Que. quartet brings unique sound to 'high energy' show
Joanne Villeneuve

A Hammond organ, with its unique timbre, will be brought in from Winnipeg for a performance of the Gale/Rodrigues jazz quartet.

The musicians, who hail from Montreal, will perform tomorrow evening at The Music Studio.

Manning the multi-keyboarded and buttoned electric instrument will be Vanessa Rodrigues, who started her training on piano.

"I've always loved the sound of pipe organ. As kid, whenever I heard it, I was always very excited. It's a very powerful sound. But, I never had an opportunity to get into it until much later," she said from her home earlier this week.

A university friend's Hammond organ and an introduction to a Tower of Power recording opened the door to her career.

"That organ solo from 'Squib Cakes' really inspired me. When I heard it, I thought: 'I want to do that.'" she said, adding that it took her at least a half hour to figure out how to play her friend's Hammond. "It's a whole complicated process to turn it on and then figuring out what's connected to what. Then, there's two keyboards, but once I got a sound out of it, it chose me."

The style of jazz this foursome produces is described by Rodrigues as 1960s hard bop/soul jazz - with organ.

"It's very high energy, but not all the songs that we do are fast, and it's accessible. It's not out there and avant-garde," she said. "It's very groovy, soulful music. There are improvised solos, but it's always in the context of a groove that's happening. It's very melodic and very rhythmic. It's never completely free and spacy."

The group - Rodrigues on Hammond organ, saxophonist Chris Gale, guitarist Mike Rud and drummer Morgan Childs - is touring Western Canada with other stops in Saskatoon, Regina, Edmonton, Calgary, Medicine Hat, Alta., Invermere, B.C., and Vancouver.

Other Hammond organs will be borrowed along the route.

The Gale/Rodrigues concert in Brandon will get underway on Sunday at 8 p.m.

Tickets will be available at the door.


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