Posts Tagged ‘Beaches Jazz Festival’

Just a few pics this year, as I was in a bit of a rush.

Downtown Dixieland Band

Female Brass Section of The Achromatics

Singer from Downtown Dixieland Band

Stacey Renee Band

TDot Batu

Yiannis Kapoulas

A selection of pictures taken during the Streetfest portion of the Beaches Jazz Festival for 2013:

Beaches Jazz Festival: Clint Ryan #2

Beaches Jazz Festival: Clint Ryan #1

Beaches Jazz Festival: Dancers #1

Beaches Jazz Festival: Dr. Draw

Beaches Jazz Festival: George Olliver #1

Beaches Jazz Festival: George Olliver #2

Beaches Jazz Festival: Keyboardist from George Olliver Band

Beaches Jazz Festival: Saxophone Player from Clint Ryan and The Burgess Brothers Band

Beaches Jazz Festival: Saxophone Player and Bassist from Seagull All Stars

Baches Jazz Festival: Singer from Nightfly

Baches Jazz Festival: Singer from the Downtown Dixieland Band

Baches Jazz Festival: Smiling Clarinet Player from the Downtown Dixieland Band

Got home late the previous evening from the cottage, so the light was already gone when we arrived and Streetfest was in full swing. Since things only get busier with every passing evening, so I set out when things started at 7pm and started heading back when the light started to go. Made it as far as Glen Manor before turning back. Here is a selection of pics that I shot:

Beaches Jazz Festival Streetfest: Dr Draw

Beaches Jazz Festival Streetfest: Guitarist from Gone Phission

Beaches Jazz Festival Streetfest: David Rotundo 1

Beaches Jazz Festival Streetfest: David Rotundo 2

Beaches Jazz Festival Streetfest: Audience Member 1

Beaches Jazz Festival Streetfest: Guitarist from Puente del Diablo and his Helper

Beaches Jazz Festival Streetfest: Audience Member 2 (Spock!)

Update: Just found out that this tall Spock impersonator goes by the stage name “Spock Vegas” and he has his own Facebook page. Cool!

Beaches Jazz Festival Streetfest: Who Took the Cookies

Beaches Jazz Festival Streetfest: Singer from God Made Me Funky

Beaches Jazz Festival Streetfest: Johannes Linstead

Beaches Jazz Festival Streetfest: Suzana d'Amour

Beaches Jazz Festival Streetfest: Audience Members 3

Beaches Jazz Festival Streetfest: Suzana d'Amour and Audience Member

Beaches Jazz Festival Streetfest: Singer from The Joyful Sinners

Beaches Jazz Festival Streetfest: Band in Front of Gabby's

Am heading up to the cottage tomorrow and staying for the weekend, so tonight was my one and only chance to see any of the Streetfest portion of the local Jazz Festival. The “jazz” festival is increasingly a misnomer, since the majority of the bands playing are Blues, Latin or something other than Jazz, but the music is fun, free and good, so what’s there to complain about? Unfortunately one of my favourite bands from last year — Big Rude Jake — was not making a return appearance. Oh well. 🙁

The day had been the hottest so far this summer, hitting a peak at 37C, and with the humidity feeling much hotter. By the time the bands started up things had started to cool down, but it was still hotter than most people would like. So the energy of some of the bands was a bit “muted”. Diablo de Puente was particularly sedate compared to what I had seen them do last year. (Postscript: apparently the people from a local fitness place brought them cold, wet towels for cooling down, and the energy of the band picked up considerably afterwards).

This was the first time I have taken my f/2 200mm telephoto (and my trusty Olympus E-510) to the festival, and I wanted to see how it would perform in the relatively low light conditions you get after the sun goes down/the music starts up. On the whole, am happy with what I came away with, and the “Supersonic Wave Drive” makes for fast and smooth focusing when needed.

I managed to make it down to Wineva Avenue before heading back, so what you see here is only about half of the extent of the Streetfest festival. In terms of the acts there were several welcome returns by the like of the Dr. Draw, The David Rotundo Band, Fathead, and the Downtown Dixieland Band, but it was good to see a lot of fresh blood as well, including the likes of Dr. Nick and The Roller Coasters, Sambacana, K.C. Roberts and The Live Revolution, and Suzana da Camara.

Here’s a selection of photos I took while roaming Streetfest:

Another fun night out at Streetfest, with the highlight of the evening for me being able to finally see Big Rude Jake perform. Since I was sans kids, for the first time I managed to go the length of the Streetfest, all the way from Woodbine to Beech Avenue and back.

This morning the sky opened up yet again, for a fourth (or is that fifth?) straight day of rain. By the early afternoon it had let up, and before heading downtown to see a movie I wanted to watch (Sam Rockwell in Moon) I decided to go see who (if anybody) was playing at the Kew Garden gazebo.

I was in luck: Shakura S’Aida was playing with her band. I managed to get close and take a lot of nice shots of the show. Here’s a selection.

Another day of rain, which let up within an hour or so of the start of Streetfest, just like it has done for the previous two days.

Spent a couple of hours wandering around, staying to enjoy the acts rather than just dashing from act to act. Stuck around for the full sets of old favorites like Dr. Draw and David Rotundo, so I only made it as far as Queen and Lee before deciding to turn back.

Dr. Draw. Significantly larger crowds this evening, so he spent most of the time on an elevated stage so the audience could see him.

Another shot of Dr. Draw in action

Dylan Wickens of Dylan Wickens & The 9s. I had never run into this group before, and Dylan Wickens put on an impassioned performance of energetic blues-fueled rock.

Another shot of Dylan Wickens, arguably my favourite picture of the day.

A shot of the crowds gathered by Queen and Kenilworth

David Rotundo striking a pose

On my way back I caught part of a second set of this band, which was still pumping out load and fast bluesy tunes with gusto. I caved and bought their latest CD, though I usually find that they never seem to capture the verve of a live performance (will see).

There was a point when another photographer who was at the very front was kneeling down taking shots. At one point David Rotundo struck a pose with his fists in the air and then held it for about 20 seconds or so, concluding by saying “I can’t hold my hands up like this all day — hurry up and take the shot!” followed by a big grin for the audience, which got a round of laughs.

Rhythm guitarist for David Rotundo. Nasty gash on his arm.

Puente del Diablo. A crummy shot, but a solid, entertaining band playing fast, Latin-flavoured music.

Crowds watching Puente del Diablo

The guitarist for the Downtown Dixieland Band. At this point I was using full external flash with a diffuser, but it was a loosing battle against the failing light, and I pretty much gave up taking pics of bands after this.

No flash needed (or was necessary) for this shot of one of the many street vendors who selling light sticks and the like.

More rain today, but again it all let up just before Streetfest was to begin. There was even more sun today, so I made a point of running the length of the Streetfest for once. Usually with the girls in tow I don’t make it much past Lee or Wineva, but with just me and my camera I had the chance to sample of the bands playing that night stretching all the way to Beech at the western-most end of Streetfest.

Here’s a selection of pics.

David Rotundo and the Rhythm Guitarist

David Rotundo’s Bassist and Lead Guitarist

Yiannis Kapoulas

Mississauga Big Band Ensemble

Downtown Dixieland Band

Trombonist for the Downtown Dixieland Band

Lead singer of Fathead

Mae Cromwell and the crowd that gathered around her and her band. I love the expression of the little girl to the left of the shot.

Mae Cromwell close-up #1

Mae Cromwell close-up #2

Lead singer of Dubmatix

Not Affiliated Big Band

The drummer for Footwork. I like the t-shirt. 😉

One of the pan flutists from the Imbayakunas, anchoring the eastern end of Streetfest at Beech Avenue.

It had rained earlier in the day and it was still threatening when I headed out for Streetfest just a few blocks from where we live. The sun was clouded over most of the time, but occasionally it peeked out enough to take some decent shots.

Sultans of String

Blackboard Blues Band

The always-animated Dr. Draw

Dr. Draw and other band members. This year they picked up a new musician who plays electric cello. Love the expressions of the female band members (bassist, keyboardist) in the background.