Caravan

Calgary jazz saxophonist and flutist John Reid has released a new CD called Caravan. The name Caravan resonates on three levels: it’s the name of this album, John Reid’s second commercial release; it’s the name of Reid’s Salsa-Afro-Cuban-Funk-Latin-Jazz instrumental combo, which had it’s debut in 1997 at the Calgary International Jazz Festival; and it’s the title of Duke Ellington and Juan Tizol’s 1937 composition, an early example of the fusion of Caribbean and Latin strains of black music and jazz. Given that the song became an early repertoire choice for the band recorded here and that it has such meaning in the idiom, it seemed to be a good choice for the band’s name.

The CD contains thirteen tracks, five originals and eight standards drawn from the Latin-Jazz canon, Cuban standards, and songs adapted to the band’s style.
It was recorded at the Mount Royal Collage Wright Theatre by Peter Bacsalmasi who is also the album’s producer.

John Charles Reid has been a professional musician in the Calgary, Alberta, Canada area since 1970. Co-founder of the Calgary International Jazz Festival, he is the full-time Prairie Director of the Canadian Music Centre (since 1988). Reid has taught Jazz History at the University of Calgary since 1980 and is the founder and Artistic Director of the jazz society of Alberta. He released his first album in 1993 titled Island Shuffle. Reid is married to Dr. Nancy Brager and has two children, Stuart and Lauren. His group travelled to perform at the Havana, Cuba International Jazz Festival in December 2002.

JOHN REID & DEREK STOLL

1. No Caboose

MIGUEL MATAMOROS

2. Son de la Loma

MONGO SANTAMARIA

3. Afro Blue

JOHN REID

4. Prince’s Island

JESUS “CHUCHO” VALDES

5. Mambo Influenciado

DON THOMPSON

6. Egberto

JOHN REID

7. Afternoon in Havana

STEVIE WONDER

8. Bird of Beauty

JOHN REID

9. Wisdom to Know the Difference

JOHN COLTRANE

10. Equinox

JOHN REID

11. Coral

STEVE SWALLOW

12. Falling Grace

DUKE ELLINGTON & JUAN TIZOL

13. Caravan