REVIEW: 

One Jazzy Lady opening up CMW 2012

I have been to many shows where the people there clearly think that they "know" jazz. They can feel the groove, keep the right time along with the musicians and sometimes even start snapping their fingers or tapping their feet along with the tune. I will admit that I used to fit into that category as well. However, that all changed over the course of Canadian Music Week this year.

It was the first day of Canadian Music Week Festival (also known as Slacker's Canadian Music Fest). As I frequently find myself, I was in the mood for some jazz music. But not just any jazz, I wanted only the best. So naturally the place to go seemed to be Lula Lounge, a uniquely interesting venue in Toronto that features the best in jazz musicians on a regular basis. That evening, I was particularly interested in catching one specific artist - Juliann Kuchocki. I had heard nothing but praise for her, and so I was quite excited heading into the lounge for the show that evening. I had arranged a few days prior to the show for one of my best friends, Deanna, to meet me there. Deanna is one of those friends that I knew would get as much out of a night of jazz as I would. She herself is an artist with -what can only be described as a- "hardcore appreciation" for all things in life that can be deemed beautiful (Dee herself is a pretty beautiful person!). We met at the lounge, grabbed a table by the stage, and sat down for a night we would not soon forget.

I had done a bit of research beforehand on the musician we were there to see, and learned quite a bit about her. It turns out that Juliann sings in not just one or two, but four languages! She performs all genres of music with her "jazz, blues and party band" including jazz, blues, R&B, funk, soul, disco, rock, country... and the list goes on from there. Since the release of her first full-length album entitled "Don't Explain" in April 2010, she has signed record deals in four countries, won Best New Artist Original Jazz Music at the Barrie Music Festival and was one of the opening acts for Canadian Music Week this year. Quite the list of accomplishments!

Both her first album and the new one coming out on May 5th (called "Broken Compass") showcase the true musical gift that this young lady has. They are a celebration of a life's journey that has been both exciting and glamorous, but also challenging and painful. All of the songs that she has created seem to be a testament to Juliann's own indomitable spirit and definitely hint at how she has had some great influences from jazz, R&B, soul and rock divas both past and present.

When she first took the stage, I noticed that she had a decent sized band with her to back her up. It included two saxophones, a trombone, a keyboard, a guitar, drums and a huge stand-up bass (I have always had a soft spot for bands that use a stand-up bass). Juliann herself had an absolutely incredible singing voice - deep and soulful and all-around moving. The way that the instrumentals in the background seemed to compliment her singing was just about perfect. The solos that her band played during the songs were skillfully executed keeping in perfect time and adding that jazzy sort of flair that is the whole reason I am so drawn to jazz shows in the first place.

I think one of the best songs that they played was a few songs into their set; it was about how they (the musicians) didn't really want to try and "fit in" to society and would much rather do their own thing. In this song, they displayed a strength that was really cool in that it seemed they were leading us (the audience) boldly down this wayward path with them. Sadly, I didn't manage to catch the name of the song, but I loved it all the same.

There were also two female singers that were backing Juliann up in a few songs. I thought that they had been selected perfectly as their voices were what seemed to be the ideal complement to Juliann's soulful voice. One really neat detail that they had clearly worked out before the show was what they were all wearing - classic black, knee-length dresses. Very nice. Very jazzy.

Out of all the musicians that were behind Juliann, I think my favourite must have been the man on the keyboard. Being a pianist myself, I find that whenever I catch a show, I am analyzing whoever is playing the keys. I try and catch their technique and any little tricks that they might have that I could use and learn to improve my own playing. This keyboard player, however, was clearly in a class a few above mine! With some truly amazing solo work in the songs, the speed at which his fingers moved over the keys and the melodies that he produced were mind blowing. All the musicians seemed to have that special trait in their own ways. In short, they were also an amazing complement for this jazzy young lady.

The last song that they played was called "Fifteen Minutes". Juliann had made a joke before they got into it about how the song itself really isn't fifteen minutes long, but maybe they could put enough solos in that it would add up to that. Quite the goal! Though I am not sure if they did make it to the fifteen minute mark, I would have to say that this song was probably my favourite. Three different instruments were chosen to perform solos, all of whom did so with extreme skill and precision. The tune blended perfectly from solo to solo, and the instruments were perfectly balanced.

Something like three and a half hours after the show began, Deanna and I left the lounge with smiles and giggles and promises to see each other again before too long passes by. All in all, what a great night of music! Sometimes after a rather rough start to the week, there is no cure better than a night of jazz with a great friend.

by Veronica W, Mizrebelrecords