Brandi Disterheft, The Roundhouse, Friday, July 2 at 8 p.m. as part of the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Tickets $28. To order tickets and for more information visit www.coastaljazz.ca.

John Goodman

jgoodman@nsnews.com

Born and raised in North Vancouver Brandi Disterheft doesn’t get home that much anymore.

The jazz fest is as good excuse as any for the Juno Award-winning bassist, now living in New York City, to visit the West Coast and catch up with friends and family. The first few years she came back Disterheft was playing in support of other artists (Richard Whiteman and Laila Biali) but the last couple she’s been leading her own band.

Like her good buddy Biali, and Renee Rosnes before them, Disterheft began to develop her jazz chops at Handsworth secondary. A common thread for all three women, who have gone on to establish international careers, was teacher Bob Rebagliati.

“I’m still in touch with Mr. Reb,” says Disterheft. “We call him Mr. Reb. My folks are very good friends of his. In fact that’s why I play bass because they wanted me to go to that school and study with that teacher.

“Laila is one of my absolute best friends. We met at Handsworth and then we both got scholarships to go to Humber College. She was ahead of the game and I’ve always learned from her. She was the first to move to New York and then I followed.”

Toronto was a stepping stone for Disterheft who is now soaking up the scene in NYC, the jazz capital of the world. “New York is amazing,” she says. “My favourite thing to do is hang out at the jam sessions ’til five in the morning and that’s really how the older guys learned. There’s stories about how that’s how Charlie Parker learned and it’s very much alive here. There’s an incredible learning curve — I’m absolutely loving it.”

Currently Disterheft is studying with legendary bassist Ron Carter who has played with a lot of great musicians over the years including Jaki Byard, Chico Hamilton and Eric Dolphy as well as being a member of Miles Davis’ seminal ’60s quintet. Always on the cutting edge you couldn’t ask for a better teacher.

Studying with Carter has opened up a lot of new experiences for Disterheft and that range is evident in her latest album, Second Side, released in September 2009 on Justin Time Records. The recording not only serves as a followup to 2007’s Debut but also gives Disterheft a chance to stretch out and try new things. Produced by North Shore-based electronica musician Rhys Fulber (a.k.a. Delerium) the recording places the young bassist and her band in many different kinds of musical settings. There was no comfort zone nor were they looking for one.

“It was great working with Rhys,” says Disterheft. “He’s known for making industrial music so it was a totally different perspective on a jazz record. I’m really pleased with it.

“We had a blast. I was listening to a lot of Milton Nascimento and Brazilian music. Milton’s music is a little bit more poppy so it’s very interesting. The melodies are beautiful and I wanted to emulate some of that on the new album.”

Second Side features Disterheft singing on two tracks (“Combien de Chances” and “Twilight Curtain”) and also has guest vocals from Holly Cole (“He’s Walkin”) and Ranee Lee (“This Time The Dream’s On Me”). Cole shares a writer’s credit on her track which has a playful ’50s rockabilly feel while Lee was an obvious choice for the closer, says Disterheft. “She has always been a real inspiration so I asked her if she wanted to sing “This Time the Dream’s On Me” which is a beautiful song.”

Charlie Parker also did a version of the tune tying it in neatly with Disterheft’s current New York state of mind. “Back in the day on those live Charlie Parker records all you hear is the kick drums and alto saxophone. It sounds like hip-hop and I’m convinced that’s why people loved it so I was trying to bring that element back.”

The bassist hasn’t forgotten her jazz roots by any means and gets plenty of time and space to explore that side of her musical persona as well. The opening track, “Sketches of Belief,” inspired by Miles Davis’ “Sketches of Spain,” establishes her band’s deep jazz credentials right off the top. They can play inside the tradition but also have the ability to go outside. The best of both worlds some would say.

Several instrumental tracks bring in other influences such as the African kalimba on “Dawn” and “Second Dawn” while “A Night in Haiti” pays tribute to a visit to Haiti as well as Dizzy Gillespie’s bop classic “A Night in Tunisia.” Jazz music is still at the centre of Disterheft’s world and Second Side shows that world just keeps on getting bigger and more complex. It’s one of the finest albums released in Canada in the last year in any genre.

Disterheft is bringing her regular band with her to the West Coast this time out: Chris Gale on tenor saxophone, William Sperandei on trumpet, Stacie McGregor on piano/Rhodes and Sly Juhas on drums will join her on stage at the The Roundhouse Friday night.