User:Lauracyr/Charivari (band)

Charivari (band) is a jazz fusion band based out of Vancouver, British Columbia. The band was formed in 1988 by Ken Chan (keyboards), Terry Linberg (Soprano, Alto and Tenor Saxophones), Don Kelley (fretless bass guitar and electric guitars), and John Sullivan (Drums, percussion, congas, vocals and front man). Bassist Doug McDonald joined after the band changed names officially to Charivari.

Originally the band was known as B# (pronounced "Be Sharp") and became known in Vancouver through a series of free concerts at the Arlington Cabaret. Although the band became a part of the known local jazz scene, members grew frustrated with genre labels - their gigs frequently contains covers of 60s rock culture songs like "Walk on the Wild Side", blues instrumentals from Stevie Ray Vaughan, Ray Charles R&B pop crossovers and Jazz standards. To open up possibilities and attract a wider crowd, Doug McDonald was brought in full time which allowed Don Kelley to move onto guitar and unknowingly changed the course of history.

The first full self-titled debut album was taken from label to label with interest but no contract offers until finally Linberg started his own label (Frozen Curtains productions) to get the album into the hands of fans. Recordings utilized McDonald on bass for 3 tracks (including one composed by competing Vancouver jazz fusion band Skywalk's keyboardist Graeme Coleman) and was at least partially recorded at Bullfrog Recording Studio. The remaining 4 tracks sound like an entirely different band due to being tracked during a period when McDonald was travelling for other projects so Kelley played bass and overtracked guitar. Don Kelley's website notes that those tracks were recorded at Chan's home with Chan as engineer and producer and included additional overtracking sessions where parts were added to the older Bullfrog sessions (including Kelley's Violin parts on Travelling).

Following the unexpected success of the debut album, Charivari expanded their list of suitable venues outside of the standard jazz clubs by venturing into R&B halls (Jake O'Grady's), and even the college stadium circuit, co-headlining huge crowds at universities. It was during this time that songwriting became the focal point of the band and the various personalities clicked in co-songwriting roles previously uncommon in jazz history.

During the latter half of 1989 and 1990 a large collection of original compositions were completed in the style thereafter described as progressive jazz-rock fusion (a genre commonly accepted to have been invented by Charivari). Several of those original works can be found on their second studio album ("Origins", featuring the title track written by all members with dualing fretless basses by McDonald and Kelley, From Life Gone For Life Present by Kelley again with two fretless basses (intro theme performed by McDonald) and soprano sax work by Linberg that earned the band a grammy nomination).

The band had some of it's largest crowds during Music '91, a Paul Mercs produced series of events including a sixty-concert road show, community showcases, and the Canadian music industry’s 1991 Juno Awards. Performing through a specially-constructed event-specific 6000 watt sound system at an outdoor concert arena located in the middle of the lawn in front of the Victoria Legislature, Charivari performed originals such as 'Scroove, Origins, Bye-Bye Billy along with crowd favorites such as Birdland and Teen Town (the infamous Jaco Pastorius composition made doubly impressive by the unison lead work of Don Kelley's guitar and Doug McDonald's Bass.

Currently the band has reformed due to a resurgence of popularity through frequent radio play. An as-yet unreleased project "Instrumental Solitude" is claimed to be a work in progress with an as-yet unknown release date and publisher.

Discography

 * Charivari (self-titled), 1989
 * Origins (1990)
 * Live (volume 1) 1991
 * Live (volume 2) 1992
 * Hits...Really (1993)
 * Instrumental Solitude (unreleased)