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In A Mellow Tone
Wednesday August 28th, 2024 with Ian M
Jazz at the Chateau, 1982-84, part 1: the guitarists.

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For two years, Ottawa jazz fans had the opportunity to hear some jazz greats in a club setting, 6 days a week. This series will profile many of the artists who appeared there, starting with guitarists: Herb Ellis, Ed Bickert, Lenny Breau, Jim Hall, Laurindo Almeida, Charlie Byrd, Gene Bertoncini, Emily Remler, Tal Farlow, Barney Kessel and Peter Leitch
This Herb Ellis live recording was done in 1995, with pianist Bill MacDonough, bassist Chuck Israels, and Canadian drummer John Nolan
Days of Wine and Roses
Herb Ellis - An Evening with Herb Ellis - Jazz Focus, 1997
The Shadow of your Smile
Herb Ellis - An Evening with Herb Ellis - Jazz Focus, 1997
Gone with the Wind
Ed Bickert - The Guitar Mastery of Ed Bickert - Dominic Sciscente Music, 1996 Canadian
Easy Living
Ed Bickert - The Guitar Mastery of Ed Bickert - Dominic Sciscente Music, 1996 Canadian
My Funny Valentine
Lenny Breau - Live at Bourbon St. - True North Records, 1995 Canadian
I Fall in Love to Easily
Lenny Breau - Live at Bourbon St. - True North Records, 1995 Canadian
For the bio of Lenny and his tragic end, you can check out: https://lennybreau.com/bio/
The Way You Look Tonight
Jim Hall - Jim Hall Live! - A & M Records, 2003
Scrapple from the Apple
Jim Hall - Jim Hall Live! - A & M Records, 2003
Slaughter on Tenth Avenue
Laurindo Almeida - Artistry in Rhythm - Concord Jazz, 1984
Manha De Carnival
Charlie Byrd - Latin Impressions - Riverside Records, 2012
Coisa Mais Linda (A Most Beautiful Thing)
Charlie Byrd - Latin Impressions - Riverside Records, 2012
Chopin Prelude/How Insensitive
Gene Bertoncini - Someone to Light Up My Life - Chiaroscuro Records, 2005
In A Sentimental Mood
Emily Remler - Firefly - Concord Jazz, 1981
Funkallero
David Benoit (feat. Emily Remler) - Waiting for Spring - GRP, 1989
Emily Remler died of a heart attack in 1990 at the age of 32 - https://artsfuse.org/188483/arts-remembrance-emily-remler-the-short-life-and-sad-death-of-a-jazz-guitarist/
Angel Eyes
Tal Farlow - Trilogy - Inner City Records, 1981
Satin Doll
Tal Farlow and Lenny Breau - Chance Meeting - True North Records, 1997 Canadian
Embraceable You
Barney Kessel - Live at the Jazz Mill 1954 - Modern Harmonic, 2016
April in Paris
Barney Kessel - Easy Like - Contemporary Records, 1956
Trinkle, Trinkle
Peter Leitch - Exhilaration - Reservoir Music, 1991 (reissue) Canadian
Engineered by Rudy Van Gelder, and Billy Hart on drums with Pepper Adams on sax.
Duke Ellington's Sound of Love
Peter Leitch - Colours and Dimensions - Reservoir Music, 1995 Canadian
Interactive CKCU
Ian Mackenzie (host)
Welcome to the 80s on In A Mellow Tone!

8:59 PM, August 28th, 2024
Ron Steeds
Ah, the old days when my friends and I would head down and catch whoever was playing at the Cock & Lion on Thursday night. There was no cover charge on Thursdays so we’d buy a beer and nurse it all night. Then we go back on Friday and/or Saturday night, pay the cover and buy a couple more beers. We saw so many amazing jazz masters while the C&L was up and running! We felt like kings then.

9:14 PM, August 28th, 2024
Ian Mackenzie (host)
Yes, I was just a poor student then, but did manage to catch a few stellar performances, although not as many as (in retrospect) I would have liked!

9:15 PM, August 28th, 2024
Ron Steeds
One of the highlights for me was getting to see and hear Zoot Sims before he passed away in ‘85. He sat on a stool almost all night but it felt like we were the presence of jazz royalty.

9:27 PM, August 28th, 2024
Ian Mackenzie (host)
He appeared twice at the Cock and Lion - I was there for his second performance in January 1984. A memorable performance!

9:30 PM, August 28th, 2024
Ron Steeds
That was the one I was at too!

9:32 PM, August 28th, 2024
Ian Mackenzie (host)
Where were you sitting? (Just kidding).

9:33 PM, August 28th, 2024
Ron Steeds
Believe it or not, I remember…one of the nights (either Thursday or Friday). Zoot was sitting on a stool stage right. We were two or three tables back on the right facing the stage.

10:00 PM, August 28th, 2024
Ian Mackenzie (host)
We were close too - my recollection not as strong as yours! I was there with my wife-to-be.

10:01 PM, August 28th, 2024
Ian Mackenzie (host)
I was there for Laurindo Almeida and Charlie Byrd - definitely both highlight performances

10:04 PM, August 28th, 2024
Ron Steeds
So cool!

10:04 PM, August 28th, 2024
Ron Steeds
Did not catch them. Wish I had!

10:06 PM, August 28th, 2024
Ian Mackenzie (host)
Checked with the wife and we were on the left for Zoot.

10:08 PM, August 28th, 2024
Ron Steeds
Still, in the same room! What are the odds?

10:18 PM, August 28th, 2024
Ian Mackenzie (host)
We were there on the Friday - but quite likely the same night!

10:22 PM, August 28th, 2024
Ian Mackenzie (host)
Thanks for listening to this recollection of the Cock and Lion experiment!

10:52 PM, August 28th, 2024
Ian Mackenzie (host)
Stay tuned for Part 2 in the Fall.

10:55 PM, August 28th, 2024
Gerald B.
Hi Ian M: thanks for this show on the jazz at the Chateau. It's a venue I've thought about from time to time -- when exactly was it? who organized it? and, of course, who played there? Your show answered a lot of these questions. I saw Lenny Breau, but not nobody else. I was more a rock guy than a jazz guy, at that time. Looking forward to part II. I was particularly excited to hear Peter Leitch. This summer I read his biography 'Off the Books; A Jazz Life'. I got it from the library and it was a very interesting story of his life, the jazz scenes in Montreal, Toronto and NYC. A very honest account of his career and life, not something you always get in music bios. Cheers/.

7:40 PM, September 1st, 2024
Ian Mackenzie (host)
Thanks Gerald - not sure if you’ll check back or not, but I too recently read the Peter Leitch book (we probably read the same library copy!). It was a pretty honest account, I thought. Reminded me of the Fred Hersch memoir as well - some real insights into the artist and his motivations.

1:06 PM, September 2nd, 2024
Gerald B
Ian: thanks for getting back to me. I found Peter’s description of the music scenes in Montreal, pretty varied and challenging, and Toronto, staid and Dixie, very interesting. I haven’t read the Fred Herschel memoir but will look it up. I had a feeling that Brian Browne was involved with the Chateau bookings but I’m probably wrong on that. Best.

8:32 PM, September 2nd, 2024
Ian Mackenzie (host)
It's quite possible that he was involved in a supporting role, but not sure if he was a headliner. And the Hersch book is also available at the library - i recently returned it!

12:10 PM, September 3rd, 2024