SKT, H, YT, NA, G

Today I walked 10 kilometers to eat dinner and to sample some fare from the Steve Koven Trio. I'd first heard of the trio on CBC Fresh Air and after having heard some samples on their website I was hooked. But as some jazz pianists are better composers than live performers, I needed to see if SKT was the real deal and when better to do this than a free concert at a café/diner/bar on a cloudy Sunday afternoon? It turned out to be one of the best concert's I've been to in a long time and one of the better jazz concerts. In my opinion, any sort of jazz can be listened to on the radio while you're working or cooking. However, live jazz must include energy or else I'll get bored, distracted and/or sleepy. This concert mustered energy, improv, skill and entertainment. Congrats, trio, you have converted me into a fan!

3 hours prior to that I was on the west side of the Humber River buying more concert tickets. In keeping with my jazz interests I am booked to go see Hiromi at the Markham Theatre this coming Saturday evening. Then, Yann Tiersen one of my long-awaited artists is coming to town on February 22. His last concert in Toronto got mixed reviews, so we'll see how it goes. Next, the singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins will be onstage at The Horseshoe, a venue I have never been to. And finally, a week after I get back from California I will be going to see another long-awaited favourite artist of mine, Guster.

By the way, none of these artists are playing in Ottawa. That is why it's good to be back, if only for a while.