Dave Prinn – Troubadour

Posted on 2016-08-01 by Rod Wilson

Dave Prinn at the Heid Out in Cranbrook, July 21, 2016, 7pm

In the Middle Ages the term Troubadour was applied to singers of lyrical love poetry. Of course in this current era of sex and lust it is a term that can longer be applied to any performer. The nearest modern day equivalent to the ancient troubadours is the modern day “singer/song writer”. There was a time during the sixties and 70’s when that gave rise to some sterling material. The likes of Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and the Beatles may never be equaled. Since the creative hey day of that era I think the quality of material has gone some what into decline. There is till some original and interesting material out there but by and large singer/song writers with a modest amount of technical proficiency are a dime a dozen. Usually they are modestly talented performers looking for their big break into the entertainment industry. Although Dave does write the occasional song that is not his forte. He is not really a singer/song writer in the classic sense. To my mind he is an interpreter of the music that is all around us. In this day and age that is mostly classic rock and folk / rock. He brings to the stage a huge repertoire of material that he manages to re-interpret, re-fashion and re-create into his own personal mix. He works hard at his craft and it showed on Thursday evening when the old musical gems of the recent past absolutely sparkled with his personal stamp. Having said all that he did kick off the night with his original Going Round in Circles before he settled into an evening that included Dock of the Bay (Otis Redding), Drift Away, Ahead by a Century (The Tragically Hip), Better Think Twice (Poco), With a Little Help from my Friends (The Beatles), Angel Eyes (Jeff Healey), Gong to be Home Soon (Crowded House), The Ballad of John and Yoko (The Beatles), and that is just a taste of what was in the first set. Always the consummate professional Dave only took a few short breaks throughout an evening of music that stretched from 7pm to 10 pm. Here are a few more images from a night of sterling music.

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Summer Sounds: Heather Gemmel and Lindsay Cuff

Posted on 2016-07-20 by Rod Wilson

Summer Sounds: Heather Gemmel and Lindsay Cuff, at Cranbrook Rotary Park, Saturday July 9, 2016

A luthier friend of mine described BlueGrass Music as “Heavy Metal on acoustic instruments”. I think there is some truth in that but it needn’t be so. There are BlueGrass musicians out there that look forward to new musical adventures, Bela Fleck immediately comes to mind, and musicians that look back to the origins of the music. The latter group are digging deep into the mother lode of the early traditions that inspired the original BlueGrass musicians. Lindsay Cuff (Fiddle, Clawhammer Banjo, guitar and vocals) and Heather Gemmel (Guitar, Banjo, Dobro and Vocals) is a new duo on the local scene dipping into the early traditions. Heather has been ever present on the local music scene for years as a blues/rock/BlueGrass advocate. Lindsay is relatively new on the scene. The duo is so new that they have not yet settled on a name. Following some on stage chatter during tunes Lindsay was ruminating on the “the bump in the middle” (her pregnancy) and was wondering how that was going to effect her banjo playing. The duo is looking for a name and my vote is for Bump in the Middle. I doubt that there is another band out there with that name and they have a ready made back story for whenever a question should arise about the band’s name. The duo was the second act in Summer Sounds first concert of the season and they stepped out of the gate with some laid back material that included Lindsay’s original I Hear You Coming and a sampling of old time tunes like I Wish I was a Mole in the Ground. The mix of the melodic fiddle over the rhythm of the clawhammer banjo allowed for a lot of nice space in the music. We often forget that in music the space between the notes is as important as the notes played. In the pursuit of over the top virtuosity musicians sometimes forget that. So, “as the sun set in the west” the dulcet sounds of this duo added a pleasant ambience to the afternoon / evening concert. I am looking forward to hearing more of this duo in the coming days.

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Dave Prinn and Friends at Perry’s

Posted on 2015-07-26 by Rod Wilson

Perry’s Pizza and Grill present Dave Prinn and Friends, Friday July 17, 2015 6-10 pm.

Our gracious host and supporter of live music – Perry Levoe of Perry’s Pizza and Grill

As always this was another evening of fine acoustic music performed by Dave Prinn, Gerald Dalum, James Neve and Tom Bungay. Unfortunately the light was less than optimum and, with the exception of the above photo of Perry and Dave’s Hawaiian print shirt the resulting images were sub-par so I am reluctant to put them out there. Better luck next time.

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Vested Interest – Polishing Diamonds at BJ’s

Posted on 2015-03-04 by Rod Wilson

Here is a happy band of musicians – Brian Noer (lead guitar, bass & vocals), Dave Prinn (guitars, bass & vocals) Bill Renwick (guitar, vocals and harmonica) and why shouldn’t they be when they get to play the music they love (classic rock and folk/rock). As a group (Vested Interest) they have been working away at their choice of material for maybe a year. Each performer has made his own mark as a solo performer or in many musical configurations around the area. Their music is really coming together as they polish the “diamonds” of the classic rock and folk/rock eras.

Saturday February 28, 2015, 8pm: VESTED INTEREST at BJ’s Creekside Pub – great food and great music.

Generally I am not a fan of pop/rock music but there are certain gems of the classic era that I enjoy. Maybe it’s because that was the music of my youth. My tastes in music may have evolved since then but the music of The Beatles, Crosby Stills and Nash, Neil Young, The Eagles, Bob Seeger and other bands and performers of that era that have an undeniable appeal. Maybe its the vocal harmonies or maybe I think the songs are just better. To come to think of it the only song in recent memory to make it into the “standard classic rock” repertoire is Wagon Wheels.So Vested Interest has been working away at the vocal harmonies, tasty lead guitar breaks, some 12 String guitar guitar riffs, “blues Harp” and clean guitar picking that I am sure will continue to win them a growing audience. Some of the material covered included I’m a Believer (The Beatles), Copperhead Road (Steve Earle), Dead or Alive, Everybody’s Talkin’ About Me (from the Movie Midnight Cowboy), Truckin’ (The Grateful Dead), Hollywood Nights (Bob Seeger and the Silver Bullet Band), Turn, Turn, Turn (with some marvelous 12 String guitar from Dave Prinn a la Pete Seeger), Yankee Lady (Jessie Winchester), City in the Grass (a Dave Prinn Original), Free Falling (Tom Petty), Helplessly Hoping (Crosby Stills and Nash), Heart of Gold (Bill Renwick out does Neil Young on this song), I’m Gone Gone Gone (I think this is a Bill Renwick original), The Weight, It Ain’t Easy, Can’t You See, and many more. It was a great night of “acoustic music” (no screaming guitar work or over the top drums) played by a trio who enjoy performing for an audience who obviously appreciates the music. Here are some images from the evening —–

oh! I forgot to mention “Brian sure looks handsome with his new haircut”

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Vested Interests in The Heid Out

Posted on 2014-09-20 by Rod Wilson

No, this is not a financial report. Vested Interests is the folk/rock (or something like that) group who performs regularly at The Heid Out in Cranbrook. I suppose, true to their name, they do have a vested interest in the place. The better they perform the more likely patrons will be happy and the band will continue to be invited back. The original Vested Interests was Dave Prinn on vocals and guitars, and Bill Renwick, also on vocals and guitars. Brian Noer has joined to group to fill out the vocal harmonies and add some tasty licks on lead guitar.

Vested Interests at the Heid Out in Cranbrook, September 12, 2014, live music until 11pm.

What can I say that I haven’t said before. I arrived late after taking in the Daniel Champagne show at the Studio / Stage Door but I was amply rewarded with some great sounds as the group played right through to 11pm. Always keep the Heid Out in mind for great food, great beer and great music. This coming Friday (September 26, 2014 6:30pm) will feature OUT OF MIND – THE MUSIC OF JAMES NEVE with Lonesome Jim on vocals, guitars and effects and percussionist Juan Havana…… Be there. Here are some images from the Heid Out’s Friday show.

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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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Music, Music, Music

Posted on 2014-03-26 by Rod Wilson

Maybe it is the first real sign of spring. Who needs a ground hog looking for his shadow? A jam packed weekend of live music may just be a better indicator. I attended three venues of live music over the weekend and who knows there may have been more spread around town. The Heid Out in Cranbrook (Friday), The Creekside Pub (Saturday) in Kimberley, and The Stemwinder Bar and Grill at the Kimberley Ski Hill (Sunday) were all alive with “live” music.

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Dave Prinn, at the Heid Out in Cranbrook, Friday March 21, 2014, 7-10pm

The Heidout is a noisy room but one with great ambience, great food, superbly crafted beers and, on this particular night, graced by one of Cranbrook’s finest interpreter of classic rock and folk/rock. Dave ripped through two sets for a very responsive audience before inviting his partner in crime from the duo Vested Interests, Bill Renwick, to join him for some bluesy classic tunes and originals. Bill has one of those voices reminiscent of Neil Young but much better. If Neil Young had a good voice he would sound like Bill Renwick. It seems that Heidi’s intends to make live music a staple on the Cranbrook scene and it it most welcome. Let live music rule!!

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TUCKERS TROUBADOURS, at BJ’s Creekside Pub in Kimberley, March 22, 2014 7-11pm

I’m not a big fan of “star-spangled Nashville” country music but I do like the rolled up sleeves down to earth country music that favor great songs and great tunes delivered with impeccable musicianship and style. Tuckers Troubadours fills that criteria to the nth degree. The usual line up (Larry Tuck- bass ukelele, Doug Simpson – rhythm guitar, Dave Carlson – mandolin, and Bud Decosse – lead guitar) was on stage at BJs, and a fine group of individuals they are, but for this evening they were outshone by the guest appearance of Bud’s daughter Stacey. She has been kicking around the local music scene for many years, in fact ever since she was a teenager, and it was good to see and hear her in such a pleasant setting. Let’s hope we see and hear more of her at BJ’s Creekside Pub in the future

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APRE SKI JAM SESSION, at the Stemwinder Bar and Grill (Kimberley Ski Hill), Sunday,March 23, 2014, 3-8pm. This was part of the ski resort’s regular apre live music session. There was a great turn out of local musicians in age groups that spanned the spectrum from teenagers to the geriatric. The music was mostly classic rock with some folky stuff and a few Irish tunes on Cittern thrown in for good measure.

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Dave Prinn and company at Summersounds

Posted on 2013-08-23 by Rod Wilson

VESTED INTERESTS (Dave Prinn & Bill Renwick) and D SQUARED (Dave Prinn and David Phillipe) at Summersounds, at Cranbrook Rotary Park, Saturday August 17, 2013, 12 noon.

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.

This was the last official Summersounds concert in the park and mountains of thanks need to be sent to Jim Conley and Brian Noer for organizing the events and taking care of the sound. Many, Many thanks guys.

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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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Live music at BJ’s Creekside Pub

Posted on 2013-03-20 by Rod Wilson

Jon Bisset hosting an Open Mic Session , Saturday March 2, 2013,7:30 pm at BJ’s Creekside Pub, Kimberley.

Dave Prinn and Friends , Saturday February 16, 2013, 7:30 pm at BJ’s Creekside Pub, Kimberley.

I hope it isn’t a well kept secret for it shouldn’t be. Since moving to the area about two years ago Shannon and Kirt Schiller have made a determine effort to provide a venue for the musicians of the area. So, for the winter months live music is on the agenda for most Saturday nights. Open Mic sessions are held on the first Saturday of each month and often on the remaining Saturdays any number of local musicians or bands can be heard doing their thing. The food is great, the venue is cosy, the atmosphere friendly and on any given performance night there can be some surprising performances. Both of the above evenings pretty well drew on the same core cadres of local musicians in what were both essentially nights of acoustic music. Jon Bisset is a well know local musician and he hosted an evening that included performances by Rod Wilson (cittern, 12 string guitar and mandolin), Beth Crawley (vocals and guitar), Dave Prinn (vocals and guitar )and Bill Renwick (blues harp, vocals and guitar). On the second Saturday evening Dave Prinn returned with some additional invited musicians that included, Paige Lennox (banjo and vocals), Heather Gemmell (vocals, guitar and dobro), Janice Nicli, (bass), Cosima Wells (vocals and guitar). Although classic folk/rock was the staple for the evening there was some fine blue grass from the ladies. The name of the all girl bluegrass band is still in flux – some suggestions included THE CONTRACTIONS or BOB (The Bells of Bluegrass) plus a few others that were bandied about throughout the evening. The venue proved to be a wonderful sonic environment for the ladies. Amplification was minimal the instruments and and the vocal harmonies came across pure and unsullied by extraneous noise. The band was solid with Heather Gemmell sounding wonderful on a borrowed vintage Regal Resophonic guitar. Dave Prinn was on top of his game with a selection of classic rock tunes that included No Souvenirs, Let it Rain, Broadway, Vincent Black Lightning, Wake Up Little Suzie, James Kellaghan’s classic Cold Missouri Waters, the folk song Springhill Mining Disaster and what must be the definitive version of Neil Young’s Old Man. When I got home I went back to the original Neil Young recording and to these ears Dave’s version is way better. Dave also threw his share of original songs into the evening’s performance with Circles and You Better Think Twice. He must have forgot his City in the Grass, another one of his fine originals. Heather Gemmell on vocals and Dobro joined Dave for Angels From Montgomery, Can’t Find My Way Home, Whiskey Lullabye, The Weight and a number of other songs. Bill Renwick (guitar, vocals and blues harp) stepped up to stage for some duets with Dave that included James Taylor’s SteamRoller Blues, Me and Bobbie McGee, On the Road Again, Ahead by a Century , Hollywood Nights and the ultimate rocking hot car song 455 Rocket. Bill stayed on stage to do some sol pieces that included Danny Boy (after all it was Saint Patrick`s Day). Now, I must say Danny Boy is one of my least favorite songs but Bill had the right vocal intonation and phrasing to breath new life into what can be an over sentimental over done song. All was forgiven when Bill breathed new life into that old war horse. The night was not only rock roll. The `BlueGrass Ladies` (Heather, Paige, Janice and Cosima) breathed some especially fine acoustic vibes into the evening with a selection that included I Have Endured, You are my Sunshine and an original tune from Cosima called Trying to get Blood from a Stone. Here are some images from both Saturday night`s of very special music.