 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Hugh's Room, summer fun and sundry
June 16, 2009
I've never been one to make New Year's resolutions. I hold no specific grudge against the process of resolving oneself to do or not to do; it's more a question of timing. It has always been the end of the summer that signals to me that the time has come to take stock and plan ahead for another year... so while I may be a little early, looking back at the past 12-14 months, I feel an immense gratitude. I'm also very much ready to move on ... the best of all possible worlds (how terribly Candide).
It has been a great year; touring Canada, Japan and Europe (best gig going out to our show at the Northseas Jazz festival, where I heard/met my fair share of musical heros), the Juno nod in March, and a long winter of writing in between. This spring, I was able to spend a month touring with Canadian legend Jane Bunett, the Spirits of Havana, Cuban rapper (rappeuse?) extraordinaire,Telmary, and Cubna/Haitian Grupo Vocal Desandann. I had endless hours on the road to get to know 16 wonderful musicians and beautiful people. All I can say is that my clave is better than ever. And the stories - man, the stories...
This summer, I'll be winding up the tour with Jane, and beginning to work with jazz/world visionary, and resident artist at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto's Distillery district, David Buchbinder. This whole collaborative process has never been easy for me, but the freshness of new input and a clean slate (where my control freakish tendencies and personal ego need to be put aside) is bringing with it all sorts of new ideas and ways of approaching creativity - just what the internal doctor prescribed.
Having said that, I know there is a beauty to coming 'home' (musically speaking). I'm reminded of this every time I play with Colin (Kingsmore) and Scott (Kemp). What we've built as a group is impossible for me to put a finger on, yet it is massively palpable, and I taste it again and again, every time we play. After 4 years together, we know each other on a deeply intuitive level, and there is a freedom to play that can only be the result of the steady cultivation of our sound; together, and over time. So I guess in some senses, the highlight of my summer will be our show at Hugh's Room, here in Toronto, on July 22nd. Roman Tome will be joining us on percussion, as we wrap up a great run in 2008/9 with tunes from 'Parkdale' and a few nuggets from the next album (to keep us on our toes). For those of you who don't know, Hugh's Room a great listening space. And best of all, it's a 5 minute bike ride from my house.
After that, the trio will be breaking for a bit, so I can write (in wonderfully unobstructed silence) and finish recording the new material. And so, like everyone else, I continue to juggle this life, dividing my attention between living, searching, and creating; nurturing this musical bond I have with the trio, exploring other ideas - new music, new songs and new ways of approaching performance (stay tuned for the next album, scheduled for a pre-release in the fall), and embarking on new collaborations. Oh yeah - all this while learning how to teach music using the Braille system (anyone have some leads?). Ultimately, I know this kind of expressive and investigative diversity is necessary, and is precisely what will keep me coming back to this endless source for more... so - happy summer and remember to water those plants and give them plenty of love. And if you're in town, join us at Hugh's Room on the 22nd - and stay tuned for more news about the upcoming album
|
 |
 |
 |