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Albums of the Year, Part One

Posted on: December 22nd, 2012 by Patrick Boyle No Comments

I had a great teacher once who said ‘you are what you eat, you are what you listen to.’ Even when I am too tired or lazy to do anything else, I listen to music, often ravenously. Here’s a short list of what I’ve been listening to this year. It’s not a Best of 2012, but rather a Best of Pat Boyle’s 2012. Some albums are classics, and some are destined to be classics. Head to your local record store or iTunes and give them as gifts to yourself, or if you must, to someone else.

In no particular order of awesomeness:

Murley, Bickert & Wallace – Test of Time (2012)
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/test-of-time/id589802369

Mike Murley (tenor sax); Ed Bickert (guitar); Steve Wallace (bass)

This album was recorded in 1999 and stayed in Barry Elmes basement for over a decade. In that sense, unearthing this album is like finding buried treasure. Ed Bickert has since retired, but he was at the release in Toronto which I also attended. This is some of my most favourite music ever. The solos sound like beautifully effortless compositions, and the time-feel of everyone can be considered a textbook for any aspiring jazz musician. Their last album went on to win the Juno for Best Jazz Recording and I strongly suspect this one will as well.

Dave Young/Terry Promane Octet (2012)

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/dave-young-terry-promane-octet/id577921667

Dave Young (bass); Terry Promane (trombone); Mike Murley (tenor); Vern Dorge (alto); Perry White (bari); Kevin Turcotte (trumpet);

Gary Williamson (piano); Terry Clarke (drums)

Terry was one of my teachers at the University of Toronto. He has a some of the fastest diagnostic ears of anyone I know. Terry is able to get the best out of any group he is leading, either student or professional. He and Dave share arranging and compositional duties on this extremely engaging outing. The record leaps out of my speakers, it is truly music that is alive and urgent. I don’t think there is a better example on record of Kevin Turcotte’s trumpet playing to date. He is on fire. The arrangements are simply some of the best for octet you’ll hear anywhere played by the heaviest players on the Canadian scene. If there is a Canadian jazz sound, a sound that is unique yet connected to the tradition laid down by Rob McConnell, a certain flexible approach to the beat,  balls-to-the-wall solos, then this is very representative of it.

John Hiatt – Bring the Family (1987)
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/bring-the-family/id94349

This may be my dream band. Hiatt’s songs, recorded so loosely with Ry Cooder (guitar), Nick Lowe (bass), and the esteemed Jim Keltner (drums).  Loose is not at all intended to be a dirty word here. This is the good kind of loose, where four geniuses are put in a situation where all they need to be is themselves and deal with each others contributions. The guitar solo on Lipstick Sunset, whether or not it was improvised, is as beautiful as anything by Bach or Chopin.

Tatiana Parra (voice) & Andrea Beeuswaert (piano) – Aqui (2007)

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/aqui/id561428591

Jim Vivian hipped me to this record in the summer and it’s impossible to describe. No auto tune here folks, just a perfectly limber voice singing incredibly challenging but gorgeous music. Some of the melodies go to extremely unexpected places, leaving me with a persistent feeling of wanting to hear more. This is music that makes me want to get to know the people that made it.

Best of the season to you…I’ll make some more suggestions between fits of booze and Charlie Brown.

pb

 

 

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Patrick Boyle Trio in Toronto

Posted on: November 22nd, 2012 by Patrick Boyle No Comments

 

On Saturday December 8th, I’ll be playing some of my own music with two dear friends – Mike Downes (double bass) and Nathan Hiltz (guitar). If you’re in Toronto please come, or spread the word to your friends in the area.

We are playing at Gallery 345 which is a wonderful acoustic space for our brand of music. A portion of the gate will go to St. Christopher House, just down the street at Dundas/Ossington.

Mike plays on my last album with Bill Brennan and Mike Murley. He is a musician’s musician who is totally unafraid to enter the wildest musical terrain. If the job of a bassist is to remove doubt, then that’s what Mike does.

I’ve blogged about Nathan here several times. I honestly think he’s the most interesting guitarist in Canada. We’ve played together more and more over the last few years and it’s going to be fun to pair him with Mike.

Saturday December 8 at 8pm

Gallery 345, 345 Sorauren Ave (Dundas West station)

$20/15/10 with proceeds going to St. Christopher House

(Yes….we might play ONE seasonal favourite….any requests?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Double trumpet gig with Bruce Hurn

Posted on: October 9th, 2012 by Patrick Boyle No Comments

 

How many trumpet players does it take to have a gig on Saturday? Two!

I’m very excited for an upcoming gig with the great Bruce Hurn. Double trumpet gigs are rare. I don’t really know why. Double sax gigs are way more common. Perhaps the dissimilar ranges of alto and tenor lend themselves to more variety. Bruce Hurn is one of most tasteful players I’ve ever played with. We are regulars at the Thursday night sessions at Hermann’s Jazz Club and we have a special rapport. He’s simply a great guy, super funny, talented beyond words, and he put together a terrific band. We’ll play standards, some originals, and have the rare opportunity to explore the subtle differences in tone when we play together.

October 13, 2012

Hermann’s Jazz Club

753 View Street, Victoria BC • Tel: (250) 388-9166

reservations recommended

8:00 pm, $18/$15

Featuring both Patrick Boyle and Bruce Hurn on horns;
Peter Jones – piano;
Sean Drabitt – bass;
Rich Lang – drums.

$18 cover/$15 students

website:https://www.facebook.com/events/448680271851293/

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SESSIONS IN THE OLD TOWN VOL. 2

Posted on: August 17th, 2012 by Patrick Boyle No Comments

I came back to Newfoundland in February to tape this very special show. It was a thrill to play my own music with these guys and hang with host Tom Power. I haven’t seen the final cut, but I recall the interview being really terrific. Tom did a grand job. Please watch if you can!

CBC NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR PRESENTS SESSIONS IN THE OLD TOWN Vol. 2

Friday August 25th, 8:30 p.m. in Newfoundland, 8:00 p.m. in most of Labrador on CBC Television

August 17, 2012 – St. John’s is home to one of Canada’s most vibrant and robust music scenes. Hosted by CBCʼs Tom Power, Sessions in the Old Town Vol. 2 takes you inside this scene for an intimate look at three of its hottest acts; Andrew James OʼBrien, Patrick Boyle, and Ashelin.

It has been a very eventful year for singer-songwriter Andrew James O\’Brien. This local gem released his first album “Songs for Searchers” and toured all across Canada, Ireland and the UK. Andrew cleaned up at the MusicNL awards winning Rising Star, Pop Recording and Male Artist of the Year proving he is emerging from the St. Johnʼs music scene as the latest in the storied line of great Canadian singer-songwriters.

A musical chameleon, Patrick Boyleʼs breadth in both style and talent is inspiring. On any given night you might see him play guitar, lap steel, or ukulele, hopping from one gig to the next, playing country at one bar, rock in the next and finishing up with some reggae. Patrickʼs main love, however, is jazz. Patrickʼs instrument of choice: the trumpet. He is hailed as one of the finest young jazz musicians in Canada, and for his session in the old town he has assembled some of the best jazz musicians ever to come out of St. Johnʼs; Jim Vivian, Michael Billard and Bill Brennan.

Growing up with musical instruments, song and storytelling aplenty, Newfoundland sensation Ashelin are known for their sparkling vocals and intricate harmonies. With their distinctive brand of folk roots and pop music these five talented sisters have charmed audiences throughout North America, Ireland and Australia. With the release of their latest CD The Road Not Taken, Ashelin is poised to bring their music to a wider audience.

Join Host Tom Power as he chats with these three Newfoundland musical wonders as they discuss how they took their music from the bedroom to the stage and beyond.

Sessions in the Old Town Vol. 2 is part of CBC Newfoundland and Labradorʼs Summer Series airing every Saturday until September 1st at 8:30 p.m. in Newfoundland, 8:00 p.m. in most of Labrador on CBC Television. For more information please visit: http://www.cbc.ca/nl/features/presents/

Contact:

Shannon Cymbaly, CBC Communications shannon.cymbaly@cbc.ca

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Late August Gigs

Posted on: August 16th, 2012 by Patrick Boyle No Comments

I have two exciting and very different gigs coming up in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Saturday Aug 18 at the Ship Pub, 10:45pm, $10. Come and hear the bluesy, country side of jazz with Bill Brennan (keys), Sandy Morris (guitar), Andrew McCarthy (drums) and myself on bass. Bass was an early love of mine and I return to it quite often. I’m thrilled to play some interesting twists on old classics. Where else in St. John’s are you going to hear tunes by Jimmy Webb, Glen Campbell, Miles Davis, and Booker T & the MGs on one night? Be there.

Then Friday Aug 24 the Ora Ensemble presents Audiovision: experience first-hand the wonder of a live silent  film soundrack. Here is a blurb from the incredible Krista Vincent, a new friend of mine. This is technically our second gig together, and I am very excited to continue collaborations with her:

With special guest, Patrick Boyle.Pairing silent film classics with both existing classical music and original improvisation, this one-time only contemporary music event features the Ora Ensemble alongside special guest and silent film performance veteran, trumpeter Patrick Boyle. The artful pairing of existing Canadian contemporary chamber works with turn of the century silent movie gems allows the audience to experience the imaginative qualities of new music in a new and exciting way, while the improvised soundtrack offers all the spontaneity and creativity of a downtown late night show.

Before the age of recorded soundtracks, silent movies were often accompanied by live music. Musicians helped augment the mood through the artful crafting of spontaneous soundscapes, engaging the audience with the events and emotions onscreen. As we enter a new century of cinematic exploration, offering greater special effects, more realistic sound, Digital 4-D and Sensurround, we see an emerging counter shift towards a nostalgic and retrospective approach to the film experience. From San Francisco to St. Petersburg, musicians and cinephiles look to the days when films were performed rather than just screened, experienced live rather than recorded. Hearkening back to this silent era, Audiovision is a vivid and powerful multimedia presentation that blends all the excitement of a live performance with the nostalgia of classic silent cinema.

With Krista Vincent, piano; Michelle Cheramy, flute; Heather Kao, violin; Vernon Regehr, cello and Pat Boyle, trumpet and guitar.

Friday August 24th at 8pm The Cox & Palmer Second Space LSPU Hall 3 Victoria St., St. John’s Tickets $10 available at the door.

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Iqaluit

Posted on: August 6th, 2012 by Patrick Boyle No Comments

 

 

I’m visiting friends in Iqaluit, Nunavut – my first visit to a Canadian territory. It’s hard to put into words what it is like to be here. First of all, it would take a special kind of person to live here full time. There’s no snow here right now and the temperature is hovering around a comfortable 5 to 8 degrees. Winter is a completely other story that involves freezes you to the marrow. Right now, tt never totally gets dark either, making black out drapes a necessity. Near constant daylight messes with the conception of time.

Jobs pay extremely well up here, and you need every penny. Food prices in the local market boggle the mind. One oven pizza is $22. A dozen soda is $25. 2 litres of orange juice? $20. And peppers are $14/kg.

My initial vibe of Iqaluit is extremely positive. People here are from around the world. There is a distinctly beautiful ‘build it and they will come’ mentality everywhere. Resourcefulness, shared knowledge, and co-operation are necessities of life.

On Saturday night, I was part of a killer band of Newfoundland ex-pats called The Konextions. Never underestimate the power of Steve Miller tunes at the Iqaluit Legion.

Tuesday August 7th at 7pm, I’ll present some live soundtracks to silent films at the Iqaluit Public Library. I’ll be performing to some Betty Boop cartoons, my usual Thanhouser films from 1915, as well as a repeat showing of Adrian Adonis vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper from Wrestlemania Three from March 1987. Adonis was killed in a moose-vehicle accident in Lewisporte, Newfoundland in July 1988. I’ve included a video below explaining the circumstances.

I’ll be joined by Kris Mullaly and Dan Galway on percussion/found objects. I’ll be playing trumpet, guitar, and loops. Recently I’ve falled in love with the Korg Kaossilator for my iPad. Super trippy. It’s a pleasure to perform some original music up here to a great audience. Please tell any of your Iqaluit friends to come by.

 

 

 

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Ghana Move 2012

Posted on: July 19th, 2012 by Patrick Boyle No Comments

My partner in rhythmic crimes, Curtis Andrews, is Newfoundland’s unofficial ambassador to Ghana. For many years, he has traveled to Ghana studying traditional drumming and dancing. He has organized a fundraiser tonight at the Ship Pub in St. John’s to help support the Dzogodze Education Fund which he founded as a means of giving back to the communities he loves so much. If you are St. John’s tonight, please come…and if you aren’t please see the link above to find out how you can contribute. It’s gonna be a killer show.

 

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The Craft of Practice: Part Four

Posted on: July 16th, 2012 by Patrick Boyle 1 Comment

I’ve been in extreme busy mode with either a rehearsal or gig nearly every night since Canada Day. That is NOT a complaint. I am often at my best when busy…or more specifically I am at my worst when I’m not busy.

With all the music to learn, rehearse and perform (three separate processes) I have had to spend private time on the horn whenever I can. My recent gig in the large group of Curtis Andrews was great, however I wish it was tonight. I played fine with Curtis, however I am at one of those points in my playing where I am more on my game than usual. So much of his music requires every piece on your nervous system enacted. With nearly two weeks of constant music making in, I feel so much more prepared to tackle difficult musical obstacles than I did at the beginning of this run.

Why do we forget to practice? The horn is there. Waiting for us. You can get more done through short intense practice waiting for a CD to import than you can in blocking off a whole afternoon to ‘pretend’ to practice.

We have the time. Use it without fear of sounding bad. 

Or take a page from Dizzy’s book.

 

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Planning a setlist so as to not wreck the house…

Posted on: July 7th, 2012 by Patrick Boyle No Comments

I have a show tomorrow night as part of the Wreckhouse Jazz and Blues Festival at the LSPU Hall in St. John’s, Newfoundland. It’s a trio with Curtis Andrews on drums and Dave Rowe on double bass. We are opening for Shine On: The Music Of John Lennon who I have not heard but I am really looking forward to considering the depth of talent in the group.

I can play whatever I want, given the constraints of one 60 minute set. Without meaning to give it all away, I’ll share with you what I did to come up with the set tomorrow. So many classical music concerts utilize themes…”Music of The British Isles”….”The Second Viennese School”….”Contemporary Japanese Music for Harpsichord and Theremin”. Indeed, the Shine On Project is built around a very distinct theme.

Tomorrow night, I’m going with three things I love most: dreams, the blues, and television.

I’ll begin with a solo guitar version of the ‘Flintstones theme’ segueing into ‘Darn That Dream’, a tune I learned in high school. Then Curtis and I will play my ‘hit’, The Big R, a Balkan-style blues homage to my favourite Harvey Road grease pit. Tomorrow is Hank Mobley’s birthday, so we will play the title track from his “Soul Station” recording. Then, while not exactly a blues but very exactly a Hank, the full trio will play Hank Williams “Cold Cold Heart.’ Next up, the theme to WKRP in Cincinnati with the dream that the audience will sing along. Then an original tune of mind, a dreamscape of many of the ports of the world I have visited called “Harbours”. Finally, we’ll play an Ornette Coleman blues tune called “When Will The Blues Leave?” which may feature a member of the Shine On group as a special guest.

Some gigs necessitate a certain amount of flexibility. I recall a gig once with a group who used a lot of sheet music. The vibe of the crowd was not simpatico with the band. The set was weak. The charts were not in alphabetical order which made us look doubly the fools fumbling around.

For tomorrow, my goal is to present a specific set of music appropriate for the people I am playing with first. While it’s very true that jazz musicians play for themselves first, I think if the energy and spirit are right then the audience can be “let in” on the action. I know Curtis and Dave to been exceedingly greasy dudes…men who are all too aware of the powerful redemptive quality of the blues. Men who dream. Men who I KNOW have watched as much television as me. So while it’s my band on paper, it’s our music we share. I am really looking forward to the set and the set that follows us. I’ll post some pics tomorrow.

Until then, some Mobley in honour of his birthday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Craft of Practice: Part Three

Posted on: July 2nd, 2012 by Patrick Boyle No Comments

I am just home from a very powerful gig with the Nathan Hiltz Group in Toronto. I blogged about this group a few days ago. It features Nathan Hiltz (guitar), Bernie Senensky (B3 organ) and tonight Nova Scotian Will Fisher subbed on drums.

It was incredible to share the stage with these gentlemen. In the case of Bernie, it was a particular honour as he holds a special place as literally being one of the first jazz musicians I ever heard live.

We played some very fast bebop tonight. While I practice everyday, it has been some time since I hit the changes to tunes like Donna Lee. I will always have something to learn in this area. I’ve often felt jealous over guitarists and tenor players who play so fast and so free over bebop chord changes.

Here is something to bear in mind. If you are in a position, say in a jam or a gig, where the tune is way fast….possibly too fast for you….. my advice is to think slow. Don’t skate over the time. That sounds like bullshitting. None of the gents I played with tonight did that. The playing was from the heart and played with intent. On occasion this evening, when things got off the rails, I felt I was playing things I already knew, as opposed to witnessing the moment.

If it’s too fast, it’s too fast. If you know you can’t catch up, don’t. What you play from the time you feel will have much more impact.

Or to get a bit Deepak on you.

Everything you need is inside you already.

By that I mean that if the tune is going by at a rate too fast for you, you can already play something that has significant meaning without bullshitting your way alongside the time or skating on top of it.

Obviously (and if this isn’t obvious, you have way more serious problems) this is not to imply that not bothering to practice things that increase your velocity, speed, or rhythmic acuity is ok. It’s not. But if you’re in the moment and you’re starting to panic, think about this blog post. Considering it breaking the class.

These cats are serious. What a thrill to play with them tonight.


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