My love of The Shaggs is no secret. Their music intoxicating and pure. My journey towards them led to Brittany Anjou. Out of the blue, I contacted her about her work with Dot Wiggin and she graciously agreed to answer these questions in detail. Brittany wrote to me from the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center Music...
My new record “After Forgetting” is finally out. This one took a while to get together. It features my dear friend Bill Brennan on piano. Bill and I have a great relationship on and off stage. We know how to make each other laugh and we’ve really been there for each other through the years....
17. Dave Douglas – Charms of the Night Sky (1998) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opNFFsZ-5T4 People always ask me “what trumpeters do you like?” I know they don’t mean anything by that question, but when I hear it I am reminded that I am musician who happens to play trumpet. I sometimes wish I picked something easier, something that didn’t transpose,...
If you're just tuning in, this is what I am up to. 11. The Artistry of Christopher Parkening (1993) The next few albums on this list relate to a specific time in my life governed by the anxiety of Columbia House and the urgency of the guitar. The first CD player I ever got was a Hitatchi...
4. The Shaggs – Philosophy of the World (1969) In my UVic Jazz Theory class, we discussed The Shaggs and what it means to be an original. It was a thrilling class and I really enjoyed hearing so many insightful and differing opinions expressed with such passion. Love or loathe them, The Shaggs challenge ideas around...
2. Barry Elmes – Climbing I’ve told this story a hundred times but never written it down till now. As Canadian jazz festival season is in full swing, it seems appropriate to finally pen it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwfmfyndYAQ Long ago in a land where jazz was valued, touring Canadian bands would come to St. John’s NL and record at the...
Presenting the first in a few installments of my top 40 records of all time ahead of my 40th birthday in August. This meticulous research is sustained by red wine and all my ethics reviews came back negative. I’m not afraid to turn 40. In fact, I’ve been dressing like I am 80 for a long...
Dr. Peter Narvaez wore many hats. Musician, singer/songwriter, folklorist, and friend. I was lucky to perform and record with him, but my favourite Peter moments were in his MUS 3018 Blues and Jazz course at Memorial University. When I was getting ready to start work at the University of Victoria where I taught a similar...
"Waldesnacht" (excerpt) from Op. 62, Sieben Lieder (Seven Songs), for mixed chorus (1874) Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) The Patrick Boyle Chorale Patrick Boyle - soprano Patrick Boyle - alto Patrick Boyle - tenor Patrick Boyle - bass Recorded at the bottom of the stairs by Patrick Boyle using a Shure SM57 https://soundcloud.com/patrickboylemusic/boylesingsbrahms ...