Steve Kaldestad - Three Big Moves

Steve talks with me about moving from Regina to Montréal, then to London, and finally to Vancouver as a saxophonist.

Steve Kaldestad - Three Big Moves
The original photo for this episode comes from Steve Kaldestad's website.

On the Rhythm Changes Podcast, Steve Kaldestad talks with me about his decisions in moving from Regina to Montréal, then to London, and finally to Vancouver as a jazz saxophonist and educator.

Rhythm Changes Podcast topics

  • Recording live with Steve’s quartet, featuring Chris Gestrin on piano, Conrad Good on bass, and Jesse Cahill on drums
  • Getting drawn to play saxophone while growing up in Regina
  • Why Steve chose McGill
  • Being stuck in the 1950s as a jazz student
  • The impact of the late pianist and teacher Jan Jarczyk at McGill
  • Steve’s 30-year history of collaborating with Jesse, who studied at the same time with pianist André White at McGill
  • How Steve builds his gigs from the drums out with Jesse, Dave Laing in Montréal, and other drummers
  • Steve teaching the pianist Patrick Watson during a stint on faculty at Lower Canada College in Montréal
  • Going to NYC and seeing Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner, Chris Potter, and other all-timers of Steve’s generation live every night in clubs before they became superstars
  • Getting the late Terry Deane to help Steve sell an instrument to buy another month-and-a-half in New York
  • Studying with the late Lee Konitz
  • Why Steve decided to go to London after Montréal and NYC
  • How long it takes to get gigs in a new city
  • The bizarrely high quantity of people you carry in your social scene in a huge city like London
  • Cory Weeds' and Jodi Proznick’s roles in getting Steve to BC, along with the album Foundations by Jodi Proznick Quartet
  • My favourite tune on Foundations and how Tilden Webb got it while studying with the late Wray Downes
  • Blow-Up, Steve’s first solo album with Jesse, Jodi, André White, and Kevin Dean
  • Two wonderful rhythm sections Steve has played with: Mike LeDonne / John Webber / Joe Farnsworth and Renee Rosnes / Peter Washington / Lewis Nash
  • Why Steve is a huge fan of Renee
  • A near-disaster while recording Steve’s album New York Afternoon
  • Kofi Gbolonyo joining the Capilano University faculty
  • A time when Steve gave a student audience the invitation to be more raucous in enjoying a concert
  • A particular moment on a Miles Davis recording that Steve and I both love