Underhill & Cass a formidable yet welcoming jam host duo

/TORONTO WEST/ Between the two of them, there’s probably no style of music that eclectic guitarist Wayne Cass and versatile sax player (and mayoral candidate) Richard Underhill aren’t comfortable playing. So when the billing for tonight’s show at The Painted Lady on Ossington Ave. in TO’s west end describes it as a “RockJazz Jam” the promoters aren’t just whistling “Dixie”.

I first met Cass about a fifteen or so years ago at a late-night jam session he was hosting upstairs at The Rivoli for the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival when the event was still fairly young and being allowed to serve after hours (back then last call was still 1 a.m.) till 3 a.m. was a huge novelty and attracted throngs of people who basically just wanted to keep drinking, Jazz music be damned. He proved to be an affable, approachable and unassuming guy but on stage his precision with the six-string and ability to both lead and follow the various combinations of players who joined him was impressive as hell. He was adding Rock and Blues stylings to the mix, which definitely helped some of the Jazz non-aficionados to redefine their perceptions of the genre. And I’m told he’s only gotten better.

I’d seen Underhill around in the same sort of milieus and of course his reputation as the founder of the Shuffle Demons, which helped rewrite the book on Bebop-Swing Jazz, and as a sideman with groups like Blue Rodeo and Barenaked Ladies, to name a few, obviously spoke to his lack of stodginess as a sax player.  But I really got to appreciate the enormity of his talent several years later at yet another late-night TO festival jam, which he was cohosting with Cass –this one at Supermarket.  As with Cass, I was impressed by this Juno-winning Canadian icon’s ability to do whatever was required to make the songs work when playing with sometimes total strangers and at other times with just the totally strange. They do a jam at the Lady about once a month and tonight they’ll be joined by Great Bob Scott and Wayne Pellarin to comprise the house band for what no doubt will be one more in a long series of nights of stellar music that either and both of these two veteran geniuses have delivered over long and fruitful careers. There’s no cover and the event at the club at 218 Ossington Ave. gets underway at 9 according to its website. -Gary 17, www.torontomoon.ca

LISTINGS:

Listings preceded by an asterisk (*) are repeating weekly events. Admission prices followed by a slash and minus (/-) after the amount indicates door charge with availability of cheaper rates for some purchases. /+ indicates stated price is minimum. Names of subscribers appear in bold and include a live link to their websites where applicable. Advertisers’ listings are in larger type, include live link to website and also have ad icon included in listings.

5-8> Leigh Graham Duo @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Jazz

6> John & Jen @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO

6:30> Amanda Tosoff Group @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz

7-9> The Double Cuts @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., TO West ~Western Swing; $8

*7-11> open jam with Wayne Buttery Band @ The Beacon, 146 45th St., Wasaga Beach

*7:30-10:30> Peter Griffin & BTBs @ Relish, 2152 Danforth Ave., TO East ~Jazz

7:30> Comhaltas Irish Slow Session @ Tranzac Club (Tiki Room), 292 Brunswick Ave. TO ~folk dancing

7:30> Trevor Giancola @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave. TO ~Jazz

7:30> open mic (signup starts at 7) @ Fionn MacCool’s Ajax, 32 Kingston Rd. E. Ajax

7:30> Cat fish Willey & The Buckle Busters @ Black Horse Pub, 452 George St. N., Peterborough

*8-12> Girls Night Out Jazz singers jam with Lisa Particelli, Peter Hill et al @ Chalkers, 247 Marlee Ave., TO North-West

*8> open jam with Juggernaut Jam Band featuring Andy Narsingh @ Rockpile East, 2878 Eglinton Ave. E., Scarborough

**8> open stage with 9 p.m. feature by Banoo Zan @ Fat Albert’s, 25 Cecil St. (Steelworkers Hall), TO ~Roots

8> Saxy Sady & The Jazz Cats @ Melange, 172 Main St., TO East ~Jazz

*8-1> open jam with Wednesday’s Child feat. Johnny Bootz Hutt @ Lola, 40 Kensington Ave., TO

8> Michael Danckert Quartette @ Monarchs Pub (Eaton Chelsea Hotel), 33 Gerrard St. W., TO ~Jazz

8> Lazersuzan @ The Only Café, 972 Danforth Ave., TO East

*8-11> Fraser-Daley @ Inter Steer, 357 Roncesvalles Ave. TO West ~Roots/Blues

8-1> Phil & John Show feat. Phil Naro @ Timothy’s Pub, 344 Brown’s Line, Etobicoke South ~Pop Rock

8-1> Songsmiths Showcase & open stage with host John Marlatt, sets by Jesse Parent; Tanner James; open stage follows @ Moonshine Café, 137 Kerr St., Oakville ~songwriters; $5/pwyc

*8-12> all-ages jam with The Brand New Low @ Sixth Line Pub, 1500 Sixth Line, Oakville

*8-11> open mic @ Frank’s Pasta, 426 King St. E., Cobourg

8:30> Mirabel Palmer-Elliot & Chloe Elliot @ Free Times Cafe, 320 College St., TO ~duo; $6

8:30> More Please! album release for Bounty @ Hugh’s Room, 2261 Dundas St. W., TO West ~original indie Folk-Pop/Folk-Rock; $18/-

*8:30> Crazy Strings host High Lonesome Wednesdays with opening acoustic act @ Silver Dollar 486 Spadina Ave., TO ~Bluegrass

*8:30> open mic with Jenn Fiorentino @ Earl Of Whitchurch, 6204 Main St., Stouffville

*8:30> Something Country @ The Endzone, 1900 King St. E., Hamilton ~Country

*8:45> Bradley & The Bouncers @ Reservoir Lounge, 52 Wellington St. E., TO ~Jazz/Blues/R&B

*9> open jam with Tommy Rocker’s Classic Rock show featuring Jim Cornell & members of Still Sunday @ The Loaded Dog, 1921 Lawrence St. E., Scarborough

9-12> Blues Night with Julian Fauth & guests @ Gate 403, 403 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~original Jun0-winning Blues

9> Whitebrow @ The Local, 396 Roncesvalles Ave., TO West ~Folk

9-12> Rye & Fairytales @ Bar Radio, 615 College St., TO ~Roots; pwyc

9>Wayne Cass Rock/Jazz jam with Richard Underhill; Wayne Pellarin @ The Painted Lady, 218 Ossington Ave., TO West ~original Pop Rock

*9?> open mic with Skip @ The Queen’s Legs, 286 Eglinton Ave. W., TO North

*9?> open mic with Sean Barker @ Monarch Tavern, 12 Clinton St., TO

9> The Split @ Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., TO West

*9?> jam with Michael Zane @ Shakers, 580 Kerr St., Oakville

*9-12> jam with Damage Control @ St. Louis Bar & Grill Ajax, 11 Harwood Ave. S., Ajax

9> Big Wind @ Simcoe Blues & Jazz, 926 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa

*9-1> open mic jam with Whiskey Birds @ Sweetz Lounge, 5289 Hwy 7, Woodbridge-Vaughan

9> The Blue Cheese Brothers @ The Red Garnet, 231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough ~dairy Blues

*9:30> open stage with Nicola Vaughan @ Black Swan (downstairs), 154 Danforth Ave., TO East

9:30> Buddy Aquilina Group @ The Rex, 194 Queen St. W., TO ~Jazz

*9:30-2> jam with Live Animals @ The Unicorn, 175 Eglinton Ave. E., TO North

9:45> Wednesdays Go Pop showcase with Kashew Butler; The Dead Projectionists; RocketRocketship @ Supermarket, 268 Augusta Ave., TO ~indie

10> Whitney Rose @ Cameron House (front), 408 Queen St. W., TO

10> Lotus Wight @ Tranzac Club (Southern Cross), 292 Brunswick Ave. TO

*10-2> Blues-Rock jam with Bruce Domoney @ Grossman’s, 379 Spadina Ave. TO

*10-2> Paul & Curtis @ Roc’n Doc’s, 105 Lakeshore Rd. E., Port Credit ~Rock/Pop

10:30> The Undercovers @ The Hideout, 484 Queen St. W., TO ~indie Rock

*10:30> The LMT Connection @ Orbit Room, 580 College St. TO ~Funk/R&B; $10

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