The Jazz Festival is upon us once again and there is an incredible amount of great music happening in the city. As usual, our faculty and alumni are playing somewhere every day and every venue - often at multiple gigs in a day. We're everywhere!
Here is a partial list of Cap Jazz people playing somewhere this week (I'm sure I have missed quite a few.....)
Today we continue our profile of Capilano Jazz Studies faculty members with a feature on Steve Kaldestad. Steve teaches saxophone, small ensembles, class woodwinds, sight singing and ear training at Cap. He is also one of our fair city's first-call saxophone players leading his own quintet and performing with The Nightcrawlers, Jodi Proznick Quartet, Hard Rubber Orchestra, Jared Burrows Sextet and many others. You can learn more about Steve at his website. Here are his responses to the Proust Questionnaire.
What is your idea of earthly happiness?
1.To watch my two daughters grow up.
2.A happy home, with a practice shed in the back garden
3.Oh, and a well-paying local gig 4 nights a week with my favourite musicians.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
To lose one's passion for the important things: music, teaching, learning, life, food, nature, friendship.
Where would you like to live?
London/New York/Montreal/Vancouver in equal parts
To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
Well, when I lived in Montreal I devoted WAY too much time seeking out the city's best Pain au Chocolat. Way too much time. When I lived in England I spent a LOT of time trying to hunt down the perfect pint. So, well, whatever that fault is.
Who are your favourite characters in history?
Darwin, Newton, Einstein, Coltrane
Who are your favourite heroines in real life?
All the mothers of the world
Your favourite painter?
My friend, local artist Paul Morstad, because his painting is truthful, humble, and humorous.
Your favourite musician?
Too many! If I had to choose one I'd say Barry Harris. Lee Konitz is up there. And of course Coltrane.
The quality you most admire in a man?
Intelligence
The quality you most admire in a woman?
Intelligence again
Your favourite virtue?
Humility
Who would you have liked to be?
I'd happily be me again, but without quitting the piano lessons as a child.
Your most marked characteristic?
My socialness
What do you most value in your friends?
Loyalty and truthful counsel
What is your principle defect?
That I often get overwhelmed with 'things to do' and opt for 'none-of-the-above' over a coffee and pastry.
What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes?
To live one's life without the opportunity to pursue one's joy, one's passion.
What is your favorite color?
"Blue. No, Yellow - AHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhh"
What is your favorite flower?
Wildflowers
What is your favorite bird?
Jay (Eurasian)
Who are your favorite prose writers?
Robertson Davies, Milan Kundera
Who are your favorite poets?
William Shakespeare
Who are your heroes in real life?
Environmentalists and social justice warriors
Who are your favorite heroines of history?
Susan B Anthony, Jane Goodall. How can you pick only a few?
What natural gift would you most like to possess?
Resistance to stress. And some cooking abilities would be nice.
How would you like to die?
Very old and fit, with all my faculties. Perhaps a gigantic boulder could fall on my practice shed while I'm in it playing through Body and Soul in all the keys.
What is your motto?
Be grateful.
Here is Steve and his marvelously swinging quintet playing Shimmy, a contrafact on Fats Waller's Jitterbug Waltz.
The Jazz Festival is upon us once again and there is an incredible amount of great music happening in the city. As usual, our faculty and alumni are playing somewhere every day and every venue - often at multiple gigs in a day. We're everywhere!
