Local jazz group seeks to replace lost venue

The closing of Digby's Hungry Hollow has left a jazz quintet searching for a new place to perform. Shoestring Swing bandleader John 'Clams' Malmstrom said the group has a Freeport show coming up in a few weeks, but they hope to soon land a new venue in Digby.

Malmstrom said they used to perform on even-numbered Fridays at the Hungry Hollow, drawing a large enough audience that reservations were soon required, but when a group of musicians from the Annapolis Community Big Band arrived to catch a show, the restaurant had already shut its doors.

"Even-numbered Fridays came about because we thought it would be good to keep it like a unique event, a little bit special, but still have some continuity," said Malmstrom in an interview. "We had the place packed every time we played and that turned out to be a really good time for everybody involved."

The band formed earlier this year in order to help raise funds for the Bear River Youth Centre. Malmstom, who plays saxophone, said the response was so good, they decided to keep the group going, which had been his lifelong dream.

"Ever since I was a little kid I've really loved jazz and swing, especially from the the 1930s and 40s, but I've often felt that kind of music had morphed into sickly sweet kind of stuff and that never really fit my interest," he said. "I wanted to be listening to jazz that was a little bit more honest, a little bit more gritty, sometimes maybe edgy - that's what jazz is supposed to be."

Along with Warren Paton (bass), Chalres Hoppe (percussion) and Tony Tse (guitar), Malmstrom said things really came together with the addition of vocalist, Clare Thorbes. Suddenly, people were asking questions about this area newcomer who had burst onto the entertainment scene.

Characterized as a sultry jazz chanteuse, Thorbes said she had some vocal training in her background along with singing folk with a group of ladies in Ottawa. She said she enjoyed the opportunity to tackle jazz, and bring something different into the mix.

"So many people enjoy listening to jazz, I'm certainly one of those, but I never really dreamed I'd be able to sing it," she said. "I'm discovering how difficult it really is, technically, but it's wonderful. It fills me with admiration for all of the people who came before. It's quite an accomplishment to be able to do it with any credibility, any aplomb."

For inspiration, she's been listening to a lot of Ella Fitzgerald and Holly Cole, but audiences will also find stylings reminiscent of Diana Krall's modern sound. She said Shoestring's live performances create a magic, a chemistry, between performers and audiences that is intimate, inspiring, and difficult to recreate on disc.

"Most of our tunes are upbeat and quite quick in tempo so it'll be a very lively performance," she said. "Even if they're not necessarily jazz fans they would have heard this music at some point in their lives at the movies, on the radio, that sort of thing. It's not going to feel foreign for someone who doesn't listen to a lot of jazz. It'll be familiar and a lot of fun."

This month, the group will be performing a short set as part of an Oct 27 fundraiser at Bear River's Oakdene Centre, then a full show at Lavena's Catch in Freeport Nov. 3. Farther down the road, the group is planning on doing some shows in larger venues where people can get dressed up and have more room to dance. Meanwhile, the search for a regular location goes on.

"We'd really like to continue in the Digby area and it's really a good thing for all folks involved because our friends enjoy coming to hear us and whoever's hosting it, they get a pretty good crowd as well," said Malmstrom. "What we're looking for on a regular basis is a place where people can enjoy good music, get a drink, maybe a bite to eat - that kind of thing."

Shoestring Swing can be found on the internet at www.johnmalmstrom.com