Dave Gunning at the Driftwood Concert House

Posted on 2013-09-26 by Rod Wilson

Dave Gunning at the Driftwood Concert House, September 24, 2013, 8pm

The music industry probably describes Dave Gunning as an entertainer. At it’s best that is probably a light weight descriptor and at it’s worst it is some what demeaning. In another time and in another place he would have been described in more worthy terms. If he had of been an aristocrat in medieval times he would have been called a troubadour and sung songs of love and chivalry. In Ireland of old he would have been called a Hedge Poet or a Seanchaidhthe (a Shanachie or story teller). In more recent times in West Africa he could be a Griot, a singer, musician and storyteller. In West Africa a Griot is more than that, he is actually the recorder and keeper of the cultural traditions. At a basic level Dave Gunning is a mixture of all these and an entertainer to boot. The most striking thing about this evening of music at the Driftwood Concert House was the sense of cultural “rootedness” (is there such a word) than ran through the stories and songs. Despite the fact that there were only a few East Coasters in the audience, and few of us would know the exact location of Dave’s home in Pictou County N.S., there was no denying that his music and stories struck the essential chord that resonates in the Canadian psyche. He kicked off the evening with The Mingulay Boat Song. This is a song with strong traditional Scottish roots and was probably the only truly traditional song of the evening. Never-the-less it set the “down home” tone for the evening. Mostly what followed were stories and song writing collaborations that were delivered with humor and pathos accompanied by his beautiful guitar playing in open tunings (DADGAD, Open G and Dropped D). Dave Gunning and his Stonebridge Guitar . This is both a beautiful and unique instrument. It is not often that you see a steel string guitar with a cedar top. Classical guitars usually have cedar while steel string luthiers prefer spruce. It might explain the wonderfully warm sound that is the hallmark of Dave’s playing. Dave had spent time touring with Stompin’ Tom as a bass player, that is a considerable feat in it self considering he didn’t own or play a bass at that particular time. There is nothing like the intense training of learning on the job. There were lots of stories of Tom’s affection for Moose Head Beer and Dave ventured forth with one Stompin’ Tom Song – Song Bird Valley. Among the wealth of “down home” anecdotes there was one that I found particularly amusing – “It was cold enough for an extra pair of shoe laces”. Except for the encore of the Long Black Veil it was a night full of the Canadian experience and that’s the way it should be.

A special treat: Dave Gunning singing “New Highway”

I would like to thank Darrin, Jen and Silas for opening up their home and giving us an opportunity to experience this great music.

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It’s in the Genes – Jon and Holly at Centre 64

Posted on 2013-09-24 by Rod Wilson

Jon & Holly (Jon Burden & Holly Hyatt) at Centre 64, Saturday September 21, 2013, 7:30pm. Check the Holly and Jon website

This father and daughter duo have been frequent visitors to the Kimberley area over the past 10 years. We have virtually seen Holly grow up to become a great vocalist, bass player, composer, mother and complete musician. From being a teenager to being a mother in that seemingly short space of time hardly seems possible but there it is. As a musical duo they have set the bench mark for “less is more”. With these two – guitar, bass and vocals are a complete musical entity without the unnecessary clutter of drums, etc. Having said that it is not to dismiss their fine work with that extremely hot band The Blaze Kings. A band that they normally perform with on the festival circuit. It was unfortunate that we didn’t get to see and hear them this year at the local festivals. There is an unsung hero in the father / daughter duo. That is GONZO. Who may you ask who is Gonzo? He is a used and abused family guitar that is pretty beat up and had been seemingly left to his own devices until Jon discover his unsung potential as a slide guitar. With all the maltreatment over the years Gonzo has earned the right to sing the blues. In recent years Gonzo has be rehabilitated and has a new lease on life as an essential voice in Jon’s interpretations of a number of Robert Johnson’s classic blues. Of particular note is Jon and Gonzo’s handling of Better Come on in My Kitchen and If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day. In amongst the cover tunes are such originals as Home Renovation Blues, Cool Kitties (with its nice walking bass line), the “popish” One Desire, Slushy Blues, Back to 1929, The Low Down Blues, Stop Breaking Down and Holly’s Better Get Your Our Own Man (“cause this one’s all mine”). Two covers that were snuck into the mix were Neil Young’s Human Highway and the Horace Silver jazz classic Song for my Father. As always Jon and Holly delivered an exceptionally fine evening of music and when they come back, as I am sure they will, they are not to be missed.

I would like to thank Terry for his deft manipulation of the lights that made these images possible.

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They are back at the Ravens Roost

Posted on 2013-09-05 by Rod Wilson

Bill St. Amand’s Open Mic Session at The Ravens Roost – Kimberley Golf Club, August 30, 2013 6-9pm.

The days are starting to shorten already and this session wailed on into the shadows of the evening. It was another memorable session of music on the deck of the Kimberley golf club. The usual performers turned up (Bill St. Armand, Rod Wilson, Shayne and Maridee Rodrigues, Jon Bisset and Gary Jaclin). They were joined by Gordie Blake serving up his well seasoned interpretations of Gordon Lightfoot classics. The most anticipated returning performers were Connor Foote and Clayton Parsons. Since their last visit to the Ravens Roost Bill St. Amand has been under a constant barrage of requests to have them back on the deck. The duo has undergone a slight re-branding and are now performing under the name of THE STEAMBOAT HOLLERS. These two young performers are the latest link in a roots musical legacy that goes way back past the beginning of the twentieth century. Over the past 100 years there have been a number of illustrious performers who have left their mark on a musical genre that includes folk, blues, bluegrass classic jazz, western swing and country. The legendary performers that come to mind are Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Big Bill Broozy, Doc Watson, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot and in more recent times, Bob Dylan and John Prine. In the never ending quest for fame, fortune and popularity most the younger performers of today have strayed from the true path of music rooted in earthy values. Not so The Steamboat Hollers. Their music reeks of an authenticity based on their personal experiences and honed by the musical craft handed down from their families. Connor’s grandfather is Ed King, a Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductee. It is hard to believe that such young performers have so seamlessly assimilated the craft and the essence of such a fine musical tradition. Along with well crafted songs – Connor’s Family Re-union, and the recently written Glory Bound (it commemorates a trip to Vancouver and Seattle in search of the holy grail of a John Prine concert in, of all places a zoo). Besides Connor’s Table For One there is Clayton’s Sun Shines Down on Me.Through out the performance there was a sprinkling of covers tunes of John Prine (of course). In response to Connor’s claim to be looking for “the ultimate romantic John Prine song” a member of the audience responded with “that’s an oxymoron” and as quick as a whip Connor rose to the occasion with “what did you just call me?”. The duo is quick on their verbal feet, fleet of fingers on their instruments, have a wonderful relaxed stage presence and are thoroughly entertaining. Clayton Parsons deserve special mention for he seems to have nailed a very personal interpretation of the Big Bill Broonzy style of finger picking. His playing is clear, strong and very rhythmic. Connor is no slouch either and together they demonstrate that they are not just another couple of strummers capable of singing and writing interesting songs. This a duo destined to go onto bigger things.

Here are some more images from the evening.

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A Fishtank in a Vacant Lot

Posted on 2013-08-04 by Rod Wilson

THE FISHTANK ENSEMBLE Saturday August 3rd, 2013, 7:30 pm –
brought to you by the 1st Saturday committee. Location: In the empty lot beside Centre 64. Bring your own seating! Check them out at Fishtank Ensemble . Members of the band are Fabrice Martinez – violin; Ursula Knudson – violin, musical saw, banjo ukulele and voice; Doug “Douje” Smolsen – guitar; Matt – drums and John Hatton – Bass (substituting for their regular bass player who is currently in Slovenia).

When I first saw TV performances of River Dance I was puzzled by the inclusion of a Spanish (?Flamenco) dance act. It was only later that I concluded that the “Spanish” dance was a nod to the Romany elements in Irish music. Otherwise known as “Travelling People” the Romani were an important element in Irish Music. The great Uillean Piper Paddy Keenan (The Kesh Jig) is but an example of that heritage. The Romani, or Gypsies, originated in India and spread throughout the world. In my youth I can remember gypsy caravan encampments just outside my home town of Sydney, Australia. Today Romany music is still more than a significant element in the music of Turkey, the Balkans, Eastern Europe and spreading westwards into the rest of Europe. The late great French guitarist Django Reinhardt, although his claim to fame was as a jazz guitarist, it was the Romany elements in his music that set him apart from his contemporaries. His music has, in turn, filtered back into the tradition and founded a whole school of “gypsy jazz” that is played the world over. So what goes round comes around and it would appear that The Fishtank Ensemble is but another example of the

Romany tradition influencing yet another, albeit American, generation of musicians. The Fishtank Ensemble may be American but they seem to have some petty solid European cultural roots. Two core members of the ensemble, Fabrice Martinez and Ursula Knudson, have spent significant time in Europe and their bass player, Djordje Stijepovic, is originally from Serbia. To quote from their website “The dynamic, virtuosic, fiery and peripatetic quartet that comprises Fishtank Ensemble take their roots both from their own varied musical and national backgrounds, as well as from their adventures and travels. The singer Ursula sang opera on the streets and town squares of Italy, until she found a love of gypsy music…their French violinist voyaged around all of Europe in a handmade mule-drawn caravan for ten years, collecting music and experiences. Their Serbian bass player has spent time playing with gypsies as well as some of the rock and roll’s legends, and aptly defends his reputation as the best slap bass player in the world… and the guitarist is a master of flamenco and gypsy jazz guitar who honed his craft in the gypsy caves of Granada, Spain…”. With these credentials it was no surprise to have a smorgasbord of music that ranged from the Balkans, Romany, Greek Rembetika, French swing, Gypsy Jazz, American Swing and all ports in between. True to tradition, Fabrice’s violin performances were spectacular and virtuosic. He looked like the English actor Ralph Fiennes playing the part of gypsy fiddler. So, was it life imitating art or vice versa? Ursula Knudson had a fine grasp of jazz intonation on vocals that included covers of Billie Holiday and Peggy Lee. Although the afternoon got off to a slightly rocky start on the first tune, it settled down very quickly into an evening of probably one of the finest musical performances Kimberley has seen for quite some time. The outdoor venue up against Centre 64 was a vast improvement over the performance area in the platzl and the park just down the road. The Chamber of Commerce, the City and local merchants should take note of the difference a good venue can make. There was no struggling to find seating or shade and the audience was one of the largest I have seen at any outdoor concert in Kimberley or Cranbrook. A simple request to bring one’s own seating was all that was needed to provide comfort and joy. Although the weather was wonderfully co-operative it should be noted that the Californian musicians obviously felt a little chilly in this balmy Canadian summer evening. Ursula made a dash to her car at one point in the evening to get a jacket that would have not looked out of place on “Nanook of the North”. Although this was not officially part of the annual Arts on the Edge Festival I suspect that what will follow in the celebrations will be somewhat anti-climatic after this performance by The Fishtank Ensemble.

How a Californian musician deals with a balmy Canadian summer evening:

The audience would like to thank the following sponsors of this event: Columbia Basin Trust, Kimberley Resort of the Rockies, City of Kimberley

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Steve Palmer at BJ’s Creekside Pub

Posted on 2013-08-04 by Rod Wilson

Thursday August 1, 2013, 7:30pm : STEVE PALMER at BJ’s Creekside Pub. Steve Palmer Website LONESOME JIM (aka) JAMES NEVE was the opening act.

James Neve and Steve Palmer are modern day troubadours from somewhat different traditions. James comes out of the “British Rock Invasion” of the 1960’s and, while he has been known to do cover tunes he is best known for his original music with the band 60 Hertz. On the other hand, apart from some early flirtations with “Psychedelic Rock”, Steve Palmer has his feet firmly planted in the country / blues / gospel / folk traditions, and, although he is a song writer, his emphasis is on the reinterpretations of past masters of the tradition. At least a third of his performances are devoted to instrumentals styles. So thanks to the promotional skills of Ferdy Belland this performance was a rare opportunity to get these two diverse performers in the same venue at the same time. James began the evening with a short opening set that included Somebody Told Me, Please Take the Wheel, My Blue Girl (inspired by a wedding photo) and Passing Through Your Heart.

Steve Palmer has the looks and demeanor of everybody’s favorite uncle. Originally from Edmonton, with a few years on Vancouver Island and now thoroughly settled in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan. He has been a touring musician for 40 years. One of his claims to fame is having his song Welcome Back used in Stuart McLean’s wonderful radio show The Vinyl Cafe, so, it only fitting that this same song should be used to open his first set at BJ’s Creekside Pub on Thursday night. From then on it was a steady diet of Gospel tunes – Take a Trip On That Old Gospel Ship, including an original I Thought I Saw Jesus on Main Street; a wonderful instrumental version of Blind Blake’s Rag; some Johnny Cash – and I Walk the Line and I Keep a Close Watch on This Heart of Mine; an extremely short version of Marty Robbin’s El Paso; lots of the classic songs of the past 40 years (500 miles, Freight Train Boogie, I Can’t Help it If I am Still in Love with You, Did She Mention My name, Lucielle, Wild Mountain Thyme, The Water is Wide, Snakes Come Out at Night, Passing Through and Roll On, Roll On Saskatchewan.Sprinkled among the classics were some of Steve’s originals including From Here to Nashville, Rolling Down to Memphis, Sweet is Sweet and My Home Town). There was lots of repartee and story telling. As I said a troubadour in the classic style complete with some stellar 12-string guitar accompaniments. It is nice to hear a 12-string guitar sound like a real 12-string guitar with shimmering chords and signature bass runs.

Steve has done gigs at the Snoring Sasquatch in Creston but to the best of my knowledge this is the first time he has performed in Kimberley. I suspect it won’t be the last. I believe a return engagement has already been booked for Cranbrook.

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The Slocan Ramblers at the Driftwood Concert House

Posted on 2013-07-28 by Rod Wilson

The Slocan Ramblers at The Driftwood Concert House in Kimberley, July 25th, 2013 at 8pm. Also at Lotus Books in Cranbrook July 26th, 2013. They may be called the Slocan Ramblers but they are from Toronto. Their claim to Slocan fame is through their bass player who is originally from that area. This band of young musicians, Adrian Gross (mandolin), Frank Evans (banjos), Darryl Poulsen (guitar) and Alistair Whitehead (bass) are making waves in the Bluegrass music community. They have recently come off a tour with Steve Martin, Edie Brickell and the The Steep Canyon Rangers and, that in Bluegrass circles, is big time. A bunch of good looking young lads (Frank bears some resemblance to Allan Hawco of The Republic of Doyle) with bucket loads of technique, good organization (check the hand written set list – no scribbles there) and a substantial repertoire. Mostly they play straight ahead blue grass with occasional original tunes, such as Adrian Gross’ April Waltz. One thing that Bluegrass bands do that is often neglected in other genres (particularly pop music) is play tunes. My favorite of the evening was Blake’s March. There was a cover of Patrick Sky’s Many a Mile. Mind you, they did it bluegrass style to the point that it was almost unrecognisable (not that it was a bad thing). The song Rambo Sailor I suspect was a reworking of the traditional song Rambling Sailor and it gave a hint of what possibilities are out there for the band if they chose to loosen the grip Bluegrass has on their musical imaginations. The arrangements were good with a few unexpected twists that kept the audience on their toes. All band members shared the vocal chores and the harmonies had the usual rich bluegrass sound. The Driftwood House had a pretty full house and I suspect that the concert in the Lotus Bookshop the following night was also well attended.

Canada is multicultural and Toronto must be one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Therefore I am constantly puzzled why so many very talented young Canadian musicians chose to play an American music that is so stylistically rigid and is about American tunes, heroes and situations. And, this is not a criticism of the sound at the Driftwood Concert House on Thursday, it is a comment on the Bluegrass fetish for single condenser microphones. I have been to lots and lots of concerts and, occasionally that setup does works. The sound at a recent Chris Coole clawhammer banjo concert in Fernie is a case in point – see my blog entry Chris Coole . With a single microphone the sound that night was brilliant. But more often than not as a system it fails. It is the tradition that stems from the days when that is all that was available for sound re-enforcement. But technology has moved on and there is no need for performers to dance around a single microphone and still end up with bad sound. Besides the dancing around is distracting. The musician who suffers the most is the guitar player. He has to hold the guitar up to the microphone and play so hard that his tone and musicality becomes distorted. Under those circumstances I have yet to hear a guitar solo that rises above musical mumbling. It would be so much easier, and better, to just “plug in”.

This was the last concert of the summer season at the Driftwood Concert House and putting aside my minor personal quibbles it was another night of great music performed by some players who have, and will continue, make their mark on the Bluegrass scene. Thanks Darrin, Jen and Silas for opening your house to the musicians and guests during this concert season. We are looking forward to September and more of the same.

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Dirty Grace at Centre 64

Posted on 2013-07-11 by Rod Wilson

DIRTY GRACE in the Studio at Centre 64, Kimberley, Saturday July 6, 7:30 pm.

Over recent weeks it appears that audiences in the area have been once cursed and thrice blessed. The Curse?- that would have been the implosion of the NARARETH concert at the Cranbrook Curling Rink. It should not have come as a surprise. A UK rock band that was at least 30 years past its due date playing in a curling rink in a small remote Canadian town should have been a clue. This is a band not likely to be at the top of its game. On the blessed side there was the sweet Bluegrass flavored vocals of the The Rosie Brown Band at BJ’s Creekside Pub a few weeks back. Then there was the rockin’ sounds of that super tight organization 60 Hertz playing at the Summersounds last Saturday. This sparsely attended free concert in Rotary Park raises the question of how come Nazareth can attract an audience to a concert that ended up collapsing while 60 Hertz played to a no-where crowd? Was it because the concert was free or are local audience so celebrity struck that they are incapable of discerning the over-the-top quality of a band like 60 Hertz? One wonders. Last, but not least, was the “birkenstock and granola music” of Dirty Grace. With minimal publicity and lack of local knowledge this unknown trio of musicians dared to trek across the country to perform in Kimberly. It was geographically new terrain for the group and for local audience it was sonically unfamiliar territory. So in a sense everybody was out there exploring. Even for the locals the venue was different. It was held downstairs in the Centre 64 Studio that was set up like a Cafe with tables and chairs. It provided a nice ambient atmosphere for the European sensibilities of the trio. In the band Betty Supple was featured on vocals and mandolin, Marley Daemon on vocals and accordion and Jesse Thom on percussion. All musicians doubled on guitar throughout the evening. It was all original music with nice tight vocal harmonies and an overall sound that had the flavor of Eastern Europe music. Betty`s mandolin was a nice departure from the usual Bluegrass cliches. There was not a 2/4 mandolin chop in sight. Here is a YouTube link for a piece they call The Wrecking Ball. Dirty Grace and The Wrecking Ball .This should give you some idea of their music. Jesse played a Peruvian beat box called a Cajon . With several local players on the scene this is not an unheard of instrument in this area. It is basically a small rectangular wooden box with or without internal metal snares. The percussionist sits on the “drum” and beats on the wooden face to produce a remarkable facsimile of a conventional drum kit. Originally it migrated from Peru into Spanish Flamenco music but now is showing up in all sorts of genres. Here are some images from the concert (click on the image for a larger view).

Dirty Grace, Laurel Ralston and the Kimberley Arts Council would like to thanks the sponsors of the event: The Pedal and Tap Restaurant & Mountain Spirit Accommodation.

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The Rosie Brown Band at BJ’s Creekside Pub

Posted on 2013-06-26 by Rod Wilson

New Menu + New Band = Packed House, The Rosie Brown Band at BJ’s Creekside Pub, Saturday June 22, 2013, 7:30pm.

This was a much anticipated event. Of course it was much anticipated – the band had wetted audience appetites with a couple of preview performances at local coffee houses. This lovely group of ladies are well known musicians on the local scene and their coming together in this unique configuration was just so, so, right. The banjo player Paige Lennox had moved to the area a few years back with the burning ambition to play in a Bluegrass band. That did happen for a while but the whole band thing kind of fell apart. Paige faded from the scene slightly for a while until the flame was re-ignited with the purchase of a new banjo and a trip to the Bluegrass camps at Sorrento (BlueGrass Camp). In fact the Sorrento workshops can be held responsible for moving other members of the Rosie Brown Band in the same direction. Singer and mandolin player Shauna Plant was a founding member of the well known East Kootenay Band As the Crow Flies. She also has spent time at Sorrento. On the other hand and in another band, Heather Gemmell is best known for her for blues inflected guitar playing as a soloist and with the blues/rock outfit Heather Gemmell and the Peaks. She has recently acquired a dobro and has also spent time in Sorrento honing her bluegrass chops. Cosima Wells is best known for her vocal work with any number of vocal groups around the area. She also plays guitar and has also spent time at Sorrento. Last, but not least is the anchor of the group, Janice Nicli. Janice plays upright bass in this band but has been known to play electric funk bass with Billy Jive’s bands. She is also the Jazz bass player in The Little Jazz Orchestra. There you have it. Five fine ladies with a great stack of songs, great vocal harmonies, stage presence and obviously having the time of their lives on stage. So what more could anybody ask? The pub was packed way before the music started. In fact some patrons showed up at 5:30 to ensure that they could get a table. By 7:30 people were being turned away at the door. From then on, as Cosima would say, the band and the audience were “pumped”. This was not the usual Bluegrass band. The emphasis was on the vocals with some tasty banjo, dobro and mandolin solos sprinkled though out the performance. Manic, testosterone driven instrumental breaks were absent and that was a good thing. The repertoire was also a slight step away from the usual with Michel Shocked Blackberry Blossom, Cosima’s original tune Blood From a Stone, the Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt’s ballad Rough and Rocky, Heather Gemmell’s reworking of An Angel from Montgomery, an acapella version of Coal War, the Carter Family song Bury me under the Weeping Willow Tree, some Stephen Foster tunes, and Janice Nicli’s standout rendition of the John Prine comedic masterpiece Let’s Talk Dirty in Hawaiian.The audience refused to let the band go and they were forced to recap their first set. It was an absolutely outstanding night of music and bodes well for the band’s future. If Calgary can weather the current flood situation and get things back on track The Rosie Brown Band will be performing at this year’s Calgary Stampede Showcase – good luck ladies. Here are some more images from the evening (click on the images for a larger view).

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David Newberry and the Nautical Miles at The Driftwood Concert House

Posted on 2013-04-20 by Rod Wilson

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

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

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Cara Luft at Lotus Books

Posted on 2013-04-06 by Rod Wilson

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

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