at the National Jazz Awards held earlier this year. She was also nominated for the Juno Awards.
Chris Tarry another artist on the label won the top Contemporary Jazz Award for his album Almost Certainly Dreaming.
Since releasing their 50th Cellar Live has released two more albums: The Melody That Is, by the Chris Gestrin Trio and one from founder Producer and Alto Saxman himself Cory Weeds. The Album was released in July and entitled Everything Is Coming Up Weeds, they sure are.
The Cellar live Label and Club is growing from strength to strength. The club has been compared to New York’s quintessential Village Vanguard and is surely the place to be for lovers of jazz in Vancouver and visitors to the city. For those who can’t get there, you can always visit their website and pick up some of their great recordings.
 |
 |
 |
