Keith Lacey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Penticton Herald
[Keith Lacey] Several of the region’s most accomplished jazz musicians have once again teamed up to release a new recording featuring their favourite vocal jazz compositions.
The Crawford/Crossley Group has been performing and recording together since 2015. At the heart of the ensemble’s work are original vocal jazz compositions, most written by veteran musician Larry Crawford.
Now 87, Crawford is a celebrated Canadian performer whose career includes playing on the original Sesame Street television program, as well as touring with Liberace, Sammy Davis Jr. and Harry Belafonte.
Alongside Crawford and lyricist/arranger Allan Crossley, the group features Yanti, the popular vocalist from Naramata, as well as longtime sidemen Scott Gamble on drums and Stefan Bienz on bass.
For their latest recording, So Many Memories, the group was joined by Kelowna-based saxophonist and music educator Craig Thomson.
“We’ve just released the album and we’re pretty excited about it,” said Crossley, who taught music at Summerland Secondary School for more than 10 years.
Crossley said performing alongside Crawford on a regular basis over the past four decades has been one of the highlights of his musical career.
The Crawford/Crossley Group is pictured at the conclusion of a recent performance at The Dream Cafe in this file photo.
Crawford is not only a prolific composer and arranger, but also a multi-instrumentalist who plays saxophone, flute, clarinet, piccolo and virtually all woodwind and reed instruments.
He spent much of his life in Winnipeg, where he frequently served as a bandleader when major touring artists passed through the city.
“He’s settled back in his hometown of Summerland,” Crossley said. “So we decided to get back together and record our third album of original tunes as a group. He’s nearing the end of his playing days, which makes this release especially meaningful.”
Crossley first met Crawford more than 45 years ago, in 1980.
“He had retired from the military and moved back to Summerland, where he grew up,” Crossley said. “I was a fledgling band teacher at the time, and he offered to come out and help with the bands at Summerland Secondary. We became friends then and have remained close ever since.”
After Crossley retired from teaching, the two became more focused on recording and performing together.
“I’ve probably played jazz piano with Larry 300 to 400 times in the past 10 years alone,” he said.
“We eventually expanded into a jazz quartet with Scott Gamble on drums — who was one of my students back in 1980 — and Stefan Bienz on bass. Stefan is in high demand and plays with many groups across the region.”
Yanti, who has a large and loyal following throughout the Okanagan Valley, has been featured on all three of the group’s albums.
“Having her vocal talents showcased has been a fantastic experience,” Crossley said.
So Many Memories was recorded live to tape in Crossley’s living room, a process he said worked exceptionally well.
“It was done live off the floor, which is the best way to record jazz in my opinion,” he said. “It really captures the interaction between the musicians.”
Crossley has been promoting the album by sending it to jazz radio stations across British Columbia.
A concert scheduled for Jan. 14 at the Frank Venables Theatre in Oliver was cancelled, but Crossley is hopeful the group will perform several shows across the region in the coming months.
While jazz has never been the most commercially dominant genre in North America, Crossley said it has endured for decades and continues to resonate with a dedicated audience.
“There are so many forms of jazz,” he said. “There’s traditional, old-school jazz, vocal jazz — which this album focuses on — and modern jazz, which some people might find a bit out there. There’s also big band jazz, including groups here in the South Okanagan like the Thursday Night Jazz Band and the South Okanagan Big Band.
“I like to think there’s a form of jazz that appeals to everyone if they give it a chance.”
Crossley also pointed to the strong jazz influences in popular rock bands such as Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago and Steely Dan.
“I grew up listening to all of that,” he said. “But jazz has always been my fallback. It’s what I love playing the most.”
Performing alongside Crawford for more than four decades remains a thrill, he added.
“Larry has been a friend, mentor and inspiration,” Crossley said. “He’s admired by jazz musicians up and down the Valley for his incredible creativity.
“I feel very fortunate to have shared the stage with him, helped write lyrics and contributed arrangements to his amazing tunes. He’s written literally hundreds of compositions, and bringing this latest group of songs to life — with Yanti singing them — was a wonderful experience.”
The group’s previous albums, Images of You and Right Where We Belong, were released seven and eight years ago, respectively.
The new recording is available online at www.summerlandmusic.com where listeners can also access the group’s Bandcamp page to hear the songs.
Visit the takenote.ca HOME page for a colourful display of hundreds of other blogs which may interest or inspire you
Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 
Leave a comment