Monday Night Jazz gives off good vibes
Rebecca Spence, Arts Editor
Now that classes are back in full swing and midterms are on the horizon, people might consider looking for a way to kick back and enjoy themselves in a way that doesn’t involve black-outs or hang-overs. Stressed out students should consider getting their weekly dose of booze and live music from checking out the Economy Shoe Shop’s Monday Night Jazz series. Having fun and staying classy at the same time? What a concept.
In all seriousness, walking into the dimly lit restaurant in the middle of the Rob Crowell Trio’s swingin’ set will make you feel like you’ve escaped from your stressful grind in Halifax into a cozy jazz bar in downtown Chicago, instantly creating a warm and secure vibe. Don’t be surprised if you happen to spot an older man with white hair wearing a tweed newsboy cap and wool V-neck sweater watching and listening intently from the wood-top bar.
The jazz trio has been performing at the Shoe Shop for about a year and a half now. The band typically features Rob Crowell on saxophone, Larry Bjornson on bass, and Damien Moynihan on drums, but they often invite special guests to help keep things fresh. Last week the band collaborated with the feisty Marty Franklin, playing the vibes, and Matt Myer on trumpet.
“Everybody brings something different,” says Moynihan, who, along with Crowell, plays with the Mellotones. The musician trained at Dalhousie, studying and playing alongside current History of Jazz professor Tim Crofts. Anybody who is familiar with Crofts knows all about his opinions on jazz as “dinner music” and his refusal to play by the rule. Like Crofts, Moynihan likes to experiment with his music, rarely agreeing to stay within traditional boundaries. Although some of the band’s gigs are a bit constraining, in that they require blending into the background of stuffy restaurants, the Economy Shoe Shop lets the group stretch their legs and do whatever they want: from avant-garde improvisation; to a re-harmonized version of Miles Davis’ “Solar;” to jazzed up renditions of tunes from Led Zeppelin, Stone Temple Pilots, and the Beatles. They can do virtually any tune, and they can do it one hundred different ways.
“The rules go out the window,” says Moynihan.
Although the band often attracts students from NSCC and St. Mary’s, Moynihan says he would love to see even more young people come out and absorb themselves in the music. “They’re often the most energetic and respectful,” he says. “They really listen.”
Moynihan believes that young people can find the genre intimidating. But he also is confident that you don’t have to understand jazz to like it. The only thing you have to appreciate is music in general.
“Everybody is welcome to come down and close their eyes and listen,” he says. “It’s a very loose atmosphere.”
Next Monday the band will feature Cuban pianist Silvio Pupo, who Moynihan calls “amazing” and “probably one of the best piano players I’ve ever seen.” He is confident that the show will bring a powerful vibe and lots of laughs.
“We like to have a good time on stage,” he says. “We’re not too serious.”
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