Album Notes

Intellectually satisfying music also swings like crazy

CD REVIEWS Fred Stride's Forward Motion keeps the rhythm section and horns on their toes

Fred Stride Jazz Orchestra
Forward Motion
Cellar Live
****

If you ask a musician, a music student or a student's parent, you'll get a glowing opinion of Fred Stride. Unfortunately not many other people know about him.

Composer, arranger and bandleader Stride has been something of a Western Canadian icon, putting generations of student musicians through their paces. And we're not talking basic exercises here; he writes charts that would challenge the most seasoned of professionals.

Want proof? Check out Forward Motion, a collection of six original compositions (including the four-movement Machina: A Concerto for Jazz Orchestra) on which 22 professionals accept the challenge.

The selections include Gently Swaying, a latin number in 7/4 time that cooks and features a great solo from tenor saxophonist Jon Bentley. A Few Shades Darker sounds like a film noir score written by someone outside the mainstream, with a touch of humour added by trumpeter Derry Byrne, who redefines the adjective "sassy." Oddly Enough is a rhythmic number where five members of the reeds section take up the clarinet.

The closing concerto, like all the tracks here, keeps the rhythm section and horns on their toes with changes of tempo, odd time signatures and challenging voicings. And while the music has an intellectual quality, it swings like crazy.

If you're unfamiliar with Fred Stride, this recording offers a great way to find out what he's all about.

Mark Andrews, Vancouver Sun


Fred Stride finds himself working in many forms of music - from jazz to pop to classical. Although he is principally known for his many compositions and arrangements for jazz ensemble, he has also written countless arrangements for various entertainers and performers for almost every musical setting, from chamber ensembles to big bands, concert bands, theatre orchestra and symphony orchestra. As well as his many jazz compositions, which are played by high school and university bands around the world, Fred has also been commissioned to write non-jazz works for the CBC Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, several Canadian Armed Forces Bands, the Brampton Concert Band, the Pacific Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the University of Victoria Wind Symphony, as well as several elementary and high school concert bands.

Fred is also active as a band leader and guest conductor. He currently leads his own Fred Stride Jazz Orchestra which, besides playing works by Fred and members of the band, performs classic jazz repertoire - such as the Stan Kenton/Johnny Richards “Cuban Fire Suite,” Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s arrangement of “The Nutcracker Suite,” Ron Collier's arrangement of Oscar Peterson’s “Canadiana Suite” and Duke Ellington’s major opus “Black, Brown and Beige.” Several of these performances have been recorded and broadcast on CBC radio. As well as his very busy professional career, Fred also finds time to direct the jazz ensemble and teach jazz theory and arranging at the University of British Columbia School Of Music. He also works as a clinician, adjudicator and teacher at various music festivals, summer camps and jazz workshops across the country.

Fred Stride is an associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League Of Composers. Many of his jazz compositions are published by Sierra Music Publications.