Pot Pourri

Chasing the Sun - Colin James

Chasing the Sun
Colin James
Stony Plain SPCD1499 (stonyplainrecords.com/colinjames)

This is exciting music by renowned Canadian blues singer, songwriter and guitarist Colin James in this, his 21st release. Many famous guests also perform and compose here with James in seven blues/rock originals and four covers.

Opening Protection grabs one’s attention as James (electric guitar, vocals) Colin Linden (electric guitar), Darryl Jones (bass) and Charlie Drayton (drums) perform energetic grooves, and James is joined by legendary singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams who co-wrote the tune. A contrasting quieter vocal verse leads to a loud chorus with backup singers Ann and Regina McCreary, instrumentals, guitar solos and James’ wailing vocals to upbeat ending. Instrumental Devilment, composed by Linden and Paul Reddick, starts with repeated descending guitar lines and drums. An elaborate harmonica solo by guest Charlie Musselwhite follows and gradually becomes syncopated bluesy swing and morphing into classic closing bass line and final drum crash.

In My Own Dream by Paul Butterfield is a trio with James and Linden on guitars and Janice Powers on keyboards. This song has slower close ensemble playing with James singing, guitar flourishes and reflective feel. Closing track Open Your Mind by James and Tom Wilson is a group performance with James’ clear vocals and words, interest boosting Drayton drums, straightforward James and Linden guitars and Jones bass instrumentals, and McCreary backup vocals. Colourful performance to gradual decrescendo softer ending and fade to James’ closing words.

James’ amazing musicianship keeps developing new blues sounds and Chasing the Sun is fun, energetic blues-to-rock music.

Peni Candra Rini: Wulansih - Peni Candra Rini

Peni Candra Rini – Wulansih
Peni Candra Rini
New Amsterdam NWAM185 (newamrecords.org/albums/wulansih)

Indonesian vocalist and composer Peni Candra Rini is a specialist in the art of sindhenan, a style of solo female Javanese gamelan singing most often performed with gamelan ensembles. She was mentored by renowned Javanese composer Rahayu Supanggah (1949-2020), a pioneer of experimental gamelan music whom I had the pleasure of meeting years ago at his Surakarta home studio.

Looking beyond the conventional role of the sindhen, Rini has developed a practice which embraces experimental vocalise, dance and video – along with a unique approach to composition. I recently heard her work performed by Kronos Quartet in Toronto. Rini’s eight-song album Wulansih effectively layers traditional Javanese and experimental music in several ways.

With lyrics by Javanese musical innovator Andjar Any, the love song Jenang Gula is arranged in a gamelan-influenced hybrid “string band” genre called Langgam Jawa. Rini renders the song with warmth, effectively accompanied by guitars, percussive cello, bass – and a supportive Moog synthesizer.

Prominent on several tracks is the pinjo, a plucked chest resonated stick zither which produces subtle acoustic overtones and phasing effects. Uncommon on records, it’s eloquently played by American ethnomusicologist Andy McGraw. On Esamu it pairs superbly with background synth bass drones and washes. This acoustic-electronic texture serves as background for Rini’s intimate voice, counterpointed by I Gusti Putu Sudarta’s reverb-bathed distant vocals.

I don’t want to give the impression that Wulansih is only about unusual instrumentation and novel music hybrids. Rini’s professed goal for her music is “to give love through sound with sincerity.” Mission accomplished.

The Thunder and the Bay - Lori Cullen

The Thunder and the Bay
Lori Cullen
(loricullen.com)

Fun fact: last year, Lori Cullen was hired to perform at Drake’s Christmas party, along with piano player Aaron Davis, and Drake posted a brief video clip of them performing to his Instagram account with its gazillion followers. I’m not sure if that experience had an influence on the direction Cullen has gone on this new album (I suspect not), but it is decidedly more “poppy” than the singer/songwriter’s usual blend of folk and jazz on her previous eight releases.

Not that that’s a bad thing, especially when it’s as artful as The Thunder and the Bay is. For this project, Cullen has teamed with James de Pinho, an EDM-style producer and songwriter. Filled with electronica, the ten tracks that make up this latest album take us on a chill trip through sounds that evoke the dramatic Northern Ontario landscape that inspired the project. Despite the departure from her usual style, this is still very much a Cullen album, with her pretty and emotive vocals at the centre of the tracks.

A few favourite “sophisti-pop” bands came to mind while listening, such as Everything But the Girl and Zero 7, especially on Feel You First with its acoustic guitar (samples?) and actual cello courtesy of Kevin Fox and Into the Wood which features trumpet player extraordinaire William Sperandei. Other musicians who add to the dreamy soundscape are Rich Brown on bass and Thom Gill and Kurt Swinghammer on guitars. Swinghammer, who is also a noted visual artist, provided the stunning artwork for the cover and videos.

That Place, Darling - Heather Macdonald; various artists

That Place, Darling
Heather Macdonald; various artists
Independent (heathermacdonald.bandcamp.com/album/that-place-darling)

Heather MacDonald’s debut album, That Place, Darling, is a captivating musical journey that skillfully blends the delicate tones of the oboe with vocals, guitar, ukulele and piano. Thematically employing the emotions of autumn, the album explores the poignant sensations of holding on and letting go.

Heather MacDonald demonstrates her versatility and technical proficiency throughout the album. Her oboe performances showcase both lyrical beauty and adventurous exploration with techniques like gentle glissandos and multiphonics. Beyond the oboe, MacDonald’s talents extend to vocals and ukulele, adding layers of richness and diversity to the musical landscape. The collaboration with guitarist Nathan Corr and pianist Asher Farber enhances the album’s dynamic range, contributing to its engaging and whimsical atmosphere. Together, they craft a unique musical experience that is both intimate and evocative.

The repertoire of the album is eclectic and thoughtfully curated, featuring works by Louis Jordan, Reena Esmail, Alyssa Morris, Chelsea McBride, Johnny Green, James Pecore, Jean Coulthard and an original composition by MacDonald herself. This diverse selection not only highlights MacDonald’s interpretative skills but also underscores her commitment to exploring a wide range of musical styles and influences.

Overall, That Place, Darling is more than a debut album; it is a testament to MacDonald’s artistry and creativity. It invites listeners into a world where emotions are vividly expressed through music, making it a memorable and enriching musical experience.

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Temporal Waves - Temporal Waves

Temporal Waves
Temporal Waves
People Places Records PPR | 051 (peopleplacesrecords.bandcamp.com)

Montréal-based Shawn Mativetsky, one of Canada’s foremost tabla players, is an accomplished performer of Hindustani classical music and a sought-after tabla educator. He’s equally at home in genres as diverse as world music, jazz, pop, composing and performing for dance and theatre productions and working with contemporary Canadian concert composers. Nicole Lizée, Tim Brady and Dinuk Wijeratne have all included his tabla playing in their work.

Featuring production and performance contributions from Jace Lasek (Besnard Lakes), the eponymously titled Temporal Waves reveals yet another side of Mativetsky’s musical persona. Here sonic atmospheres are dominated by retro analog synthesizer sounds and aesthetics, by drum machine and electronic effects, all framing his masterful tabla playing.

Rooted in Mativetsky’s demoscene community involvement in the 1990s, Temporal Waves is a touching nostalgic look back to his youthful days steeped in the DIY electronic music scene that congregated around “tracker” software and the music of early video games. All these features are reflected in the album, with Mativetsky’s un-ironic tabla upfront in the mix, and skillfully integrated musically too.

Listening to Temporal Waves occasioned numerous surprises. Luminous Objects for example is in a five-beat rhythmic cycle outlined by a delightful diatonic sequenced melody, while the next track is in seven. Importantly, both odd meters give plenty of opportunity for tabla displays.

Mativetsky was a member of the Montreal group Ramasutra 25 years ago, and recently has collaborated with live coder David Ogborn. This attractive new release is yet another step in his Indo-electronic journey, one which has substantial crossover appeal.

Migrant Voices - Itamar Erez; Hamin Honari

Migrant Voices
Itamar Erez; Hamin Honari
Independent (itamarerez.com/itamar-hamin-duet)

Free improvisation requires trust and understanding, qualities not often found within long-held national political divides, and yet this is very much present in the music made by Israeli-Canadian guitarist Itamar Erez and Iranian percussionist Hamin Honari on Migrant Voices.

The opening track, Departure, defines the difference and commonality between Erez’s accomplished guitar and Honari’s finesse on the tombak (Persian hand drum). With nods to Spanish and classical western styles, Erez’s guitar leads Honari’s drum in a counterbalanced union.

The title track, Migrant Voices, the only composed work, displays in Erez’s hands, Middle Eastern elements and sounds I associate with the oud, while adding western classical trills and ornamentation. It takes the migrant on a wandering journey over hills and through valleys requiring attention to the path. Honari’s drumming enriches the landscape, while suggesting its dangers.

After its slow opening Embrace, one of the strongest tracks on the recording, finds a delicate interplay when Honari’s drumming enhances Erez’s expressive lead. The multiple turns and transitions surprise and delight and occasionally recall the American John Fahey’s always inventive improvisational guitar fingerpicking.

Another highlight, Forgotten Sands, offers a Spanish style bolero where Honari’s finger drumming leads the dance and Erez’s guitar provides elegant pomp and flourish in their combined movement across the majestic dance floor.

Throughout the excellently produced recording the musicians bring together two nations under one music-making roof and speak with understanding and coherence.