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Chris Clay
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May 20, 2007 - 1:40 PM
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Smooth Jazz awards at LAC

Expect a few changes when the 3rd annual Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards take place this Friday at the Living Arts Centre.
The gala ceremony, designed to celebrate the best in smooth jazz music, has expanded its scope and will present awards to both a vocalist and instrumentalist in the international category. As well, show organizers have secured well-known acts from across Canada and the United States, including Americans Brian Culbertson and Nick Colionne as well as Canadian trumpeter Gabriel Mark Hasselbach, to perform at the gala.
Also, a member of the audience will win a cabin on the 2008 Brian Culbertson All-Star Cruise in San Diego.
"There's no other awards show (celebrating smooth jazz) that I'm aware of," said show producer Mary Kirk. "I think many American artists look at this as their awards show, too. They're all members of the smooth jazz family, whether they're Canadian or otherwise."
This year's event has a strong Mississauga contingent.
Chris Smith has been nominated in the Male Vocalist of the Year category and will go head-to-head with big-name acts Matt Dusk and Marc Jordan. Another Mississauga artist, Rik Emmett, is nominated in the Guitarist/Bassist of the Year category as well as Group/Duo of the Year and Album of the Year for his work with Dave Dunlop and the Strung-Out Troubadours.
Guitarist Robert Tardik will keep the crowd going at the after-party, providing entertainment with saxophonist Carson Freeman.
The evening's host is Alexander Zonjic, who's nominated for two awards. There will also be a presentation of the 2007 Benson Lifetime Achievement Award to Jay Beckenstein and his band, Spyro Gyra. The band's latest release, Wrapped In A Dream, was nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category.
The show starts with a performance by Toronto's Four80East.
"They're rising stars and they just released their fourth CD (En Route) that's already charting," said Kirk. "Every year, we've outdone ourselves in terms of the artists we have performing. The calibre of artists is quite high."
Organizers say the show will appeal to a wide variety of music fans.
"Personally, I don't consider smooth jazz as a genre of music, but rather a radio format with broad appeal," said Kirk. "You don't have to be a (music) insider to appreciate what's happening at the show."
Show time is 8 p.m. Tickets cost $60-$90.
Call 905-306-6000.
For more information, visit www.canadiansmoothjazzawards.com.
cclay@mississauga.net

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