By Mitchell Fox

Fabian Nuñez Ramos looked out into the crowd in front of him, seeing nothing. He was not looking at the sheet of paper on the stand. Nor the lights shining down on him. Nor the many eyes staring his way. Beyond it all, the 20-year-old jazz student was looking into a blur. It was all just background, which he compares to the subtle foundation blues of a Bob Ross painting. 

He was in the place every jazz player covets: the flow state. 

He moved with the music. His saxophone aligned with his nods to keep the time, his hair bouncing as his fingers played the notes he knew so well. 

Nuñez Ramos was having fun – everyone in the room could tell. Despite playing at one of Toronto’s most renowned venues, he was comfortable, ready to create a meaningful jazz experience for everyone in that vibrant Toronto bar that snowy February night.

It was not his first time, and probably not his last, but he was catching a glimpse of the life waiting for him beyond his degree.

Fabian Nuñez Ramos plays a saxophone solo during the Sam Little Ensemble’s performance on the stage at The Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar on Feb. 27, 2023. He said his bandmates likely laughed because he played a part straight from the recorded demo of the piece. (Mitchell Fox/T·)

Nuñez Ramos and his bandmates are among 90 undergraduate and 20 graduate students who, as part of their education, get the opportunity to showcase their talent at 5:30 p.m. on the stage at The Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar each Monday evening.

Here, University of Toronto (UoT) jazz studies students can hone their craft in a way many students do not. They take their first step into the spotlight, catching, through the dim bar lights and murmuring voices, what may be ahead of them.

The nice part is usually the end product is ‘holy crap.’ These kids are very good at what they do

Students from the program have had that opportunity for 35 years, only a decade less than owner Bob Ross has run The Rex, with his son Avi having taken over some duties recently. Another longtimer, music manager Tom Tytel, has been coordinating performances at The Rex for over 30 years. Setting up microphones and even serving food, Tytel can be seen running around the packed bar every night. However chaotic it gets, he and Ross come back to the same line: “Beat’s working, though.” 

He says credit for that goes to the performers.

“We open the door, we turn the lights on, we make the stage available. It’s up to them to then shine,” Tytel said.

The Lauren Falls Ensemble takes the stage at The Rex on Feb. 27, 2023. Student Logan Lee plays a solo on the soprano saxophone. (Mitchell Fox/T·)

The Rex may not be the largest music venue in the city, but if you ask UoT jazz area head Jim Lewis, it is “the real deal.” It has everything – from the small stage tucked in the corner to the sleek wooden bar to the Louis Armstrong poster and pictures of past performers covering the walls. 

“How can you get more experiential than playing a professional gig in the club where your faculty members, professionals from out of town, people from New York, everybody who plays in Toronto [play]? You’re right in the middle of where it happens,” Lewis said.

Not only is The Rex the middle of Toronto’s jazz scene, it is the premier location for those in the early stages of a musical pursuit. Tytel says there needs to be a professional stage that is also a community stage, so the 30-year trend of hosting UoT student ensembles continues.

“It’s part of what we do here, making sure that there’s time for the past Juno winner, Grammy winner, international touring artists, all the way to [students],” he said.

The show is not only for locals or parents. Some will come from afar, taking in the allure of the bar and its performers.

Ann and Al Coughlin, a retired couple from Waterloo, Ont., say when they are in Toronto, they come to The Rex for their jazz fix – on this night, specifically to see the students. “It’s the experience, the exposure and the connections you make… that’s something I really like here is that they still encourage new performers.”

Giving these opportunities to the next generation is important to what Tytel wants to achieve. Student performances may not bring in the same “cold hard dollars,” he says, but there is room for more artistic shows.

Tom Tytel says the student performances have made Mondays
one of the strongest nights at the Rex, as they understand the
task in front of them and are very talented.

“If it’s a full house but the show sucks, that’s not a win. I’ll tell you what is a win. If there are 20 people – which is not good – but it’s a fucking amazing show,” he says.

Though Monday nights used to be considered a slow night, Tytel notes, it is now one of their strongest early shows. 

Feb. 13, 2023 – Entering The Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar in Toronto is like stepping into a different world. For University of Toronto jazz students, that door presents an opportunity to bring their hard work to the stage. (Khushy Vashisht/T·)
Tom Tytel sets up a microphone as a student ensemble gets set to play in front of a packed crowd at The Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar
Tom Tytel, music manager of The Rex, helps a student ensemble get set up for their performance on Feb. 13, 2023. He said it is his job to give the performers a stage, and “it is up to them to shine.” (Mitchell Fox/T·)
March 2, 2023 – When not on the stage, University of Toronto jazz students spend much of their time in the Faculty of Music South Building, a former student residence. (Mitchell Fox/T·)
Fabian Nuñes Ramos is a second-year jazz education student. On March 2, 2023, a few days after playing at The Rex, he reflects on the performance and his experience at the University of Toronto. (Mitchell Fox/T.)
March 2, 2023 – The jazz building is a former student residence. The practice rooms are small, but they offer students a place to hone their craft any time. (Mitchell Fox/T·)
The lower jazz room in the Faculty of Music South Building sits empty on March 2, 2023. The building has two main classrooms which are home to ear training classes and ensemble practices. (Mitchell Fox/T·)
March 2, 2023 – Fabian Nuñes Ramos referred to the jazz building and its locker rooms as a “make-it-your-own treehouse.” He says there are mysteries behind its doors, including a cat in an old kitchen. (Mitchell Fox/T·)
Tenor saxophonist Fabian Nuñes Ramos and the Sam Little Ensemble hit the stage at The Rex on Feb. 27, 2023. Their set included two original songs composed by members of the band. (Mitchell Fox/T·)

“If it wasn’t such a solid show every Monday, I don’t think we could keep filling it up,” Tytel said. “The nice part is usually the end product is ‘holy crap.’ These kids are very good at what they do.”

Getting that reaction requires the preparation, confidence and cohesion needed to perform well – no easy feat. For UoT students, this means hard hours in the classroom and the quaint practice rooms of the jazz building.

Nuñez Ramos emphasizes the sense of safety in those spaces. Students bring their own compositions, improvise and give each other feedback. The Rex is different, but the camaraderie appears there too. They gather in one corner of the bar to, as Nuñez Ramos puts it, “nerd out” about their performances. “I love what you did on that solo” and “That piece is amazing!” break out through an excited chatter as they put their instruments away.

I’m not in school anymore. I’m standing in the jazz club playing.

Students do not have to look far to see where those performances at The Rex can lead. 

Husband-wife duo William Carn and Tara Davidson are former UoT jazz students who now teach in the program. Having once played at The Rex in student bands, the 2020 JUNO Award for Jazz Album of the Year winners now go to watch their students play or perform professionally with the Carn Davidson 9 and Ernesto Cervini’s Turboprop. 

Tara Davidson explains the special place The
Rex holds in her heart.

Carn and Davidson have felt the pressure of performing at the award-winning jazz bar, having played hundreds of shows there. Davidson says The Rex holds a special place in her heart – her family even held a memorial service for her father there in 2015.

 Carn barely remembers his first performance at The Rex. There were maybe 10 people in the audience, but the nerves were undeniable. It hit him: “I’m not in school anymore. I’m standing in the jazz club playing.” 

William Carn is a lecturer in the University of Toronto jazz program. As a former student of the program and 17-year instructor, he knows how meaningful the opportunities the students get, including playing at The Rex, are. So he tries to teach them to “handle their business” and know when an opportunity strikes.

Even Nuñez Ramos, who plays at other Toronto venues such as Jazz Bistro and The Emmet Ray Whisky Jazz Bar, acknowledges the nerves of that first Rex performance. He remembers the audience was noticeable then, like a scenery instead of a background.

“At The Rex you feel a little more exposed,” Nuñez Ramos said.

“Beat’s working, though”

Tytel says students should know what they are getting into. 

“Look at that name on the stage. Look who’s been here, look at the listing, who was here the night before. That’s the microphone you’re playing into,” he says to the proverbial first-time student on the stage. “That should be a pucker-up moment for people and that’s good. It’s not bullying, it’s opening their eyes.”

Tom Tytel speaks about getting to see the progression of
musicians on The Rex stage.

Once those eyes are opened, the horizon widens. Tytel has seen musicians cross his stage and move onto impressive careers, Carn and Davidson among them.

“The people when I started here, who were in college, who were those awkward kids just coming out and getting their chance for the first time on stage, are now the stalwarts of the jazz scene,” he says with a smile.

Students take the stage at The Rex as a full audience watches in front of them
The Chase Sanborn Ensemble hits the stage at The Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar on Feb. 13, 2023. They are an ensemble of first-year jazz students at U of T. (Mitchell Fox/T·)
The Don Englert Ensemble takes the stage at The Rex Hotel and Jazz Bar on Feb. 13, 2023. (Mitchell Fox/T·)
The Lauren Falls Ensemble plays at The Rex with a crowd watching on.
The Lauren Falls Ensemble, made up of second-year jazz students, takes the stage at The Rex on Feb. 27, 2023. (Mitchell Fox/T·)
Students from the University of Toronto play on the stage at The Rex with a crowd sitting in front of them. A trumpet player is playing a solo
The Hannah Barstow Ensembles tackles some jazz classics and modern tunes during their performance at The Rex on Feb. 27, 2023. (Mitchell Fox/T·)
Tom Tytel works on an iPad while Rex employees converse at the bar.
Tom Tytel works on the blue iPad that never seems to leave his hands on Mar. 6, 2023. The music manager at The Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar says keeping the door open and lights on is the staff’s job, but “all credit for the music is to the musicians.” (Mitchell Fox/T·)
A man in a toque stands in a doorway facing the stage at The Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar
Tom Tytel sets up well ahead of a student performance on Mar. 6, 2023. Once inside the doors at The Rex, the uniqueness of the space and hard work of the staff are clear. (Mitchell Fox/T·)
A picture towards The Rex stage from towards the back of the bar
Teachers, parents and other guests take in a student performance at The Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar on Mar. 6, 2023. According to Jim Lewis, the music, food and drink and a laid-back atmosphere make The Rex “the kind of place one expects to hear jazz.” (Mitchell Fox/T·)
The Dan Fortin Ensemble performs at The Rex on March 6, 2023. (Mitchell Fox/T·)
The William Carn 10tet band sets up the stage ahead of a performance at The Rex. People sit in the restaurant and eat as they wait.
The William Carn 10tet sets up the stage ahead of their performance at The Rex on March 20, 2023. The stage was small for 10 players, but they made it work, wowing the crowd with harmonies and skilled solos from every member. (Mitchell Fox/T·)

Tytel describes what happens when there is a problem at the bar, like a water main issue.  He and Ross complain to each other over the phone, taking out their frustrations. Then, as Tytel looks around him, hearing the sophisticated yet vibrant music that fills his workplace, the men break a moment of silence: “Beat’s working, though.”

“I come into work every day, open the door [to] people [who] are coming to have a good time to listen to great music. I can think of worse things in the world,” he added.

Nuñez Ramos says he feels very fortunate to have the opportunity to perform and learn on and off the Rex stage. The initial nerves have turned to excitement, as now whenever he watches his classmates perform, he looks forward to the next time that will be him.

The next time he sets foot on that stage, he might take another step into his future. One where his saxophone, in lockstep with the rhythms and melodies of other instruments around him, sings the song he imagines beyond the blur of the crowd.

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Categories: M5V, Pursuits, School, Toronto, Toronto