Several events related to the Medicine Hat Jazz Festival took place in Lethbridge over the weekend. If you weren’t able to catch the individual 
shows, the Saturday afternoon jazz jam at the Slice was the place to be as all of the major players were on stage plus a lot of local talent.
Approximately 30 people took in a wealth of talent, as local saxophonist and bandleader Dave Renter called up the performers one by one to perform with luminaries like saxophonist Pat Belliveau, who was playing with the Contemporary Jazz Works Orchestra, Friday and guitarist Nobuki Takamen, who was getting a pre-show workout on stage trying to keep up with the others, but still knocked off intricate chord progressions and some cool solos.
Takamen played his own packed solo show at Treats Eatery’s Bluenote Lounge earlier Saturday night as well
Vern Dorge, who was playing Sunday at the Slice, also took the stage for the jam. Drummer Brad Brouwer held the rhythm throughout, there were several bassists, playing impressively throughout the afternoon.
At the end, Paul Holden took the stage and dug into his big stand up bass while all three saxophonists and two guitarists traded lead lines for the last song and stood back, in Renter’s case, leaving the stage altogether, to let the others shine. The audience applauded politely after each solo. And then they all went to the Bluenote Lounge for more.
