When jazz music great Herbie Hancock made clear his intention to create an internationally marked day to celebrate the diplomatic role of the music genre, he couldn’t have foreseen more than 200 countries taking up his call.

That was in 2011 and, since then, April 30th has been declared International Jazz Day by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) — an annual proclamation buoyed by Hancock’s view that jazz “is not exclusive but inclusive, which is the whole spirit” of the music genre.

So it is that inclusiveness has been very much a part of Peterborough’s International Jazz Day, which will be celebrated for a fifth straight year over four days from April 25th to 28th.

“Anything you love, that touches you, you want to share it,” says longtime jazz musician and music teacher John Fautley, a member of the organizing committee for Peterborough’s International Jazz Day events.

“Not only do I feel fortunate to be involved, I feel incredibly fortunate to be in this community. Every kind of music is here. People are open and inviting. What we don’t have are enough audiences for jazz.”

That said, the only two Ontario communities that registered for International Jazz Day last year were Peterborough and Warkworth, where Steve Holt — “A very fine jazz piano player”, according to Fautley — habitually brings in jazz musicians to perform at The Jazz Café staged at The Natural, his health food store/restaurant at 18 Main Street in Warkworth.

April 30th falls on a Tuesday this year — “Good luck getting anybody out on a Tuesday,” Fautley says — so the musical events celebrating International Jazz Day will take place before and during the previous weekend:

Thursday, April 25th

The Rob Phillips Trio with singer Marsala Lukianchuk performs its weekly jazz jam session from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. at The Black Horse, 450 George Street North

Friday, April 26th

VIDEO: “Finding Carlton” Trailer

Screening of the film Finding Carlton: Uncovering The Story Of Jazz In India by filmmaker and jazz guitarist Susheel J. Kurien at 7:30 p.m. at the Gordon Best Theatre, 216 Hunter Street West. Tickets are $10 at the door.

Focusing on maverick Indian jazz guitarist Carlton Kitto, the film takes viewers on a journey through India’s little-known jazz age from the 1920s through the 1970s.

Kurien will be at the screening to introduce the film and participate in a question-and-answer session, and an open jazz jam will follow the screening.

Saturday, April 27

The annual “Dine With Jazz” event takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. at selected restaurants in downtown Peterborough, where you can enjoy a dinner and experience live jazz performed by local musicians at no additional cost:

• Biff Hannon and Michael Morse at La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant(190 Hunter Street West, 705-742-1559)
• The Oscar Donald Trio at The Black Horse Pub (452 George Street North, 705-742-0633)
• Mike Francis and Tom Szczesniak at Curry Village (306 George Street North, 705-742-1432)
• Carrie Chesnutt and Mike Graham at Amandala’s (375 Water Street, 705-749-9090)

There’s also “Dine Later With Jazz”, where you can enjoy a late dinner or a drink featuring Rob Phillips and guests from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at The Publican House (300 Charlotte Street, 705-874-2619).

Sunday, April 28

VIDEO: Final performance of C Band from the 2018 Jazz Workshop

From 1 to 4 p.m. at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte Street), there’a a free jazz workshop. Although it’s intended for young jazz musicians, the workshop is open to musicians of all ages and experience.

Participants will be organized into bands based on their self-determined experience levels, and expert clinicians will rehearse the bands in front of a live audience before each band performs their song at the end of their session. This year’s clinicians are Steve McCracken (winds and brass), Mike Graham (guitar, bass, and piano), and Brandon Munroe (drums).

The workshop is free for participants and for audience members. For musicians, register by April 21st at www.123formbuilder.com/form-3474604/event-registration-form.

VIDEO: “Dream” – Jane Bunnett and Maqueque

Also on Sunday at the Market Hall is International Jazz Day’s flagship event: an evening concert headlined by five-time Juno Award winner and three-time Grammy Award nominated saxophonist and flautist Jane Bunnett with her Afro-Cuban band Maqueque, comprised of young Cuban musicians.

What started out five years ago as a project to record and mentor young brilliant Cuban female musicians, has become one of the top groups on the North American jazz scene. In the last year, they have played in major jazz festivals like Newport and Monterey, been featured on NPR’s program Jazz Night in America, where nominated for a Grammy Award for their latest release Oddara, and were most recently voted one of the top 10 jazz groups in DownBeat magazine’s critics’ poll.

Advance tickets to the 8 p.m. concert cost $33 ($23 for students) and are available at the Market Hall Box Office or online at markethall.org. If still available, tickets will also be sold at the door.

In addition, an exhibition of black-and-white photos of local jazz musicians, shot by Bill Lockington, is on display in the Market Hall lobby throughout April as part of the annual SPARK Photo Festival. The exhibition opened on Tuesday, April 2nd with Mayor Dianne Therrien on hand to declare April 30th as International Jazz Day in Peterborough.

While excited for each of these events and the prospect that jazz music will be introduced to a new audience, Fautley is well aware of jazz’s niche place on the live music spectrum.

“Peterborough has an unbelievably rich and complex music scene but you have loads of great musicians who are playing to five people in a club,” he explains. “These are blues people, pop people, and jazz people. You go hear Bobby Watson. He’s a great guitar player, but you’ll see him in a club playing to four people. It’s sad. It has nothing to do with the talent. It has to do with the name recognition thing.

“When I was in Toronto in the 1960s, there were jazz people coming through all the time. Jazz is at its best in a club when musicians are relaxed and they feel free to go right to the edge of their abilities. Now it’s all concert-focused. You don’t hear the chances taken anymore. We know we have to have a name draw but we’re trying to do the locals too.”

Still, adds Fautley, this is jazz music’s weekend to shine — and shine it will, he promises.

“The key thing that jazz music has, that classical music doesn’t have and pop music doesn’t have, is improvisation,” says Fautley, an upright bass player who was initially a trumpet player who toured with acts across North America in the 1960s and then taught music in Toronto before retiring in Peterborough.

“Jazz is an art and a science. The early jazz players didn’t know or care about the science of it. They just played it by feel, by ear; people like Louis Armstrong. There’s a big, long, disciplined academic root to being a classical musician.

“On the other end of the scale, there’s no academic root to being a pop musician. That’s fairly transient stuff; a lot of people sitting around in their basements making up hook lines and things like that. There are jazz schools now, but jazz started off as a by-ear thing.”

Fautley clearly recalls jazz’s effect on the scourge of segregation back in the 1960s, particularly in the southern United States.

“It was pretty rough for white and black people doing anything together down there, but jazz was one of the few things that brought them together,” he says.

“We couldn’t get into some hotels but once you got into the clubs, the audiences were appreciative of that integration. There was no intellectual barrier. No gender barrier. No academic barrier. No racial barrier. No age barrier. If you could do it (play jazz), you were in. It’s still a pretty big social integrator.”

Meanwhile, Peterborough lawyer Joe Hogan, also an organizing committee member, admits jazz is “an acquired taste” but, speaking from experience, adds many who dip their toes in the jazz waters “develop an intense appreciation and fondness and love” for the sound.

“One of the main goals of Craig (Paterson) and Chelsey (Bennett) when they started International Jazz Day here was to bring jazz to people who might not otherwise experience it. When you develop a taste for it, you can’t get enough of it, for sure.”

Both Fautley and Hogan are encouraged by the number of young people gravitating to jazz in Peterborough.

“It’s so cool to see young people that have acquired this taste for real intense, complicated and eclectic styles of music that I certainly didn’t have when I was that age,” says Hogan, with Fautley noting local high schools, St. Peter’s and TAS in particular, are hotbeds for young jazz students.

International Jazz Day Peterborough is sponsored by Peterborough Community Savings, LLF Lawyers, McCosh Wealth, Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), and Peterborough Volkswagen, with kawarthaNOW.com as a media sponsor.

To keep up to date on last-minute developments, visit sites.google.com/view/jazzdayptbo/ or www.facebook.com/internationaljazzdaypeterborough.

Beginning Friday, April 12th, St. James Players invites audiences of all ages to go down the rabbit hole when they present a production of American playwright Jonathan Yukich’s Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical.

Directed by Hayden Henderson with assistance from Jim Mills, Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical features all of the beloved characters from Lewis Carroll’s classic children books, but with a modern twist: Alice who comes from the era of social media, cell phones, and a Starbucks on every corner.

The St. James Players’ spring theatrical production has been a tradition for the local theatre company for over 40 years. Focused on shows to entertain a family audience, the spring productions have always been designed to bring young performers into the show and give them their first taste of theatre.

Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical is no exception to this, with the majority of the cast being under the age of 16. This group of dedicated performers, under the watchful eye of devoted local theatre advocates, are creating a colourful show filled with fantasy, music, dancing, and fun.

In the lead role is Waverly Porter, a grade 12 student in the arts program at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School in Peterborough. Playing an Alice pulled out of the 21st century and dropped into the traditional Wonderland, this is only Waverly’s second theatrical experience and her first in a lead role that puts her in every scene and musical number.

“It’s a lot of responsibility, but it’s a lot of fun as well,” Waverly tells me during a break during a Sunday afternoon rehearsal. “I have to be here all the time, but I get to work with everyone and I’ve made a lot of friends.”

Although most people are familiar with the character Alice and her adventures in Wonderland, the story has been reinterpreted so many times since it was first published in 1865 that the character of Alice herself has become an intangible figure. This has given Waverly freedom to put her own unique stamp on the character.

“Instead of being the cute and curious Alice, I’m a lot more sassy,” Waverly admits. “Alice is confused about where she is, but she gives the characters she meets so much grief. I bring a lot of myself to the character. I’m a very outgoing and sassy person. I try to pull myself into the character as much as possible. I know who I am, so that is who I need to be.

“I feel that Alice comes from a very privileged family, but by having gone through Wonderland she leaves thinking about things differently. She thinks about how she should spend her time, and try to understand things that she might not understand.”

Of course, every Wonderland needs a Mad Hatter, and the Hatter in Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical is played by Adam Airhart. His fourth production with St. James Players, Adam is considered to be one of the veteran performers in the cast despite his young age.

“I am totally excited to play the Mad Hatter,” Adam says. “In other shows I’ve played calmer characters, but with the Mad Hatter I can be myself and throw whatever I want into the character. If I want to be more exciting, I can just go for it.”

The Mad Hatter is another character that has been reinterpreted many times, ranging from very comical to very sinister. Adam explains he is doing a light and humorous version of the character, but brings his inspiration for two very different fictional characters from two very different genres.

“I’m trying to bounce between Hamlet and The Joker,” Adam says. “I can go from being very unpredictable and exciting to being very focused and intimidating.”

Making their debut with St. James Players are Tori Thibodeau and Ben Stevenson, who play the Queen and King of Hearts. Although Tori has appeared on other stages before, this is Ben’s first theatrical experience.

“I’ve always been interested in acting,” Ben says. “I saw some of my friends in St. James’ production of Mary Poppins, and after that I started auditioning for shows.”

With a playful chemistry between them, Tor and Ben make a charming pair although, just like their characters, they couldn’t be more different from one another. Tory is high energy and funny, while Ben is quieter and reserved. But together they have one of those magical theatrical bonds that seem to come out in actors once in a while.

“I like the queen because she is so powerful and strong and loud,” Tori says of her character. “She’s very confident, but there is a side to her that lacks confidence, which is why she is so mean. I am really loud and out there, but sometimes I am also quiet and insecure, so I find that I can relate to her sometimes.”

“The King is also very similar to me,” Ben adds, “He’s kind of shy. He hides behind the queen and stays back and hides in the corner.”

“The queen and king are weird,” Tory continues. “Their relationship is very aggressive, but there are hints of tenderness. He calls her dumpling, but not in public. I feel at home they are probably good to each other, but in public she’s not.”

I ask Ben and Tory, as two of the older cast members in the show, what it is like working with so many kids in the show.

“I look up to them because they are more experienced than me,” Ben admits. “It’s really fun watching them know the dances, while I’m still shuffling behind them.”

“There is no hierarchy,” Tory adds. “For me ,it’s not that anybody looks up to anybody. I’m fairly short, so I connect well with younger people, and I haven’t danced in a show before, so I kind of watch them too to learn the steps. ”

One of the most beloved stories in children’s fiction, Lewis Carroll’s characters have maintained their popularity and cult following for more than a century. With this in mind, I pose the question to the cast of Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical: what do they feel has made this story resonate with audiences generation after generation?

“There are so many strange and weird and colourful things in Wonderland,” Tory replies. “When you watch it, you get immersed into a different world.”

“There is a mystery to being in another world,” Waverly adds. “It takes you to a whole different place of what you’re used to, and pulls people away from their reality. I think that’s a big thing with Alice and Wonderland, as well as a lot of other stories as well.”

“It’s the individuality of the characters,” Adam points out. “There is so much in one character, and there are so many unique characters. You can pick your favourite character, but you always have a whole bunch of characters that are so unique because they are so individual.”

VIDEO: “Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical” rehearsal

But Ben says it’s the familiarity of the show that creates a cross-generation appeal.

“All the adults watching the show know this story from when they were kids,” he says. “Watching this allows them to go back in time and relive being a kid again.”

This show is a new twist on an old favourite and is intended for audiences of all ages, so introduce your own child to the theatre with this imaginative production and support the young performers of St. James Players.

Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical runs from Friday, April 12th to Sunday, April 14th for four performances. The show starts at 7 p.m. on April 12th and 13th, with 2 p.m. matinees on April 13th and 14th. Tickets are $10 for adults and $9 for children, and are available at the door or in advance at stjamesplayers.ca.

Every Thursday, we publish live music and performance events at pubs and clubs in Peterborough and The Kawarthas based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, April 4 to Wednesday, April 10.

If you’re a pub or club owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our Nightlife Editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com.

The popular First Friday Peterborough art crawl returns to downtown Peterborough, running on Friday night (April 5).

Most events run from 6 to 10 p.m.

Here’s a list of everything that’s happening and where. Also check out the location map below by local artist Jeff Macklin that lists most of the events.

1. The Commerce Building (129-1/2 Hunter Street West)

The hub of artistic endeavours in downtown Peterborough features several artist-run studios:

• Acme Art & Sailboat Company presents “un-sensored F8-shutter FIZZLE”, a group photography show featuring Alex Pendergast, Wayne Eardley, Davey Warren, Wayne Ferguson, Scott Cisco, Marlon Hazlewood, Esther Vincent, and Paul Hodgkinson. In The Copper Closet, Acme owner and artist Joe Stable will be presenting his new fish-themed work.
• In Studio #7 (accessible via Acme), Julie Francey is hosting an open studio with guest artist Freestyle Pat Lewis.
• At the Atelier Ludmila Gallery (Studio #1), Leigh Macdonald will be showing her paintings in an exhibit called “Limn”.
• Other open studios include The Drawing Room (Studio #5), Stephen Hayes, McLoughlin Studio Gallery, and Alex Bierk.

2. Watson & Lou (383 Water Street)

Oksana Hawrylak and Olenka Kleban of Folk Camp Canada, a not-for-profit organization that provides folks arts programming, will be demonstrating how to make “Pysanky” (Ukrainian Easter eggs) using the wax-resist “batik” method, in which designs are drawn or written onto the egg with beeswax, and then submerged in a series of dyebaths. While you’re there, sign up for one of the Pysanky workshops Folk Camp is hosting at Watson & Lou over the weekend.

Also check out the latest work from Madderhouse Textile Studios, Sweet Song Herbal Studio, and check out illustrator Jason Wilkins’ open studio at Wilkins Illustration.

3. By the Bridge (382 Water Street)

By the Bridge is hosting a retrospective of the art of Ann Cossar, who uses pen and ink, oils, watercolours, and pastels to explore land/water scapes and the human figure, as well as the abstraction of both. The exhibit will include some of her portrait work as well, dating back to the 1960s.

4. Caffeina Espresso Bar (144 Hunter Street West)

Caffeina owner and documentary and wedding photographer Andreas Avdoulos will be displaying his work.

5. META4 Contemporary Craft Gallery (164 Hunter Street West)

META4 is hosting the opening reception for Christopher Thorpe’s photography exhibit “Curves”, part of the SPARK Photo Festival. The reception will also feature free photography activity in the studio.

6. Next Door (197 Hunter Street West)

In conjuction with First Friday, cocktail bar Next Door will be hosting a free concert from 9 to 11 p.m. featuring Lauryn Macfarlane with Dar Kimble on guitar.

7. Green Lemon Gallery (219 Hunter Street West)

Green Lemon Gallery, a new intimate gallery located beside Black Honey, will be hosting a group show with paintings by Shannon Taylor and sculpture by Charlotte Di Carlo.

8. Black Honey (221 Hunter Street West)

Black Honey is hosting a reception for its current exhibit, “Nature’s Restorative Gift”, featuring oil paintings by Christine Campbell (who will be in attendance). The exhibit runs until May 4th.

9. Mike’s Tattoo and Piercing (345 George Street North)

Mike’s Tattoo and Piercing will be featuring the work of graphic artist and Cobourg tattooist Todd Strong, who has designed artwork for bands, posters, album covers, and more.

10. You’re Welcome (410 George Street North)

Adult boutique You’re Welcome is hosting an exhibit by Toronto-based oil painter Stephanie Camille.

11. Frameland Frame It For U Gallery (426 George Street North)

Frameland Frame It For U Gallery is hosting an opening reception for local photographer Peter Curley’s “Waterscapes 2019” exhibit, part of the SPARK Photo Festival.

12. Art School of Peterborough (174A Charlotte Street)

The Art School of Peterborough’s Launch Gallery is hosting a preview of “Festa Carnevale”, its masquerade-themed annual art auction fundraiser, as well as a free mask-masking workshop.

The Launch Gallery is also the location for “Bronson & Cole” by photographers Heather Doughty and Katie Ellement, part of the SPARK Photo Festival (the opening reception happens next Friday, April 12th).

13. Artspace (378 Aylmer Street)

“A Guest A Host A Ghost”, an installation by Sylix Nation artist Krista Belle Stewart, will be on display at Artspace during the First Friday art crawl (the exhibition, which opened in March, continues until April 18th).

14. The Trend and Bagnani Hall at Traill College (310 London Street)

The Trend is hosting a book launch and readings for Chickenscratch, an anthology of student writing, and Bagnani Hall is hosting Cultural Studies Day, a celebration of fine arts produced by students throughout the year.

15. Pappas Billiards (407 George Street North)

Pappas Billiards is hosting the opening reception for the YES Shelter for Youth and Families photography exhibition, part of the SPARK Photo Festival, with live music by Bree Taylor.

16. Write On The Street Community Studio (388 George Street)

Write On The Street Community Studio is hosting live writers writing live in the windows. Beginning at 10 p.m., Janette Platana will rewrite Leda and The Swan. Note: this location is not shown on the map below.

Location Map

For updates on First Friday Peterborough, follow FirstFridayPtbo on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.