Kootenay Brass Quintet

Posted on 2013-06-05 by Rod Wilson

Sunday June 2 , 2013, 2 pm: THE KOOTENAY BRASS QUINTET at Kimberley United Church, Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for students, available at the door or online at www.kootenaybrasskimberley.eventbrite.ca. For more information, contact Laurel at 250-427-3050.

“After years of talking about it, longtime Symphony of the Kootenays colleagues Laurel Ralston (Trumpet), Tim Bullen (Trumpet), Keith Todd (Trombone), Arnie Satanove (French Horn), and Robin Clegg (Tuba) finally got together in August 2012 to form the Kootenay Brass Quintet. The first rehearsal was so much fun that they decided not to let distance get in their way – Laurel lives in Kimberley and the rest of the gang in Nelson – in their quest to play and perform jewels from the brass quintet repertoire. The group made their debut in November 2012 in Castlegar as part of the Kootenay Gallery Concert Series and in Nelson through Selkirk Pro-Musica. The Kootenay Brass Quintet now brings their signature sparkling sound to the East Kootenay for an early summer tour featuring everything from Renaissance to rock.”

I’m getting old (aren’t we all) and it seems that everything of note these days sends me into a spiral of nostalgia. Case in point is the Kootenay Brass Quintet on Sunday. This music took me back to when I first arrived in Canada and spent time in Smithers B.C. There I met a group of Dutch Canadians (or is it Canadian Dutch) who were fanatical about brass band music. They introduced me to the music of the British Colliery bands of the pre-Thatcher days. So, along with Bagpipe music, I have a soft spot for music that transcends the popular fashions of the day and digs deeper into wellspring of our cultural roots. So the setting in the Alliance Church, with the light streaming in through the windows, and the fine acoustic environment was perfect for an afternoon of fine music for Brass played by the Kootenay Brass Quintet. There was smatterings of British Music with offerings from Ralph Vaughan Williams that illustrated his his fascination with English Folk music. There were some Swiss tunes that included some humorous forays by Robin Clegg on Tuba (The Cuckoo), music by Gustav Holst, music from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story (Maria – a Tango & the love duet Tonight ), a couple of Cannons including a little dip into Led Zeplin’s treatment of the Pachenbel Cannon. Brass Band music has associations with marching and this was ably taken care in a Spanish March with an un-spellable (is that a word) title. The mandatory Canadian content was there with A Newfoundland Sketch. A full step away from music written for brass, and one that sounded so right, was Scott Joplin’s The Entertainer. Included in the program was some technical insights into the playing of Brass instruments and the plumber`s nightmare of all that brass tubing. In comparison string players have it easy. I can`t think of a better way to spend a pleasant Spring afternoon than listening to the Kootenay Brass Quintet. My only regret was fueled by a sense of guilt in having missed the Sonatina Sunday in Cranbrook. It was was scheduled for the same time in the Cranbrook Knox Presbyterian Church in Cranbrook.

Now, here`s a thought. The members of the Kootensy Brass Quintet are an integral part of the Symphony of the Kootenays. It would be nice to see them step out from behind the strings in a Symphony concert and do a ensemble piece as a quintet in front of the orchestra. After all, in a bygone day and in a different genre, Benny Goodman used to showcase his trio, quartet and sextet with his big band. So why not break some new symphonic ground and add variety to a Symphony concert?

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The Symphony of the Kootenays

Posted on 2013-05-28 by Rod Wilson

Note: typo on page 5 – the final concert of the year will be in April 2014 not April 2013.

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The Mishras – 2013

Posted on 2013-05-20 by Rod Wilson

The Mishras – Pandit Shivnath Mishra & Deobrat Mishra (Sitars), Prashnat Mishra (Tabla), Sunday May 12, 2013, 7:30pm at Centre 64.

It seems that to be an Indian Classical Musician one needs to be born into the family “business”. It also helps if one is dedicated to many, many hours of hard practice. The great Indian Sarod player Ali Akbar Khan belonged to a family dynasty of musicians and started his formal studies as a vocalist at the age of 3. His lessons with his farther extend over the entire length of each day. The sitar player Ravi Shankar and his daughter Anoushka are another well known inter-generational family of Indian classical musicians. To this list we can add The Mishras who were in Kimberley for a concert at Centre 64. With the grandfather Pandit Shivnath Mishra, the son Deobrat Mishra and the nephew Prashant Mishra it was a rare opportunity to hear an inter-generational family of Indian musicians sharing their music with the world. This is their second visit to Kimberley. Deobrat and Prashant performed at Centre 64 back in 2010. (for the review and images from that concert go to the link The Mishras ). At that time the Tabla player Prashant was still in his teens. For this concert the two younger musicians were joined by the grandfather Shivnath on one of his rare trips outside his native home in Benares, India. For this particular performance they performed the raga GWATI as the first half of their program. Normally an Indian raga can go for several hours but as a concession to western audiences they are usually shortened. That being said this raga lasted around 60 minutes. That is somewhat longer than your average 3 minute pop tune. As with their previous concert the second half of the program was dedicated to shorter pieces that included a composition dedicated to Holi, the Indian Festival of Colors, a composition dedicated to Shiva and another in keeping with our wonderful mountain scenery. The Mishras intend to resume their teaching agenda in Nelson in the near future and should be back through this region next year. Here are some more images from the concert (click for a larger view).

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The Last Coffee House of the season

Posted on 2013-05-07 by Rod Wilson

Locals Coffee House May 4, 2013 7:30 pm at the Studio / Stage Door in Cranbrook.

Every musician, regardless of genre, needs to get to grips with the music of Bach. On a similar, but not as an intense a note, every tune-smith or purveyor of traditional music should pay some attention to the music of Stephen Foster. His tunes have been around for over 150 years so they must have some merit. In fact his songs and tunes are a goldmine of material for re-interpretation and performance. Case in point. At the LOCALS Coffee House on Saturday night, late in the program, RedGirl (Mike and Anie Hepher with Steve Jones) took to the stage and kicked off their set with Stephen Foster’s Angeline the Baker. From the moment that Mike’s delicate muted mandolin intro sounded they had me. For me this was a complete re-invention of a tune that we have been kicking around for years. But Mike’s vocal and mandolin, Anie’s clawhammer banjo and Steve’s bass playing took the song to a whole new level. As a band RedGirl has been around for a number of years and like all great musicians they continue to evolve. The new format (at least to my ears) of the band is a more stripped down acoustic version of their former self. On this particular night the emphasis on mandolin, clawhammer banjo and ukulele was a pure delight. I hope they are planning a recording session in the near future. But I am getting ahead of myself. They were in fact the last act in an evening of incredible music. A couple of new musical duos kicked off the night. First out of the gate was JR LIVES with Jon Bisset on guitar and vocals and Rod Wilson on Irish Bouzouki. Their selections included Carrot Juice is Murder and Neil Young’s Old Man. A couple of months back Dave Prinn (guitar and vocals) hooked up with Bill Renwick (guitar, harmonica and vocals) at an open-mic session at BJ’s Creekside Pub in Kimberley. The musical chemistry was immediate. They have cemented their musical relationship into the duo VESTED INTERESTS and I guess this was their first formal performance. Both musicians are strong guitarists and vocalists and they seem to seamlessly slip into complementary roles. With his strong performances in many sessions over the past few years Dave is the better known musician. Bill may be the lesser known but I suspect that will change. His voice is a wonderfully polished version of Neil Young, that is if Neil could actually sing. (don’t get me wrong, I like Neil Young). They kicked off their set with an Eagles tune (I missed the name), followed by a Dave Prinn original called Gonna Ride That Big Twin Home (a motor cycle trip from California to Edmonton) and Bill Renwick’s Hold Me in Your Arms Tonight. They rode out on a blaze of glory on James Taylor’s Steam Roller Blues. Tom Bungay is also a regular on the session scene and for this night’s performance he decided to take it down a notch with a couple of tribute performances dedicated to Rita MacNeil and George Jones. Dave Prinn stepped on stage to sing harmony behind Tom on Rita’s Working Man. The song He Stopped Loving Her Today was the George Jones tribute. Tom’s wife Verna joined him for their masterpiece monologue / song Wave Over Wave – a very fitting tribute to the sailors of Newfoundland. Also featured was the song Jeckyl and Heyde. This is a fine piece of song writing by Tom’s eighteen year old daughter.The Quimby’s (Erin and Ferdy Belland) with some able help from Mike and Anie Hepher strutted out some covers of Blue Rodeo and the John Prine song called In Spite of Ourselves. This song could be, so they say, the story of their married life. Erin, like Annie (and a whole horde of other musicians) has become a devotee of the Ukulele. It is an instrument that has come out of the shadows and has become an important ingredient in “Jaiwaiin” music (ie. a mixture of island music from Jamaica and Hawaii). I am not sure under what banner James and Tristan Neve, Rob Young and Ferdy Belland are travelling but I guess Lonesome Jim is a good as any. As always Jame’s original songs continue to astound and on this night the band included Hold On, Passing Through Your Heart, and Take the Wheel. Also, as always, Rob Young contributed some fine lead guitar work, including some of his rarely heard slide playing.

This Saturday night was the end of LOCALS 2012/2013 winter season and it was also a special night to pay tribute to Beth Crawley who was stepping down after chairing the LOCALS Committee for 15 years. Thanks Beth for all your hard work over the past years. Beth proved time and time again that by presenting local artists the quality of musicians in the area is second to none and that the Studio / Stage is a venue that captures the real essence of music – music that is unique, personal, and intimate. It is music that is shared among local musicians and their friends and deserves to be shared by the wider community.

Here are some more images from an unforgettable evening of music:

Home Grown Coffee House May 4, 2013 7:30 pm at Centre 64 in Kimberley.

Unfortunately I haven’t yet found a way to be in two places at the same time so I had to make a choice. Which Coffee House should I attend? LOCALS or HOME GROWN ? LOCALS was closer to home and I was performing there in a duo with Jon Bisset (JR Lives) so that decided the issue. Still it would have been nice to attend both.

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Jess Hill & Christa Couture at the Driftwood House

Posted on 2013-05-03 by Rod Wilson

For the Kimberley stop off in this mini-tour the weather co-operated fully. It was a gorgeous spring weekend with the April showers descending on the Driftwood Concert House just as the concert began. For this last concert of the Driftwood Concert House Spring Series Christa Couture and Jess Hill, both ladies from Vancouver, treated the audience to a fine selection of original material. Of the two performers Jess Hill (guitar and vocals) who opened the evening, was closer to the folky singer /song writing tradition of the likes of Joni Mitchell. The songs, tunes, words and delivery may have been different but this was familiar territory. During her performance she, in part, explored her fascination with moths. One of the songs, An Open Letter to My Heart, she used the insect’s behavior as a metaphor for her love life. The imagery revolved around a moth’s navigational skills being dominated by the light of the moon in much the same way as in human emotions “Love still lights the way”. In both instances a miscalculation can lead to getting lost or even burnt. Another song, with a slight blues inflection, was the result of a lay over in Paris on a long trip back from Africa. This is her mother’s favorite and it is easy to see why. A couple of the nice lines in the song included ” I’ve got to be sure my shadow keeps up with me” and “a shadow makes good company”. In the audience participation number the chorus of the song “My, oh My Baby” got an immediate response without too much coaxing. The lines “fox in the meadow and the wolf in the woods” and “It’s no surprise the stars have eyes” were also nice images. A nice feature of her guitar accompaniments was her delicate finger picking.

The poster had Christa Couture (vocals, guitar and piano) defined as a Chanteuse. The New Penguin English Dictionary’s definition of the word is: “Chanteuse /shon’tuhz-/ noun (pl Chanteuses) a female nightclub or cabaret singer”. In the vernacular she would be described as a singer/song writer. However, the word Chanteuse with its urbane nuance, is probably a more accurate reflection of her material and delivery. Songs included You Know I Don’t Play Piano, Parasite, and The Boy Down the Bayou. In the very near future Christa will be off on a tour of the EU and the UK. Almost as we speak her latest CD The Living Record is being released (April 29th, 2013) in the UK. Here are some more images from The Driftwood Concert House and the evenings performance.

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David Newberry and the Nautical Miles at The Driftwood Concert House

Posted on 2013-04-20 by Rod Wilson

Way, way back in the days before laptop computers were even in the realm of SciFi Gunther Schuller coined the phrase “Third Stream” to describe the emerging musical hybrid of Jazz and Classical music. The idea has probably lost relevance in this day and age and yet, the idea of “musical streams” is as good a way as any to describe the music scene. In the local sense there is “mainstream” music that is largely the focus of the Key City Theatre, various educational programs and associated festivals. Without wishing to be unkind this is a somewhat bland amalgam of just about anything that passes for music these days. Then there is the testosterone driven “heavy metal rock” stream that seems to have found a new home in the Byng Roadhouse. This music is certainly not bland but rather goes to the opposite extreme where audiences risk deafness and burst eardrums at almost every performance. Then down a notch from that is the “open mic / jam session” stream that is mostly classic rock with bits of folk/rock and country thrown into the mix. There is a fourth stream that flows mostly under the radar stream. This is usually very original, intelligent, and, usually, acoustic music (whatever that means these days) and is practiced by a huge number of wandering performers and troubadours who scratch out a marginal living as travelling musicians. Over the years Gord Johnson and Terry Miller have promoted a superb number of concerts in the Beannick Subscription Concert Series that utilizes this important source of talent. Also over the last few years the La Cafamore String Quartet from Nelson has toured the area regularly with classical programs that are definitely outside the box. All of the above utilize established concert halls and licensed establishments. What is new on the local scene, and one that opens up a whole new palette of sonic sensibilities, is the house concert series sponsored by Jen and Darin Welch at the Driftwood Concert House. Jen and Darrin also dip into that pool of travelling musicians and their primary focus appears to be the promotion of the singer/song writing tradition. Dave Newberry and the Nautical Miles was the fourth house concert in the series. I attended the previous concert by Belle Plaine and that was a wake up call for me as to the potential of the house concert concept. For this, the latest concert in the series, David Newberry and the Nautical Miles from Vancouver delivered an evening of superb acoustic music. A step away from the almost worn out standard rock quartet (bass, drums, rhythm and lead guitars) the band utilized the talents of Tim Tweedale on a Weisenborn guitar ( Weissenborn ) and Lucus Schuller on a muted drum kit to give musical textures that are virtually unheard in this day and age of over amplified music. The music was subtle, well rehearsed and arranged with a wide dynamic range that was very pleasing to the ear. The band was rounded out by Corbin Murdoch playing a beautiful guitar built by Ed Bond of Vancouver (Tinker Guitars ) and Simon Rotheisler on electric bass. Song writing and vocal credits were shared by Corbin and special guest David Newberry both of whom drew inspiration from accident, incidents and the world around them. Their world seemed to be full of humor, issues and, thankfully, an absence of youthful angst. There were some whimsical songs such as I’m Sorry Dude, a song about Jack Kerouac (So it Goes), a murder ballad (Slow) and a wonderful anthem She was my Lover, a Pretty Good One for a While, that featured a rousing chorus. The songs were excellent, the sound superb and it was a thrill to hear every whisper and nuance of the music that was being spun out before your very eyes (and ears). Tim Tweedale’s playing on the Weissenborn was exquisite and I would have liked him to have done more than the one featured instrumental. Of special mention is the drummer Lucas Schuller. It is extremely rare to hear a drummer who actually knows the meaning of the phrase “musical dynamics”. From whisper soft strokes with brushes and bundles to accented sticks and mallets he is a drummer well worth a listen. Try and take in one of these house concerts over the next little while and I guarantee you will be reluctant to ever again attend concerts in any other venue. Here are some images from the concert (click for a larger view) : The next Driftwood House Concert will be on Sunday, April 28, 2013: Christa Couture w/- Jess Hill from Vancouver. Check their websites at Chris Couture Jess Hill

PS : a special note – The Rayco Weissenborn guitar played by Tim was built in Smithers BC ( Rayco )

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Cara Luft at Lotus Books

Posted on 2013-04-06 by Rod Wilson

Cara Luft: Live at Lotus Books, Cranbrook B.C. 7:30 pm , Wednesday April 3, 2013

On her resume Cara probably lists her occupation as “Professional Folksinger”. I know for a fact that is how she described herself to the US Customs personnel. But that is another story and it is one she tells in the song It’s Not Mine. There are not too many people in the world that could be included in the select group of “Professional Folk Singers”. Woody Guthrie was one. So was Pete Seeger. These were musicians that basically wandered the country, and the world, making their living by singing and writing songs that arose from that huge body of work, documented and undocumented, described as “folk music” or “traditional music”. They are basically a modern extension of an occupation that goes way back, and probably beyond, medieval times. Troubadours of old literally sang for their supper. As did the pipers, instrumentalists, story tellers and hedge poets of the old world. Cara is in pretty select company. She comes by her profession honestly. Cara was born into a family of traditional musicians. Her father is a well known banjo player and mentor of young musicians in Calgary. Cranbrook is pretty lucky to have been associated with Cara over the years. Years back she performed at Doug Erickson place out at Mayook. She has toured through the area with THE WAILING JENNINGS and done numerous solo gigs in Cranbook, Creston and Fernie over the years. Everything from a headliner act at St. Eugene Mission Casino to small gallery and small stage venues. The engagement at LOTUS BOOKS is a perfect example of Cara performing in a small intimate environment. Erin and Ferdy, the new owners of Lotus Books, re-organized the kids book section to accommodate a small performance area for the evening. Fifty five very excited patrons showed up for this the first of, hopefully, many future intimate concerts. There are not enough superlatives in the English language to truly capture the essence of a Cara Luft performance. Joyous and brilliant are two words that immediately came to mind as Cara wove a rich tapestry of stories and song into a very memorable evening. Her clawhammer banjo playing sparkled on an original piece called My Darling One as did her encore performance of The Huron Carol . In the past Cara resisted the pull of the banjo but now that she is well down that road and it is a joy to hear the steady bum-ditty-bum clawhammer banjo rhythm, the tapping of feet and the delicate melodies floating over the top of it all. If a musician must play banjo this is the style to play. And, if one is a banjo player, then one must accept that huge repertoire of “banjo jokes“ as part of the baggage. The prize of the evening came from a member of the audience – “ a terrorist group took a busload of banjo players hostage and threatened to release one every hour until their demands were met“. On guitar, Cara restored Led Zepplin’s Black Mountain Side to it`s rightful place as Bert Jansch`s interpretation of the traditional ballad Black Water Side. Also on guitar Cara revisited Davy Graham`s interpretation of She Moves Through the Fair. It is great hear credit being given to such ground breaking acoustic guitarists as Bert Jansch and Davy Graham. Both of these musicians have recently passed on but their legacy is still with us. Cara has a number of strong traditional songs, including The Plough Boy and the Cockney in her repertoire. In addition she has some some original songs of her own. Her song, It`s Not Mine, is a recounting of a particularly difficult encounter with the US Customs Service. It was a tour de force of joyous audience participation and humor. The audience obviously enjoyed the evening’s show with a call for at least three encores (I lost count). For this inaugural concert at Lotus Books Ferdy and Erin chose a winner. A Cara Luft concert is an unforgettable event.

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PS – I forgot to mention Cara’s rousing clawhammer version of Guns and Roses’ Sweet Child of Mine. Rock and Roll never sounds this good.

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Joshua Burning at BJ’s Creekside Pub

Posted on 2013-04-02 by Rod Wilson

Joshua Burning at BJ’s Creekside Pub, Saturday March 30, 2013, 7:30 PM

This is probably the finest configuration of acoustic musicians in the area. Over the years Keith Larsen (singer / song writer, guitar, mandolin, dobro, banjo), Garnet Waite (singer / song writer, guitar, mandolin and vocals) and Jon Gerlitz (guitar, vocals and bass guitar) have been staples on the local music scene and only recently they have come together as the alt/country/roots band Joshua Burning. As a duo Keith and Garnet have performed under that banner for a while but recently John Gerlitz has joined them on bass guitar to fill out the sound spectrum. Keith Larsen brings to the group some of the most formidable guitar and mandolin playing to be heard in this area. He has a lot of musical experience in just about every genre one would care to name. He is part of Elena Yeung’s BlueGrass band; He has played in rock bands; performed as a solo act; Done recording session work with Heather Gemmell and is always ready pick up an instrument in any musical context. Garnet Waite has a great country voice, great song writing skills and is no less of maestro on guitar and mandolin. John Gerlitz is best known for his old time jazz and honky-tonk vocals and finger style guitar playing. For Joshua Burning he steps out of the shadows and plays bass guitar. The band was in fine form on Saturday night and that is an understatement. They were hot with a great repertoire of rootsy/country fare, great vocals, blazing guitar and mandolin runs and arrangements that included some spectacular double leads on guitars. At one stage Keith got into some syncopated mandolin breaks that came out sounding like pretty hefty banjo playing. Although most of the repertoire was covers of mostly, to my ear, relatively unknown pieces, there were some of the usual favorites there (for instance Old Crow Medicine Show’s Wagon Wheels, Bob Dylan’s All Along the Watch Tower, and The Doobie Brothers Blackwater) that had the audience rocking along with band. Garnet was playing his dad’s old Gibson acoustic guitar and he threw a few of his originals into the mix. His High Water Channel, The Wind is a Liar were there as well as his Summer Nights with the classic line, “summer nights in a small town used to be, summer nights in a way back fantasy”. Keith also threw his original called Best Laid Plans. This was an evening of exceptionally fine acoustic music, in a fine acoustic environment, in probably one of the most comfortable little pubs into the area. The pub’s winter music program will be winding down over the next few weeks. James Neve will be hosting the last open mic session of the season on Saturday April 6, 2013. Don’t miss it. Also note the following

Friday / Saturday April 5/6 2013, 9:30pm: JOSHUA BURNING at the St. Eugene Mission Casino. This is part of the Casino’s on going showcase series and the resort provides a shuttle service to and from the Casino.

Here are a few more images from Joshua Burning’s performance.

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Belle Plaine at the Driftwood Concert House

Posted on 2013-03-30 by Rod Wilson

Belle Plaine at the Driftwood Concert House in Kimberley, Thursday March 28th, 2013, 7:30 PM.

I hear tell that the geographical center of Canada is somewhere in Northern Ontario. I have no reason to doubt that. The Toronto/Montreal axis likes to think of itself as the cultural center of the country and that I very much doubt. Admittedly Gordon Lightfoot was from Ontario but I suggest the cultural center of of the country is somewhat west of the geographical center. After all, Neill Young and Joni Mitchell’s early geographical affiliations, before they made it in the US of A, were with the Canadian west. Over the years musicians from the cultural center still keep floating to the surface. Colin James was originally from Saskatchewan as was the monster blues guitarist Jack Semple. This week Kimberley was witness to performances by Alberta native Jake Ian at BJ’s Creekside Pub and Belle Plaine from Regina at the Driftwood Concert House. Once again proving that the center still holds. For this town the “House Concert” at the Driftwood Concert House was step, and a very successful one at that, outside the box. Jen and Darin Welch relocated from Smithers to Kimberley and as part of their resettlement plans was their desire to initiate a house concert series. The idea, while simple and straightforward, is not that new. House concerts have been a round for a long time and, with the decline in available performing venues, are gaining more widespread popularity. Jen and Darren organized a room in their house that was big enough to accommodate an audience for visiting musicians. For a percentage of the gate, a place to stay and food there are enough travelling musicians who are willing to perform in a respectful environment for audiences who are there to listen. Jen and Darin have scheduled three spring concerts in their Driftwood Concert House and the first ensemble through the door in the series was Belle Plaine with upright bassist Elizabeth (Beth) Currie and Keyboard / Banjo / Accordion player Jeremy Sauer. First of all their music is basically acoustic with some sound re-enforcement and the first thing that strikes one’s ear is the quality of the sound. The audience can hear (and see) everything. The acoustic environment for this group was perfect. The dynamic range of Belle’s voice was very much in evidence, the great intonation of Beth’s bass was right there underneath the vocals and the guitar and the tasty embellishments and accompaniments of Jeremy’s Keyboards literally sparkled. There was time when their repertoire would have been considered mainstream but in this day and age of “classic rock” the material offered was definitely towards the jazzy side. In addition to an infatuation with the music of Tom Waitts there was the music of Nina Simone, Peggy Lee (You’re So Right), Town Van Zandt (Panch and Lefty), some old Bessie Smith (No Body Knows you When you are Down and Out) and a sprinkling of country, traditional (Wayfaring Stranger) and original material. The music was masterful and well crafted. These musicians obviously spend a lot of time on their arrangements and polishing their performance. The music had lots of space, an element that is missing in a lot of performances these days, and sonic variety. The audience, while mostly young families, was attentive and varied. Who could know that a bunch of very young children, and adults for that matter, could be so well behaved?

Conversations with a bass player: Beth Currie plays a Yamaha Silent Bass with a Galleon-Kruger amp. This is an electric stand up bass and apart from the unit built by Kimberley’s Dave Carlson it is a pretty rare beast in this area. Traditional acoustic bass players tend to look down on their electric counterpart. Beth is a player of wide experience, including symphonic work, and owns a symphonic bass that costs a small fortune and has consumed most of her disposable cash over the purchase years. As Beth explains it “traditional basses are huge wooden boxes designed to produce and bolster the sound at the bass end of the spectrum. They were never meant of be amplified”. The invention of the bass guitar in the late 50’s killed off the manufacture of reasonably priced acoustic basses. In a few short years the bass guitar became the standard in pop music. “Early attempts to develop an amplified stand up bass were hampered by the overtly bass guitar sound that was the end product. That appears to have been overcome and the newer generation of electric stand-up basses are coming into their own. They have good “acoustic” sound, they are robust and they are easy to transport”. In recent years there has been a notable resurgence in the use of upright bass in all fields of music. The emergence of reasonably priced acoustic-sounding electric models will, no doubt, accelerate, the reintegration of stand up bass into the music world.

Thanks should go to the performers and Jen and Darin Welch for a very enjoyable and successful beginning to the Driftwood Concert House Spring season.

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The Next house concert at the Driftwood Concert House will on Friday April 19th featuring – David Newberry w/ The Nautical Miles – $12. Contact Darin Welch [driftwoodconcerts@gmail.com].

www.davidnewberry.ca/

www.myspace.com/boynewberry

music.cbc.ca/artists/David–Newberry

http://vimeo.com/23328618 – Newberry Video

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Jake Ian – Songs of Great Clarity

Posted on 2013-03-28 by Rod Wilson

Jake Ian and the Haymakers Wednesday, March 27, 2013, 7:30 pm at BJ’s Creekside Pub. Lonesome Jim – aka James Neve was scheduled to open the act but because of a cold Ferdy Belland stepped in to open the show.

Over 40 years ago Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and their contemporaries completely revolutionized the content of popular songs. The “moon, June, spoon” sentiments of that era were replaced with songs of personal statement, content and meaning and for that we can be thankful. Although, at the same time, songs tended to become more oblique and obscure. Almost to the point where sometimes, even with some head scratching and research, it has become difficult to figure out the meaning of the song. Clarity often was sacrificed for the pure poetry of the words. So Jake Ian is a pleasant respite from the “fuzzy” songs of recent years. In his craft he returns to songs of narrative, songs that tell stories, songs that reflect the “rolled up sleeves and callused hands” of rural Alberta. Jake is a guitarist/ singer/ songwriter hailing from Warspite, Alberta, a small hamlet of 48 people located 100 km north east of Edmonton. He grew up on a family farm and his Ukrainian cultural heritage stretches back though several generations. In listening to his songs I was transported back to the the world of the great short story writer W.P. Kinsella. Not to the scenes of Kinsella’s Hobbema Ermineskin reserve but to a series of stories that he did about Ukrainian communities north of Edmonton (I have been unable to recover the name of the collection but the stories still rattle around in my brain). What Kinsella managed to put into print Jake manages to put into song. Although some of the evening’s performance included covers of acoustic material by Neill Young (Long May You Run), and Town Van Zandt (If I Needed You) the strength of the night was in Jake’s original material about life on the farm, people met, people left behind, old cars, and old experiences. Included in the originals were Bunk House Blues, Hide the Guns, The Hired Hand (based on some late 1800’s poetry by dissident Ukrainian Ivan Franks), Down the Drain, White Wagon Blues, Maria, Public Defenders Blues and Be in Fort Qu’Appelle by Dusk. Jake played a beautiful small bodied Martin 000-15M guitar in a wonderfully clean complementary style and was supported by the bass player Braden Sustrik. James Neve was scheduled to open for Jake but due to illness he was forced to relinquish the opening role to Ferdy Belland. Ferdy had orchestrated the evening’s event and the choice of James Neve would have been the perfect bookend to Jake’s material. James’s endless supply of original songs from another area of the troubadour tradition would have been a nice complement to Jake’s songs. Be that as it may, Ferdy rose to the occasion with a wealth of covers that included The Early Morning Rain (Gordon Lightfoot), The Great Compromise (John Prine), Pancho and Lefty (Towns Van Zandt), He’s and Old Hippie (David Bellamy), Aurora Borealis (Neill Young), Chelsea Hotel (Leonard Cohen), The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (Gordon Lightfoot) and Hello in There (John Prine). Once again the evening was testament to the management of BJ’s Creekside Pub (Shannon and Kurt Schiller) and their commitment to live music. It was also a testament to the cultural strength of the land north of “Edmonchuck” (Edmonton).