IN CONCERT
What: P.J. Perry Quartet featuring Oliver Gannon, Neil Swainson, Hans Verhoeven and P.J. Perry
Where: Hermann鈥檚 Jazz Club, 753 View St.
When: Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. (dinner at 6)
Tickets: $20
Note: Perry鈥檚 Quartet also performs Sunday at the Lighthouse Pub in Nanaimo
Famous or not, talented or otherwise, every artist contends with bouts of self-doubt at some point in their career. Even living legend P.J.聽Perry, who is widely considered to be one of the finest saxophonists in Canadian jazz history, has had his moments.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long struggle,鈥� Perry, 76, said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy living up to your own expectations, and that has been my thing.
鈥淚鈥檓 hearing Cannonball [Adderly] and Sonny Stitt and all these guys in my head, and comparing myself to them, and trying to play as well as those guys do. It鈥檚 not a healthy thing to do, really. It has been very, very difficult on oneself.鈥�
Born in Calgary, the popular Juno Award winner is synonymous with several other cities, primarily Toronto, Vancouver and his longtime home base of Edmonton. The latter is where Perry got one of his first real breaks, working with bandleader Tommy Banks in the late 1960s. It was a relationship that would flourish over five decades, up until Banks鈥檚 death in January.
In addition to being named a member of the Order of sa国际传媒, Perry put together an impressive string of artistic accomplishments, the majority of which he鈥檚 finally been able to appreciate.
In tandem with his new come-what-may mindset, Perry (born Paul John Guloien) said his playing has taken a significant step forward. 鈥淚 finally feel like I鈥檓 getting the hang of it. I feel great. I actually feel like I鈥檓 at the top of my game, which is lovely. I feel the best I鈥檝e ever felt.鈥�
Perry is celebrating with a run of concerts. He鈥檒l be on Vancouver Island for a series of shows over the next two weeks, beginning with a pair of performances at Hermann鈥檚 Jazz Club on Friday and Saturday. He will be joined by Oliver Gannon (guitar), Neil Swainson (bass), and Hans Verhoeven (drums).
Perry said he goes back 20 years with Qualicum-based Verhoeven, with whom he jammed when the drummer 鈥渨as just a teenager.鈥�
Perry鈥檚 friendships with Gannon and Swainson date back several decades 鈥� he co-founded fusion group Pacific Salt with Gannon in 1972 鈥� but their respective home bases make it difficult to work together extensively these days. Swainson is based in Toronto, while Gannon lives in Vancouver.
When they do get together, 鈥渋t鈥檚 very comfortable,鈥� Perry said. 鈥淧laying with Ollie, it鈥檚 like Louis Armstrong said of playing with trombonist Jack Teagarden: 鈥業t鈥檚 like going on vacation.鈥� And having Neil in the corner is like having a great defenceman with you. He鈥檚 as solid as they come.鈥�
The three friends have some dates left in them yet. Perry will be a guest at Phil Dwyer鈥檚 Jazz Camp in Parksville on Aug. 16, before the Quartet reconvenes for dates in Port Alberni (Aug. 17) and Crofton (Aug. 19).
Perry still can鈥檛 believe his good fortune, even though his natural talent is evident. Gigs over the years with Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, Henry Mancini, Aretha Franklin, and Tom Jones offer only a glimpse of the highlights on a resum茅 he hopes will grow deeper and more varied in the years to come.
鈥淚 shake my head and say: 鈥榃hy are all my childhood dreams coming true?鈥� And that seems to be the case. When I was a little boy, I had dreams of playing on the concert stage, and there鈥檚 where I鈥檝e been.鈥�
As for the self-doubt that would creep in, Perry believes he has pulled himself over the hump.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 go through that anymore, which I guess is a sign of maturity. I feel now that I can be human. I鈥檓 allowed to make mistakes, and take chances, and have fun at this stage of my life. It has been a very important transformation for me.鈥�
