6.21.2006

Jazz Festival

Hi all,
I've been meaning to post for a while, but unfortunately real life supercedes online life. Once I figure out how, I'll post some tour pictures.
In the meantime, the Winnipeg Jazz Festival has been going on. Last night I went with Steph to go see Michael Kaeshammer. As I told her several times, last night was the best night of my life - or at least pretty close. Michael Kaeshammer is a jazz pianist, in the boogie-woogie and stride tradition, and he absolutely blew me away with his playing. Solid tempo, soulful riffs, and a playing style so hot I thought the piano was going to burst into flames at any moment.
The pieces he played weren't that difficult chord-change-wise - most of them were 12 bar blues, but what made them so special is that he was playing unaccompanied for the first set, and his left hand work is absolutely spectacular. It was so fast that I had no idea how tendonitis didn't immediately set in for him. I guess the songs were dictated mostly by the second set, where he played with Harry Manx - a lap steel guitarist. I don't know what those things are capable of, but he didn't do anything tremendously virtuosic, so I think that's why the songs were kept easier. Easy changes, however, doesn't mean that it was easy. If you ever want to hear Michael Kaeshammer, just find me and I'll loan you one of his CDs - which are spectacular as well, but after hearing him last night, the CDs pale in comparison - although recorded jazz can never beat live.
If you ever get to see Michael Kaeshammer, do it. It'll be a night that you won't forget.