8/7/2019 April 1, 2011 - Yvette and Sheila

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The Toronto Sun n Friday, april 1, 2011 SHOWBIZ  75

Yvette ollar is listing o everything she admires aboutthe legendary jazz singerSheila Jordan when she stopsto share a precious anecdote

that speaks to one o Jordan’sendearing qualities.“I once took a bus trip to

New York City to study withher,” she says. “My bus brokedown about an hour outsideo the city and when I got toher apartment she got me tosing her the whole story o my trip over blues changes!”

Tis unabashed love or lieand music, ollar eels, is justone reason why the 82-year-old Jordan’s touring schedule

is busier than ever.“I heard Herbie Hancock once say that jazz is such abeautiul art because it rep-resents all the best aspects o humanity; communication,listening, creativity, bravery,being in the moment, collab-oration and co-operation.

“All o those things makejazz great, and Sheila really embraces them while shesings and interacts with heraudiences.”

We’ll get a rare chance to

witness Jordan’s greatness— and her renowned senseo humour — in an intimate

space when she perormstomorrow night as part o ol-lar’s Women in Jazz series.Te evening will eature ollarperorming a short openingset, Jordan doing a lengthierset with pianist Dave Restivoand bassist Kieran Overs, andseveral duets.

Expect to hear “drippy, tra-ditional ballads and burningup tempo swing tunes” rom

Jordan and ollar singing tra-ditional standards, a bossanova, and a couple o tunesrom her last album, Ima.

Watching Jordan perorm is alesson in itsel, says ollar, who’sbeen studying with the singersince attending her workshopsin Ban in the late ’90s.

“How sincere she is with lyr-ics knocks me out and inspiresme,” ollar gushes. “Singinglyrics adds a dimension thatinstrumentalists just don’t getto work with, but it can some-

times go terribly wrong. Sing-ing lyrics sincerely and withreal honesty takes guts, wis-

dom and compassion.“Sheila has all those things

and more.”ollar irst heard Jordan —

who won the prestigious Mary 

Lou Williams Women in JazzAward or her lietime o serv-ice to jazz in 2008 — when shewas a teen. She says hearingher singing with just a bassistwas challenging and exciting.

“here was so much impro-vising,” she says. “I’d heard lotso jazz but I’d never heard asinger solo like that live beore.hat night I went home anddreamt that we were singingtogether on stage and I wokeup and thought how could that

ever happen since I hadn’t evensung in public at that point.”Forward-wind 10 years and

ollar is at the now-deunctop O’ he Senator hearingJordan perorming with a ullrhythm section.

Meeting her ater the show,ollar was struck by herwarmth and spirit.

“I could eel that she was anambassador or the music,”ollar recalls.

“She really wanted peopleto eel the passion she elt orjazz.”

ollar was inspired to attendJordan’s workshops in Ban 

in 1998 and ’99 and describesthose experiences as pivotal.“She’s taught me so many practical things like how tolead a band and put together

set lists, how to memorize lyr-ics and how to build reper-toire,” she says.

“She’s introduced me tomany o the standards that Iknow and sing today.”

I ask ollar i she’ll be pinch-ing hersel beore tomorrow’sspecial show with her mentor.

“I will be pinching mysel beore, ater and during thisshow!” she replies. “I’m going

to enjoy every minute o it.”

NOTE: Women in Jazz 3happens tomorrow at Gallery 345. 8 p.m. $20 adults/$15 sen-

iors/$10 students. 345 Sorau-ren Ave. For more inormation,call 416-822-9781. Sheila Jor-dan will be conducting a cou-ple o her jazz vocal workshopson Sunday at Gallery 345. Fortimes and prices, email yvette-tollar@hotmail.com

Visi Eo’s bog www.musicinhemessge.

bogspo.com

Treasa Levasseur celebtes theelese of 45-msingle tonight t

the Cmeon House. 408Queen St. W. 9 .m. & 11.m. $15 inclues co ofthe single.

The Jessica Stuart

Few helines tsunmi elief show

Sun t No One Witesto the Colonel. 8 .m.460 College St. pWyC.all ocees go to the

Cnin re Coss.

The Rattlesnake

Choir bings its ootsvibe to The dkot Tven

Mon. 249 Ossington ave.416-850-4579.

HEARThis!

Now

Errol’s can’t-miss list:

1

2

3

ErrOlNaZarEtH

Rhythms N Rhymes

Concert for Japan announced

Jzzing up new geneion

JOrdaNtOllar

Canada Rocks or Japan takes place April 14 at theSound Academy with tickets, $20, on sale now at tick-etmaster.com with all proceeds going to the Red CrossJapan relie eorts. No lineup has been announced butboth “signed and independent” acts will be on the billaccording to organizers.

In other concert news, comedian Russell Peters hasadded a third show at Casino Rama on May 4 due topopular demand with tickets, $65 and $80, on sale April6 (with an eight-ticket limit per customer) at the CasinoRama box ofce, icketmaster, by calling toll ree 1-877-599-RAMA (7262) or online at casinorama.com. His pre-

viously announced shows are May 5-6.— Jne Sevenson