Les Miserables

Posted on 2013-02-14 by Rod Wilson

This local production feature “a cast of thousands” and a large pit orchestra of local musicians

Here are some random images from Wednesday’s evening (February 12, 2013) final dress rehearsal – click on the images for a larger view

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Apre Ski with Shane Philip

Posted on 2013-02-13 by Rod Wilson

Shane Philip at the Stemwinder Bar and Grill (Kimberley Ski Hill), Sunday February 10th, 2013, 3-6 pm. The opening act Ty West and Jesse Lee

Shane Philip is no stranger to Kimberley audiences. I have lost count of the number of times he has visited the area. Certainly one of his favorite locales is the Kimberley Ski Hill and once again he packed in a crowd in that was anxious to dance. For the uninitiated Shane is a one man band whose music can only be described as “grove based” . He makes full use of an array of percussion, didgeridoos and guitar to lay down the grove on his original songs and tunes and then add vocals and melody on top with harmonica, ukelele and that peculiar Weissenborn slack-key guitar. The opening act for Shane was a couple of like minded musicians. This duo of young musicians came over from Nelson to prime the audience for Shane. Ty West on guitar and vocals with Jesse Lee on upright bass played a set of mostly originals. They would only admit to playing two covers. I did recognize Bob Marley I Shot the Sheriff some where in the mix. Their solid rhythmic take on the simple guitar / bass duo really had the audience ready to dance. Here are some images from probably one of the liveliest Apre Ski session this winter.

At each session I like to get at least one shot that captures the interplay of light and performer. I call it “The Money Shot”. Here is Sunday’s money shot

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Apre Ski with Blue Crush

Posted on 2013-02-09 by Rod Wilson

Blue Crush at the Stemwinder Bar and Grill (Kimberley Ski Hill), Saturday and Sunday, 2 & 3 February 2013, 3-6 pm.

It is the Grammy Awards time of year. The time when the lunatic fringe of the entertainment industry masquerades as musicians and old timers lament the good old days of classic rock. Of course we forget that during the classic era there was as much nonsense then as there is now. Tiny Tim, Kiss, Madonna are just few that indulged in the entertainment hoopla of the day. Who can forget the spandex and mountains of hair? Time is a great filter and gives truth to the sentiment “if it is any good it will stick around”.

When I heard that BLUE CRUSH was to play at the Stemwinder I was expecting a “surfer chick” band (remember the movie Blue Crush?) so it was a pleasant surprise to be treated to an afternoon of classic rock and country by this power house trio from Trail. And, although time is a filter, good musicians like BLUE CRUSH enhance the process by stripping away the garbage and getting to the meat of the meal. This trio with Terry Alton (‘Stash) on guitar, Jason Thomas (“The Country Junkie) on bass and Jim Fike on drums do exactly that and then some. The classic stuff was all there. Dance, Dance, Dance, Listen to the Music, David Wilcox’s Riverboat Fantasy, Mark Knopfler’s Sultans of Swing, Mama Don’t Dance, Roy Orbison’s Pretty Woman (oh Julia Roberts I wish you were here), Jimi Hendrix’s Little Wing and Voodoo Child, Stuck in the Middle With You, and my favorite the old jazzy Mel Torme tune Coming Home Babe (Terry prefers the David Sanborn version). There is nothing new about a cover band. With every over-40 musician trying to re-live their youth they are a dime a dozen. However this trio takes it a notch above the average and most of this is due to Terry Alton’s guitar playing. This guy, who looks like a mild mannered school teacher or bank teller, literally blazes away on guitar. He has the ability, in common with of all great players, to make it look sooooo easy. All the guitar gymnastics, slide and pedal power are there in spades but he never breaks a sweat. He is one of the cleanest players I have seen in a long time. My only regret is that I would have liked to hear him explore more jazz based material. It is also unfortunate that he takes the focus away from his very capable band mates. They well deserve more than a mention. But what can I say? I’m a guitar player and that is my automatic focus. Sorry guys.

The Band will be back in the Stemwinder for the last weekend in March

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Open Mic Session at BJ’s

Posted on 2013-02-07 by Rod Wilson

Bill St.Amand hosting an Open Mic Session , Saturday February 2, 2013, 7:30 pm at BJ’s Creekside Pub, Kimberley.

It says a lot about the number and depth of talent in the area when two open mic sessions, back to back (Friday and Saturday), can attract an almost completely different crew of musicians and an audience to boot. On the first Saturday of every month during the winter BJ’s Creekside pub is the home stage for a open mic session. It was Bill St. Amand’s turn to be the host and it must be remembered that this commitment requires a significant amount of time and energy to haul equipment and round up potential performers. Bill always manages to put together an interesting line-up. He was first out of the gate a selection of his unique blend of chord/melody guitar work and some familiar, but not too familiar, songs and tunes. For original material that is starting to become well known by local audiences it is pretty hard to overlook the work of Tim Ross and the able bass player Ferdy Belland, from the band The Bison Brothers. Since Ferdy got back to town this collaboration of musicians is getting smoother, tighter and so polished in performance that they almost shimmer with good vibes. Tim stepped through his originals Work Time, The Lucky Star, My Sister’s Friends, My Baby Won’t ride in My Truck No More, Fish God and added in a few covers that included That’s All Right Mama, Lola (of Kinks fame) and the classic Pancho and Lefty. Daze of Grace (Sharon and Jubal Routley) along with yours truly Rod Wilson, on Irish Whistle and Percussion performed Dougie Maclean’s Ready for the Storm and Bob Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower. BJ’s mellow ambience prompted me to haul out an acoustic 12-string guitar. This instrument does not have a pickup and an attentive audience is always helpful when performing live. I have had the instrument for a couple of years but I rarely play it in public.For this wonderful venue and audience I played a medley of two instrumentals, Paxton’s Parody ( a rip-off of a popular Tom Paxton song) an an original tune called Tomorrow is a Better Day (always the optimist). The only other piece I performed was a ballad from the Aussie Rock band REDGUM. The song The Dusty Diamentina was written some 20 odd years ago and has managed to slip into the traditional folk music realm. With its classic line “the rain never falls on the Dusty Diamentina” the song had a touch of unintended irony. This week on the news the Diamentina river is in flood as torrential cyclone weather drenches north eastern Queensland. Other performers during the evening included solo performers Garry Jacklin, Bill Renwick (with a little blues harp) and the duo The Quimby’s (Ferdy Belland and Erin Dalton). Ferdy was everybody’s favorite bass player by joining a number of performers on stage throughout the evening. Once again BJ’s proved it is the venue of choice for discerning musicians and audiences.

“THE MONEY SHOT” OF THE EVENING

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Heather G’s Jam #4 – The Blue Grass Session

Posted on 2013-02-06 by Rod Wilson

Heather G’s Jam – The Blue Grass Session at Ric’s Grill (Prestige Inn, Cranbrook) Friday February 1, 2013 from 7:30pm to midnight. In a slight departure from previous sessions Heather opted for an acoustic session of mostly Blue Grass music. This was a significant sonic challenge. Blue Grass musicians are notoriously picky about plugging in their instruments. Their preferred mode of sound re-enforcement is to use condenser mics and for musicians to step up close enough to be heard. The idea is to to preserve the acoustic nature of the music. The dancing back and forth of the musicians to the microphones can be a little distracting but in certain circumstances it can work well. Unfortunately the sound characteristics of Ric’s and the crowded stage somewhat compromised the ideal. At the beginning of the evening the audience background noise was almost overwhelming and musicians had a hard time hearing each other on stage. As the evening wore on the musicians found an optimum, audience noise abated and the sound quality improved. Having said all that it was a night of marvelous music with a capacity crowd. The stage was populated by some of the finest Blue Grass musicians from up and down the valley. From as far away as Creston, Fernie and Invermere. Well know identities such as Mike and Annie Hepher, Elena Yeung, Steve Jones, Heather Gemmell, Shelagh Redecopp and Keith Larsen kicked off the night with some well known tunes. They were joined by other well known musicians such as Dave Carlson and Bud Decosse, Brian Noer and Heather Gemmell. On a quieter note Sheva (Shelagh and Van Redecopp), 11th Avenue Stopover (Beth Crawley and Rod Wilson) and Daze of Grace (Sharon and Jubal Routley), although not strictly Blue Grass, played acoustic sets that were consistent with the intent of the evening. The outstanding performers of the evening were Elena Yeung with her strong banjo playing, Heather Gemmel`s vocals on a minor key version of You are my Sunshine, Keith Larsen`s I am a Man of Constant Sorrow, Steve Lungal`s sing-along selections and Clayton Parsons` reworking of some old blues styles.

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Bocephus King at the Byng

Posted on 2013-02-01 by Rod Wilson

Bocephus King, Slack Pine and the Bison Brothers at the Byng Roadhouse, Cranbrook, Monday January 28, 2013, 8pm.

My wife accuses me of losing my objectivity. After every recent show it seems I have nothing but good to say about the performance. Well, I guess it’s because live music away from the concert platform is always good. It doesn’t matter how many train wrecks, if any, may occur during the performance the intimacy, vibe and the audience interaction are what makes for great evenings. So, I don’t think I losing my objectivity. How can I lose objectivity when I am having so much fun? Case in point; The recent show at the Byng opened with the new local group Pine Slacks featuring Clayton Parsons (guitar and vocals), Connor Foote (guitar and vocals) and Stu Driedger (stand up bass). The sound system was a little harsh, the lighting less than satisfactory and their bass player was dealing with some serious medical pain. Despite the difficulties they pulled it together and delivered a set that included originals such as Echoes, Know My Name, Time, Coyote, How I Met Your Mom, Stay, Grey Cell Doors, Hold On, Waiting to be Set Free, Ducks and a great thumping version of Hangman. Kudos to Stu for hanging in there despite the pain. Tim Ross (vocals, guitar), Ferdy Belland (vocals and Bass) and Colin Righton (drums) are no strangers on the local scene. When Ferdy recently arrived back in town Tim Ross re-activate their musical partnership in The Bison Brothers. This is a slick, in the best sense, tight rock solid unit. With Tim’s song writing skills, cowboy/rock star/western persona, Ferdy’s hyperactive bass and backup vocals and Colin Righton’s harnessed heavy metal sensibilities any performance is guaranteed to please. On Monday night at the Byng it was no different. Apart from a few cover tunes Tim’s original material was front and center. Songs include My Sister’s Friends, Fish God, My Baby Won’t Ride in My Car No More, Day After Day, Ghost Town, How Come I Never Have any Money, the rocking (“everyone needs a car song”) Rocket 88 and, my personal favorite The Lucky Star. “Bocephus King at the Byng” – doesn’t that have a nice ring to it. Despite having a website Bocephus is a bit of an enigma. The biography on the web site is a masterpiece of non-information. Who is Bocephus King? Where does he come from? Apart from working out of Vancouver anything else is pure guess work. No matter his music and his five piece band speaks for its self. The band, featuring Bocephus King on guitar and vocals, Wynston Minckler on short scale bass, Paul Townsend on drums, Charlie Hase on pedal steel and Skye Wallace on vocals, percussion and Melodica delivered over two hours of non-stop grove based music. There were a few covers in there (Don’t Think Twice, Run Like a Fugative ) but it was mostly roots based, and as near as I could tell, original music with a distinct Caribbean feel.This was a great show with good flow, a good grove, very musical (?? a rock band that’s musical) and lots of space for each musician to shine. Charlie Hase’s pedal steel added that extra melodic voice that is often missing in most bands; Skye Wallace’s vocals, percussion and especially her Melodica playing on the old Dean Martin pop classic Sway was a real surprise and a joy to hear. It was a Monday night, traditionally a dead night in the week but the word must have got out because there was good crowd who are obviously enjoying the Byng’s Roadhouse’s return to the live music scene. Here are some more images from the evening.

So, just remember THE BYNG ROADHOUSE has live music every Friday and Saturday evening with a jam session every Saturday afternoon.

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Apre Ski with (a) the Broken Down Suit Case

Posted on 2013-01-30 by Rod Wilson

Broken Down Suit Case at the Stemwinder Bar and Grill (Kimberley Ski Hill), Saturday and Sunday, 26 &27 January 2013, 3-6 pm.

Now there is a band name with a difference – Broken Down Suit Case. Very apt in a way because that was what these two “Golden Boys” had in their suit case, so to speak, a whole parcel of roots and like minded music from off the road, off the radio, from out of the past and into the future. Both musicians, Eric Larocque (guitar, banjo and harmonica) and his kiwi band mate Benjamin Caldwell (guitar, mandolin and stomp box) are currently domiciled in Golden. Although they tour extensively in the summer months, winter is a time for more modest excursions. Hazardous roads and weather conditions restrict their touring to gigs in nearby ski hills and resorts where they get a chance to plough a little powder and perform in friendly environments. In keeping with their rootsy persona their choice of instruments have the well worn look of old instruments that verge on being vintage. Not that these guys could afford vintage instruments. Eric play an old (circa mid fifties) Kay Arch top that he says is absolute fun to play. He picked it up on ebay and has spent a small fortune bringing it back to life. His clawhammer banjo started out as a traditional bluegrass banjo that he ended up removing the resonator and back to create his version of an old style / old timey instrument. He has had this banjo for many years. Eric also plays harmonica as both a solo instrument and also in the familiar dental rack that came to favor during the Bob Dylan / Neil Young years. Benjamin’s guitar, I believe, is an instrument that he borrowed for the gig. This instrument is so new that it is out of character with their rootsy persona. Check the grain in the guitar top. However, Benajamin redeemed his image with an old English Hathway mandolin that he also picked up on ebay. This round-holed mandolin is a rare beast in this neck of the woods. Most local players prefer the florid f-style mandolin with its characteristic bark and chop. These are do-it yourself guys. A handy coffee cup or beer bottle does service as a slide when required. The banjo has a glued in guitar pickup, the mandolin has an appropriate microphone duck-tapped to the top and for percussion a pair of cowboy boots and a miced home made stomp box does the trick. Their repertoire tends towards the folksy end of the spectrum with the likes of Woody Guthrie’s Union Maid (when was the last time you heard that, if ever, in live performance). A few modern covers such as Orphan Girl, and Neil Young’s Helpless and a sprinkling of originals were thrown in for good measure. As usual the mood of the room was laid back and the scene sparkled with the odd, the cute, the interesting and the down right good looking. He are some images from the Sunday afternoon session.

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The Merchant of Venice

Posted on 2013-01-24 by Rod Wilson

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

a play written by

William Shakespeare

directed by Dean Nicholson

sets by Paul Kershaw

cast of over 20 actors, high drama, high comedy, gorgeous costumes

The Key City Theatre

January 24, 25, 26, 31, February 1, 2, 2013, 7:30 pm

Tickets – $20

The Merchant of Venice is William Shakespeare’s play that could have been more aptly titled Shylock – The Defamation of a Jew. It is a play that could not be written under present day circumstances. Political correctness wouldn’t allow it, the Jewish community would not accept it and audiences would find it offensive. But, it was written hundreds of years ago in a different place and in a different time and, time as they say moves on, to the point where audiences can distance themselves from some of the racial overtones of the play. Besides, there is more to the play than the racism. As usual with Shakespeare’s plays nothing is that straightforward. There are the interactions and convolutions of plot and characters. The thrust and parry of lovers trust and betrayal, rebellious children, honor in the mercantile world and then there is the knotty problem of the law versus justice. In and around the major themes there is the spaghetti tangle of a myriad little dramatic and comedic motifs that make Shakespeare just that, Shakespeare. As usual, this local production is great fun with a big cast, a great set and gorgeous costumes. What makes it stand out as a production is the comedic value of the modern electronic devices and stereotypes that, while seemingly out of context, actually appear to be exactly in context. This was a stroke of comedic brilliance. All in all, this is a fun production that is well worth seeing. By all means go and enjoy a wonderful night of Shakespeare. Here are some images from the full dress rehearsal:

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Apre Ski with Heather Gemmell

Posted on 2013-01-22 by Rod Wilson

The Stemwinder Bar and Grill at the Kimberley Ski hill is well into their after ski music program. 60 Hertz and The Pursuits have already performed there and numerous local performers are scheduled over the coming months. This past weekend it was Heather Gemmel’s turn.

Apre ski with Heather Gemmell, The Stemwinder Bar and Grill, Kimberley Ski Hill, Saturday and Sunday, January 19th & 20th, 2013, 3-6pm.

Originally Heather was scheduled to perform with the second edition of her band THE PEAKS but due to unforeseen circumstances it tuned into a solo gig. Despite the need to fight off a cold, Heather was in fine form with a number of covers that included Heart of Gold (Neil Young), Learning to Fly (Tom Petty), Angel from Montgomery ( John Prine), Can’t Find my way Home, some blues, some BlueGrass (from her collaborations with THE MESSY WILLOWS) and a selection of her original material from her CD THE ROAD. Her finger picking guitar work on The Road was especially fine. Heather also shared her recent explorations into the fret board tapping styles with a tune she simply calls The Tapping Song. This is the only instrumental I can recall Heather playing and I hope it is the beginning of a trend. Very few, if any, singers will risk the challenges of performing instrumentals. That is a shame because a few instrumentals thrown into the mix adds variety and pacing to any musical set. As usual the vibe in the room was relaxed and laid back; a mood well in keeping with the afterglow of a day on the ski hill. Here are some images from Sunday’s performance:

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Apre Ski with The Pursuits

Posted on 2013-01-20 by Rod Wilson

Apre ski with The Pursuits at the Stemwinder Bar and Grill, Kimberley Ski Hill, Saturday / Sunday, January 13th and 13th January 2013, 3-6pm.

Fraser Armstrong is older than dirt, or so he says. That may or not be true but one thing for sure he has been on the music scene since prehistoric times (that is any time prior to the closing of the Sullivan Mine). He is a good buddy of Tim Ross and along with Ferdy Belland has played in a number of Tim’s musical organizations over the years. His latest musical adventure is a family band that includes sons Connor on keys, Declan on drums & percussion, daughter Marlo on bass and wife Patti on alto sax. The family was joined by special guest cellist Julika Ulrich. Julika is an exchange student all the way from Germany. Fraser takes the lead with his instantly recognizable voice, lead guitar and percussion.The band has played a number of gigs but this is their first step into the professional league. Their repertoire is a mixture of classic rock, pop and jazz and during the afternoon the ski crowd was treated to Autumn Leaves, Glory Days (Bruce Spingsteen) Dock of the Bay (Otis Redding), Georgia on my Mind, Born to be Wild, Take Five (the classic Paul Desmond Jazz tune in 5/4), Kung Fu Fighting, Learning to Fly (Tom Petty), Super Something Blues (young Declan’s ode to a super hero), I’m a Blue Bird (Cold Play), I Want to be Sedated (The Ramones), I’m a Believer (The Monkees) and in among a whole stack of tunes there was a Neil Diamond tune done in a punk rock style. Not to be forgotten were a number of Fraser’s original tunes.

Fraser may be the patriarch and the ladies are especially fine but the cuteness award has to go to that master of rhythm and sartorial elegance young Declan Armstrong.

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