Home Grown Coffee House – the first of the season

Posted on 2013-10-22 by Rod Wilson

Home Grown Coffee House, Saturday October 19, 2013, 8pm at Centre 64 in Kimberley.For over 30 years Kimberley’s Home Grown Music Society has presented regular Coffee House performances at Centre 64 during the winter season. Once again the season kicked off with a batch of local performers most of whom can be called Local (more than 10 years residency in the area) and most of whom have performed on this stage in the past. The line up for the evening

included Alphonse Joseph (Vocals and Guitar),Terry Mackam (Vocals and Piano), Sound Principle (Barbershop Quartet), Jim Marshall (Guitar and Vocals), Bill Renwick (Guitar and Vocals), Emilio Regina (Piano and Vocals), Karly Ross (Spoken Word, Vocals and Guitar) and Alex Buterman (Vocals and Guitar). To start the evening Alphonse broke with his usual blues inflected material to perform an original “down home” Cape Breton piece called Spirits of the Coal, followed by the Dobie Grey

standard Drift Away, and the two originals Tell Me that You Love Me and Just Your Fool. Following a technical glitch Terry Mackham abandoned his electric keyboard in favor of the old upright. He performed a Neil Young classic, also an arrangement of Christina Rosetti’s Who Has Seen the Wind and some “anti-devil” music the Gospel tune And Glory Shone Around. The Barbershop Quartet (Michael, Gert, Joel and Rolly) started their set with Hi Neighbour, followed by a medley of Gospel Tunes, a song from way back when cowboys were cowboys (1890) Ragtime Cowboy Joe, and the two final songs, Once Upon a Time and An Irish Blessing. Jim Marshall appears to have moved back to this area on a more permanent basis. Permanent enough to invest in the renovation of a music room

in his house. In this new comfort zone he has been hard at work writing and practicing such tunes as Light Cafe, Anticipation,

My I-Phone, and Hard Times all for our enjoyment on this fall evening at the Home Grown Coffee House. Bill Renwick has an affection for the songs of John Prine and Neill Young so John’s comic piece Please Don’t Bury Me was an appropriate opening song, followed by Neil Young’s classic Old Man. As evidenced by the songs Hold me in Your Arms Tonight and Baby You’re the One Bill also writes some pretty strong material. He finished his set with an original blues called I’m Gone, Gone. Emilio Regina did covers of Bruce Springsteen’s One Step , Two Steps Back and also a Bob Dylan tune. Karly Ross is neither black, urban or anti- feminine so I guess her opening piece could not be called rap music. It was a spoken word performance more in keeping

with “the slam poets”. The piece was untitled so I have taken it upon my self to dub (no pun intended, well maybe yes it is intended) to title the piece The Dating Game. She followed this marvelous piece of rhetoric with a couple of original songs. Alex Buterman was the closing act of the evening with Ain’t no Sunshine when she’s Gone, 60 Days, Listen to the Music, and a Bluegrass original entitled Bubbly Water.

So ends another fine night of music. The Next Home Grown Coffee House will Be November 30, 2013. Tickets are available from the Snowdrift Cafe and Centre 64.

Jaclyn Guillou Quintet at Centre 64

Posted on 2013-10-19 by Rod Wilson

Third Concert in the Fall Jazz Series: The Jaclyn Guillou Quintet, at Centre 64. October 18, 2013, 8pm Jaclyn Guillou website

In a departure from the previous Jazz concerts the Jaclyn Guillo Quintet was presented in a cabaret format in the downstairs studio in Centre 64. The sound and style of the quintet lent itself to the ambience of a cabaret and the opportunity to partake of wine and beverages also helped create a more relaxed informal atmosphere. Also the piano in the studio was a top quality Kawai that begs to be played. Apart from the obvious advantages of the venue and Ray Gareau’s light and sound enhancements, there was pay back for the use of the grand piano. Bruno Hubert, the quintet’s pianist was more than willing to spend many pre-concert hours tuning this marvelous instrument. So when Bruno sat down to accompany Jaclyn Guillou (vocals), David Blake (guitar), Andrew Millar (drums) and James Megen (bass) all the ingredients were in place for a night of fine music. By this time the expectations were high and the quintet did not disappoint. Somewhat similar to the Norbet Kogging jazz performance of a few weeks previously the musical emphasis was on original material done in a jazz style. Although there was a sprinkling of familiar tunes, such as Cry Me River (Dinah Washington), No Moon at All, Wayne Shorter’s Yes and No, Billy Strayhorn’s Lush Life, a Joni Mitchell song (from her album Blue), a blues and a Brazilian tune, the normal jazz staples of the “great American songbook” were largely put aside. I was caught in cultural limbo when one song was introduced as one that every Canadian knows. It turned out to be The Land of the Silver Birch. I was not born or raised in Canada. Apparently every Canadian kid that’s been to summer camp knows the words to this tune. The band works as a collective with contribution from all members in arranging the tunes. There was lots of straight ahead jazz with solos by Bruno Hubert on piano and David Blake on guitar. David sprinkled his solos with some lively Wes Montgomery “octave riffs”, a musical spice that we never get to hear in this area. David is a student of Vancouver’s ace guitarist Bill Coon and it shows in his playing. Andrew Millar’s deft handling of brushes and Brazilian rhythms is also another little spicy tit-bit that is not heard too often in this area. Classic rock does not lend itself to these types of explorations. This is a band of dedicated professional musicians. Jaclyn is the only member with a “day job” – she teaches music.

The organizers of the event would like to thank the following sponsors The Burrito Grill, Pedal and Tap, Our Place and Mountain Spirit for their generous support and contributions. I would like to thank Laurel Ralston, Keith Nicholas and all the staff and volunteers at Centre 64 for their dedication in presenting this fine evening of music.

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Can it get any better than this?

Posted on 2013-10-15 by Rod Wilson

IT IS TUESDAY OCTOBER THE 15, 2013. IT IS BRIGHT, CLEAR AND SUNNY WITH SNOW ON THE MOUNTAINS. WHEN I TOOK THE DOG FOR HIS WALK THIS MORNING THE TEMPERATURE WAS -4 DEGREES CENTIGRADE. THE SUN WAS SHINING ON THE FROST IN THE GRASS AND EVERYTHING WAS SPARKLY, COLOURFUL AND WONDERFUL. BACK AT THE HOUSE, STANDING BY THE MAPLE TREES IN THE YARD FOR A QUIET MINUTE YOU COULD ACTUALLY HEAR THE SOUND OF THE LEAVES FALLING. A REAL MIND BLOWING MORNING.

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Tony Dekker at the Driftwood Concert House

Posted on 2013-10-14 by Rod Wilson

Tony Dekker at the Driftwood Concert House, Kimberley , Sunday October 13, 2013, 8pm check the website Tony Decker of Great Lakes Swimmers

Darin contacted me by email on Wednesday setting up a concert for the following Sunday evening. My first thought was “good luck fella, it’s Thanks Giving”. As it turned out, even with such short notice, the concert was virtually sold out. Only a couple of last minute cancellations defeated the absolute maximum capacity of the room. While on vacation down south (Utah, I think) Darin and Jen had hooked up with Tony Dekker a couple of days earlier and managed to finangle a concert at the Driftwood that fitted with Tony’s tour of the West Kootenays. Tony Dekker was unknown to me and, once again, it was trust in Darin’s judgement that urged me to attend. Tony may have been unknown to me but obviously there appeared to a significant number of fans in the audience who were more than familiar with “his” band THE GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS. They have been around for about 10 years and are great favorites on CBC radio. The opening act was a little different. It is not every day we get to hear an Edison vintage cylinder phonograph playing, what I guessed to be, vintage Hawaiin music. What followed was a very laid back evening of acoustic music. Without the whine, and completely in tune, Tony’s voice had echoes and overtones of Neil Young. The emphasis was on smooth vocals and strong song writing with minimal finger picking guitar accompaniments. There was no flamboyant rock and roll stage craft to degrade the performance. With the exception of a Tom Waitt’s cover and Gordon Lightfoot’s Carefree Highway it was a night of original music. Some of the songs in the program included Somewhere Near Thunder Bay, I Saw You in the Wild, Moving Pictures – Silent Film, Where in the World are You Now, The Great Exhale, Talking in Your Sleep, Concrete Heart, On the Water, Rocky Spine, When the Sun Fell Down and the song Changing Colours. The last mention song scored a cover, complete with big orchestra and big production, by Josh Groban. That’s quite a scoop for GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS, a band that must be well under the pop music radar. Just think of those royalties – maybe there was enough to cover the expenses of a tour of the Kootenays.

Changing Colors sung by GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS

Changing Colors sung by Josh Groban

Thanks Darin, Jen and Silas for more great music and thanks for letting me tamper with the lights.

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LOCALS / SOLD OUT

Posted on 2013-10-14 by Rod Wilson

LOCALS COFFEE HOUSE – THE FIRST OF THE SEASON, October 12, 2013, 7:30pm at the Studio / Stage Door, Cranbrook

This was a very auspicious start to the season – LOCALS Coffee House played to a sold out house on Saturday night. The local musicians, from novices to the most seasoned veteran of the coffee house circuit, were all set for the night’s activities. Dennis Kerr (vocals and guitar) moved to area recently and he kicked off the night with songs about his new found East Kootenay experiences. Songs such as I Am Getting Sick of it , Bull River Mosquitoes, Fort Steele and Dean Brodie’s Brothers. Shauna Plant is a well known local performer in The Rosie Brown Band who played a little later in the evening. In the meantime her children are seeking to displace her as the premier musician in the family. Her son Isaac was joined by his sister Meaghan and her friend Morgan Bulloch (the back up vocalists who will henceforth be known as the M&M’s) for a set of Josh Ritter songs that included Joy to You Baby, Certain Light and Kathleen. There is a rumour going around that Issac has resorted to sticking screw drivers into power outlets to get his hair into such tip top shape. The Rosie Brown Band was one member short for their performance. Their dobro player and fellow vocalist, Heather Gemmell, was way off in the boonies on a hiking trip. The gorgeous vocal ensemble is the signature ingredient of their sound and that remained intact for Long Gone and Cosima Wells’ showpiece Oh Suzanna. Janice Nickli on upright bass, Paige Lennox on banjo and Shauna Plant on mandolin shared the instrumental solo chores. The band member were obviously enjoying them selves. Steve Lungall, otherwise known as Pot Luck Steve, with the aid of his beautiful assistants, Shelagh Redecopp and Shauna Plant did the little one scene performance of the Drunken Scotsman and his prized “member”. Also on the racy side was the Grit Laskin song The Photographers. To ensure that we were not all destined for a quick trip to hell Steve finished his set with a Gospel song. Larry MacKenzie is a long time song writer and guitarist and over the years has been a staple on the local music scene. In his domestic life Larry tends to over build so when he started building a new wood shed he didn’t realize how much he over built until his wife appropriated the building to use as a car port. Never-the-less he took time off from these construction chores and hooked up with bass player Ferdy Belland to stroll though some of his original material. There was some choice slide guitar on one particular tune. The songs included A Day at a Time, Be a Good Little Boy, A Ha Ha Road, and My Shoes. The last act of the evening was Sheva (Van and Shelagh Redecopp) with Steve Jones on upright bass and young Drew Lyle on vocals and mandolin. With a whole new batch of songs that included Next Go Round (Old Crow Medicine Show), Flowers in Your Hair, Trials and Troubles, Stubborn Love and and a wonderful fiddle instrumental called Midnight on the Water. The instrumental was in the unusual fiddle tuning of DDAD. The highest compliment I can pay to any performer is one “where the music takes me some where else”. It doesn’t happen often, in fact the last time was at a concert by the clawhammer banjo player Chris Coole, but on Saturday night Sheva took me way, way out there. Great job guys. As always the volunteers make LOCALS possible and thanks must go to all of those behind the scenes for creating a such wonderful evening. Here are some images from the night.

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La Cafamore presents Celebrated Trios

Posted on 2013-10-07 by Rod Wilson

La Cafamore presents Celebrated Trios at the Knox Presbyterian Church, Saturday October 5, 7:30 pm.

How did she do it? In that day and age the idea of “career woman”, if it ever occurred at all, would have been considered an oxymoron. But Clara Schumann (1819-1896) was a single mother with 7 children and a busy concert career and she did manage to survive as a “working mother”. Of course, something had to go and in her case it was the demanding avocation of composer. Still, there are compositions of her’s out there. Case in point. La Cafamore (Carolyn Cameron – Violin, Nina Horvath – Piano and Alexis Moore – Viola) performed the Scherzo from the Piano Trio, Op.17 in concert at the Knox Presbyterian Church on Saturday. It is an interesting piece, somewhat jazzy in texture with rhythmic syncopations somewhat reminiscent of early ragtime. This is a composition that probably predates the compositions of the the flamboyant American pianist Louis Moreau Gottschalk who started experimenting with indigenous American musical motives in the mid to late 19th century.

In classical chamber music the Piano Trio is usually piano, cello and violin. La Cafamore’s usual cello player (Jeff Faragher) was not available, so after arranging some suitable transcriptions of the cello part, Alexis Moore, on Viola, substituted for Jeff. The Viola and the Cello are an octave apart but are tuned the same way (CGDA) so the implementation of the substitution was possible. So with this configuration the group tackled Joseph Haydn’s Trio in G and Beethoven’s Trio in Bb (The Archduke). Alexis felt that the major challenge, surprisingly was not the Beethoven, but rather the Haydn trio. The music in this concert is what I call “music in the middle”. Joseph Haydn had left behind the the polyphonic complexities of the Baroque period to pursue a clearer compositional style. In what became known as the Classical era he was followed by Mozart and, to some extent, Beethoven. In the latter, elements of the gathering histrionic storm of the Romantics were on the horizon. The coming shift in music finally matured into the complexity of the late romantics. There you have it – from complexity to clarity and onto further complexity, ie. “music in the middle”. So in keeping with “music in the middle” this was an enjoyable program of clear, precise compositions by masters of the Classical period, Haydn and Beethoven, with a little taste of the exotic in the music of Clara Schumann. Just my cup of tea.

This particular concert was part of La Cafamore’s fall tour that included performances in Silverton, Rossland, Fernie, Invermere, Cranbrook, Crawford Bay and Nelson and was supported by the Columbia Basin Trust and The Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance. Dr. R.J. Cameron and Drs. Jane and Rob Gray must also be thanked for their sponsorship of the tour and Pastor Ron for making this exceptional venue once again available to La Cafamore. This is undoubtedly the finest chamber music venue in the area.

Symphonic music performances are the major marque events that attract the most significant amounts of sponsorship support and money. I think Carolyn Cameron and her colleagues in La Cafarmore, The Selkirk Trio and The Kootenay Brass Quintet should be more than commended for their unflagging efforts, without major corporate sponsorship, to get quality music out in front of local audiences. Over the past few years we have been treated to some stellar performance of music that are somewhat off the beaten track. It is extraordinary that we have managed to hear live performances of George Crumb’s Black Angels, and Steve Reich’s Different Trains, just to mention two, here in the small communities of the Kootenays. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

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Kogging at Centre 64

Posted on 2013-09-30 by Rod Wilson

KOGGING – THE SECOND CONCERT IN THE FALL JAZZ SERIES, The Dutch Jazz combo Kogging at Centre 64, Kimberley , Saturday September 28, 2013, 8pm

Kogging website

Back in the early 1980s the Australian Director Peter Weir made a film called The Year of Living Dangerously. Set in turbulent times in Indonesia in 1965 it was one of Mel Gibson’s early roles and also starred Sigourney Weaver and the amazing Linda Hunt. Linda won an Academy Award for her performance in this film. One of the sub themes in the movie revolved around the ancient Indonesian Wayang Kulit shadow plays. These plays are essentially silhouettes of especially designed puppets projected onto walls to portray traditional epic stories. So here we are are 50 years later and half a world away from tropical Indonesia with the Dutch Jazz Singer Norbert Kogging on a cool September evening in Kimberley B.C. Norbert is relating his experience of a sunny Sunday morning watching the early morning shadows of kids playing in the yard dancing across his wall. It prompted him to write the song Wajang Scenes. This song was one of a collection of original pieces presented by KOGGING , a Dutch jazz quartet of Folkert Oosterbeek on piano, Tobias Nyboer on bass, Felix Schlarman on drums and Norbert Kogging on vocals. From almost the first note it was evident that this is a quartet of well schooled and disciplined musicians. The control of dynamics, pacing, phrasing and their general approach was definitely a cut well above most musicians.There was a time when a descriptor of “well schooled” had negative connotations in certain styles of music. The popular image of a classically trained musician was of one completely captive to the printed page an unable to play without a printed score. That has changed and a lot of jazz and popular musicians can flash the fairly significant academic credentials they have acquired to enable them to perform in diverse fields of music. Wynton Marsalis, Keith Jarrett are just two jazz musicians who immediately come to mind who have significant statue in both classical and jazz realms. A little digging around in the background of any number of pop musicians can also reveal some unexpected surprises. Newer approaches to musical education and a willingness of musicians of all stripes to experiment and broaden their horizons has made for a richer and more diverse musical landscape. Even within this quartet there is evidence of a very different approach to jazz vocals. Usually a jazz vocalist relies heavily on interpretations of material from “The Great American Songbook”. Not this time out of the gate. There was only one cover tune during the entire evening and that was Joni Mitchell’s Edith and the King Pin – not exactly a jazz standard. Rather, taking a cue from popular music, Norbert featured wholly original material that had hardly anything in common with the “moon, spoon, June” motives of a bygone jazz vocal era. With songs like Holding the Line, Daydreaming, Our Freedom, Night Train, Craters Song and Silent Scream it was a refreshing departure from the norm, and, according to Norbert, not such an unusual approach in European jazz circles. Judging by some of Diana Krall’s recent recordings the practice may have also crossed to this side of the Atlantic. Like Diana Krall (particularly in her earlier work) Kogging also has a strong instrumental component. The bass / drums combination of Tobias Nyboer and Felix Schlarmann deserve special mention. They are a rock solid rhythmic foundation for the music. I particularly liked Felix’s deft brush work, including a device I can only describe as “straw brooms” and his ability to seamlessly move from sticks, to brushes, to broom, to mallets and back again. As always I have an inbuilt suspicion of kit drummers playing in small venues. More often than not they play too loud and lack finesse. Not Felix, he proved that a drummer truly reveals his talent when he plays his kit with brushes. None of this is meant to undermine the talents of the shy smiling Folkert Oosterbeek on piano. He had ample opportunity in his accompaniments and soloing to demonstrate his strengths. Once again we have to thank Laurel Ralston for her unflagging devotion to jazz and bringing this rock solid Dutch Jazz Quartet to Centre 64.

A special treat Kogging performing Daydreaming

The organizers of the event would like to thank the following sponsors The Burrito Grill, Pedal and Tap, Our Place and Mountain Spirit for their generous support and contributions.

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Dave Gunning at the Driftwood Concert House

Posted on 2013-09-26 by Rod Wilson

Dave Gunning at the Driftwood Concert House, September 24, 2013, 8pm

The music industry probably describes Dave Gunning as an entertainer. At it’s best that is probably a light weight descriptor and at it’s worst it is some what demeaning. In another time and in another place he would have been described in more worthy terms. If he had of been an aristocrat in medieval times he would have been called a troubadour and sung songs of love and chivalry. In Ireland of old he would have been called a Hedge Poet or a Seanchaidhthe (a Shanachie or story teller). In more recent times in West Africa he could be a Griot, a singer, musician and storyteller. In West Africa a Griot is more than that, he is actually the recorder and keeper of the cultural traditions. At a basic level Dave Gunning is a mixture of all these and an entertainer to boot. The most striking thing about this evening of music at the Driftwood Concert House was the sense of cultural “rootedness” (is there such a word) than ran through the stories and songs. Despite the fact that there were only a few East Coasters in the audience, and few of us would know the exact location of Dave’s home in Pictou County N.S., there was no denying that his music and stories struck the essential chord that resonates in the Canadian psyche. He kicked off the evening with The Mingulay Boat Song. This is a song with strong traditional Scottish roots and was probably the only truly traditional song of the evening. Never-the-less it set the “down home” tone for the evening. Mostly what followed were stories and song writing collaborations that were delivered with humor and pathos accompanied by his beautiful guitar playing in open tunings (DADGAD, Open G and Dropped D). Dave Gunning and his Stonebridge Guitar . This is both a beautiful and unique instrument. It is not often that you see a steel string guitar with a cedar top. Classical guitars usually have cedar while steel string luthiers prefer spruce. It might explain the wonderfully warm sound that is the hallmark of Dave’s playing. Dave had spent time touring with Stompin’ Tom as a bass player, that is a considerable feat in it self considering he didn’t own or play a bass at that particular time. There is nothing like the intense training of learning on the job. There were lots of stories of Tom’s affection for Moose Head Beer and Dave ventured forth with one Stompin’ Tom Song – Song Bird Valley. Among the wealth of “down home” anecdotes there was one that I found particularly amusing – “It was cold enough for an extra pair of shoe laces”. Except for the encore of the Long Black Veil it was a night full of the Canadian experience and that’s the way it should be.

A special treat: Dave Gunning singing “New Highway”

I would like to thank Darrin, Jen and Silas for opening up their home and giving us an opportunity to experience this great music.

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It’s in the Genes – Jon and Holly at Centre 64

Posted on 2013-09-24 by Rod Wilson

Jon & Holly (Jon Burden & Holly Hyatt) at Centre 64, Saturday September 21, 2013, 7:30pm. Check the Holly and Jon website

This father and daughter duo have been frequent visitors to the Kimberley area over the past 10 years. We have virtually seen Holly grow up to become a great vocalist, bass player, composer, mother and complete musician. From being a teenager to being a mother in that seemingly short space of time hardly seems possible but there it is. As a musical duo they have set the bench mark for “less is more”. With these two – guitar, bass and vocals are a complete musical entity without the unnecessary clutter of drums, etc. Having said that it is not to dismiss their fine work with that extremely hot band The Blaze Kings. A band that they normally perform with on the festival circuit. It was unfortunate that we didn’t get to see and hear them this year at the local festivals. There is an unsung hero in the father / daughter duo. That is GONZO. Who may you ask who is Gonzo? He is a used and abused family guitar that is pretty beat up and had been seemingly left to his own devices until Jon discover his unsung potential as a slide guitar. With all the maltreatment over the years Gonzo has earned the right to sing the blues. In recent years Gonzo has be rehabilitated and has a new lease on life as an essential voice in Jon’s interpretations of a number of Robert Johnson’s classic blues. Of particular note is Jon and Gonzo’s handling of Better Come on in My Kitchen and If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day. In amongst the cover tunes are such originals as Home Renovation Blues, Cool Kitties (with its nice walking bass line), the “popish” One Desire, Slushy Blues, Back to 1929, The Low Down Blues, Stop Breaking Down and Holly’s Better Get Your Our Own Man (“cause this one’s all mine”). Two covers that were snuck into the mix were Neil Young’s Human Highway and the Horace Silver jazz classic Song for my Father. As always Jon and Holly delivered an exceptionally fine evening of music and when they come back, as I am sure they will, they are not to be missed.