Summer Jazz School at Fort San

It was during the summer of 1989 that I attended the Saskatchewan School of the Arts Kistner Jazz Clinic at Fort San. I was a nervous 15 year old from small town Saskatchewan going to spend a week busting my chops learning some cool jazz licks from some big time players. Jack Mouse was coming all the way from Chicago to instruct on the finer points of jazz drumming which was my instrument.

Band Camp, group picture, 1986. Courtesy of Patrick Young. Photo by J.W Inglis.

I arrived on the first day to audition and determine my placement in the appropriate band. It was a very nerve racking experience waiting in the lobby, listening to the drummers ahead of me, waiting for my name to be called. I was intimidated listening to the loud players with fills galore. Coming from a small town with no music program my experience with jazz was very limited. I was taking private lessons, but only had one opportunity to play with other jazz musicians before. When my turn finally arrived I went in and played the only way I knew how. I thought it was very uninteresting compared to what I had heard, but Jack Mouse from Chicago was kind and said, “You play very musically”. Much to my surprise I ended up in the middle tier band.

“Us Fooling Around”, Band Camp, 1986. Courtesy of Patrick Young.

I knew I was in for a cool week when I received my daily schedule and realized I would be taking an hour and a half class each day just on John Coltrane. The life and music of “Trane” was enthusiastically imparted to us by Floyd Standifer all the way from St Louis.

Jim Robb, Percussion Instructor from Chicago, Ill., Band Camp, 1986. Courtesy of Patrick Young

My anxiety was reawakened when I attended my first Big Band rehearsal with the very intense Bill Sears. He demanded and expected the very best from us, and didn’t tolerate my tentative style of play. He uttered a phrase which I would never forget and influenced my approach to the drums forever more. “Play with answers not questions!” I spent the rest of the week practicing every free second I had to find those answers. After a rocky start my improvement was noted and by the day of the performance I was in fine shape.

“Brin doing a stunt”, Band Camp, 1986. Courtesy of Patrick Young.

In all my experience at Fort San was great. I was both intimidated and excited by the incredible jazz musicians and students who I met that week. I was challenged to push my musicianship and introduced to a wider world of jazz I other wise never would have been exposed to. It was obvious that the instructors looked forward to that one week each summer spent in the Qu’Appelle Valley as well. It was a beautiful setting for the unlikely occurrence of jazz music on the Saskatchewan prairies.