Category: Blog
Ian Kelly
Ian Kelly might just well be the most generous person I know. Let me give you an example: when the Key-Lites played at L’Ange Vagabond back in August, there was a power outage. Ian was also the one who introduced us to this fantastic venue in St-Adolphe-d’Howard. We’ve played there a few times now, and it’s always really fun. Anyways, on this particular night, the whole grid was offline, with no signs of it coming back online, and a lot of the people who had come for the show decided to go home. While we were talking with the owners about what to do, Ian showed up to see us play (he lives nearby – FYI, our singer/guitarist, Josh Toal, has been playing in Ian’s band for the past year or so). When he saw what was going on, he called his father, who also lives nearby, and who happened to have a gas-powered generator. When Ian’s father got to the venue. we all set up the generator in the dark, wired all our amps to the generator, as well as some lighting for the stage, and then played the show!! There weren’t that many people who had stuck around this long, and the only lights in the audience were candles on the tables, but this made for a super special, super intimate night of music. It was amazing! And if it wasn’t for Ian, we probably would have ended up just packing up and going home, which would have been super lame.
When it came to my Indiegogo campaign, Ian was very supportive, making this awesome endorsement video, as well as donating copies of both his Diamonds & Plastic and All These Lines albums as perks. Thanks, Ian!!
I met Ian when I was playing with Sarah Slean in 2013. We were doing a cross-Canada tour, and Ian opened for us every night. He would always play a couple tunes with us at the end of the show, which was a delight. I actually met Sarah through Mark Nelson, the drummer in my quartet, who used to play in Ian’s band, and Sarah had opened for Ian’s cross-Canada tour the year previously. The tour was six weeks long, with 11 of us in very close quarters the entire time, so we got to know each other pretty well – it was actually amazing how well we all got along! Anyways – when in groups, people always tend towards certain roles within the group dynamic. Ian was the one who could, with a sentence, lighten the mood, lift everybody’s spirits, and bring everyone closer together – while always being genuine, down-to-earth, and honest. Ian also enjoys good coffee and good food, so we got along really well!
Ryan Purchase
I met Ryan Purchase in grade 9 (we were 15), at Campbell Collegiate, in Regina. We hit it off immediately because we were both really into the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, as well as the Lord of the Rings. I remember going over to his house and playing the HHGTTG text-based video game (which you can now play online – for free!! But be warned – it’s INFURIATING!!!), and listening to a lot of music – I’m pretty sure Ryan was the one who introduced me to Dread Zeppelin (oh yeah, we were both big Led Zeppelin fans). Basically, we liked all the same stuff – the only area we ever differed was Dr Who, which I never got into. We acted very silly in class, not exactly tormenting the teachers, but probably annoying and confusing them a lot. Mr Ransom, our French teacher, in particular. For example, a class exercise involving the phrase “j’aime le rosbif” spawned a whole four years of roast-beef-centered conversations, as well as roast beef sandwiches left on his desk as gifts.
We also both played in the South Saskatchewan Youth Orchestra (Ryan plays the trombone), we both went to the University of Regina for our B.Mus. degrees, we both played in the Regina Symphony Orchestra, and we lived in Toronto at the same time (Ryan for the two years of his M.Mus. at University of Toronto, me only for one year for the first year of an Artist Diploma at the Glenn Gould School of Music). We haven’t lived in the same city since, though – Ryan lived in Edmonton for many years, and eventually moved to Ottawa, while I travelled all over the place working on cruise ships for a few years, lived in Krakow for a year, then Vancouver for two years, and eventually settled in Montreal.
In 2004, we spent most of the month of May backpacking in Iceland. This was a life-changing experience for both of us. It’s imprinted so strongly on my psyche that it still feels like it just happened, even though it was more than a decade ago. We backpacked throughout the southern part of the country, where it was usually quite easy to find rides and places to stay, although we ended up several times at the hostel in Vik (the town at the southernmost point of the country, famous for it’s huge cliff overlooking a black sand beach and the rock figures in the water, which legend tells us are three trolls who were caught in the morning light after struggling to pull a captured ship to shore). We met tons of amazing people, both locals and travellers. There were two Scandinavian women around our age driving the circumference of Iceland who we bumped into several times and in several places throughout our trip!
When we wanted to go to the more remote areas in the north of the country, we rented a car for a week, a Volkswagon Golf which we named after the young woman who worked at the Vik hostel, Aesa. Unfortunately, the car rental used up our accommodations budget, so we slept in the car the whole time (except for one night in Siglufjordur, where we went to a hotel and had the whole place to ourselves). As uncomfortable as it was for the two of us to sleep in such a small car when it was still below freezing at night, we awoke in some pretty amazing places. Although once we woke up to discover we had slept in a school parking lot, that was more funny than amazing.
As you can probably imagine, Ryan and I have musically collaborated many times over the years. We’ve both attended KlezKanada many times, which is where I met a lot of musicians I play with regularly. We’re both into improvised music, and even though we’ve explored it in different ways, we have performed many times together, often through the IMOO series in Ottawa. Ryan recently released an album, Morphology of a Lover, which is pretty amazing, as was the entire process. He assembled a bunch of great improvisers (me, Mike Essoudry, Amy Horvey, Megan Jerome, Christian Dawid, and Ryan), and recorded us individually but in sequence, having either just an idea in our minds to explore, or sometimes a recording of only the previous person, which we reacted to. He then took all these separate improvised elements, and edited them together to create an incredibly cohesive and musical album.
Morphology of a Lover is one of the albums included in my “Complete Works of Joel Kerr” Indiegogo perk. Thanks Ryan!
Dave Cooper
I mentioned Dave Cooper in my post about Craig Pedersen; he illustrated the cover of our duo album, It’s A Free Country. He recently took some time out of his incredibly hectic schedule working on the upcoming Nickelodeon show Pig Goat Banana Cricket (see the promo video for the show here) to send me a quick endorsement video for my Indiegogo camapign (music by yours truly).
I met Dave through Craig, at an IMOO concert in Ottawa a couple of years ago. I had known of him previously, partly through Craig, partly because of my interest in certain types of counter-culture illustration and animation (not an interest I’ve pursued deeply, but an interest nonetheless). I won’t attempt to describe his style, I won’t do it justice, but I highly suggest you check out his work! Anyways, in addition to being an incredibly talented artist, he’s a strong supporter of the Ottawa experimental music scene, AND he’s a super nice guy: the first time I met him, I mentioned I was going back to Montreal that night, and he offered me a ride! And I’m pretty sure he would have actually done it, if I had accepted.
Thanks for the support, Dave!!
Siach Hasadeh
Siach Hasadeh is the most spiritually rejuvenating group I play in. We take ancient Chassidic hymns and give them a modern interpretation, using various arranging techniques and a lot of improvisation. It’s very meditative and introspective music, but because of the element of improvisation, very expressive at the same time. Often, everyday life can be exhausting and spiritually draining. One of the reasons I play music is that a great musical experience will refresh me and uplift me. But some music does this more than others, and more consistently. Any time Siach Hasadeh performs, I feel revitalized – about music, life, and humanity in general.
The group is, at its core, a duo of myself on double bass and Yoni Kaston on clarinet. But we frequently collaborate with other musicians – and our collaboration with violinist Daniel Fuchs and cellist Gaël Huard has turned into another full-fledged iteration of the band, one where we have been working a lot with different improvisation exercises and techniques, searching for a larger vocabulary with which to interpret the melodies of the material we perform. We have also worked a lot with harmonica virtuoso Jason Rosenblatt and Turkish Oud player and maker Ismail Fencioglu, both on stage and in the studio. In the past we have also worked with Oud player Nicolas Royer-Artuso, cellist Jackie Fay, and percussionist Francois Landry.
I first met Yoni at KlezKanada, an annual Jewish culture and music retreat/camp in the Laurentian mountains just north of Montreal. We played a tune together at an open mic at about 4am, and the musical connection was immediately apparent. We discovered we both lived in Montreal, and the project developed from there.
This year we released our second album, Song of the Grasses. It was recorded, mixed and mastered by Adam Tiller, who was in the McGill sound recording program while I was doing my masters degree, so we worked together a lot then. He did an incredible job with the sound of this album, I’m very happy with it. Adam is now working as a sound designer at Ubisoft.
In March 2014, we did a small tour of the North-East US, playing in New York, New Jersey, Vermont and Connecticut. Because of that tour, we were recently included in some “Best of 2014” lists on the New York Music Daily blog. Our show at the Stephen Wise Synagogue on the Upper West Side was among the Best New York Concerts of 2014, Our album Song of the Grasses was among the 50 Best Albums of 2014, and the song Kumi Roni from the same album was among the 100 Best Songs of 2014.
I, for one, am excited to see where this group goes!!
The Key-Lites
These guys are the best. In addition to being awesome people, the guys in this band are also very accomplished musicians. I’ve basically been waiting my whole life to play in a band like this, so I feel very lucky to be a part of the Key-Lites. If you’re not familiar with the band, we play soul music – a lot of covers from the 60s and early 70s, as well as originals written in the same style. If you are familiar with us, you probably recall we ran a super-successful Indiegogo campaign last year, and we’re still working on finishing the album – everything is being mixed right now, and our album launch is April 11 at Le Ritz PDB!! If you can’t wait until April to check us out, we happen to be playing tomorrow (Saturday, February 14, Valentine’s Day) at Brutopia – and it’s free!!
I met these guys through Simon Nakonechny. I had heard about Simon through the Saskatchewan music grapevine many years before we ever met in person, him being a whiz-kid from Swift Current. He and his wife, Lea, moved to Regina for a couple years immediately after they finished their respective degrees at McGill and Concordia. This happened to be the same time I was back in Regina after living in Toronto for a year, which would have been 2001. I don’t remember how exactly we met, but we started playing together a bit for the year I was home, and kept in touch afterwards. Simon was one of the few people I knew in Montreal when I moved to town in 2008, and through him I met many other Saskatchewan expatriates.
Simon plays keyboards and tenor sax in the Key-Lites, and writes a lot of our material. He is constantly surprising with his well-roundedness – he can carry on an in-depth conversation about pretty much anything – film, music, baseball, construction, house insurance, visual art, fishing…. He occasionally produces shows for CBC, such as as Inhotim and Mur-Écran, both for Ideas. He also has a past in the film industry, as a producer and composer and who knows what else, through the company Arid Sea Films, which consisted also of his wife, writer/director Lea Nakonechny, and another Swift Current-born Quebecer, Adam Budd (who used to date my roommate in Regina – I also wrote the music for his short film, Cat Power). Simon also performs with Katie Moore and Laurence Hélie.
Joshua Toal, our lead singer and guitarist, has toured the world playing music. When I first met him, he was playing with Newworldson, flying to Europe or the US every other weekend to play shows like this one. Currently he plays with Ian Kelly, as well as a ton of great local artists. His super power is the uncanny ability to speak in pretty much any accent – Australian, Dutch, German, Jamaican….
Last but not least, David Payant. Until very recently, Dave was the drummer for the Godspeed offshoot Thee Silver Mount Zion Orchestra. He also was the drummer for Vic Chesnutt until Vic’s untimely death. Currently, Dave performs regularly with various Montreal artists, including Katie Moore, and DJs around town, specializing in soul music, of course. Dave also happens to be a recording engineer – I don’t know all he’s worked on, but I know he recorded the latest album by Montreal improvisation ensemble Ratchet Orchestra. He’s also working on producing his own material, sampling and mixing funk and soul records in the hip-hop tradition.
These guys have been super supportive of my Indiegogo campaign, for which I’m very grateful. Unfortunately, the Key-Lites record won’t be ready in time to be included in my perks, but don’t let that stop you from ordering something else!!
Craig Pedersen
I mentioned Craig Pedersen in my very first blog post. He’s a creative and energetic trumpet player and composer, and we’ve been collaborating for a few years now.
I first met Craig on a weird gig back when I was living in Vancouver, which means it was probably 2007 (I don’t mean it was weird because it was 2007). A bunch of jazz guys from the University of Victoria came to town to play a one-off free jazz big band concert at 1067, and recruited some local guys to fill in a few key spots. Robin Jessome, a trombone player who is now living in Toronto, was leading the project. I’m not really sure how he got my name. Anyways, the gig was super fun even though there were more people in the band than in the audience (maybe 3 or 4 times as many). But because it was such a quick event and I didn’t really know anybody in the band beforehand, I didn’t really keep in touch with anybody.
One day, in the the summer of 2008, I was in Montreal looking for an apartment, just before moving here to do my Masters degree. I was walking down Jeanne-Mance, and I bumped into Craig, who recognized me from the gig in Vancouver. We chatted for a bit, and realized we have mutual friends (namely Amy Horvey), and we kept in touch after that. Over the years, our paths kept crossing, and our group of mutual friends grew quickly.
A couple years later, while living in Ottawa, Craig asked me to play in his quartet. I was out of school and was looking for gigs of any kind, so I said yes without really knowing what I was getting myself into. Luckily, I really connected with the music. His writing was (and still is) very melodic, which of course is essential in any kind of music, but I feel is especially important in experimental music – a strong melody in the midst of chaos gives the listener a connection to the music and the musicians – kind of a lifeline or beacon that creates a sense of security even if there isn’t really any.
And his band was killer! Linsey Wellman plays the alto sax the way I wish every alto player would, but only Linsey does. Mike Essoudry has an incredible ability to play the drums aggressively yet sensitively. Mike has since left the band, replaced by Eric Thibodeau, who is possibly my favourite drummer to play with in the world. He also has a very wide range of dynamics, styles and techniques at his disposal, but what I really love about his playing is that he’s not afraid to play very simply or use lots of space – he’s just as happy to sit on a simple quarter note groove as he is to play free.
Craig and I have recorded a lot together. With Craig’s quartet, we recorded the album Days Like Today a few years ago, and we’re releasing another one soon, called Ghosts. Craig, Eric and I released an album a couple years ago with Dominic Gobeil and Patrick Lampron, called Live In Silence, which was recorded live at the end of a Quebec tour. Craig also played on the latest Shtreiml album, Eastern Hora, and we’re currently working on a recording project for some of Malcolm Sailor‘s music. There’s probably more, too, but I can’t think of it right now. Oh yeah – Renée Yoxon & Mark Ferguson! All these albums are available as perks in my Indiegogo campaign!
Craig and I have put out a duo record, as well. It’s a mix of country and free jazz, and it’s called It’s a Free Country. I’m very proud of this album. The artwork is also amazing, illustrated and designed by the infamous cult artist Dave Cooper.
The Craig Pedersen Quartet plays often, and we have some tours coming up in the spring and summer, so come check us out – you’ll love it!
Joël Fafard
In case you don’t know who he is, Joël Fafard is an amazing Canadian singer-songwriter from Saskatchewan (now living in BC). I had the good fortune to be a member of Joël’s band for a year, maybe two. 1999-2000, I believe, just before I moved away from Regina to go to Toronto. It was a great time – I learned a ton in that band, and had a lot of fun. Joël was experimenting a lot at the time, playing with different musicians, looking for a new sound and a different way to reach people, and I was a part of the project when he was trying out a more rock approach.
Somewhere around that same time, we also played together in a Regina Globe Theatre production of Cruel Tears, a country & western adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, written by Canadian author Ken Mitchell. The play is set in rural Saskatchewan, and features bluegrass music written by Humphrey & the Dumptrucks. Joël and I were joined onstage by the legendary Bob Evans.
Just before I moved to Toronto, Joël’s band recorded an album called Head Smashed In, which was produced by Jason Plumb. Unfortunately, because I wasn’t around for overdubs, I only made it onto one track of the final version of the CD – a tune called Fire Breathing Trout. I’m still really proud of that track though – I did it in one take. I had very little studio recording experience at this time.
Anyways, when I was reaching out to many friends and colleagues for support in my Indiegogo campaign, Joël was the first one to respond, and he did so with great enthusiasm. In addition to the video you hopefully just watched, he also generously donated copies of his recent album, Borrowed Horses (a collaboration with Joel Schwartz – I know, a lot of Joels!), to be included in the “CD of one of my friend’s” perk. Fire Breathing Trout will also be included in the “Complete Works of Joel Kerr” perk.
Thanks Joël!!
My Indiegogo campaign
My New Album
And the Indiegogo campaign that will make it possible.
Today I am launching an Indiegogo campaign to raise money in order to release my new album, a throwback to the electric sounds of 70s Miles Davis, combined with Indie Rock and Classical Minimalism, and a splash of World Music.
Please check out my Indiegogo campaign, and spread the word. Here is my pitch video:
My influences play an important part in this album and in this campaign. My love of modern literature, my fascination with Minimalist Classical music, and my Japanese-Canadian heritage are the main sources of inspiration for this album. But the musical concept as a whole is the use of lush textures and space to create an atmosphere that is meditative and minimalist, yet expressive.
The band is Kenny Bibace on guitar, Andrew Boudreau on Fender Rhodes, Mark Nelson on drums, and myself on bass. The incredible Mireille Boily joins us as a guest vocalist on a few tracks. Multiple award-winning recording engineer and producer Paul Johnston will be mixing the album, and Avia Moore will be the designer.
Joel Kerr Quartet @ Resonance Café
We are also playing live on February 5 in order to lauch the Indiegogo campaign. We will be splitting the bill with the Dominic Gobeil Quintet. Join us!
Resonance Café
5175a Ave du Parc
Montréal, QC
Thursday, February 5, 2015
9pm
PWYC ($10 suggested)
Eighth blog post
One of the most interesting things about music (for me, at least), is how certain works can have such an incredible emotional impact on a person – and how a particular song can have an impact on one person, but another person will have no reaction whatsoever to the same song.
So this leads to the question: what makes a piece of music good?
I’m convinced that the answer to this question, ultimately, is: If you like it, it’s good. (Ignoring the basic question: what does good mean?)
Of course, being a jazz musician, this means that to most people, I don’t play good music – but I try not to think too much about this part of it.
Instead, I like to think about the next question: what makes a piece of music great?
I would answer with the following: a truly great piece of music is one that can be appreciated (and liked) on several levels – upon the first superficial listen, as well as after deep and thorough analysis – and continue to be appreciated and liked for many years, even after many generations.
Sure, this answer means that no new music can be great, because its greatness can only be granted retroactively, with the perspective of the passage of time, but I’m ok with that. And in the meantime, we can sure speculate!!
Anyways, here is a list of my top 5 favourite songs. I’m not claiming any of these are great (well, a couple of them I think definitely are) – I’m just letting you know that these are songs that have always had, and continue to have, an emotional impact for me.
Top 5 Favourite Songs
So In Love (Curtis Mayfield, America Today)
It’s Alright (Graham Central Station, Ain’t No ‘Bout-A-Doubt It)
A Song For You (Donny Hathaway, Donny Hathaway)
And I Love Her (The Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night)
I’d Like That (XTC, Apple Venus, Part 1)
Seventh blog post
I mentioned in my last post that I’m in the process of making a new album. I’m super excited about this project, the band sounds great, and I can’t wait to share this music with everyone.
But, making an album is expensive! That’s why I’m launching an Indiegogo campaign soon, to raise money in order to release the album. The theme of the campaign will be My Influences, so I’ll be using this blog to write a lot about my main sources of inspiration, as well as all the amazing musicians with whom I’ve had the pleasure of performing over the years. There will of course be great perks, and I’ll be gradually releasing new material throughout the campaign.
I’ll tell you more later! In the meantime, here’s a list of my all-time favourite desert-island albums:
Top 5 Favourite Albums
- Curtis Mayfield, America Today
- Captain Beefheart, Trout Mask Replica
- Shuggie Otis, Inspiration Information
- John Hartford, Aereo-Plain
- Marc Ribot, Y Los Cubanos Postizos
Joel Kerr 