Jazz enthusiasts, get ready! Today we’re shining a light on three beautiful jazz festivals in the province. And on Carl Mayotte, virtuosic jazz bassist, who is bringing his quintet from Quebec City to play at all three.
Mayotte tried out various instruments as a kid but when he picked up a bass guitar at 13, his fate was sealed.
“To be honest there was really a magic between the instrument and me when I played for the first time,” he says. “I really felt something and I thought ‘okay, I think this might change my life.’ And it did.”
He was playing professionally by 16. Now, at 31, he has his master’s degree in jazz performance from McGill and eight solo or co-produced albums. Playing bass is the only job he’s ever had, he says.
His quintet came together about six years ago. It was around the same time that he started working on putting together a western Canada jazz festival tour. Now it’s happening!
“I’m really excited about it because I worked so hard to make it happen,” he says. “Contacting everyone, making sure it all aligned, finding the money. I started about five years ago and now it’s real.”
It comes in the midst of a busy touring year, as they play near-constant concerts throughout Canada. Their high-energy jazz fusion and youthful exuberance makes for a fun show.
“People are going to find us very energetic when we’re onstage. We have a lot of fun. Our music is very upbeat and we are really upbeat on stage too.”
He says he loves connecting with audiences.
“It’s really important to me because when you connect with the eyes you tend to open the ears and they listen more,” Mayotte says. “Especially with the instrumental jazz fusion that we do, it can be harder for some people if they’re not used to it, if they are used to music with lyrics. The connection makes them more open to our music.”
While he loves, and plays, many genres, jazz fusion has been his focus since he first picked up a bass.
“I think that’s the thing I love the most about jazz. Every show you’re going to see, it’s going to be different. You never know what’s going to happen. It’s just at this moment and it’s never going to happen again. I really love this.”
The Carl Mayotte Quintet is playing at TD Edmonton International Jazz Festival, Medicine Hat JazzFest and Jazz YYC, all in June.
To learn more about these festivals, check our on-air previews:
TD Edmonton International Jazz Festival: Host Kodi Hutchinson spoke to festival executive director and artistic director, Kent Sangster, on Thursday, June 12. He played songs from the fest’s lineup, including Mike Stern, Brekky Boy, The Sahil Chugh Trio and Edmonton favourite Audrey Ochoa. Listen OnDemand until June 23.
Medicine Hat JazzFest: Host Tony King spoke to Gerry Herbert, Executive Director, and performers Sanah Kadoura and Rubim de Toledo on Monday, June 16. Listen OnDemand until June 24.
Jazz YYC Summer Festival: Listen as host Jeff Kynoch interviews Kodi Hutchinson, the Executive Artistic Director of the Jazz YYC Summer Festival, on This Just In, Friday, June 20 at 10am.
“Abracadabra” by the Carl Mayotte Quintet
