Juno Awards 2008
Hey Everyone,
I know this may inevitably end up sounding like "sour grapes" to some, but that's not my intention here (although it will probably sound like it). Having said that, I just need to get a few things off my chest and I guess that's why I have a blog to begin with.
This particular post won't mean much unless you live (or have lived) in Canada as it pertains to the Juno Awards (Canada's version of the Grammys).
This years awards were held last night in my hometown (Calgary) and seemed to be quite successful. I have to admit that I find it strange that since the Junos started 38 years ago, this is the first time they have ever been in Calgary (what's up with that?). Anyway, better late than never I suppose.
I was at home this year relaxing on the couch with my wife watching the show and checking out all of the feature groups and so on and so forth. I was hoping that I would be able to see a fellow musician from Calgary somewhere up on the stage in a back up roll to someone who was performing. Being a horn player, as soon as I hear horns, I usually look in that direction to see who's making the sound.
So along comes operatic singer "Measha Brueggergosman" doing a tribute to the late Oscar Peterson, and I hear horns being played in the background.....alto sax and trumpet. At first I can't quite make out who they are but eventually the camera begins to zoom in with the horn players in behind, and as I'm about ready to see which "Calgary" musicians got called to do this great gig, I notice that it's John Johnson playing alto sax and Steve McDade playing trumpet.....both from Toronto!!
My first reaction is....WTF?? Why in the hell do they have Toronto guys up there on stage?? Now, don't get me wrong, both of these guys are very excellent musicians, this isn't about them at all. I also see that they are reading off of music stands and what they're playing is not especially difficult to play or very "technical". I was thinking that maybe if this was something they had to memorize and only they knew the parts to, then it would make a little more sense to me that they were on stage. Bottom line here is that there are many Calgary musicians that could have been up there playing those parts just as well as John and Steve did, but I guess the Junos isn't too concerned about saving money and "spreading the joy around" and would rather fly these guys out, put them up, feed them, and also pay them for the show. A similar situation has been happening for a number of years regarding the Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show.
So does that mean then that next time the Junos are in Toronto, the show organizers will call up musicians from Calgary to go out and do the show there?? Ya, good luck!! So, the "show" is in our hometown for the first time in 38 years and we can't even get our own musicians on the stage to perform during the show anywhere?? (and I don't mean the Mount Royal Youth Orchestra playing with "Finger 11" or my student, Ryley Bennett playing 45 seconds of Charlie Parker's solo on "Ko-Ko"), I'm talking about being where John Johnson and Steve McDade were last night on stage. And you know, I would love to have done that gig myself, but it doesn't have to be me....I would just liked to have seen a face I knew who was from here (and NOT me).
I think it's about time Toronto "got over itself" and realized that there are great players in every city across the country and they should be given the chance to do there thing when the "show" comes to town. This idea that the only good players in this country are in Toronto is complete and utter bulls**t. The idea that you really don't take your career seriously unless you live or have lived in Toronto is also complete bulls**t. Funny, I've spent much more time hanging out and studying with guys in New York than I have Toronto, but I guess that wouldn't matter as much either since it's New York and not Toronto.
Well, call this "sour grapes" if you want, but it is what it is. The fact that the Juno Awards comes to town and there's not one pro musician from Calgary on stage (that's not headlining)is ridiculous!!
So the Juno Awards are in Vancouver next year, and I can only hope that there will be some Vancouver musicians on stage backing up headliners, but I would bet HEAVILY on the idea that they will be replaced too, cuz there aren't any good musicians in Vancouver anyway......are there??
Ya......whatever!!
Peace Everyone,
Pat B.
I know this may inevitably end up sounding like "sour grapes" to some, but that's not my intention here (although it will probably sound like it). Having said that, I just need to get a few things off my chest and I guess that's why I have a blog to begin with.
This particular post won't mean much unless you live (or have lived) in Canada as it pertains to the Juno Awards (Canada's version of the Grammys).
This years awards were held last night in my hometown (Calgary) and seemed to be quite successful. I have to admit that I find it strange that since the Junos started 38 years ago, this is the first time they have ever been in Calgary (what's up with that?). Anyway, better late than never I suppose.
I was at home this year relaxing on the couch with my wife watching the show and checking out all of the feature groups and so on and so forth. I was hoping that I would be able to see a fellow musician from Calgary somewhere up on the stage in a back up roll to someone who was performing. Being a horn player, as soon as I hear horns, I usually look in that direction to see who's making the sound.
So along comes operatic singer "Measha Brueggergosman" doing a tribute to the late Oscar Peterson, and I hear horns being played in the background.....alto sax and trumpet. At first I can't quite make out who they are but eventually the camera begins to zoom in with the horn players in behind, and as I'm about ready to see which "Calgary" musicians got called to do this great gig, I notice that it's John Johnson playing alto sax and Steve McDade playing trumpet.....both from Toronto!!
My first reaction is....WTF?? Why in the hell do they have Toronto guys up there on stage?? Now, don't get me wrong, both of these guys are very excellent musicians, this isn't about them at all. I also see that they are reading off of music stands and what they're playing is not especially difficult to play or very "technical". I was thinking that maybe if this was something they had to memorize and only they knew the parts to, then it would make a little more sense to me that they were on stage. Bottom line here is that there are many Calgary musicians that could have been up there playing those parts just as well as John and Steve did, but I guess the Junos isn't too concerned about saving money and "spreading the joy around" and would rather fly these guys out, put them up, feed them, and also pay them for the show. A similar situation has been happening for a number of years regarding the Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show.
So does that mean then that next time the Junos are in Toronto, the show organizers will call up musicians from Calgary to go out and do the show there?? Ya, good luck!! So, the "show" is in our hometown for the first time in 38 years and we can't even get our own musicians on the stage to perform during the show anywhere?? (and I don't mean the Mount Royal Youth Orchestra playing with "Finger 11" or my student, Ryley Bennett playing 45 seconds of Charlie Parker's solo on "Ko-Ko"), I'm talking about being where John Johnson and Steve McDade were last night on stage. And you know, I would love to have done that gig myself, but it doesn't have to be me....I would just liked to have seen a face I knew who was from here (and NOT me).
I think it's about time Toronto "got over itself" and realized that there are great players in every city across the country and they should be given the chance to do there thing when the "show" comes to town. This idea that the only good players in this country are in Toronto is complete and utter bulls**t. The idea that you really don't take your career seriously unless you live or have lived in Toronto is also complete bulls**t. Funny, I've spent much more time hanging out and studying with guys in New York than I have Toronto, but I guess that wouldn't matter as much either since it's New York and not Toronto.
Well, call this "sour grapes" if you want, but it is what it is. The fact that the Juno Awards comes to town and there's not one pro musician from Calgary on stage (that's not headlining)is ridiculous!!
So the Juno Awards are in Vancouver next year, and I can only hope that there will be some Vancouver musicians on stage backing up headliners, but I would bet HEAVILY on the idea that they will be replaced too, cuz there aren't any good musicians in Vancouver anyway......are there??
Ya......whatever!!
Peace Everyone,
Pat B.
posted by Pat Belliveau at
9:42 AM
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