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ow intertwcwwowwwmu Filling the tank 0 O O I . Coming home for more than a not easier for New York-based performer John Tank 81(30an how do they expect to have a connection ChronicleSIaff with themâ€"it’s impossible." ‘ » ; He isretumingforhlssecond Showofthe ‘. erematimewhenoomingbomewas year. Dec.8.3p.m. to7p.m.,afterperforming __, - I all about visiting family and friends for at the club earlier in January. The last time - V" 3‘ lohnTanlL thelohnTankQuartetperfonned atthelaa _ ‘3" * . His mom Olive is still sharp as a tack and Room the show included some of his «y - _ 3 f living on herovvn at 96. and its more like she's favourite bandmates including Canadian ,. 1ft" - checking up on him than he is checking up im greats like Bernie Senensky and Ted War- *' f g ‘ ‘. .o’ on her when he visits Plus it gives Tank. a ten. who will be joining him in his return ' ' g“ Â¥ at a jazz tenor saxophonists based in New York engagement. A ~ :33. ‘ 1 - . ‘_ -;.‘ ,. City. time to jam with his brother lim on his So what does he think about the develop ~ if g ‘ '1 5t \' ‘~ A‘;; dad Orland's restored violin. ing scene? u 5 "7 ~ 4 fig, - ‘. - . ; N It was his dad's occasional violin playing "Mfliout the RegistryT‘heatre and the Ian \ If“; '. . \\ when he would produce the intrustment Room there wouldn‘t be any place for me to g f; ~ . 1‘ mysteriously hidden away the rest of the play bere,’ saidThnk. “l thinkit's prettyamaz- ' , " '1 time. that first inspired an interest in music ing because Hamilton doesn't have a jazz .« for Tank He couldn’t believe the music his club and London doesn‘t have one dad could play even though he never heard “Toronto has a few left. so it's nice to see him practice a note. and it got Tank thinking there is a scene to play other than Toronto about a little musical mastery ofhis own. and there’s been a lot of people who have “The thing $.21 inspired me most about come up from New York and the States to my father is a hristmas and Easter he play at the lazz Room." . would open up his violin case His only worry is he does- 9‘ and play and I couldn't "Ifsomebody [old n't knowhow long it's going to “ ‘ believe it." said Tank. “That last The federal government really impressed me and gave me the jazz Room has changed the work visa “- me tny early inspiration that is one ofthe best rules and is now charging ' he could just pick it u and - - $150 for eve musician who fl do that" p jazz Clubs In the comes into C2nada to play. ' ‘ [he instrument the whole country, ] “if that's the case, that‘s it younger Tank settled on was - - n forthose people because fora the tenor saxophone and the lUOUld believe lt' quartet that's an extra $600. genre of music that In his cre~ _ “In“ and they can't afford that.” ativc fires was tau. when he 0,, m, My”; In“, said Tank. “If you're Bruce attended the prestigious Springsteen what’s $150. but Berklee School of Mustc in the early 1960s. it hurts the smaller bands and these great But the tam sesstons and sideman jobs Jazz musicians don't have any exposure to were few a far between to find in the Kitchen- build up an audience and consequently they crrWalerlOO area. so he first had to move to wouldn't get any of the big jobs that would loronto before settling in New York in 1974 to make it worth it." pursue a lifelong pasSion for playing. That's the plight of the working musician. While he plied his mumcal trade in the Big but it hasn‘t kept Tank from playing music Apple and on the road for more than 50 and still finding inspiration where he can, years, a funny thing happened in his home “To me I wouldn‘t be playing music if it town as the local mustc scene started mattir wasn't for pans" said Tank. ”There is no other trig mustc that can hold my interest ~ I couldn't Ht- l()lll(l return to play special pan events imagine myself in an orchestra lust playing a at the Registry lheatre or at the annual pan or playing in a rock n‘ roll band where l Up Town Waterloo lat] Festival. but they were would have to play the same litk over and generally one offs He did record his last (ll). over again ” lay live from the Registry. With his qtianet in Tank is turning a young Tl this month Jill.) But the addition oftht‘ laIJ Room at the and the fatt that he can still find new lliiether Hotel two years ago Is actually arrangements and sounds hclps keep the establishing a )3]: scene and has larik calling mtistc Vital for him. John Tlnk is "turning for his second Show of the year It the Jill Room at the NW Hotel if one of the best clubs in(aiiada to play “I can still play and I can still find new Dec 3. from 3 D-m- '0 7 PM “If somebody told me lhl' lam Room is things." he said “I can still create, and I'm “mm" one of the best tau clubs In lht‘ whole coun- always finding ways to improve my playing, still want to play With him, “I think it will be great because it gives try I would believe it." sald Iank “They “l'm might not have the energy I bad 'If somebody was to take that away from people who don't want to go out until one respect the artist and they "hit" sure the when l was playing in the lm but it‘s inn-rt me. something would be really missing." said o'clock in the morning a chance to hear the AlllenCPIfi quiet before thc mus“ starts and the mllSN' is always interesting and their Tank. "I can still find a way to play overtop of mtistc,” said Tank. 'The early evening is a “People aren't allowed to talk over the sperm to he an audience interested in bear a chord or a harmonic invention and you great time for a in” concert, and if people lllll\ll because it would affect the perform ing the play‘ never know where it's going to come from " come out they can expect to here fotir people ,ilit v The atidientc is looking for us to create He still goes to .i lot of tam \(‘\\lt)n\ and He's looking forward to bookending his havingagreat time sotnt'thing‘ and If lh('\ to not looking at II\ has made a lot of fI’N‘ll(l\ iii the business that war with another show in Waterloo “It's great to be playing With great plawrx “ C