Bastion Jazz Band

The Bastion Jazz Band - Traditional New Orleans Jazz

Pat Paterson: Clarinet and Leader
Alf Sleigh: Trombone and Vocals
Stephen Brown: Banjo, Guitar and Vocals
John Callan: Piano and Vocals
Frank Cassar: Tuba, Cornet, Bass Clarinet
Denny Box: Drums (not in photos)

In the News

Playing God's tune

The Bastion Jazz Band makes sweet sounds with the Oak Bay United Church

Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - By David Lennam
If there were such a thing as a quintessential Oak Bay band, perhaps this sextet would be it.

The Bastion Jazz Band players hold down a steady Sunday evening gig at The Blethering Place, are regulars at the summer's biggest bash - the Oak Bay Tea Party - and often lend their New Orleans-inspired sound to the services at the Oak Bay United Church.

The band will sit in with the Oak Bay United congregation again this Sunday from 3-4 pm, for something they call a "jazz" or "gospel service".

It's just like a regular church service" explained the band's founder Pat Paterson. "We'll paly gospel numbers and Reverend (Rob) Smith will say a few words, and possibly say something that has a connection to the music we play".

The 84-year-old Paterson, who was born and raised in Oak Bay, said the band's early New Orleans style of jazz comes from the 1920's and '30s, and runs the gamut from lively spirituals to authentic blues.

It's not exactly DixieLand, although it's a close cousin.

"It's different by a matter of degree, I guess," said the clarinet player. "Dixieland tends to get frantic and we don't. We're pretty close to the early New Orleans instrumentation, except that we don't have a trumpet player. But that doesn't seem to matter."

Paterson, who founded the Bastion Jazz Band in 1982, is joined by Alf Sleigh (trombone), John Callan (piano), Frank Cassar (tuba and bass clarinet) and Steve Brown (banjo) - each of whom brings a distinctive musical pedigree to the mix. The current lineup, which has been together for 11 years, was boosted by the recent addition of drummer Denny Box.

To illustrate how diverse the groups's roster is, Brown is head of the theory and composition department at Victoria's Conservatory of Music. He's also a composer of classical music and conductor of the St. Cecilia Orchestra.

Paterson suggested that sitting in with the Bastion bunch is probably cathartic for Brown.

"When he plays with us, it's to get all the classical crap out of his head," he laughed.

One of the reasons why Oak Bay United asked the Bastion Jazz Band to join its services was because music seemed to fit in well with the idea of an afternoon service, said Rev. Smith.

"Jazz is a wonderful medium of music and has deep spiritual and gospel roots. I was looking for a band - and ideally to have a variety of bands and musicians - who could come every so often and play their music... Music has a way of drawing people in and connecting with another part of the community".

Smith first caught the Basiton Jazz Band playing at a funeral he presided over and has had them performing at the church four times a year ever since. Each visit raises money for various charities and the band has helped collect more than $4000 at Oak Bay United Church.

Smith was also impressed by the obvious joy the band showed in what they were doing.

"I love these guys because they enjoy their music. It speaks through them," he said.

They're a pretty good fit musically as well, with their repertoire of spirituals and gospel tunes.

"It's very easy to listen to," said Paterson. "It's unhurried. It's not in your face. We don't play loud. We don't use amplification at all. 'Back to the basics', I guess you would say."

The Bastion Jazz Band has just released its second CD, Bastion Jazz Band at The Blethering Place, Take Two. The first, Taking it Easy at the Blethering Place, is now on its second printing.

Bios

Pat Paterson switched from an avid listener of classic jazz to a clarinet player in 1960. In a short time he formed The Wall City Stompers in Quebec City. A later posting in Ottawa led him to a seventeen year sojourn with The Capital City Jazz Band. Following his retirement to Victoria he co-founded BJB in 1982 with cornetist Jim Reid, and undertook leadership of the band in the mid 1990's. Pat's special fondness for the blues and for collective improvisation has helped to keep the sound of New Orleans alive in Victoria.

Alf Sleigh loves playing the tailgate trombone of New Orleans jazz. His playing is imbued with the spirit of Kid Ory, Jim Robinson and Jack Teagarden. Playing the trombone was a part of his upbringing. His father played trombone in the Royal Marines and The Canadian Army Band.

In his 1940's Kitsilano high school days he gravitated to New Orleans Jazz when he and his friends began listening to tunes like Louis Armstrong's 'Coal Cart Blues' and Johnny Dodd's 'Red Onion Blues'. In the 1960's he joined the St. Valentines Day Massacre Band and played regularly at the Hot Jazz Club in Vancouver. When Alf moved to Vancouver Island in the 1980s. he joined the Malahat Stompers, and then in Nanaimo, the Harbour City Jazz Band. Alf currently lives in Maple Bay and gladly makes the weekly drive over the Malahat, to play with the BJB.

Maestro Stephen Brown is a classical composer, conductor and teacher who has had a love of New Orleans jazz for many years. He began in 1975, a two year stint on piano, with Pete Savory's Louisiana Joymakers at Grossman's Tavern in Toronto, ON. He then added another ten years at the same venerable watering hole with Kid Bastian's Happy Pals. Switching to Denis Elder's Silverleaf Jazzmen in 1987, he performed regularly at the Chez Moi Tavern and Burgandys on Younge Street. In 1990, Stephen moved to Victoria, BC and in 1991, switching to banjo and five string guitar, he joined BJB. He began teaching at the Victoria Conservatory of Music in 1993 and became Head of the Theory and Composition Department in 1996. Stephen is also a senior theory examination designer and marker for the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto. He has composed many works, which include a symphony, a piano concerto, two song cycles, two overtures, two suites for orchestra and a missa brevis. His music is performed by the Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria Symphony Orchestras and the St. Cecilia Orchestra of Sidney and North Saanich, of which he is the artistic director and conductor. For more info on Stephen, please visit his website www.stephenbrown.ca.

John Callan joined the Bastion Jazz Band on piano in 1987, after he retired from the British Columbia Civil Service. Traditional New Orleans style was and is his first choice in music. In 1948, upon arrival from Scotland, he began collecting records of early jazz bands as well as popular Dixieland bands of the day. A trip to Los Angeles in 1952 was the experience of a lifetime. Here he attended performances of several well known West Coast jazz bands including the legendary George Lewis and his New Orleans Band. John looks forward all week to the band's Sunday performances at the Blethering Place. He says "helping the BJB to bring the New Orleans sound to life is great!".

Frank Cassar is a multi-talented musician. In his highschool years he studied piano and music theory at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Before joining the BJB Frank was a member of the Greater Victoria Concert Band for over twenty years playing trumpet, bass clarinet and tuba as needed. In the early 1980's he wrote arrangements of everything from ragtime to Bach fugues for his clarinet quartet - Licorice. In addition to playing tuba, bass clarinet and cornet in the BJB, Frank plays soprano cornet with The Savation Army Victoria Citadel Brass Ensemble and freelances as a classical trumpet player.

Denny Box - While growing up on Saltspring Island Denny habitually made rhythmic noises impulsevly on anything within reach, After moving to Vancouver, in 1986 (the Expo year), Denny bought his first drumset. After deciding to channel his percussive energy into a few garage bands, he joined brazillian percussion group Batucada BC in the early 90s, led by internationally acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Celso Machado (one of his most important learning experiences).

Now living in Victoria, he is an electrician by day, musician by night. Denny feels very privledged to play with the talented and very experienced musicians of the Bastion Jazz Band and is excited about the music and history of early jazz.