Intimate setting for international jazz pianist Oliver Jones

BY BARBARA LAVOIE

It's often said you can't keep a good man down. And without doubt Oliver Jones is one of them.

This weekend, for two evening shows only, Montreal's own award-winning internationally-acclaimed jazz pianist and recording artist will do what he loves and does best in the intimate setting of Ste. Geneviève's Salle Pauline-Julien.

Jones, now 72 and a Montreal resident, is once again touring after a brief sojourn of retirement.

A child prodigy and the pride and joy of Little Burgundy, now part of Montreal's St. Henri district, Jones was playing piano at the age of three and performing publicly as the Union United Church pianist at the age of five.

He was the resident pianist at Biddle's downtown jazz bar from 1981 to 1986 and his recognized for his piano playing in the company of Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum. "Things kind of snowballed," he said with a chuckle during a phone interview Monday. "After coming out of retirement, I'd planned to perform a little closer to home, maybe just in this province, but then it became a tour across Canada."

Since January he's been performing "a little close to home in places like Dorval, Pierrefonds, Beaconsfield, Terrebonne, Rimouski, Abitibi, Quebec City, all the places I went when I was young" and renewing old friendships across the province. "I usually only returned to Montreal once or twice a year for the jazz festival, but lately I've been seeing people I've known for 40 or 50 years," said Jones.

Over the next few months Jones is scheduled to perform clear across the nation, a plan that is perhaps more in tune with his stature.

Among countless other awards, he is a longtime member of the Order of Quebec and the Order of Canada, both earned for his outstanding achievement in the arts, and more recently acclaimed 2006 Keyboardist of the Year by the National Jazz Awards.

For the upcoming shows, both Pierre Gravel International productions, he will perform with Beaconsfield's Jim Doxas on drums and Eric Lagacé on bass, two musicians he referred to as "wonderful."

The trio will feature music from the CD titled One More Time, Jones' most recent of more than 20 successful recordings.

Of particular interest to any music aficionado is a special segment he plans to include in the second half of the show - requests from the audience. "I think it's important," Jones said. "My audience is not only a jazz audience, but also a piano loving audience that often includes a lot of different age groups. It's always a pleasure to get input from the audience and make them feel part of it."

Jones is warm, modest and very comfortable with his "God-given talents" and his age suggesting, "It's the first 40 years that are hard, after that it's easy."

He spoke proudly of being a positive role model to Montreal's Black community. "We were such a small community when I was growing up and I had my role models," said Jones, speaking about the inspiration he gained from his teachers, the music he listened to on the radio and his neighbourhood mentor Oscar Peterson. "I've always felt it was important to give back. There are always things to do, but most of all I think it's important to reach out to our young people. It's a precarious time in their lives. We've got to let them know there is hope and to encourage them to become part of their city, their province and their country."

Myriam Caron, head of communications for Salle Pauline-Julien noted they are "very excited about having him perform there for the first time." "It's a unique chance to enjoy a show so close to home that is normally presented in larger venues," she said. "Saturday's performance is already sold out, but there are tickets available for Sunday."

To purchase tickets by phone contact the Salle Pauline-Julien box office at 514-626-1616, Réseau Admission at 514-790-1245 or in-person at 15615 Gouin Blvd. West. Check www.pauline-julien.com for details.