Live in Vancouver
Ryan Oliver Quartet
(ryanoliverquartet.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-vancouver)
Toronto saxophonist extraordinaire Ryan Oliver’s sizzling new release takes us on a journey back in time to the 60s and the world of jazz at the time. The record is full of Oliver’s unique and catchy takes on classic tunes, such as John Coltrane’s Equinox and the American traditional folk song The Wayfaring Stranger, covered by many famous artists such as Johnny Cash and Burl Ives. Elevating the tunes to new heights is a group of star-studded musicians, some of Canada’s best: Brian Dickinson on piano, Neil Swainson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums. Oliver has this to say about the idea for this record: “I wanted to showcase compositions from the jazz lexicon associated with some of my influences while also adding in original music and new takes on existing repertoire.”
A notable aspect of this album is that it is recorded live, from a two-night stint that Oliver and company had at Frankie’s Jazz Club in Vancouver a year ago. Live records always have a certain magical quality to them, the raw emotions portrayed in the songs and the musicians’ talents, personalities and styles of playing come to the forefront, there’s less of a “polished” quality to the tunes. Take The Wayfaring Stranger for example, where the loneliness and ruggedness of the journey through life is expressed and heard directly through Oliver’s wailing saxophone melody. For an immersive musical experience, check out this album.