Enchanted April

Posted on 2013-04-12 by Rod Wilson

Enchanted April, full dress rehearsal at the Studio/Stage Door, Wednesday April 10, 2013, 8pm.

It’s a fairly common theme in life and in art. Women, mostly middle aged, become disillusioned with their hum drum life and husbands that no longer pay attention to them. They look for a way out, or at least some diversion to color their existence, and often this comes in the form of travel. To turn the old saying on it’s head “a holiday is as good as a change”. I suspect there is a whole sector of the travel industry that caters to these needs. In Australia the The Australian Woman’s Weekly, now a glossy monthly magazine with a circulation of over 500,000/issue, for years sponsored guided world tours for these jaded ladies. Any casual observation, and an ear for Aussie accents, will detect hundreds of these ladies getting off the tour buses in Jasper and Banff during the summer. In art, the play and the movie Shirley Valentine explored the jaded female theme. If you remember Shirley had resorted to talking to the wall until she packed her bags and headed off to Greece for a bit of sunshine and whatever to spice up her life. She leaves behind a well meaning, but unaware, husband who she hopes will get the message. The play Enchanted April revisits, with some variations, that same emotional territory. Lotty Wilton, played by Tracy Maguire, after a chance encounter with Rose Arnott, played by Jennifer Inglis, schemes to use her pin money to head off to Italy for some much needed R&R. To defray the cost of the castle they wish to rent they enlist the help of a very colorful but jaded socialite, Lady Caroline Bramble, played by Michelle Lemay, and an older lady, Mrs. Graves, played by Nicola Kaufman. The first half of the play revolves around their schemes, anxieties and apprehensions. Lotty is all gungho while Rose is not so sure. Meanwhile the husbands Mellersh Wilton (Sean Swinwood) and Frederick Arnott (Peter Schalk) are mostly oblivious to the ongoing emotional dynamics. The play is set in the years immediately following World War I and the great ‘flu pandemic of 1919. There is sense of loss and aloneness that pervades the first half of the play. The director Terry Miller has done a great job of enhancing these emotions as well as invoking a dreary England with it’s never ending rain and dull interiors. He skillfully moves the first half of the play through nine scenes and eight locations with only slight variations of a single set. All of that changes when the action moves to sunny Italy. I wish I hadn’t left the room for the intermission when they changed set. The contrast between dreary England and sunny Italy is astounding. I spent a good portion of the second half of the play trying to figure out how they changed the set so quickly and dramatically. The Italian sunshine, the castle, the setting, the maid Constanza (Andrea Grossmand) and the owner Anthony Wilding (David Popoff) all work their magic on the ladies as they slowly undergo their respective transformations towards happy resolutions at the end of the play.

Even before the play started, while waiting for the curtain to rise (so to speak), the choice of music, prepared me for a wonderful evening. The choice of Dick Hyman, one of my very favorite piano players, created the appropriate atmosphere for the opening act. For those of us who notice these things Dick Hyman, although not a household name, is a favorite of Woody Allen and has often been featured on the sound tracks in many of his films. He is an incredibly skillful musician whose repertoire virtually run the whole gamut of jazz piano. Later, in keeping with the switch to sunny Italy, Dick Hyman took a rest and the music became decidedly Italian with a great selection from the Italian operas. Even the piano music, though not Italian (maybe Spanish), that Mellersh Wilton was “playing” off stage towards the end of the play was a delight.

Here are some more images from this delightful play – first dreary England
(click on the images for larger views).

– and in Sunny Italy:

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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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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.

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Apre Ski with Oak Republic

Posted on 2013-02-20 by Rod Wilson

Oak Republic at the Stemwinder Bar and Grill (Kimberley Ski Hill), Saturday & Sunday February 16/17th, 2013, 3-6 pm.

OAK REPUBLIC?? Where did that name come from? As it turns out the band’s Bouzouki player Shawn Robertson is a big admirer of the great Canadian guitarist Don Ross. Don is famous for his aggressive finger style playing that has been labelled “Heavy Wood”. Considering the nature of the band’s music “Heavy Wood” would seem an appropriate name for the band but, in deference to Don, the band moved on looking for another name. “What’s a significant heavy wood. Let’s see; say what about Oak? Now that’s a step in the right direction. What’s a name for a collection of citizens? How about a Republic? By George Jay, you’ve got it. The OAK REPUBLIC is what we are.” Under that name Jay Toner (guitar, vocals), Allyson Blake (fiddle and vocals), Shawn Robertson (guitars, mandolin, vocals and Irish Bouzouki), Murph Martin (electric 5-string bass) and Paris Parisean (drums) performed at the Stemwinder Bar and Grill at the Kimberley Ski Hill on Saturday and Sunday. Their music is a mix of the old, new and not so new Irish, country, classic rock, folk and anything in between. They kicked off their Sunday set with Ewan McColl’s classic Dirty Old Town. This is a song that was given a new lease of life when the Irish Punk/Rock band The Pogues recorded it a few years back. Then it was onto some Ben Harper, U2, Johnny Cash, an original Typsy Gypsy (written by Jay and Allyson when Allie first came over from Ireland), Whiskey in the Jar (an Irish traditional song that has been given a new lease of life by a number of Heavy Metal bands in recent years). Also included where the ever popular Wagon Wheels and CCR’s Bad Moon Rising and a song that was new to me, John Lennon’s Working Class Hero.The crowd obviously showed their appreciation by dancing, an activity that was fraught with danger if you were not wearing ski boots.

Click on the above images for a larger view

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Les Miserables

Posted on 2013-02-14 by Rod Wilson

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

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

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Open Mic Session at BJ’s

Posted on 2013-02-07 by Rod Wilson

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

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

“THE MONEY SHOT” OF THE EVENING

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

Posted on 2013-02-06 by Rod Wilson

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

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Bocephus King at the Byng

Posted on 2013-02-01 by Rod Wilson

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

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

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

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Apre Ski with Heather Gemmell

Posted on 2013-01-22 by Rod Wilson

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

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

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

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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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