Shows
Rhythm Changes Podcast with Chris FraserDavid Sikula: Guitar, Audio Engineer, Organ Jazz & MoreDavid Sikula talks about guitars, illegal busking in Rome, and outdated recording formats. Dave is one of Vancouver’s premier jazz guitarists and one of the most in-demand audio engineers in the city.Dave has played with artists like Brian Charette, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Cory Weeds, The Inhabitants, and the Nightcrawlers. He is well-known for recording out of Demitone Studios, where he sat down for this conversation, and at Monarch Studios among other local places.Become a member for free today at rhythmchanges.ca. You'll get the free weekly email with upcoming events from the gi...2024-12-031h 23
Jazz Office Hours with Cory WeedsMike DiRubbo: Alto Saxophone, CT to NYC | Frankie’s BackstageAlto saxophonist Mike DiRubbo is coming to town to play with a Vancouver quartet at Frankie's! Mike (who joins at 01:50) is a soft-spoken, phenomenal musician. The New Haven, Connecticut native studied at the Hartt School at the University of Hartford, the school known for Jackie McLean's jazz program. He's now based in New York. I brought him to Vancouver in past years to play with Larry Willis, Harold Mabern, and Steve Davis. We talk about his studies with JMac in a formative time, we continue to remember Jim Rotondi, and we enjoy a brief hang. Mike DiRubbo...2024-07-2424 min
Jazz Office Hours with Cory Weeds“I don’t play full-time.” | Sunday School, July 14, 2024On this hot summer Sunday School: rest in peace Jim Rotondi - the instrumental teachers I had in my early years,and how Jim was part of the connections I started making (2:49), Has the ship sailed on making a living from just jazz gigs? (17:55), My NYC plans in fall 2024 (30:00), a preview spin of The Heavy Hitters' record made last December (31:12). Plus more topics like gigs with Hugh Fraser and Dr. Lonnie Smith, and favourite records by Cedar Walton and Sonny Stitt. We close on the nature of the commitment to get the most out of every note you play...2024-07-1540 minJazz Office Hours with Cory WeedsVinyl, “Cool to Work With” | Sunday School, June 23, 2024Life happened and I've missed doing it for months now, but Sunday School is back in session! We kick things off by talking about (among many things) the value of vinyl and the rich listening experience, plus some inside talk about manufacturing and selling vinyl records. Then, we get into the classic Jazz Office Hours topic of emailing venue bookers (32:10) with an emphasis on how important it is to be "cool to work with".This is Sunday School: Cory Weeds opens up in a livestream format for Q&A about the business of jazz, artist career talk...2024-06-2850 min
Jazz Office Hours with Cory WeedsNick Green: Altoist, Brooklyn NYC | Frankie's BackstageAlto saxophonist Nick Green will be performing as a guest with me for my Hank Mobley tribute at Frankie's and leading his own quintet at the club! Nick (who joins at 05:03) is Brooklyn-born and raised and made an album on Cellar called Green on the Scene. He has great stories and I talked to him about his journey in jazz. Then, I talk about three of the finest pianists coming to Pyatt Hall in Vancouver this fall (32:30) and take a question (33:29) about how musicians like Nick and I went out to start getting our first gigs.2024-06-2638 min
Rhythm Changes Podcast with Chris FraserJessica Heaven: Vocalist & Singer, Actor, Dancer, LeaderJessica Heaven talks about her multi-disciplinary life as a vocalist (or a singer – she feels a distinction!), dancer going back her entire life, theatre and film actor, and a member of the leadership team with the Women in Jazz Association of BC since that non-profit's inception. Through the association, she has been involved in the Sister Jazz Orchestra and with media around the scene as well. Her recent projects include Descartes for Sheila (2021) with Jake McIntyre-Paul, Closest Living Relative (2020) with Mike WT Allen and Spencer Schoening, and Primal Navigation as the group Ptriodactyl.Get tickets to the Fr...2024-02-271h 33Jazz Office Hours with Cory WeedsWill’s Top Learning Highlights from Every 2022 EpisodeIn this solo episode by Will, let's kick off the year in style and run down a highlight from every 2022 episode. Each highlight involves Cory teaching a lesson to, lighting a fire under, or provoking new thoughts from Will. We cover five episodes in under 20 minutes.From Ep. 1 - Establishing a level of care (1:18), Ep. 2 - Comparing venues (5:35), Ep. 3 - Cory didn't have any recording experience (10:20), Ep. 4 - Being in control vs. being picked (12:44), Ep. 5 - Does Oliver Gannon need to apply to the jazzfest? (15:45).2023-01-1119 minJazz Office Hours with Cory WeedsAnxiety, An Incident, Jazzfest Applications | Cory & WillIn this episode: Cory went to Pittsburgh, went on tour with Michael Weiss, and brought Jeremy Pelt out here for some big gigs (00:51), The venue incident (11:43), When people say "We can't make a living as full-time musicians in this city" (25:29), Not saying yes right away (0:32:04), The power of the checklist and setting up venue promotions (35:41), What you need to know when you apply to jazz festivals in Canada (43:21), Best-of-2022 highlight: Does Oliver Gannon need to apply to the jazzfest? (46:51)Getting nominated for the Grammys won't change your life, and no gig is career-changing (56:43). 2022-12-091h 04Jazz Office Hours with Cory WeedsToo Many Albums, Music Grants, Brand Stuff | Cory & WillIn this episode: Cory doesn’t know half the people in the house when he emcees Frankie’s, and interest in live gigs is up! (4:50), Is the Cellar Music label releasing too many albums? (9:00), Why monthly listeners is a bad statistic for comparing artists (22:35), The “keeping the lights on” view of social media (27:25), The danger of having multiple names for your projects / bands on streaming platforms (32:55), First question: Music grant organizations to follow as a Canadian musician in BC (38:15)What’s it like being on a grant jury? (44:05), Best-of-2022 highlight: Being in control vs. being picked (48:24), When you get reject...2022-11-091h 23Jazz Office Hours with Cory WeedsPitch Gone Wrong, Show Presence, Mix Review | Cory & WillIn this episode: Cory uploaded never-before-seen footage of Hank Mobley and Dexter Gordon to YouTube (0:49), First topic: "I once booked an amazing pianist at a club in the UK where the promoter told me 'I honestly don't think I can sell more than 30 tickets for him but I love it and I can book on that occasionally.'" (4:28), Cory shared a pitch gone wrong and received over 150 comments back on Facebook (9:42), What do I need to know about how to present myself on stage? (15:09), I'm in jazz school, but I want to learn about audio production, recording, and...2022-10-0534 minJazz Office Hours with Cory WeedsBooking Fears, Draw, Overplay, Low Turnout | Cory & WillFear. It shows up throughout our musical lives as we book gigs and work to bring people out. But too often the attention drifts to numbers like, 'What's your draw?' while the meaning rests in the music's impact. Maybe promoters aren't as cynical as you think. And it's not all about results from one show; you can always get the promoter excited for next time, too. First question: Fear of playing badly, and of not drawing enough people to your gig (2:24), Will breaks down how much easier it is to tour in this era than...2022-09-011h 00Jazz Office Hours with Cory WeedsGetting Known for What You Do: Match Your Music to VenuesIt's summer! We're on vacation, so please enjoy this top highlight clip from episode one. In this answer, Will & Cory discuss the secret to connecting with local music venues and booking agents: know what you want to do! It breaks down into three steps: Clearly define what you think your band is. Look at venues and figure out which ones you could potentially fit into. Make your best demo, and make a statement of how you feel you should be treated by the venues. After that, you can shift your focus to...2022-08-0403 minJazz Office Hours with Cory WeedsAlbums, Expectations, Demos, Distribution | Cory & WillMaking a jazz album, from demo to distribution to performance, is a game of expectations. Whether artistic, financial, or personal, expectations keep you on track and help you remember why you're in the game. Topics: First question: How to release a jazz album (01:17), What are realistic financial expectations for making an album? Taking entrepreneurial risk, investing up-front in production, and building a music career over time (11:44), Cory takes an honest look at the growth of Rhythm Changes and of his radio show, Condition Blue (17:41), Best-of-2022 highlight: establishing a level of care (24:44), Next question: How to get...2022-07-0754 min