Recording: Safety In Numbers

Artist: Safety In Numbers

Song: Caravan [composer: Juan Tizol]

Recorded at Christie Pits Park ("Bloor Ossington Folk Festival"), September 21, 2014.

Safety In Numbers - Caravan

Once again, the Bloor Ossington Folk Festival stayed true to its roots as a low-key and local celebration. By enfolding itself into the contours of Christie Pits, BOFF still feels casual and approachable, even with some heavy hitters in its lineup. As so often happens at outdoor events, weather forced organizers to make some adjustments on the fly, but even having to move the headliners into the beer tent served to reinforce the intimate vibes. There's room to grow, but overall the organizers are getting things right.

Despite its name, BOFF isn't genre-specific — its invocation of "folk music" is more in the sense that it belongs to and is played by, well, folks mostly from nearby, as well as making an implicit argument for the breaking down of barriers between performers and audiences. So it was no surprise to see quite a variety of music being played in the festival's beer tent, including this Django-fied hot music trio of Bob Stevenson (clarinet), Chris Bezant (guit) and Chris Kettlewell (of Maylee Todd's band, double bass). Tasty licks abounded as they ranged through a heap of standards (including this Duke Ellington classic), suitable for both the afternoon-beer-drinkin' set and kids-running-in-circles set.