A quartet performs at Babas Lounge in Charlottetown as part of the Island Jazz series, which are celebrating their 400th show Aug. 7. Photo by Contributed /Jing Cui/Special to The GuardianArticle contentDan Rowswell hadn’t picked up his saxophone in years when his family encouraged him to return to music in 2010.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentHe had studied jazz arranging and composition in the 1980s at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S., one of the first universities in Canada to offer a jazz degree.Article contentArticle contentBut then he spent the next couple of decades focused on work and family.Article content“Music was missing in my life,” he said. “And my kids were like, ‘Dad, you’re a musician. Why are you not doing this?’”Article contentArticle contentIt was enough to push him back on stage — rusty at first, but gradually it led him to create Island Jazz, one of the longest-running live music series on P.E.I.Article content10 years of showsArticle contentOn Thursday, Aug. 7, Rowswell will present the 400th Island Jazz night at Baba’s Lounge, marking 10 years of weekly jazz programming, nearly uninterrupted — save for snowstorms and the pandemic.Article content“It’s not easy to do something on a weekly routine like that,” said Ryan Abdallah, who owns Baba’s Lounge and co-runs the series. “But the nice thing about Island Jazz is every Thursday, doesn’t matter what season, you know you’re going to come in and see a quality jazz show.”Article contentWhat started in 2013 as a modest experiment quickly evolved into a rhythm. Abdallah remembers taking it month by month at first.Article content“He’d ask, ‘Are we doing another month?’” Abdallah said. “We’d reevaluate after every show, tweak things here and there. And it just kept going.”Article contentArticle contentRowswell never envisioned Island Jazz as a band. Instead, he calls it a presentation series.Article content“We do three things,” he said. “A weekly jazz show at Baba’s Lounge, Island Jazz at the Movies, and Island Jazz Presents.”Article content Ryan Abdallah, left, and Dan Rowswell take a moment to chat at Baba’s Lounge in Charlottetown where Rowsell has been programming weekly jazz improvisation shows for 10 years. Photo by Judith Mendiolea /The GuardianArticle contentRotating lineupsArticle contentThe weekly series highlights a different band each Thursday, often pairing local musicians with touring players. That rotation is deliberate.Article contentRowswell said there are about 40 to 50 active musicians in the Island Jazz scene, and he works to ensure a fresh lineup each week by not having a house band.Article content“I’m very proud of the fact that it’s a different band every week,” he said. “There must be live, improvised solos … It’s live, improvised collaboration. Spontaneity, organic—those are the keywords.”Article contentThat commitment to improvisation defines Island Jazz. Even the name, Rowswell admits, can be misleading.
Island Jazz marks 400 shows at Babas Lounge in Charlottetown
