Read any good books lately? (#4) – wandering down memory lane

Posted on 2014-08-15 by Rod Wilson

I don’t know how I stumbled on these two books. Possibly by net surfing on Amazon or Kindle. Either way both books set up a buzz of resonance in my memory cells. Both books are essentially travel books. The first one caught my eye because it was about recent travels in Australia and the second one because it was about the Old Indian Trails in the Canadian Rockies (just around the corner from where I live).

TRAVELS OF AN ORDINARY MAN – AUSTRALIA by Paul Elliott (published in April, 2013) available on Kindle for 99 cents. At that price how could you go wrong?

All of us at some time or other have become frustrated with our jobs, our life and our relationships and yearn to just toss it all in and head out into great blue yonder. Paul Elliott is one of us. A job that was going no where and a girl friend who was a professional driver (“she had driven me up the wall, driven me around the bend and eventually driven me to the point where I needed to leave everything behind for the foreseeable future”). His answer was to jump on a plane and head down to Australia, specifically to Cairns in Queensland. In this day and age, from Heathrow you fly over Europe, Russia and drop down to Tokyo, Japan and then change planes for a direct flight to Cairns in Queensland.

In Canada if you live in the east you are exhorted to go West. In Australia everyone lives down south so the cry is to “go north young man”. And that’s what I did in the mid- 1960’s. I had worked in my first real job for nine years and life was passing me by. I didn’t have a relationship to jetson but I did have a yen to surf the fabulous beach and point breaks of Northern NSW and Southern Queensland. So why not do that and also take a wander around a part of the country where “even the bananas bend to the right”. This was the red-neck republic of Bjelke Petersen. Bjelke, a God-fearing Lutheran minister, was the premier of Queensland at the time and was the perfect example of that curse on mankind – “A Self Made Man” – whose motto in life was “my way or the highway”. Queensland was no place for unionists, left wing agitators, surfing bums or, then new on the scene, hippies. So after some time tooling around the surf spots, including an epic birthday surf at a place called Broken Head, and some gainful employment for a few months in Lismore it was on “To the North! to the North! The last place God made / The contract unfinished, lost, stolen or strayed ” (an old traditional song). I had a vague idea of maybe making it all the way to New Guinea. I arrived in Cairns from the south 30 odd years before Paul arrived from the North. I think things must have changed somewhat in the intervening interval of time. In my day Cairns was a sleepy country town on the north east coast of Australia. Not exactly the end of the earth but pretty dammed close. You would have to go further north to Cook Town to get closer to the edge. The Japanese seem to like Cairns as a tourist destination, hence the direct flight. It is a gate way to the Great Barrier Reef so that may explain it. In my day it was as hot as Hades and that doesn’t seem to have changed. Cairns no longer seems to be sleepy and through Paul’s eyes it is pretty well a party town over run with backpackers who require ample opportunities to drink beer. His adventures included bungy jumping, beer drinking, a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, beer drinking, a road trip to Cook Town, beer drinking, avoiding predatory women, beer drinking, a trip to the Daintree Rain Forest, beer drinking, a trip to Lake Barrine, more beer drinking ……. you get the general idea. Memories of the area are still in my mind. Picking tobacco in the Atherton Tablelands, the launch “milk run” to Cook Town to what seemed like the end of the earth. In reality then, and I suspect now, it is the ends of the earth. Looking north from the jetty in Cooktown the country stretches for thousand of desolate miles before tumbling into the Torres Straight and then onto New Guinea. It was place where you meet the odd characters that always seem to populate areas on the edge of settled society. Paul finally hooked up with some fellow travelers in a shared vehicle and headed off into the interior to get first hand experience of the “real outback”. I don’t think he was disappointed. Despite the thousands of miles of dust, desert and flies and the lonely townships on the way the spectacle of Ayers Rock and the Olgas seem to have made it all worth while. I hadn’t traveled that route so I had no actual first hand knowledge of the terrain. However, he headed south to Port Augusta in South Australia and that is an area I knew. I had passed through it several times. Once on a hitch hiking trip from Sydney to Perth and again on a road trip to the Flinders Ranges. I distinctly remember standing at the end of the sealed road outside Port Augusta as it headed north to Alice Springs. Standing there and seeing the gravel road stretching north as far as the eye could see until it was no longer visible in the shimmering heat of the day. That road is now a sealed highway. The rest of his travels through South Australia and Victoria were also over country that I had traveled so, so many years ago. In my case they were mostly solo adventures in Paul’s case he seemed to have the knack of hooking up with any number of interesting fellow travelers. Upon reaching the “big smoke” (Melbourne) he toyed with the idea of heading back up North to MacKay and the Whitsunday Passage. I wish he had of done that because there could have been some very interesting comparisons. In my day getting to MacKay required traveling over hundreds of miles of “The Crystal Highway” so named because of all the glass from shattered windshields that sparked in the sun at the side of the road. I distinctly remember waking up at 8 am in a truck stop outside MacKay on top of picnic table. The temperature was in high 90’s (F) and the sun was beating down and me and my monumental hangover from a re-hydration attempt at a local pub. I also distinctly remember everybody in the pub drinking beer from 5 oz glasses.The idea was to drink the beer before it got too warm. The tables were a sea of empty 5 oz glasses. Having said that the area off the coast is one of spectacular beauty – straight out of Treasure Island. For Colin that was not to be. He was running out of time and he decided to fly to Brisbane and travel down the coast and see “The Real Australia” – the one that is most familiar to most suburban Aussies. The coastal strip is one of unending seascapes, coastal communities and empty beaches galore. He spent some time in one of my old stomping grounds, Byron Bay, just around the corner from Broken Head. He finally ended up in Port MacQuarrie. This a community somewhat the same size as Cranbrook. His experiences ambling around Port MacQuarrie sparked a lot of memories. The truth be known that he was there probably only a few years prior to my last visit to Australia. Eventually Colin made it Sydney for an opportunity to explain why his visa had expired. Luckily for him he was on his way out of the country.

Old Indian Trails of The Canadian Rockies by Mary T.S. Schaffer (first published in 1911). ” Mary T.S.Schaffer was an avid explorer and one of the first no-native women to venture into the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, where few women – or men – had gone before.” at $1.99 this was another steal of deal on Kindle.

There were not many of them around in the19th Century and early Twentieth Century but they were there. Women of adventurous spirits that defied convention and did what they felt they had to do. There were probably more of them out there than we will ever know but unless they documented their efforts they have faded into the blank pages of history. We are fortunate that Mary T.S. Schaffer chose to write a book about her adventures of two summers of horse pack explorations of the Canadian Rockies. Anyone travelling the Ice Field Highway these days between Lake Louse and Jasper are pretty well traversing the main route of her explorations. But, remember their trips were done around 1911. Over two summer Mary and her guides and companions explored a significant number of side trips (left and right) travelling up the Rockies. If you spend any time checking the The Canadian Rockies Trail Guide (Brian Patton & Bart Robinson) it doesn’t take you long to realize that that these are the Old Indian Trails of her travels.

I moved to the East Kootenays in the mid-70’s. Over the years I had done a number of day trips both with the family and solo in the nearby National Parks but it wasn’t until I had been in the area twenty years that I realized that time was slipping by and this marvelous area required some personal exploration. I figured that I had about 15 years of hard core hiking and back packing left before the ravages of age and common sense slowed me down. I know it is not a sensible idea but the only way for me to achieve my desires was to go it alone. Over the next fifteen years I embarked on many day trips and and least one extended eight over-night night back packs per summer. Usually I set aside the the last two weeks of August and the first three weeks of September to take advantage of the good weather (not too hot and sometime cool to very frosty) and the diminishing summer crowds. The early trips were in the Kootenay, Assiniboine and Banff Parks with at least one foray into Yoho Park. Each summer I ticked them off the list until I needed to move onto Jasper Park. Reading Mary’s book is very Deja Vu. I was virtually following in her footsteps, maybe not in the same direction but essentially the same routes. The trip into Athabaska Pass, The Skyline Trail (Shovel Pass) to Maligne Lake and down to Jonas Pass and Brazeau Lake, Nigel Creek and so on. And of course the big trip into Mount Robson. Every summer was another adventure. Despite the fact that they were solo trips I experienced no sense of loneliness. I may have been alone but I was not lonely.

For anyone contemplating hiking in Jasper Park, Old Indian Trails of The Canadian Rockies by Mary T.S. Schaffer is essential reading.

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The Billy Manzik Blitzkrieg

Posted on 2014-08-04 by Rod Wilson

This time it was way different.Two years ago Billy came though town with an upright slap bass player to do a single gig in a local pub. There were less than a dozen people in attendance. This time Billy came though and blew the doors off just about every where he played. A total of six local engagements in four days. Two band gigs at the Byng, a solo gig at the Burito Grill in Kimberley; two outdoor performances in Rotary Park in Cranbook and a duo performance at The Heid Out (also in Cranbrook). And, oh, there was quick side trip to Spokane to play a bikers bar. Needless to say by day four he was getting somewhat tired.

Thursday July 31, 2014 at 5:30 pm: BILLY MANZIK at the Burrito Grill in Kimberley
Saturday August 2, 2014 11am-2pm and 7-10pm – BILLY MANZIK , at Rotary Park in Cranbrook.
Friday August 1, Saturday August 2, 2014, 9:30 to closing: BILLY MANZIK at the Byng Roadhouse in Cranbrook.
Sunday August 3, 2014, 6-8:30pm: BILLY MANZIK at the Heid Out in Cranbrook
and a side trip for an engagement in spokane

Billy Manzik (vocal, guitar and harmonica) is originally from the “Canadian Heartland”, ie Thunder Bay, Ontario. The urban myth claims that “the Blues Highway” (US Route 61) starts in New Orleans, Louisiana and ends in Thunder Bay. Although not strictly true (the highway doesn’t quite make it to Thunder Bay) there is enough truth in the notion for us to believe that the classic blues tradition did travel all the way and become lodged in the musical traditions of that Canadian outpost. Bob Dylan travelled both ways on Highway 61 and performed north of the border bringing more Americiana traditions into the mix . Thunder Bay may have been the Canadian end of “the Blues Highway” and yet, in another sense, it was the beginning of yet another highway heading west to Winnipeg and Calgary and eventually all the way down to California. It is the road travelled by Neil Young and Joni Mitchell to everlasting fame and fortune. Billy Manzik is the latest Canadian to follow that route. He started out in Thunder Bay and worked and performed in “The United States of Alberta” before heading down to California. Billy is a real road warrior and just looking at his itinerary is enough to exhaust mere mortals. This tour was one of his periodic Canadian visits. In this area he kicked off with a solo engagement in the Burrito Grill in Kimberley and, fortunately, he dropped into check out James Neve’s set at the Green Door. I was playing percussion for James and managed to worm my way into sitting in with Billy when he was to play The Heid Out. In exchanged I promised him a photo shoot of the gig. Billy had hired a couple of other musicians from Nelson and Vancouver to fill out the sound for a full on bar band gig at The Byng and the outdoor engagements at Rotary Park in Cranbrook. Billy’s music leans heavily on country blues traditions. He has a voice that just fits the genre so well. His finger picking slide guitar playing is strong and so, so clean (no fret rattles here) that it is a perfect complement to his “blues harp”. He kicked off the Heid Out gig with That’s all Right Mama that owed nothing to the Elvis Presley version but was more in keeping with the original Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup version. From then out there was lots of blues and roots rock and roll tunes that included Who Do You Love?, Highway 61 (of course), Make me a Pallet on Your Floor, No Where to Run (by J.J.Cale), Bright Lights – Big City, Long Gone, Corrina (Taj Mahal), Helpless (Neil Young), Brown Eyed Handsome Man (Chuck Berry), Has Anybody Seen My Gal?, On the Road Again, an original song dedicated to Billy’s mother (a cancer survivor), a Gerry Garcia tune and last but not least J.J.Cale’s classic The Breeze. It was a great evening of low keyed but intense music by an exceptional performer. Plus the fact that I got to take some great photos while I sat in on percussion. Here are some images from the evening.

Here is a special treat – Billy Manzik on Highway 61

Special thanks should go to the Cranbrook and District Arts Council and Louie Cupello for organizing this series of events.

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MIRAGE at Summer Sounds

Posted on 2014-08-01 by Rod Wilson

MIRAGE (Jim Mashall) at Summer Sounds, July 26, 2014, 11 am – 12 noon, Rotary Park Cranbrook

For those who don’t know Jim Marshall is a musician, guitarist and vocalist with several CDs under his belt. He has been active on the local music scene for many years. His strength is his finger picking guitar work that often features strong bass lines running though the performance. He recently switched to a cutaway Larivee Nylon Strung guitar thereby adding a more mellow dimension to his playing. For this particular performance he invited me (Rod Wilson) to join him on stage with a percussion set that featured three congas, Djemebe, Darbuka, Bodhran, Tambourine, Shakers,Cajon etc.). Never one to refuse an invite to bash away on anything within an arms reach I was pleased to participate in a collection of original songs and cover tunes that included Blues Jam, Dancing in the Dark, Don’t be Cruel, Crazy (Willie Nelson’s classic tune made famous by Patsy Cline), Black Cat Jack, Five Foot Two, Arabia (an original), King of the Road, I’m On Fire, Hard Times and the Louis Armstrong hit Hello Dolly. During the hour long set there were many more tunes to enjoy before Jim concluded with La Bamba. Jim’s partner in crime (Lorraine) captured some images and video that I have included below.

and here’s the link to the video MIRAGE at Summer Sounds

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“Even the Ravens were walking”

Posted on 2014-07-31 by Rod Wilson

Bill St. Amand’s Open Mic Session at The Raven’s Roost – Kimberley Golf Club, July 25, 2014, 2013 5-8pm.

Bill insisted that earlier in the day “it was so windy on the golf course that even the Ravens were walking”. I think that’s a story. There were a few gusts on the deck in the late afternoon but nothing more than just a little something to freshen the air. Once again Kootenay sunshine out did itself and patrons were able to kick back and tuck into the fine BBQ and listen to some great tunes. The attraction of “open mic” sessions for musicians is to escape from playing music in the basement and socialize with their compadres. And there are always surprises in the musical mix with well known configurations of players or, as on this day, new musicians on deck. The usual performers were there with host Bill St. Amand (Martin Travel Guitar and vocals), Gary Jacklin (guitar, vocals and effects), Sam Hornberger (guitar, vocals); from almost out of retirement – The Blarney Pilgrims – Wally Smith (Irish Whistle, Button accordion) and Rod Wilson (Irish Bouzouki and percussion), the duo JR Lives – Jon Bisset (guitar and vocals) and Rod Wilson (12 String guitar) and also Mark Casey (“the folk singer with attitude”). Mark was accompanied by Patrick Stohmenger on harmonica. Patrick is fresh out of Vernon and is just infiltrating the local music scene. Here are some images from “another day in paradise”.

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“Vinyl’s great, but it is not better than CDs”

Posted on 2014-07-25 by Rod Wilson

I can remember the first time I heard a CD. It was in a high end audio store in Victoria, B.C. in the early 80’s. Needless to say I was blown away by the clarity and dynamic range of the sound produced on the in-store system. But that’s not what really convinced me of the validity of the format. I had collected recorded music for many years including 78s, 45’s, LPs and even pre-recorded reel to reel tapes. What really convinced me was the silence. Prior to the CD there was always background noise; the crackle and pop of static, dust, the sound of the needle tracking and, even with reel to reel recordings the sound of tape hiss. When a music track came to an end on the CD there it was – glorious silence. I had not ever experienced that before. So, in those early heady days of CDs there was lots of discussion in the audio magazines comparing data, charts and the sound quality of vinyl and CDs. As we all know the CD won the battle and in the end dominated the market. That is, until the MP3 format came on the scene and changed the rules of the game. It was no longer about sound quality it was about quantity. The MP3 allowed for music in a compact format – more music in a smaller packet. For listening to music while riding on the subway, while working away at a menial job or just screening out the ambient surrounding noise it is not an unreasonable solution. Besides most of us couldn’t tell the difference in quality anyway. A number of audiophile formats (SACD, DVD) have been launched over the intervening years and have basically failed in the market place. The latest salvo in that war is Neil Young’s PONO device that, despite it’s audio claims, is probably also doomed to failure in the market place for no other reason than it’s awkward physical footprint. (“is that a Toblerone in your pocket or do you really like me?”). There is little need to go beyond the sound quality of a well produced CD and the market place has virtually confirmed that. In truth most popular music is not recorded to an audiophile level anyway and does not even take full advantage of the CD format.

However, quality is back into the discussions with proponents asserting that “Vinyl is better than Digital”; “it is a warmer sound” or “it is a truer reproduction of the original sound” “it has more soul”. In fact most of the discussion points are hog wash. However, the sentiments seem to have initiated a movement back to vinyl in pop music with a limited number of releases in both a vinyl and MP3 format. Even the bench mark Jazz recording label BLUENOTE has re-issued a limited number of their classic recordings in Vinyl. Also in the jazz re-issue market Mosaic Records has always had a limited number of heavy weight vinyl format recordings in their catalogue. There is one sector of the recorded music industry that appears to have shown a complete disinterest in returning to a vinyl format. That is the Classical Music sector. I think that, in itself, says a lot.

The fact of the matter is that vinyl and digital (CD) are just different. The article in the link Vinyl versus CDs is probably one of the best explanations of the whole issue. Rather than recap the article just click on the link and read for yourself. However, there are a number telling points that have surfaced in this article and in recent discussions on the net. They include the following:

“Let’s not fool ourselves, though. Vinyl is great, but the idea that its sound quality is superior to that of uncompressed digital recordings is preposterous. They sound different, and that’s exactly the point.”

” Each format has its charms, and their overall differences in quality are often overwhelmed by differences in the quality of initial recording equipment, in mastering approaches, and in playback setup. But if you’re a vinyl collector, you also shouldn’t go around telling your friends how much purer your audio is. First off, that’s generally “dickish” behavior, but more to the point it’s false. Digital recording just is more accurate. That’s not the only thing worth considering by any means, but it does make the Puritanism of some vinyl true believers look rather ridiculous”.

“What difference does any of it make? The music being made today all sucks, so high resolution audio is just like putting lipstick on a pig”

What more can I say. Do a Google search on the net and you will see that most of it has already been said. In the meantime I have stacks of vinyl in my basement that I never play. If it is something I really like I endeavor to find it on CD.

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Dark Fire Cloud, Lightning and Sunny Day at Summer Sounds

Posted on 2014-07-15 by Rod Wilson

No this is not a weather forecast. It is the entertainment line up for Saturday’s Summer Sounds in Rotary Park.

Dark Fire Cloud and the Lightning Band Saturday July 12, 2014 11-12 noon. check their website

I am a sucker for the unique and Dark Fire Cloud and The Lightning Band certainly filled that bill. Led by Dark Fire Cloud (Thadeus Prejean) on vocals, guitar and “echo” harmonica, with Jay Buttle on upright bass and Shuggy Mulligan on drums / vocals this band looks unique and sounds unique. There aren’t too many Zydeco / Reggae bands in this neck of the woods. Appearances alone would make them stand out in a crowd. Thadeus is a tall black “drink of water” with a frightfully manic hairstyle; Shuggy Mulligan with his mammoth set of dreadlocks must be an extremely rich man with all the money he has saved on haircuts; Jay Buttle looks so “straight” that he is a startling contrast to the two other musicians. All musicians bring their own little kink to the music. Thadeus with his guitar and Echo Harmonica – I think it is a double reed Instrument that sounds remarkably like a Cajun button accordion – provided a creole sound that would probably be at home in Lafayette, Louisiana. Shuggy Mulligan’s drumming is something else. As most people know I am not overfond of drummers (they are usually just too loud and clutter up the sonic envelope) but every now and then there is an exception. Shuggy is an exception. Yes he is loud and he does from time to time play with the thick end of the sticks but I forgive him for that. The time he spent in the West Indies has left a rhythmic mark on his drumming that took me back to a 60’s recording of the Dizzy Gillespie band in Barbados. That recording stamped in my mind a hi-hat beat with the snappy snare accents that just gets the hands and feet twitching in joyous sympathy. Shuggy had that West Indian rhythmic punch that I just love to hear. Jay Buttle is another example of why the upright bass has come back into favor. He has that big round sound that blended so well with Shuggy Mulligan’s drumming. With the exception of the old Creole standard Jumbalya the music was mostly original material. That didn’t seem to be a challenge for patrons at the Byng Roadhouse on Friday night. They kept the band on stage until 2 o’clock in the morning. Unfortunately I missed the show but if they come back I will be there in spades. Here are some images from a day in the sun at Rotary Park on Saturday.

Sunny Day Saturday July 12, 2014 12 noon to 2pm (Brian Noer, Dave Prinn and Bill Renwick).

Right off the cuff Dave Prinn admitted that this was a made up band name for this spectacular day in Rotary Park. Considering the great weather and the sunny disposition of the performers the name is more than appropriate. It is also a nice counterpoint to the name of the opening act, Dark Fire Cloud and the Lightning Band. Dave Prinn (vocals and Guitars) is a troubadour who is always in top form. Bill Renwick (guitar and vocals), his compadre from the duo Vested Interests has a voice that if Neil Young could really sing he would sound like Bill. Brian Noer (bass, lead guitar and back up vocals) from the Heather Gemmell band is a consummate musician who manages to control his thrasher guitar instincts to provide some really tasty lead guitar and bass. As a group the vocal harmonies were superb. Dave kicked off the afternoon with Kansas City and from there on out it was a steady diet of classic rock with songs such as Southern Cross, Steam Roller Blues, I’m Already Standing, Heart of Gold (Bill outdoing Neil Young), I Saw Her Face (The Monkees), Wanted Dead or Alive (Bon Jovi), Still Haven’t Found What I am Looking For (U2), Angel from Montgomery (John Prine), City in the Grass (a Dave Prinn original), Wake Up Little Suzy (The Everly Brothers), etc. Two hours later the sun was still shining and the audience was smiling from ear to ear. Another great afternoon in Rotary Park with Summer Sounds.

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The Visual Arts this Summer

Posted on 2014-07-13 by Rod Wilson

There are two major shows in the area this summer. There is the Cranbrook and District Arts Council photography exhibit at the Artrageous Gallery in Cranbrook and the annual Kimberley Arts Walk sponsored by the Kimberley Arts Council

In a shameless bit of self promotion here are some of my images that will be spread across both exhibits.

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All Blues at the Heid Out

Posted on 2014-07-05 by Rod Wilson

THE LITTLE JAZZ ORCHESTRA PLAYS THE BLUES at the Heid Out in Cranbrook, Thursday July 3, 2014, 6pm.

Classical music may be the composer’s art, but not entirely. Jazz may be the performer’s art, but, again, not entirely. I suppose it is just a question of degree. The rules are a little more rigid for the classical performer and in Jazz the performer can take a few more liberties at the composer’s expense. And, once again at their regular first Thursday of month gig, The Little Jazz Orchestra (LJO) goes about taking lots of liberties. This time it was with the blues. The bands regular musicians, Dave Ward (trumpet, fluegelhorn), Graham Knipfel (drums), Janice Nicli (this time on electric bass) and Jim Cameron (this time on Fender electric telecaster) “amped” up the music for their special ramble through the blues repertoire. The night got off to a bit of a rough start with some electronic malfunctioning with Janice’s electric bass and as a result the Miles Davis 6/8 classic All Blues didn’t quite make it out of the gate. It was an unfortunate hiccup but the only one of the evening. With a different bass in hand Janice was back on deck for The St Louis Blues and a full blues drenched evening. As with previous themed nights the band enlisted the help of their jazzy friends. It was case of “double trouble” with Graham Barnes on electric guitar, joining Jim Cameron for the classic Kenny Burrell tune Chitlins Con Carne. It is not often we see two jazz guitars in a band line-up.There was also “double trouble” from the Knipfel clan when “Big Daddy” Murray Knipfel joined the band on stage for an opening salvo of vocals. Later in the evening Murray switched to tenor sax. Murray was not the only vocalist of the evening . Jim Cameron stepped up to the plate with Kansas City and Janice Nicli did her Jump Jive party piece. I think everybody was in the mix on Flip,Flop and Fly with some nice Telecaster slide from Jim Cameron. In an appropriate nod to the cast and crew of Calender Girls in the audience the band launched into a version of The Stripper. Other tunes served up included Georgia, Saint James Infirmary, Blues in the Night and a Dave Ward original dedicated to the Heid Out’s owner, Heidi Romich, called (appropriately) Blues for Heidi. As luck would have it Laurel Ralston (trumpet) had just arrived back in the area and towards the end of the evening joined Dave and Murray on stage for a two trumpet / tenor sax line up that finally rode out the evening on Duke Ellington’s C Jam Blues.

For those interested, check out the following YouTube links

Miles Davis ALL BLUES (audio only) from the classic 1959 album KIND OF BLUE

Kenny Burrell’s CHITLINS CON CARNE this is from the classic 1963 Blue Note album Midnight Blue that featured Stanley Turrentine on tenor sax, Major Holley Jr on bass, Bill English on drums, Ray Barretto on congas and, of course Kenny Burrell on guitar. The blues don’t come much better than this.

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Back on Deck at the Ravens Roost

Posted on 2014-07-05 by Rod Wilson

Bill St Amand hosts the ‘Open Mic” session, Friday June 27, 2014, 5-8pm at the Kimberley Golf Club.

Last summer the ‘Open Mic” sessions on the Ravens Roost Deck of the Kimberley Golf Club were such a raging success that the club had no choice but to continue with the sessions for the 2014 summer season. Last year the weather was more than kind with many days of brilliant sunshine and limpid air. With overcast skies and the threat of rain the weather was not so kind for the first session of the 2014 season. Not to be deterred the session was moved indoors and true to form there was great music, good food, refreshments, the usual appreciative audience and a salubrious ambience (whatever that means – salubrious just seems to be the right word to roll off the tongue). Musicians from last season were back out in force (Bill St. Amand, THE HEARD – Chris Datson, Shanyne and Merridee Rodrigues, Rod Wilson, Sam Hornberger) with the well known local troubadour Tom Bungay on deck for his first session. It was an evening of old fashion Rock and Roll, a little Reggae, Country, Down East ballads, Canadiana (Valdy, Gordon Lightfoot etc), and some Celtic Ballads, Reels, Hornpipes and Jigs. The weather may not have been kind but the session appear to off to a roaring start.

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1685 was a very good year

Posted on 2014-06-25 by Rod Wilson

Why? Well, first off that was the year that Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was born. Then there was George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) born in that year. Also in that same year Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) was born. In 1685 Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was 7 years old. There were probably other important individuals born around that time but in the world of Baroque Music these gentlemen became the musical giants of the era. All of these men were working musicians in the real sense of the word. Their role was to provide music for the church, the aristocracy, students and, to a lesser extent, for social events. The demands were intense and, as a result their output was prolific. To give some idea of the volume of music we are talking about here, Arkiv Music, the on-line source for classical music lists 7,840 Bach recordings, 3,314 Handel recordings, 658 Scarlatti recordings and 2,318 Vivaldi recordings. So collectively that is over 14,000 recordings. Of course there are duplicates in there but that is still a lot of music to digest. Bach wrote a lot of instrumental, vocal, choral and church music but my particular focus of interest has always been with his keyboard music. My first acquaintance was with the Rosalyn Tureck vinyl recordings of the “Keyboard Partitas”, my second brush with the inevitable was with Maria Tipo’s recordings of the same works. The knockout blow came with Glenn Gould’s recordings of “The Goldberg Variations”. Glenn has been described as “a nutcase” but there is no doubt his interpretations of the music of Bach may never be surpassed. Fortunately, a complete box set of the Columbia recordings; GLENN GOULD – THE COMPLETE BACH COLLECTION has recently been released. At a modest cost of $72 + shipping the 38 CDs, and 6 DVDs (less than $2 a disc) is a formidable body of music to enjoy. If that is too much for an average soul then maybe his recordings of the Goldberg Variations are worth a listen. He recorded it twice in his career. Technology (stereo and Dolby sound) overtook his landmark 1955 recording and he revisited the studio again in 1981 to re-interpret and re-record this masterpiece. This was an exercise that was well worth the effort. The session was recorded on video and the resulting DVD is spectacular. Here is a link to Glenn Gould performing the Goldberg Variations (48 minutes – but well worth the time). “Quite possibly one of the best recordings ever made of any piece of music in the history of recording performances in the studio” – YouTube comment.

I am not overly familiar with the music of Handel. I would not be alone in that thought. The music of Bach and Mozart frequently over shadowed Handel’s achievements. Although, like Bach, he is a Germanic composer he is best known for his English Music. Particularly the “Hallelujah” chorus in “The Messiah” and the orchestral suites “The Water Music”. Further explorations of his music is on my bucket list.

Domenico Scarlatti was born in Naples and served Spanish Royalty for many years. He is best known for the over 500 Keyboard Sonatas that he originally composed for harpsichord. A significant number of these have migrated to the piano and these one movement sonatas are recognized as cornerstones of the keyboard repertoire. They demonstrate Scarlatti’s facility at adapting the rhythms of contemporary Iberian popular music to the keyboard. Or, if one likes to think of it in a particular way then it could be seen as a first taste of flamenco music. This may explain why transcriptions of the sonatas have found their way into the repertoire of just about every classical guitarist of the past 50 years. If one has an appetite for harpsichord music then the 555 sonatas are available in a landmark recording by Scott Ross – the ERATO 34 CD box set ($104) Scarlatti: The Complete Keyboard Sonatas. They were recorded by Scott Ross before he died in 1989 at the age of 38. I include this link to a harpsichord performance by Scott Ross while being fully aware that harpsichord music probably comes across as very harsh to modern ears A Scarlatti Sonata on Harpsichord . On the other hand when transcribed to guitar Scarlatti’s sonatas are very pleasing – here is a link to John Williams performing one of the most popular guitar transcriptions of a different sonata – The Scarlatti D minor Sonata .

Last, but not least, is the Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi who is mostly famous for his “The Four Seasons”. This composition is probably one of the most recognizable pieces of music on the planet. It is forever on radio, TV, in films and concert performances. It is a shame in a way because Vivaldi’s focus in life was opera music and he would have probably preferred to have been remembered for that. But let’s not forget that the working musicians of that era were not writing for prosperity. They were very much in the moment, composing music for the immediate needs of their employers, patrons and students. As a composer he had an enormous influence on the baroque instrumental music of his day. The content and style of his sonatas and concertos were even emulated by Bach. In unkind moments critics have accused Vivaldi of writing the same sonata over 200 times. My first acquaintance with Vivaldi’s music was with his concerto for mandolin. To this day it is still one of my favorite pieces of music. Despite the fact that there are over 2,000 recordings of Vivaldi’s music in the Arkiv catalogue my choice is the I MUSICI 19 CD box set of VIVALDI: CONCERTOS AND SONATAS Opp.1-12 (Newton Classics) . With the exception of one Oboe Concerto and one disc of Flute concertos this is predominantly violin music in many, many, configurations. From the first disc of Trio Sonatas right through to the end of the last disc in this 19 CD collection this music is a revelation. The music does not repeat it self. The only possible duplication I detected is a fragment of the mandolin concerto that showed up in one composition. Currently one of my favorite pastimes of the day is to make lunch and kick back for about an hour and let Vivaldi’s music fill my sonic space. At around $60 this boxed set is one of my best investments ever.

The time of their birth, 1685 or there about, is a long time ago. They were all dead by the time 1760 rolled around. That’s before the American War of Independence and the founding of the United States of America. That’s over 250 years ago and yet their music is still very much apart of modern cultural life. That’s a formidable achievement.

Here are some additional links with Rosalyn Tureck playing the Prelude from Bach’s Partita #1 (audio only) and Maria Tipo playing the same piece Prelude from Bach’s Partita #1 (audio only) . Here is another version by Andras Schiff – he starts with the Prelude then follows through with the entire Partita #1 . If you are unfamiliar with Bach’s Keyboard music the Partitas are a great place to start.

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