New York City jazz guitarist is performing until Sunday on Victoria Row
Ron Petrides is back in Charlottetown performing on Victoria Row. Petrides first came to PEI 13 years ago when the Always on Stage jazz festival was in its infancy.
It’s a real treat to have Ron Petrides perform in Charlottetown. He is both a jazz composer and interpreter of the greats including John Coltrane in the featured video, Blue Trane.
Petrides wide smile and tall stature make him a pleasure to watch. His style includes virtuoso guitar runs mixed with on-the-money rhythm, improvisation and warm tone.
I’ve enjoyed jazz since my father introduced me to Louis Armstrong in the 1950s. Miles Davis, Monk, Mingus, Coltrane, Kenny Burrell, and Wes Montgomery – I’ve heard them all. I collected some of the best records from the 1930s onward and in 1965 wrote jazz record reviews. Perhaps a little cheeky for my tender years but I knew the music.
Rod Petrides impressed me the first time I heard him. He knows and interprets the golden era of jazz from the 50s and 60s but he doesn’t copy anyone. He has also composed some decent pieces of his own. Playing a semi-hollow Gibson, Petrides tone is warm and his fingers quick. He lays the groove down and swings. Petrides is not cocktail bar jazz with another rendition of My Funny Valentine. He’s the real thing.
The video is from his performance here last August. Ron said my camera work was a little shaky but the shots of his wife and children were priceless. The whole thing was shot amazingly on a Flip HD Ultra. The sound was re-mixed down to tame the sizzle.
Petrides is faculty at the New School University Jazz and Contemporary Music program. “Previously taught at the New York and Columbia Universities. Dr. Petrides holds a Ph. D. in composition from NYU, where he conducted an original research into the life and music of the late 20th century American composer Stephen Albert.”
“During the last two decades, Petrides established himself on the New York jazz scene, having performed with many famous musicians, including Walter Bishop Jr., Dizzy Gillespie, Ron McClure, Billi Hart, Duffy Jackson, and Bob Mover.” Ron Petrides
Accompanying Ron this year are Chris Budhan on bass, Barrie Sorensen on Sax and Matt Maceachern on drums. Show starts around 6 pm each evening and runs until 9 pm or so.
Always on Stage is the longest and longest running music festival on PEI and anywhere we know in Canada. For the past 13 years, promoter Chris Budhan put on 7 days of music, 11 hours a day f0r 8 weeks in the summer. More than 50 musicians work at entertaining patrons and tourists on Victoria Row for more than 1,000 hours a summer. This year Chris expanded to include music on Sydney Street.
For the public this is a one-of-a-kind experience. There are few places where one can go and enjoy free live music for 11 hours a day in the summer. The ambiance created on Victoria Row is unique and second to none.
Always on Stage is funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of P.E.I., and the City of Charlottetown. Chris Budhan deserves the credit for putting the festival together and managing it year after year on essentially a shoe-string budget. He is dedicated to the Festival and providing a music performance experience for young musicians on Prince Edward Island.
It’s been my pleasure to work with Chris over the years, including organizing the singer-songwriter performers for two years. This year I’m happy to be just performing my usual Tuesday lunch set.
Chris Budhan is one of the unsung heroes of the PEI music scene. Since he started as a high school student, Chris has earned three degrees including his Doctorate in Music. He has traveled and performed in the United States and Europe. Dr. Budhan is a PEI treasure.
danny boxer
it’s amazing what you can do with a little luck, even with a weak chin. “sometimes it takes a man with GUTS!” sound familiar, ron?