Lorne Lofksy and David Occhipinti@Hirut Jan 21st
Lorne Lofsky and David Occhipinti@Hirut January 21st
On perhaps the coldest night of the year, why not warm up with some hot jazz from some legendary guitarists and the warm spice of some great Ethiopian food?
Venue: Hirut
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And don't worry, their injera comes on the side |
There's at least 7 Ethiopian Restaurants on the strip between Greenwood and Woodbine. Lalibela and Rendezvous are perhaps the most famously well loved, but only one shop comes with live jazz! A strange sounding pairing at first glance, a small family-run Ethiopian restaurant that showcases some of the city's best jazz. But, there is a rich history of Ethiopian Jazz, that is absolutely worth a dig. Check out this great article from the Vinyl Factory if you are curious: https://thevinylfactory.com/features/an-introduction-to-ethio-jazz-in-10-records/
Lorne Lofsky:
Lorne is a phenomenal player whose playing is heavily informed by Bill Evans and Toronto legend Ed Bickert (whom he recorded for the first time on an excellent record in 1985, see below). Lorne famously was "discovered" by Oscar Peterson who produced his first record, 1980's It Could Happen To You. He would go on tour and record a few records with Peterson as well. He cut albums with the Brass Connection, Johnny Hartman, Canadian sax powerhouse Kirk Macdonald and even on a Chet Baker Bootleg, Chet Baker in Buffalo. While teaching at York University, he has mentored many up-and-coming Canadian Jazz musicians.
David Occhipinti:
One might get initially confused when seeing his last name, as there are in fact 3 well-respected Occhipinti jazz musicians, two guitarists and a bass player. David is cousin to Robert (bass) and Michael (guitar).
David has worked with the Toronto Symphony orchestra, countless top musicians, and even studied under the tutelage of Jim Hall!
David is a seriously cool guitar player. I find myself drawn towards some of his darker works, especially his work with strings on 2012's Camera. He plays nicely with dissonance and tension to create a beautiful modern soundscape. 'Ricordo' might be favourite on it.
2008's Intersection is also another great place to see what he is capable of. The "intersection' of Mike Murley's sax and David's playing goes to some really fun places, and backed up by Andrew Downing and Terry Clark to boot! 'You Cannot Be Serious' shows some of Mike and Andrew's chemistry on the record. 'Dodecagon,' a solo guitar piece, showcases some brilliant chord work and harmony that paints a very dark picture. At times it is quite stark and dissonant, but not unpleasantly so. It's a beautiful meditative exploration of the guitar. If Julian Lage and Nels Cline ever do another record like 2014's Room, they should give David a call! It is further balanced in the context of the album, especially with the following tune 'Across the Earth and Over the Ocean' which tempers it rather nicely.
The music:
Lorne and David make an excellent paring. They play beautifully off of one another and compliment each other's unique styles very well.
The first tune of the night was Arthur Schwartz' 'Alone Together'. One gets the impression that this a tune they both have known intimately for years. Unsurprisingly, they both studied with musicians with famous recordings of it. Lorne studied with Lee Konitz in New York in 1984, whose 1964 15 minute long 'Variations on Alone Together' is phenomenal, and David with Jim Hall who used it as the titular track for his legendary 1973 live duo with Ron Carter.
Tonight's rendition started off with some beautiful harmonics giving way to a dark haunting intro. The melody is stated in a lovely minimalized way. The two "masters" play very well off one another. Lorne utilizes some very cool chromatic sequences in his playing and even treats us to a cheeky 'Softly as in a Morning Sunrise' quote. David employs a variety of styles in his technique, jumping seamlessly from long flowing legato lines to textbook bebop and dissonant textures. He's not afraid to play around with the melody when it comes back at the end, using some awesome dissonant bends on the melody. We end with the two of them stating the melody again but in pretty harmonics to book end the opener.
This was followed up by a couple of excellent Bill Evans numbers, 'Very Early' and 'Turn Out the Stars.' The former had Lorne briefly quoting the ballad 'My One and Only Love' which they would play in its entirety later in the evening.
'All The Things You Are' was a definite highlight. As the melody is largely chord tones, particularly thirds, you can really hear it out of the changes. Lorne started the tune out with some fast fluid soloing that outlined those very changes, teasing the tune before they broke into a neat variation on the standard intro and then the melody.
David utilized some very interesting rhythmic displacement, particularly in the trading section. Lorne uses a lot of neat chromatic side stepping and at times really was soloing more like a sax player might, plus there was a fun 'Donna Lee' quote to boot! They return to the 7#9 vamp ending with a fun 'Caravan' quote to close it out.
I was happy to hear one of my favourite ballads, 'My One and Only Love' after it being teased earlier. It's a beautiful expressive song with interesting leaps in the melody. Lorne plays it quite tenderly the first time through before a really cool rendition using a lot of cascading harmonics.
The first set closed with 'Relaxin at Camirillo'. It was a nice change from the ballad heavy start to the evening. I was struck by how fluid and smooth Lorne's playing is, and did I hear another snippet of 'Donna Lee'? (I guess everyone owes a lot to Parker) I'm also struck by David's ability to weave in an out of smooth bebop lines while occasionally punctuating them with these cool angular passages. Very cool stuff.
The 2nd set ended up being only three songs as the first had run a little long.
First, we were treated to 'Days of Wine and Roses' in 4 keys! (The last time I saw Lorne play I lost count of how many keys he used in his rendition of 'On Green Dolphin Street') It's popular to shift up the B section a minor third (ie, F major to Ab major) but they took it a step, or 2 further. It serves the music well too, it's not just a music professor cutting session trick or something. It creates interesting movement, builds excitement and shows just how in tune the two are with each other.
The final song of the evening was a very Coltrane informed version of Ted Damaron's 'Lady Bird,' but as a fun kicker it was in three! By their own admission it was a tricky choice, but it paid off big time. Lorne treats us to some more of his incredibly fluid lines and quotes both 'Giant Steps' and 'Honeysuckle Rose.' David continues to impress, particularly with his wide range of techniques and ideas. What separates him from some others is he has these tricks in his bag but he never seems to overuse them.
What a night for guitar nerds and music fans alike. Some of the music tonight isn't necessarily what I would call too challenging for non jazz fans, but it is a far cry from "standard jazz" or background music. This is the Tuesday master series after all, and it's an honour to see two gifted musicians exploring, having fun and getting a bit out.
Food recommendation: Berbere and Nit'ir qibe
Hirut has a very small menu (3 items in fact). Ethiopian food is a great match, especially with some spice to pair with some spicy dissonance.
Ethiopian food does prove a little difficult for the home cook. Injera, the soft and wonderfully sour bread/plate, demands a trip to a specialty grocery store. Teff flour and a starter culture may not be accessible to everyone. (If you hit up an Ethiopian market grab some shiro powder for delicious veggie friendly cooking) Some folks recommend trying whole wheat flour and yoghurt as substitutes which can make something yummy in a pinch, but it isn't nearly as good as the real thing.
Perhaps an easier way to get a taste of it into the home kitchen would be with berbere or nit'ir qibe. Berbere is a spice mix with ratios that vary in every household and can be a tad more complicated, so don't worry too much about exact amounts, have fun and experiment with it. Or just buy some from the market ^^
As a base you need some dried chilis (maybe serrano?), some fenugreek seeds, paprika, ground ginger, onion and garlic powder, ground cardamom, nutmeg, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, ground allspice and salt. You could use this for all sorts of things, bbq rubs, sprinkled into hashbrowns, whatever... it's a lovely layered flavour.
Nit'ir qibe also presents some interesting fusion opportunities. It's essentially a spiced butter that makes it super easy to spice up a simple meal. Personally I'd recommend it with meats and potato dishes. Again you could buy this from a specialty market, but if you want to try, clarified butter, onion, garlic ginger, fenugreek, cumin, turmeric, oregano cardamom and some bay leaves would get you started.
All that being said, go out and try the real thing because I am by no means an expert! I just love to experiment.
Drink Recommendation: Hot Apple Cider with Brandy and spices
Just a reminder we are matching moods, not items on the menu. And yeah, in an Ethiopian joint, coffee would of course be the first thing that comes to mind! But, on this cold January night, for me, listening to some guitar masters, this is what comes to mind - hot cider with a healthy shot of brandy and some cloves, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and if you want to be fancy, a touch of fenugreek to add a little spice. Warm and comforting with the occasional fun spicy note sums up this evening's music as well as making a passing nod to spice-laden Ethiopian food rather nicely.
Book recommendation: Mistborn Brandon Sanderson
Actually, this idea initially came from the Stormlight Archives, in which men tend to eat spice-laden food, including some which is served atop flat bread! But, if you haven't read any of Brandon Sanderson's wonderful high fantasy work, or are even curious about the genre in general, you couldn't do much better than Mistborn.
The first Mistborn tells the tale of a group of allomancers, people who use metals to fuel their extraordinary abilities, trying to overthrow a dystopian government. It's part fantasy heist, part political intrigue and full of exciting action.
The dystopian nature of the world 'covered' in ash matches well with some of the darker songs of the evening like 'Along Together' and the haunting intro for Steve Swadle's 'Falling Grace'. Some of the romance in the novel also matches with some of the sweeter ballads of the evening too.
Sanderson is famous for his excellent magic systems, world building and enticing narratives that make his books hard to put down and Mistborn is the perfect place to start.
Conclusion:
What better way to warm up in this miserable weather than seeing two of the best on a small stage just having fun? You have to see these guys play! Incidentally, they are playing a charity show in a couple weeks to raise money for Inn From The Cold, a homeless charity. You should definitely check out if you can!
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