60 Hertz – The Trio

Posted on 2015-02-06 by Rod Wilson

60 HERTZ – THE TRIO at BJs Creekside Pub, Saturday January 24, 2015, 8pm

These three musicians, Rob Young (lead guitar, backup vocals), James Neve (singer / songwriter, 6 and 12 string guitars) and Dave Birch (backup vocals and bass guitar) have been playing music together for more years than our adult children have had birthdays. From time to time they have been joined by fine drummers (Gerry Bird, John Seiga or Marty Musser) to perform as your standard folk/rock band. The format may be standard but the music is more than a notch above the run of a mill folk/rock band. The most recent drummer, Marty Musser, who was an exceptionally fine fit for the band, has moved onto other “Pastures of Plenty” and 60 Hertz is back to performing as a trio. Not to worry! On Saturday night at Bj’s Creekside Pub they delivered James Neve’s signature songs with the same tight ensemble performances with Rob Young’s very tasteful guitar leads, Dave Birch’s dancing bass lines and James Neve’s vocals. As always their music on this evening was a cut above almost any other live band you are likely to encounter in the area. Here are some images from another exceptional night of music at BJs Creek side pub.

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60 Hertz at Summersounds

Posted on 2013-07-09 by Rod Wilson

60 Hertz at Summersounds, Rotary Park in Cranbrook, July 6, 2013 1pm to 4 pm.

60 Hertz – Rob Young, James Neve, Marty Musser and Dave Birch

The second free summer outdoor concert at Rotary Park in Cranbrook featuring “the best band in the land” – 60 Hertz – What more can I say? As always the band was super tight with great well thought out instrumental and vocal arrangements, imaginative lyrics by James Neve, Rob Young’s almost mellow lead guitar, Dave Birch’s spot on bass playing and the tasty drumming by Marty Musser. The band was fresh from their big day at Fernie’s Canada Day engagement that sported a crowd of over 1,500 and yet in Cranbrook there was only a very small audience on this beautiful sunny day of free music. One wonders why? That didn’t deter 60 Hertz from delivering a great afternoon of great rockin’ music. As well as their wonderful originals such as You May Be Right, Don’t Get me Wrong, More Than I can Give, These Shoes are Made for Walking, Rainland, Mean Streets, Deep Water and Virtuality the band trotted out a marvelous new song called Long Gone Down. I am looking forward to the day when some big time performer will cover some of these great songs and James can look forward to a wealthy retirement.

The organizers of Summersounds would like to thank the sponsors of the event: Columbia Recycling, Kootenay Gradall, South Sierra Developments, Salvador Redi-Mix, Tundra Steel, Freightliner, White Oak Valley Contracting, BCGEU, Rocky Mountain Diesel, AquaPro Drilling, Cranbrook Farmer’s Market, Cranbrook District Arts Council, Cranbrook Rotary, Fiorentino Brothers and HD Kootenays.

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Apre Ski at the Stemwinder

Posted on 2013-03-06 by Rod Wilson

Heather Gemmell (solo) at the Stemwinder Bar and Grill (Kimberley Ski Hill), Saturday & Sunday February 23/24th, 2013, 3-6 pm.

Hether Gemmell is well known on the local music scene for her solo work and performances with her band The Peaks. As always, it is a pleasure to hear her guitar and vocal explorations of original material and a selection of covers. She has a large set list and on Sunday she was worked through her list of favorites as well a long list of the not so familiar. Included were Heart of Gold, Driven, Angel From Montgomery, Sugar man, a very bluesy You are my Sunshine, Hotel California, Love me Do, and the outstanding one up experimental loop piece called Pawn Shop. She reached deep into the bag to pull out one of her very first originals called Slowdown. The song had a great bass line that flowed through out the tune. She continues to resist putting words to that beautiful Tapping Tune where by she explores the percussive potential of the guitar fretboard. As an instrumental it offers an interesting change of pace to her set list. Heather will be back at the Stemwinder later in the month in the continuing Apre Ski musical program at the Stemwinder Bar and Grill.

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Scott Pfeifer (solo) at the Stemwinder Bar and Grill (Kimberley Ski Hill), Saturday & Sunday February 23/24th, 2013, 3-6 pm.

Bruce Cockburn’s Lovers in a Dangerous Time always brings to my mind the marvelous Mel Gibson / Sigourney Weaver / Linda Hunt collaboration in the film The Year of Living Dangerously. Scott Pfeifer revisited The Bare Naked Ladies interpretation of Cockburn’s classic song and, for whatever reason, Scott’s great voice and interpretation took me straight into 1965 and the hot sweaty tropical world of Indonesia during the tumultuous years of President Sukarno’s repressive regime. With the snow outside on the ski hill and the temperature around freezing point that is quite a stretch of the imagination but never-the-less that’s how it worked for me. Although Scott writes his own material, on Sunday he stuck to covers such as Ahead by a Century, On My Own, Pure Narcotic, Caught by the River, Metal Airplanes, Last Dance and How to Disappear Completely (available on YouTube). Like most musicians he has “a real job”. He is an IT consultant in Calgary. He has friends here in Kimberly so it almost a sure thing that he will be back here for more performances in the future.

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60 Hertz at the Stemwinder Bar and Grill (Kimberley Ski Hill), Saturday & Sunday March 9/10th, 2013, 3-6 pm.

“The best band in the land”! There is no such thing of course but why would anybody even think that?. Maybe because 60 Hertz are so dam good. James Neve (guitar & vocals), Rob Young (lead guitar), Marty Musser (drums) and Dave Birch (bass) have played for together for more years than any of them would like to remember.

Some one once asked Vancouver Jazz Pianist Renee Rosnes how come she has done so well on the New York Jazz scene. Her answer was simple and straight forward ” I have the chops, I show up on time and I am a professional”. I guess that could be applied to 60 Hertz. In each of their little instrumental niches each band member has the chops. Added to that the superb writing skills of James Neve, the band’s attention to crafting fine arrangements plus the untold hours of rehearsals and practice and you have a band that is smooth, tight and professional. They are so good I don’t think the average audience misses the fact that the band only plays original material. In most performance environments ‘originality’ is usually a death sentence but not for this band.

The band played for a packed house on Saturday and for a sparser crowd on Sunday. Those Alberta skiers just have to hit the road early and get ready for the new work week. Those left behind had ample opportunity to kick back and enjoy some of the 60 Hertz repertoire that include Leave a Candle by the Window, Goodbye, I Will Cry for You, Desperate Train, Doors of Hope (with its nice rhythm change in the coda), Virtuality (one of my favorites), Too Old to Die Young, Don’t Get Me Wrong and Living in the Sun with some of Marty’s deft deft percussion work with mallets.

Here are some images from another rotten day in paradise (the East Kootenays).

$\\\\\\The Head Banger's cute friend$

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Local Live Music X3

Posted on 2013-01-10 by Rod Wilson

So ends a crack-a-jack weekend (Friday / Saturday/ Sunday Jan 4-6, 2013) of live music.

Heather G’s Jam at Ric’s Grill (Prestige Inn, Cranbrook) Friday January 4, 2013 from 7:30pm to midnight. featuring local performers. As usual there was a great turn out of performers and patrons and a significant amount of audience participation on percussion. Performers included a shakedown performance by Heather Gemmell, Brian Noer and their new drummer Podier Atto (“P.J.”), DAZE OF GRACE, Jon Bisset, EAST MEETS WEST (Tom Bungay and Gene), Dave Prinn, Mark Casey, Steve Lungal, Rod Wilson, James Neve, Connor Foote, Clayton Parsons and those fine ladies of BlueGrass fame (Cosima Wells, Shauna Plant and Heather Gemmell). Their performance of Stephen Foster’s You are My Sunshine in a minor key was absolutely stellar. Here are some images from the night.

Tim Ross hosting the Open Mic at BJ’s Creekside Pub in Kimberley,
Saturday, January 5, 7:30 pm.

On the local music scene BJ’s is a shining light of live music for local musicians and patrons. During the winter months there is live music nearly every Saturday evening. That includes an “open Mic” session on the first Saturday of the Month. Tim Ross, ably assisted by Colin Righton and Ferdy Belland (The Bison Brothers) managed attract a plethora of local talent. Musicians included two of the area’s premier singer / songwriters Garnet Waite and James Neve, fellow musicians Connor Foote, Brent Ross, Rod Wilson, DAZE OF GRACE, Bill St. Armand, Brian Morris and the absolutely stunning back up vocalist “Irene”. Kimberley residents are noted for a crash and burn approach to a night out and are usually home in bed ten o’clock. Not this night. This session, like Heather’s Jam at Ric’s the previous night, rolled right on past midnight.

Apre Ski with 60 Hertz at the Stemwinder Bar and Grill (Kimberley Ski Hill), Saturday and Sunday, January 5 & 6th, 2013, 3-6pm. This is one of an ongoing series of regular musical events held at the Stemwinder though out the ski season.

It has been said many times before that this is “The Band” of note in the East Kootenays. 60 Hertz is a well oiled musical machine that is way more than just four older guys try to relive their youth. A bygone era may have been their initial inspiration to play rock music but from there on in they are their own musical muses. 60 Hertz with Rob Young on lead guitar, Dave Birch on bass, Marty Musser on drums give substance, voice and punch to the original songs and tunes penned by James Neve. This is an innovative intelligent rock band with great songs, great arrangements that they play so incredibly tightly. So, after a day on the slopes it is a real treat to be able to kick back, enjoy some food and refreshment and hear the music of this fine band. And, as an added bonus, kids can mill around enjoy live music up front and personal in a family environment. How ofter do kids get to sit down with their parents, friends and others and listen to live music in a civilized setting? I suggest almost never. As usual the band delivered their repertoire of, by now well known, original songs such as Desperate Train, Don’t Get me Wrong and Time Stands Still , and also a healthy serving of new material. These guys continue to write and rehearse on an almost continuous basis and as an audience we gain the benefit.

Viva the Kimberley Ski Hill and the Stemwinder Bar and Grill.

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Rod Wilson's Blog

Tag Archives: 60 Hertz

60 Hertz – The Trio

60 Hertz at Summersounds

Apre Ski at the Stemwinder

Local Live Music X3