Jodi Proznick & Steve Kaldestad at the Cellar (Photo by Joe Montague)

In support of her new CD Foundations, bass player and bandleader Jodi Proznick performed for two evenings (November 2-3) at Vancouver, Canada’s The Cellar Restaurant and Jazz Club. I caught the November 2nd performance on a Friday night when the club was full. As I was leaving at the end of the evening, I overheard patrons saying, “I love Jodi,” “She is awesome,” “She’s great,” and “She’s amazing.”  

Proznick, who this reviewer thinks is the best bass player in Canada at the moment, was backed by an ensemble that included her husband Tilden Webb seated at the baby grand piano, another fine artist, drummer Jesse Cahill, and London, England’s tenor saxophonist Steve Kaldestad. While some may take issue with my comments about Proznick being the best bassist in Canada, there can be no arguing that she is rapidly becoming the most popular and well loved. Her popularity is due largely to her congenial personality offstage and the way that it infuses her music when she is playing.  

The evening opened with two original pieces, the first, “’Round About,” by Tilden Webb, and the second a Proznick tune, “Tell Me Why,” from the Foundations CD. The former is a quick tempo swinging tune, featuring drum and bass solos. “Tell Me Why” was introduced by Kaldestad’s moody, languid saxophone voice. The song also features Webb elegantly caressing the piano’s keys.  

Duke Ellington’s “All Too Soon,” also from Foundations, is a romantic, dreamy ballad, which was played to perfection, led by gentle, rolling chords from Kaldestad’s sax and Cahill using his brushes lightly on the drums. It is fitting that Proznick chose to include “All Too Soon” on her CD because her inspiration for taking up the bass, legendary bassist Ray Brown, found inspiration in the playing of Jimmy Blanton, who performed with Duke Ellington. Brown went on to perform with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Hank Jones, and others. Later in the evening Proznick dedicated another composition from her album, Ray Downes’  “R.B. Line,” to Ray Brown, to whom Downes had originally dedicated the song.  

One of the most obvious elements of Proznick’s playing is she almost always has a smile on her face, and she is very animated during her performances. She not only sets the groove, but gets into the groove, with her shoulder-length brown hair often falling across her face and her bass swinging from side to side. Proznick is very emotive in her playing. 

Other highlights of the evening included Proznick’s interpretation of Peter Gabriel’s “Washing Of The Water” from Foundations, “Dancing Sunbeam,” “Bye, Bye Blackbird,” and Joni Mitchell’s “Help Me.” The latter presented a cheery disposition, once again featuring Webb’s fine piano chops.  

The prettiest song of the evening, “Lady J,” has an even more beautiful and romantic story behind it. Proznick, who married Tilden three years ago, recounted how for the first dance during their wedding reception she had chosen the jazz standard, “My One And Only Love,” but as the music started to play, she recognized that this in fact was not the song that she was hearing. It was at that point that her groom leaned forward and whispered in her ear that he had written this special composition as a gift for her.  

On a weekend in early November as Jodi Proznick unveiled several new songs from her album Foundations, she left her audience with a musical gift they will not soon forget.  

More about Jodi Proznick can be found at www.jodiproznick.com.