Here are some of the press releases that have gone out in the past....
Concert Review - Nov. 27/03
From: The Winnipeg Free Press, Monday December 1, 2003
Written By: Chris Smith
Caught in the act: One of the best bands I've heard in a long time. Saxophonist Janice Finlay leading a quartet with pianist Ron Paley, bassist Steve Kirby and drummer Kelly Marques at the Winnipeg Art Gallery Thursday night as part of a Week of Good Sax.
It was one of those nights when great musicians play great material (by Finlay, Paley and Kirby) to a receptive audience (nearly a full house). It was a night when four musicians click so well that the level of playing they achieve hit the heights.
The show opened with Marques alone onstage playing a funky beat before the others came out and joined in on a funkified version of Tadd Dameron's Hot House that told the audience, upfront, that the rhythm section was cookin' - and it kept the music on the boil all night.
Finlay had all her guns out: flute and soprano, tenor and baritone saxes, but spent more time with her favourites, the alto and tenor. It was however, the first time in all the years I've known her that I heard her play the bari, on a rearranged John Williams' piece from her recent guest spot with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
Paley was a delight throughout, but especially on his compositions Believe in Time and I Just Got Started. Marques was a gem and it was fun to see him in a setting where he really could stretch out, and meld his skills as a drummer and percussionist, especially on the Kirby tune Mozambique.
Kirby is, simply, a monster player whose presence onstage seems to be enough to up the musical ante.
The concert was recorded by C.B.C. Radio 2 and you can hear it Dec. 7 at noon on Arts Encounters. I recommend it.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 3, 2002
McNally
Robinson’s Michael Walsh congratulates Janice Finlay for outstanding CD sales
“When
I walked into Alley Catz and saw it overflowing with jazz fans who came
especially to celebrate the launch of she’s hip I was
overwhelmed!” says Finlay.
A
four-star review of the CD in the Winnipeg Free Press added momentum to
the release of she’s hip.
In fact, Michael Walsh, music buyer for McNally-Robinson Booksellers,
reports that Finlay’s CD was the store’s number two seller for the month of
November. Finlay also played to a
packed house at the bookstore in mid-November and signed a number of copies of
her CD for enthusiastic customers.
On
November 23rd, Finlay received more great news.
For the second consecutive year, Winnipeg fans voted her TOP SAX
at the conclusion of the Week of Good Sax. Organized by saxophonist David
Hasselfield, this annual event features numerous performances by several of
Winnipeg’s best sax players. This
year it also included a saxophone tournament that saw saxophonists going head to
head in friendly musical competition!
she’s
hip has
been receiving significant local and national airplay, including rotation on
CBC’s galaxie continuous music network.
In yet another terrific piece of news Finlay’s CD was named as one of
the three must-have jazz CDs of 2002 in the December issue of GalaxieMAG.
Finlay
is understandably thrilled about the positive reception her debut CD is getting
and is presently working on plans to increase her national exposure.
Please visit www.classactmusic.com
for more information.
CLASS ACT MUSIC PRODUCTIONS
presents a CD launch party for saxophonist JANICE FINLAY’S new feature CD
release:
she’s
hip
Alley
Catz Bar at Canad Inns – Fort Garry
she’s hip.
The title says it all!
Uber jazz saxophonist Janice Finlay’s long-awaited
feature CD showcases her swinging, soulful playing on a sizeable number of
original compositions and arrangements. Although
the tunes and interpretations are fresh, Finlay does not stray too far from her
swing and bop era roots. Playing on
she’s hip is inspired, melodies are lyrical, grooves are
infectious and simple beauty reigns on the ballads.
Finlay was joined in Winnipeg for the March 2002 recording
session by a stellar cast drawn from across the country.
Hugh Fraser (piano and trombone) and Mike Herriott
(trumpet) hail from Canada’s west coast, while top-call bassist Mike Downes
is a former Winnipegger now living in Toronto
Local musicians Ron Halldorson (guitar), Kelly Marques
(drums) and Christian Dugas (percussion) also add their superb talents to
the project. The CD was produced by
Larry Roy, who also makes a guest appearance on guitar on Juan’s
Song. Howard Rissin was
session engineer, while post-production engineering was carried out by Larry
Roy.
The CD launch party promises to be
a memorable night of sizzling hot jazz. Finlay,
whom fans voted Winnipeg’s top sax in 2001, will be joined by an
outstanding west coast contingent of Hugh Fraser, Ken Lister (bass) and Dave
Robbins (drums), as well as Winnipeg’s Larry Roy on guitar.
Special guests, pianist George Reznik and vocalist Gary
Grosvenor, will provide entertainment before the main show begins.
Tickets for the launch are $10 each and are available by calling 694-SHOW
or by visiting the front desk at the Canad Inn – Fort Garry.
On the Boathouse Record label, the CD will be available in
select stores
For more information visit www.classactmusic.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 24, 2002
Plans are underway for a Fall release of She's Hip, a full-length CD project featuring the stellar saxophone playing of Janice Finlay. Produced by Larry Roy, Finlay was able to compile a "dream team" for the recording sessions, which included Hugh Fraser (piano/trombone), Mike Downes (bass), Mike Herriott (trumpet), Ron Halldorson (guitar) and Kelly Marques (drums). Howie Rissin engineered the two days of recording at MidCanada Production studios in March 2002.
The CD will feature mainly original compositions which have been created by Finlay over the past decade, as well as specially arranged versions of Georgia, In a Mellow Tone and Gabriel Faure's Pavane.
While there is still work to be done on the CD before its release, initial interest in the project has been strong.
Manitoba Film and Sound will assist with the financing of the project.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 15, 2002
Winnipeg music lovers can take advantage of a number of opportunities to hear Winnipeg saxophonist Janice Finlay perform during the upcoming summer months.
On June 16, 2002 the Janice Finlay Jazz Quintet will appear as part of the JazzWinnipeg Festival at Old Market Square. This free concert will start at 6:45 p.m. and feature music from Janice's upcoming CD She's Hip.
On June 17, 2002, Janice will be one of the four horn players performing as part of the Jazz with Strings concert at P.T.E., this year's Manitoba Night offering from the JazzWinnipeg Festival. The concert begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are available at the door.
Janice shares conducting duties with Richard Gillis at P.T.E. on June 18, 2002 as the Manitoba Junior Honour Jazz Band struts its stuff. Following two weeks of intensive preparation, both the junior and senior groups will present a variety of jazz material during the concert which begins at 8 p.m. and features special guest Ingrid Jensen on trumpet.
The Swing Cats will perform at the JazzWinnipeg Festival on June 19, 2002 on the patio at the Empire Club. Expect great music as the Cats present a few Winnipeg premieres and, as always, lots of fun. Showtime is 9 p.m. and admission is a $10 wristband.
If you missed the Janice Finlay Jazz Quartet at the jazz festival, come out to the Lyric theatre at Assiniboine Park on Thursday, July 4, 2002. This one-hour show starts at 7:30 and admission is free!
The Swing Cats will kick off this year's Jazz on the Rooftop series at the Winnipeg Art Gallery on Thursday, July 18th. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Why not enjoy a great barbeque beforehand (for an extra charge) and make a wonderful evening of it? You can also pick up the band's CD, The Swing Cats Live: Every Night & Every Day or do your Christmas shopping early by choosing from a selection of extraordinary band merchandise including t-shirts, hats, ties etc.
On Wednesday, August 28, 2002, you can catch Janice with the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra at the Lyric Theatre (Assiniboine Park) for a free concert that starts at 7:30 p.m.
End your summer with some old style fun at the Lyric Theatre (Assiniboine Park) on August 29th at 7:30 p.m. with the Tribute to Benny show Janice has created. It's not often that Janice gets a chance to feature her clarinet playing and she has great company - Tim Cummings (guitar), Jason Munroe (bass) and Rob Siwik (drums). Best of all, it's free!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 20, 2002
Artist
own Warm-up Act?
Inclement
Weather Creates Unusual Musical Double-header
A rainy fourth of July has created a rather unusual situation
at the Lyric Theatre – a musician who will provide her own warm-up act!
Well-known
Winnipeg jazz saxophonist Janice Finlay was originally
scheduled to present a quintet concert July 4th featuring music from
her feature CD, She’s Hip, which has a planned October release
date. After the show was rained
out, it was decided that the quintet performance would be added to the Tribute
to Benny Goodman show Finlay already had planned for Thursday, August
29th at 7:30 p.m. at the Lyric Theatre.
The resulting playbill will see Finlay’s “Goodman” band (Finlay
on clarinet, with Tim Cummings, guitar, Jason Munroe, bass and Rob
Siwik, drums) in the unusual position of “warming up” for her jazz quintet!
Voted “top sax” last November by Winnipeg fans, Finlay also plays a
mean “licorice stick”, having learned clarinet as a junior high concert band
student before taking up saxophone and following the siren of jazz. In fact, it was Finlay’s clarinet playing that first
piqued Ron Paley’s interest in her musical talents,
spawning a long musical association between the two.
Finlay is
fervently hoping for clear weather while also looking forward to presenting a
“mini” jazz history lesson; musical selections span a time-frame that begins
in the 30’s and ends with a composition written in January of this year!
The concert is free.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 3, 2001
Fans
name JANICE FINLAY "top sax"
Winnipeg saxophone enthusiasts voted local jazz
musician JANICE FINLAY “top
sax” during the inaugural Week of Good Sax that recently took
place in the city. Several
prominent Winnipeg saxophonists participated in the weeklong event, organized by
David Hasselfield as an opportunity to highlight the talents of
Winnipeg’s saxophone community. Finlay
is a fixture on Winnipeg’s music scene, appearing regularly as a member of the
Ron Paley Big Band, the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, The Swing Cats
and numerous other groups including several under her leadership.
She also passes on her passion for jazz and saxophone to a large number
of students, including members of the Long & McQuade High School All-star
Jazz Band and the Manitoba Conservatory of Music & Art Adult Jazz
Combo. Says Finlay,
“It is truly gratifying to be recognized by the most important people in any
performing artist’s life – the audience.”