Who: Lisa Lindo Trio
Where: Millennium Place
When: March 22
What is jazz?
"Jazz is great music," says Lisa Lindo, who brings her trio to town tonight, with songs from greats of the ’40s and ’50s.
Hoagie Carmichael, Sarah Vaughn, and Ella Fitzgerald are a few of the artists the trio looks to for inspiration, and ignites their work with the joy of jazz.
"Somewhere along there was this idea that jazz was something only certain people listened to," Lindo says.
"Jazz may be this alien thing to a lot of people, but then they hear the songs (performed live in concert), and say, hey, I know that tune!"
The beauty of improv, is key to the music.
"My mother-in-law once said ‘Isn’t the reason you don’t sing the melody straight in a jazz song because it’s too easy’?" says Lindo.
"But the difficult part is finding a creative way to play the melody, that’s the art."
Another aspect to this style of music is the way that one or many musicians complement its style. And while musicians try other music genres, many return to improv.
Previously Lindo played in a number of musical outfits as a freelance musician in her stomping ground at Queen Street West in Toronto.
Of Jamaican heritage, she has sung in Arabic (with band Maza Meze), and in Spanish. She has worked on productions like Stuart McLean’s first Vinyl Café, a live tape-to-broadcast show.
After completing a degree in vocal performance at the University of Toronto, where she studied with instructors Kathy Armstrong and Rodrigo Chavez, music became a full time occupation. Travels west, are all part of the fun.
"It’s great to make music for a living and not have to work somewhere like McDonald’s," she laughs.
"But standing outside a frozen telephone booth (while talking about her 1999 album, Drink Your Coffee While It’s Hot ) in Saskatchewan isn’t the greatest!"
Lindo’s enthusiasm is key to continued success.
A new album, called I Hear Music , is due out in April. The record features guests Mark Duggan on percussion, and Dave Bandwell on sax.
"I’ll play with anyone who wants to play," she says enthusiastically.
