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Michael Blake (musician)
Michael Blake (born May 19, 1964) is a Canadian-born American saxophonist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. Over the course of his career he formed the bands Blake Tartare, Hellbent, Mr Carefree, Elevated Quartet, The Eulipion Orchestra, The Variety Hour, Red Hook Soul, Blake & Brass XL, Chroma Nova and co-lead the groups Made in China and Slow Poke. As a sideman Michael has performed with Charlie Hunter, The Lounge Lizards, Steven Bernstein/Henry Butler and the Hot 9, Ben Allison, Nicole Mitchell, Hamid Drake, Oliver Lake Big Band, Dafnis Prieto Big Band, Ricki Lee Jones and Ray LaMontagne. Early life Michael Blake was born in Montreal, Canada. His mother Merle Stevens was a professional dancer in Montreal when she met his father Francis Patrick Blake. Michael's father moved the family to Vancouver and Toronto before taking a Public Relations job with the San Francisco Opera. In 1973, after his parents divorced, they resettled in Vancouver, Canada, where Michael briefly t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Lounge Lizards
The Lounge Lizards were an eclectic musical group founded by saxophonist John Lurie and his brother, pianist Evan Lurie, in 1978. Initially known for their ironic, tongue-in-cheek take on jazz, The Lounge Lizards eventually became a showcase for John Lurie's sophisticated compositions straddling jazz and many other genres. They were active until about 1998 with the Lurie brothers as the only constant members, though many leading New York City based musicians were members of the group. The group's name was borrowed from American slang. A lounge lizard is typically depicted as a well-dressed man who frequents the establishments in which the rich gather with the intention of seducing a wealthy woman with his flattery and deceptive charm. History At its founding, the band consisted of John Lurie and Evan Lurie, guitarist Arto Lindsay, bassist Steve Piccolo, and percussionist Anton Fier. They released a self-titled album on EG Records in 1981. The album included two Thelonious Mon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Patric Caird
Patric Caird is a Canadian film and television composer and musician. Biography Patric Caird has been working as a composer for film and television since the early 1990s. In that time he has written more than 400 film and television scores which have been broadcast worldwide. Patric Caird's musical career began as a jazz saxophone player - playing, touring and recording with many of the west coast's premiere jazz and blues artists, notably with the Juno Award (Canadian Grammy) winning band The Powder Blues, whose 1981 record ''Thirsty Ears'' was certified platinum in Canada while the band's greatest hits album ''First Decade'' (1990) became certified gold. With The Powder Blues Patric Caird toured Canada and the US for 14 years. When at home in Vancouver, BC, Patric was busy as a session player, arranger and producer which ultimately led to his work as a composer for film and television in 1994. The diversity of his craft offered him the opportunity to compose for a variety of p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Excess Baggage (1997 Film)
''Excess Baggage'' is a 1997 American crime-comedy film written by Max D. Adams, Dick Clement, and Ian La Frenais, and directed by Marco Brambilla about a neglected young woman who stages her own kidnapping to get her father's attention, only to be actually kidnapped by a car thief. The film stars Alicia Silverstone (who was also an uncredited producer), Benicio del Toro, and Christopher Walken. Plot Emily Hope ( Alicia Silverstone) stages her own kidnapping to get the attention of her wealthy, corrupt father. She puts herself in the trunk of her BMW 850i with taped legs and mouth, and handcuffs. After calling the police to come "rescue" her, a car thief named Vincent Roche (Benicio del Toro) unknowingly steals the car with her in it. Christopher Walken shows up as Emily's Uncle Ray, Jack Thompson as Emily's father and Harry Connick, Jr., as Greg, Vincent's car-stealing partner. Background The script for ''Excess Baggage'' was the winner of the first annual Austin Film Festiv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Get Shorty (film)
''Get Shorty'' is a 1995 American gangster comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by Scott Frank. Based on Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name, the film stars John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Delroy Lindo, James Gandolfini, Dennis Farina, and Danny DeVito. The film follows Chili Palmer (Travolta), a Miami mobster and loan shark, who inadvertently gets involved in Hollywood feature film production. A sequel, ''Be Cool'', which was also based on an Elmore Leonard novel, was released in 2005. In 2017, ''Get Shorty'' inspired a television series of the same name. Plot Ernesto "Chili" Palmer is a Miami loan shark and movie buff. When his jacket is taken by rival mobster Ray "Bones" Barboni, Chili retrieves it and breaks Bones' nose. A vengeful Bones ambushes him at his office, but Chili shoots first, grazing Bones' forehead. Bones' boss refuses to retaliate, reminding him that Chili is under the protection of Brooklyn mob boss Momo. After Momo dies of a hea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fishing With John
''Fishing with John'' is a 1991 television series conceived, directed by and starring actor and musician John Lurie, which earned a cult following. On the surface, the series resembles a standard travel or fishing show: in each episode, Lurie takes a famous guest on a fishing expedition. Since Lurie has no expert knowledge of fishing, the interest is in the interaction between Lurie and his guests, all of whom are his friends. Nothing particularly unusual actually happens, but the show is edited and narrated in a way to suggest that Lurie and his guest are involved in dramatic and even supernatural adventures. The guests featured are film director Jim Jarmusch, actor Matt Dillon, musician Tom Waits, actor Willem Dafoe and actor-director Dennis Hopper. The series ran for 6 episodes, each featuring a different guest and locale, except for episodes 5 and 6 which both feature Hopper in Thailand. Each episode has voice-over narration by Robb Webb, which is sometimes bizarre and of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Lurie And The Lounge Lizards Live In Berlin 1991
''John Lurie and the Lounge Lizards Live in Berlin 1991'' is a 1992 documentary concert film directed and shot by Garret Linn. It was the director's first feature, and was filmed in Super16. It was shown at The Water Reade Theater in New York City and was part of the Berlin Film Festival in 1992. Summary A feature film of a concert given at the Quartier Latin Club in Berlin, Germany on March 28–31, 1991. Cast/Players * John Lurie – Alto & Soprano Saxophone * Steven Bernstein – Trumpet & Cornet * Michael Blake – Tenor & Soprano Saxophone * Oren Bloedow – Bass * Bryan Carrott – Vibraphone & Marimba & Timpani * Billy Martin – Percussion * Michele Navazio – Guitar * Jane Scarpantoni – Cello * Grant Calvin Weston – Drums Review ''John Lurie and the Lounge Lizards Live in Berlin 1991'' was reviewed by ''The New York Times'' and ''Variety''. Availability The film was extremely difficult to find for many years. There was a limited number of screenings in Germ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Lurie
John Lurie (born December 14, 1952) is an American musician, painter, actor, director, and producer. He co-founded the Lounge Lizards jazz ensemble; has acted in 19 films, including '' Stranger than Paradise'' and '' Down by Law''; has composed and performed music for 20 television and film works; and he produced, directed, and starred in the '' Fishing with John'' television series. In 1996 his soundtrack for ''Get Shorty'' was nominated for a Grammy Award, and his album ''The Legendary Marvin Pontiac: Greatest Hits'' has been praised by critics and fellow musicians. Since 2000, he has suffered from symptoms attributed to chronic Lyme disease and has focused his attention on painting. His art has been shown in galleries and museums around the world. His primitivist painting '' Bear Surprise'' became an internet meme in Russia in 2006. His new television series, '' Painting with John'', debuted on HBO in January 2021. Robert Lloyd of Los Angeles Times wrote, "''Painting With Jo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Canada Council
The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the federal government's principal instrument for funding public arts, as well as for fostering and promoting the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. The Canada Council fulfills its mandate primarily through providing grants and services to professional Canadian artists and arts organizations in dance, interdisciplinary art, media arts, music, opera, theatre, writing, publishing, and the visual arts. In addition, the Canada Council administers the Art Bank, which operates art rental programs and an exhibitions and outreach program. The Canada Council Art Bank holds the largest collection of contemporary Canadian art in the world. The Canada Council is also responsible for the secretariat for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO and the Public L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Powder Blues Band
The Powder Blues Band is a Canadian blues/pop/jazz band formed in 1978 in Vancouver. Its first album ''Uncut'' went double platinum in Canada. The second album ''Thirsty Ears'' was similarly popular. Their best known songs include: "Boppin' with the Blues", "Doin' It Right", "Thirsty Ears", "Hear That Guitar Ring", and "What've I Been Drinkin". History The Powder Blues was founded in 1978 as a house band in Vancouver, British Columbia. The band was founded by brothers Tom Lavin (guitar, vocals), Jack Lavin (bass, vocals), and Willie MacCalder (keyboards, vocals). After playing in local clubs for 18 months, the band released their self-financed and self-produced debut album, ''Uncut'', in 1980, followed by a tour of Canada and the US. The band won the Juno Award for " Most Promising Group of the Year" in 1981. ''Uncut'' went double platinum in Canada in 1982, selling over 200,000 copies. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Korsrud
John Korsrud (born 1963) is a Canadian composer and jazz trumpeter. Life John Korsrud was born in 1963. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1990. Korsrud studied composition with Louis Andriessen at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Amsterdam from 1995 to 1997. Korsrud has received commissions from the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the American Composers Orchestra, The CBC Radio Orchestra, and Dutch ensembles such as Ensemble LOOS, the Tetzepi Bigtet, the Zapp String Quartet, De Ereprijs, among others. in 2010, Korsrud performed on his own trumpet concerto, ''Come to the Dark Side'' at Carnegie Hall in with The American Composers Orchestra. Since 1990, he has led the 18-piece new music/jazz ensemble Hard Rubber Orchestra, with which has appeared in Europe and across Canada, recorded three albums, and in 2005 won the Alcan Arts Award. The Hard Rubber Orchestra has commissioned over 50 works from composers such as Kenny Wheeler, Darcy James Argue, Brad Turn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phil Dwyer (musician)
Phil Dwyer is a Canadian jazz saxophonist, pianist, composer, producer and educator. In 2017 he graduated from the University of New Brunswick (UNB) Faculty of Law in Fredericton, New Brunswick and was called to the bar of British Columbia in 2018. Dwyer is Member of the Order of Canada, having been invested in 2013 "For his contributions to jazz as a performer, composer and producer, and for increasing access to music education in his community." Dwyer has been nominated for Juno Awards six times and won Best Mainstream Jazz Album in 1994 with Dave Young for '' Fables and Dreams'' and Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year in 2012 for the recording ''Changing Seasons''. Dwyer has also appeared on Juno Award winning recordings with Hugh Fraser (1988), Joe Sealy (1997), Natalie MacMaster (2000), Guido Basso (2004), Don Thompson (2006), Molly Johnson (2009), Terry Clarke (2010), and Diana Panton (2015). He is an alumnus and Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory of Music. Biogr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hugh Fraser (musician)
Hugh Alexander Fraser (October 26, 1958 – June 17, 2020) was a Canadian jazz musician known for his work as a pianist, trombonist and composer.King, B. N. (2008)Fraser, Hugh. Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. Historica Foundation of Canada. Early Life and Education Born in Victoria, British Columbia, Fraser studied with Dave Robbins (trombonist), Dave Robbins in Vancouver, Slide Hampton in New York, and Kenny Wheeler in London. He also attended the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Career Fraser began teaching at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in 1986 and was appointed head of the jazz program in 1991. He also held teaching appointments in jazz education at the Royal Academy of Music, the University of Ulster, University of Victoria, and the Victoria Conservatory of Music. Early in his career, Fraser formed the Vancouver Ensemble of Jazz Improvisation (VEJI), a big band that went on to win the open class at the Canadian Stage Band Festival in 1981. The Hugh Fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
