Clarinetist/saxophonist Don Byron will join Toronto's own Neufeld-Occhipinti Jazz Orchestra for four nights at The Rex starting Wednesday (May 6).
Don Byron with NOJO
The Rex Jazz & Blues Bar
May 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th at 8 pm
Don Byron and NOJO, the Neufeld-Occhipinti Jazz Orchestra, have played together for almost thirty years, and Don appears on NOJO's JUNO nominated albums You Are Here and Highwire. Don is no stranger to the Rex, having played a number of truly jaw-dropping shows over the years, while NOJO is the brainchild of guitarist Michael Occhipinti and pianist Paul Neufeld, a large ensemble dedicated to performing their bold and memorable original compositions the Globe and Mail called "the sound of surprise." NOJO was the first big band to set up long running residence at the Rex starting in 1995, so it is only fitting that Don and the band are reuniting at the Rex once again. This show is not to be missed!
Guitarist, composer, author and 2021 Guggenheim Fellow, Rez Abbasi is among a rare breed of artists that continue to push boundaries from within the traditions he has embraced. Consistently placing on DownBeat magazine’s International Critics Poll in Guitar alongside luminaries Bill Frisell and Pat Metheny since 2014, Abbasi continues to forge new ground with his multi-dimensional projects.
“Abbasi is living, breathing proof that jazz music can be as vital and boundary-pushing as ever.” – AllAboutJazz.com
Born in Karachi, Pakistan, migrating to Southern California at the age of four, schooled at the University of Southern California and the Manhattan School of Music in jazz and classical music, along with a pilgrimage in India under the guidance of master percussionist, Ustad Alla Rakha, Abbasi is a vivid synthesis of all the above stated influences and genres.
“Mr. Abbasi succeeded in making some fairly cerebral intricacies feel intuitive and touched by a higher purpose.”– New York Times
With seventeen self-titled albums and multiple composition grants, Abbasi’s wide-ranging projects continue to capture the attention of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and NPR to name a few. His most recent album Sound Remains reunites his acoustic group, RAAQ. With the addition of a percussionist, the sound explores sonic territories rarely heard in jazz. His prior release Charm is a collaboration with American sitarist, Josh Feinberg while his 2022 trio release Django-shift recasts legendary guitarist Django Reinhardt’s lesser-known compositions into a modern light. In 2019, commissioned by the New York Guitar Festival, he released his live score to the 1929 Indian/German silent film A Throw of Dice and in 2018, his long-standing group featuring band-mates Vijay Iyer and Rudresh Mahanthappa released Unfiltered Universe, the third in a trilogy of albums that set out to explore South Asian musical influences with jazz. Rez also serves as musical director, arranger and guitarist for his life partner, Indian vocalist, composer and multiple Juno Award winner Kiran Ahluwalia. For more info, visit his site: https://www.reztone.com/
Rez Abbasi's Spark Quartet features Rez Abbasi - guitar, Marta Sanchez - piano, Chris Lightcap - bass, Hamir Atwal - drums. Watch a couple of clips of Rez in action along with an interview. Check out some bonus footage shot at The Rex right here.
It seems hard to believe but The Clash played their first concert in Toronto at The Rex Danforth Theatre 40 years ago next month.
During the month of February, The Toronto Public Library at Pape and Danforth will be hosting a photographic exhibition celebrating this hugely important event in Toronto's music history. The exhibition will be featuring some of the large format posters as displayed in 'Toronto Calling', the 2010 exhibition curated by Nick and Simon White at Steamwhistle Brewery. 1979 was a good year for fans of The Clash living in Toronto as they played 2 gigs while at the peak of their career. The first was at The Rex on February 20th and the second at The O'Keefe Centre on September 26th.
CLASH ON THE DANFORTH AT THE LIBRARY will be a multi media format exhibition using large format photos, collage type posters, original artifacts, video screen photos and old school cassette tapes. I'll be getting back behind the lectern and pontificating about how great these gigs were and what they meant to their fans as the punk scene was changing. The opening night will be Friday (February 1) at The Public Library (701 Pape Avenue – just south of Danforth) from 7pm to 8pm. Copies of "Alone And Gone" and "What You Don't Want Is What You Get" will be available.
Listen to The Clash's performance at The Rex in 1979 below.
