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Cosmic Debris Musician Magazine Dec. 1995 Vancouve
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December 1995 NO.24
in this issue.....
- Backwater Blues by The Blueshound
"Who You Jivin' With that Cosmic Debris"
- "Weird Facts About Frank Zappa"
by Dr. Homer Hablis ZHD
- "The Frank Zappa Discography"
by The Blueshound
- "Battle Of The Bands at Wichita Rocks"
by B.C.Newman
- "The Brian "Too Loud" Macleod Stratocaster"
by Gord Miller/Strings and Things
- "Marty Daniels: Two Sides"
by B.C. Newman
- "Jim Byrnes at The Crofton Hotel"
with Jelly Foot, Monte Nordstrom & Groovedigger
by Ollie Mitchell
- "Whats all the hype over the band they call PHISH"
by Allan Cameron
- Not Necessarily New... But Recommended
"Steely Dan Alive In America"
by Ray Luxemburg
- The Shakey Reay Band
- Loose Ends
The latest issue of Cosmic Debris can always be
download from Dusk Til Dawn BBS +1 604 746 5383
BACKWATER BLUES
by The Blueshound
"Who You Jivin' With That Cosmic Debris"
I miss Frank Zappa. I confess that he was as close as I
have ever come to finding a personal savior. He was a man
with zero tolerance for bullshit and a honker to sniff it out.
Zappa couldn't stand foolishness, but he may have been
America's greatest fool. He was more than a hipster doofus
with a soul patch, he was a musical freedom fighter. Frank
usually released albums that would alternate between
instrumental compositional releases and more commercial
hook-filled efforts, so there was always plenty to choose
from. For instance, if you didn't enjoy the bizarre vocal
excesses of "We're only In It For The Money", there was the
chaotic atonal instrumental voyage "Lumpy Gravy" to check
out in 1968.
Although he never had a Top Ten national hit, Zappa had
a huge following, and still does. There are so many
recordings in the can that we will see many more releases in
the future. Just the same I miss him. He was much more
than a guy who made records. He was someone I could
count on. Frank was...well he was frank, clear honest and
himself. He was fifty-two when he passed away after a
fight with prostrate cancer. It was much too soon.
Whether people love him or hate him, if they know about
music they recognize Frank Zappa as a contemporary
composer and a subversive genius. However, he never
inspired a mid-ground reaction, and I believe that many of
those who say they don't Like his music have never actually
heard most of it. Some people won't listen to him solely
because of his politics, or what they've been told about him.
The Zappa catalogue is huge. He was a busy guy during his
creative career. From his first appearances in the early sixties
he undermined social order with musical satire, imposing his
values on the rather malleable minds of easily influenced
rock listeners. Frank tweaked the nose of convention, and
once in awhile he would call the perpetrators of puerility by
name, like Jimmy Swaggart or Ronnie Reagan. Zappa was
the quintessential renaissance man, a crazy apostle of
freedom and self expression, an eccentric visionary, the
social conscience of the modern West, but it was difficult for
us to see these things in him during his life. Most of the
time he appeared to be a rock and roll musician.
I was lucky enough to have seen him twice in live
performance, once with Jean Luc Ponty and the "Overnight
Sensation" band, the other show featured Ike Willis and Ray
White with the "Tinseltown Rebellion" band. During the
second show they played "Stink Foot".Frank brought out a
giant blue Styrofoam foot and invited audience members to
"come forth and kiss the big foot". This was the
performance art side of the multifaced Zappa, a creative
force that transcended all genres. He played white suburban
blues to its logical limit in a slyly personal way. His music
is operatic. It tells stories amid a complete artistic package.
Zappa's music also incorporates all musical styles and no
sound was too bizarre to use, like a digeridoo played into a
coffee pot for instance. However, I am most struck by the
cartoony quality of Frank's music which I find comic and
highly visual, in the tradition of Spike Jones.
Comparison with others is tempting, but it should be
understood that Zappa was like no other, highly stylized and
recognizable. Just like Miles Davis, Frank Zappa would get
the most out of his musicians, and his band was considered
a demanding training camp where players could prove their
chops and reach creative peaks. Davis and Zappa were
masters of their instruments, both had many bands and many
comebacks, and both inhabited the musical vanguard
experimenting with instrumentation, generally pushing the
envelope. Frank was interested in jazz as well. Witness
"King Kong","Invocation And Ritual Dance Of The Young
Pumpkin" or "Jazz From Hell". Both Frank and Miles were
prolific. Twice in his career, 1981 and 1984 Zappa released
seven albums in one year. In fact, he was a one-man
industry.
Frank was one of the first punks, and like The Fugs, those
eclectic visionaries of social comment, he took the plastic
world around him to task, but he was no hippie. He hated
drugs, and despised laziness. Nevertheless, Frank looked up
to Lenny Bruce, and even opened for him early in the
summer that Lenny overdosed on heroin. Zappa remained an
advocate of freedom and common sense until the day he
died, within his art, and even before the Congress. He faced
down "the Washington Wives", and put the American
Congress in its place. The tapes of those conversations are
included on the Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of
Prevention disc. Frank persistently opposed the suppression
of expression, and he had an uncanny ability to render his
opposition silly.
Zappa was a conceptualist who would juxtapose sounds
and ideas in a way that brings to mind R.D. Laing or John
Cage. Even Zappa's early midsong excursions between the
burps and snorts revealed elements of Satie, Stravinsky, or
his musical mentor Edgar Varese. The completeness of his
art is more reminiscent of Richard Wagner however. Zappa
had a hand in choreography, set design, and composition. He
was a producer, director, publisher, record mogul, and
diplomat ...and that is just scratching the surface. Frank
Zappa epitomized the libertarian ideal. The release of Frank's
first major release in 1966 was the beginning of a string of
musical breakthroughs. "Freak Out" was rock and roll's first
double album. Two year's later Zappa revealed rock's first
parody concept album, "We're Only In It For The Money".
It was a great record for its own sake, but it was a scathing
cut up of The Beatles' own groundbreaking effort "Sgt.
Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", complete with titles
spelled out with vegetables and a true rogue's gallery of
images.
Zappa was the first rock composer to incorporate
orchestration in his themes, jazz excursions into his
instrumentation, and kazoos at every opportunity. He was the
first rock musician to openly defy the large labels, even to
the extent of releasing controversial artists on his own, like:
the GTO's, Tim Buckley, Lord Buckley, "WildMan" Fisher,
Alice Cooper, and Frank's old school chum Captain
Beefheart. He did this on his own labels: Bizzare, Straight,
Discreet, and Barking Pumpkin. He produced Grand Funk
and worked with The Monkees. He was the first to challenge
the bootleggers head on by releasing all the stuff himself on
a multiple CD set "Beat The Boots". Frank was the first
fifties revivalist (Ruben And The Jets - 1968). Zappa was
the first important musician to explore the synclavier, and
the first to say "sucks" on record (Absolutely Free - 1967).
Frank Zappa was continually changing, unable to walk in
lockstep with the masses even if he wanted to. He told
Guitar Player magazine, "The hardest thing is for me to
play straight up and down". "Once I get on stage and turn
on my guitar, it's a special thing to me... I love doing it, but
I approach it as a composer who happens to be able to
operate an instrument called a guitar". The last addition to
the Zappa discography, "Civilization: Phaze III" is a lush
complicated work of great depth. Who knows where he
would have taken us in the future? Alas, we'll never be able
to measure this loss, but we can rediscover his musical
legacy which is listed below. I predict that, like all great art,
Zappa's body of work will be regarded with more respect as
time wears on. Then perhaps Frank Zappa will receive his
due post mortem immortality as a consummate contemporary
composer, instead of being remembered merely as the
outrageous clown prince of rock and roll.
Weird Facts About Frank Zappa by Dr. Homer Hablis ZHD
1) Frank attended church every Sunday until he was eighteen.
2) Frank never experimented with drugs.
3) Even though obsessed by rock culture Zappa always claimed
to detest it.
4) Frank sold Colliers encyclopedias door to door for a while.
5) Frank was disqualified for entry to the draft because he had
been busted for making a pornographic audio tape in 1964.
6) Frank produced Burt Ward's one and only foray into teen idol
stardom, with his single, "Robin, I Love You".
7) Frank suffered a broken hip when he was pushed off the stage
by an irrate fan, who believed that Zappa had designs on his
girlfriend.
8) While on the 1968 Grammy show Frank and The Mothers did
a dememented version of Duke Ellington's "Satin Doll", while they
dismembered toy dolls.
9) Frank "played" a bicycle on the Steve Allen Show in 1959.
10) Frank used a nail gun sample on Jazz From Hell.
The Frank Zappa Discography:
FREAK OUT 1966
ABSOLUTELY FREE 1967
WE'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY 1968
LUMPY GRAVY 1968
CRUISIN' WITH RUBEN AND THE JETS 1968
MOTHERMANIA:BEST OF THE MOTHERS 1968
UNCLE MEAT 1969
HOT RATS 1970
BURNT WEENIE SANDWICH 1970
WEASELS RIPPED MY FLESH 1970
CHUNGA'S REVENGE 1970
FILLMORE EAST, JUNE 1971
200 MOTELS SOUNDTRACK 1971
JUST ANOTHER BAND FROM L.A. 1972
WAKA\JAWAKA 1972
THE GRAND WAZZOO 1972
OVERNIGHT SENSATION 1973
APOSTROPHE 1974
ROXY AND ELSEWHERE 1974
ONE SIZE FITS ALL 1974
BONGO FURY 1975
ZOOT ALLURES 1976
ZAPPA IN NEW YORK 1978
STUDIO TAN 1978
SLEEP DIRT 1979
ORCHESTRAL FAVORITES 1979
SHEIK YERBOUTI 1979
JOE'S GARAGE I 1979
JOES GARAGE II & III 1979
I DON'T WANNA GET DRAFTED (12" SINGLE) 1980
SHUT UP AND PLAY YOUR GUITAR 1981
SHUT UP AND PLAY YOUR GUITAR SOME MORE 1981
THE RETURN OF SHUT UP & PLAY YOUR GUITAR 1981
TINSELTOWN REBELLION 1981
YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS 1981
SHIP TOO LATE TO SAVE A DROWNING WITCH 1982
THE MAN FROM UTOPIA 1983
BABY SNAKES SOUNDTRACK 1983
FRANCESCO ZAPPA: HIS FIRST DIGITAL RECORDING IN
OVER 200 YEARS 1984
THEM OR US 1984
THINGFISH 1984
THE OLD MASTERS: BOX I 1985
ZAPPA MEETS THE MOTHERS OF PREVENTION 1985
DOES HUMOUR BELONG IN MUSIC? 1986
YOU CAN'T DO THAT ON STAGE ANYMORE I 1988
THE OLD MASTERS: BOX II & III 1987
JAZZ FROM HELL 1987
GUITAR 1988
BROADWAY THE HARD WAY 1988
YOU CAN'T DO THAT ON STAGE ANYMORE II & III 1989
THE BEST BAND YOU'VE NEVER HEARD IN YOUR LIFE 1991
MAKE A JAZZ NOISE HERE 1991
YOU CAN'T DO THAT ON STAGE ANYMORE IV 1991
YOU CAN'T DO THAT ON STAGE ANYMORE V/VI 1992
PLAYGROUND PSYCHOTICS 1992
THE YELLOW SHARK 1993
CIVILIZATION: PHASE III 1994
Battle Of The Bands At Wichita Rocks
by B.C. Newman
It was no easy job being one of the judges at Wichita Rocks'
BATTLE OF THE BANDS in Nanaimo on November 12. This
was the FINALS and for the top-notch musicians performing here
tonight (most of them from out-of-town), it was their third
performance in a gruelling 8-day endurance test of talent & stamina.
Sherry Holfeld from Undiscovered had been covering and judging
the event for the past seven days, and she hit the nail on the head when
she commented to me, "I'm sure glad I'm not judging tonight!"
As a musician with 27 years of guitar & bass in various rock bands
(and having produced an LP of my own material), I felt reasonably
qualified, when first asked to help judge at the finals. However, I also
knew that each number on my "rating sheet" would be cross-referenced with the scores from the other dges, whom I did not
know (with the exception of Mike Jarvis). Were the other judges also
musicians? If not, what were their tastes or biases? Would months of
intricate arrangement & rehearsal time take second place to good
makeup and costumes?
Though rather thirsty, I figured it would be dumb to have a drink.
I wanted to keep my wits about me, and be on the same awareness
level from start to finish (a few stiff drinks and everyone could get
10's). Besides, I was comfortably hungover from the previous night.
It's easier to be "critical" in this state.
I'd heard from many sources that the other nineteen bands who had
gradually dropped out of the race during the previous week were
pretty damned good. Included were:
MIDNITE BLUES BAND, CIRKUS MIND, NUDE FAITH,
FEEDBAG, HIGHER POWERED, FORGET YOUR FACE,
EQUILIBRIUM, LUMP, SARUM, BLOOMS DAY, MOLLY,
LITTLE GORFIN ANNIE, I'M NOT FRANK and RIFF TIDE.
Organized primarily by Kevin Bud' Marcy (drummer with THE
HOUSEROCKERS) and by Michelle Corfield (manager of Wichita
Rocks), the event raised over $700 for the Nanaimo Hospital's
Children's Ward. Altogether, twenty-four bands participated in the
gruelling eight-day marathon, which was supported by over fifty
sponsors, including Eye Mean Graphics, Corona Beer, Molson's,
LaBatts, Pearl Drums (Canada), Sabian, Dave's Music, Nanaimo
Music, Wave 102.3 FM, Island Pacific Sound Studio, Studio 57,
Reimer Audio, Bastion City Mobile
Recoding, Whole Hog Productions, C.C.
Rocks, Nanaimo Free Press, Pepsi, and Vic
Firth Drum Sticks.
The five finalists represented a fair cross-section from each
area of the province: SOUL TRIBE, from Nelson - won $5000 1st place.
Ian Stewart, Fraser Black, Alan Black,
Randy Speers, Chris Kinsey
A unique blend of world beat with inventive
dynamics, lavishly-garnered with intricate Zappa-type embellishments
and sardonic, in-your-face mood swings, these guys were the first
band to play.
I started to mark a bunch of 10's on the
scorecard, before it dawned on me - "what if
the other bands are somehow even better? I'll
need to write 11's".
So I started over again with a swath of 9's (just in case)!
My initial instincts proved correct though. Soul Tribe was
impossible to beat in just about every category. Four years of hard
work really paid off for these guys tonight. I was happy for them.
KOARK, Nanaimo: won $1500 voucher from Nanaimo Music.
Nolan Dommet, Jeff Woods, Al Tomlan,
Josh Fulford, Jason Dickie
Like a sly ogre intent on ripping all living things to shreds, singer
Nolan Dommet is Koark's colourful and brilliant madman frontman.
He's also got a powerful and accurate voice. Koark's entire act is
cleverly geared for mass shock, sudden miscarriages and triggering
snow avalanches in the Sudan ... in July. A tight band with a great
rhythm section, they're fun to watch but not necessarily recommended
for Prozac-withdrawals or for unarmed youngsters.
SKIMBLESHANKS, from Victoria: won $500 studio time at
Island Pacific Sound Studio.
Lucus Corwin, Ian McKinlay-Key,
Dallas Carrie, Greg Turnbull
A very original blend of power-ska and depraved Cossack music,
I would suspect that Jim Morrison would have had a gas with these
guys on stage. Wonderfully-twisted tunes accented by Greg's precise
rippin' on the 6-string bass. The brilliantly-executed collapse by
Lucas at the end of their set, is not recommended by those who've
already gotten their 10 "free" annual chiropractor visits.
GUMBOOT JELLY, Victoria/Duncan: won $200 studio time
from Studio 57
John Shaw, Chad Robertson,
Jeff Layher, Mitch Guindon
Besides having a great voice, John Shaw is also remarkably
proficient at wankin' on Mr. Robertson's whammy bar in the middle
of his guitar solos. Jeff's bass work is quite impressive too. Some
good tight originals and worthy spoofs of top-forty hits. As usual with
the Jelly's great gigs (see Debris issue #23), the water in all the house
toilets was flushing counter-clockwise ...which is no big thing, unless
you're a dyslexic barfer from down under.
PULL MY FINGER, Vancouver: won a CD player & other
prizes, donated by Wichita Rocks.
Derek Reeder, Cas Rio,
Rod Koenig, Graham MacPherson
Nicely-arranged double guitar harmonies and a lot of catchy hooks
in their songwriting give this straight-ahead rock band a lot of
potential for airplay if they get into the studio ...and they will!
Awards were also given out for individual performance:
Jay Rumming (vocals), Dallas Carrie (drums), Fraser Black
(guitar), Cam Dixon (bass), Sony Del-Rio (player of the week).
The bands received a video tape of their performance courtesy of
Shaw Cable (Nanaimo) who had a lot of cameras on hand throughout
the event. Whole Hog Productions and Bastion City Mobile
Recording handled the stage, sound & lighting. Among the many
crucial volunteers were Brent Mark, Bill Stevenson, Colin Caryk,
Brent Classon, Bill Smith, Tina Ruotsalainen, Russ Greaves and
Scott Macleod.
Overall, I thought that the BASS players dominated the evening.
Each bassist was, by far, an above-average performer, in most cases
stealing the show from the guitarists, drummers and even the singers.
From what I could tell, the organizers and volunteers did a great
job. A million technical, political and organizational things can go
wrong in an event of this magnitude. I didn't hear any complaints and
I was impressed by what I saw and heard. My congratulations, to
Kevin Marcy for a job well done ... and to all the musicians, especially
those who did a lot of travelling to compete in this event.
THE
BRIAN "TOO LOUD" MACLEOD
STRATOCASTER
by Gord Miller / Strings and Things
One of the neatest things about owning a music store is that you
never know what's going to walk through the door. My heart always
beats a little faster when I spot an old case coming in, but little
did I know what was in store for me the day a battered white tolex
Fender case entered my life.
One month and dozens of phone interviews later, I present to you
the story of a man and a guitar which together had a profound influence
on the Vancouver Music scene. I hope you find the tale as interesting
as I did.
BRIAN MACLEOD : His Life and Times
Brian Macleod was born near Halifax, Nova Scotia on June 25,
1952. He showed an aptitude towards music from an early age. One of
Brians earliest musical memories was of the military band which
practiced near his home on Citadel Hill. They would march as they
played and Brian would march alongside of them playing imaginary
drums!
As a youngster, Brian studied piano, eventually working his way
through to grade 10 in the Royal Conservatory Method. Indeed,
although he is primarily remembered as a guitarist, he was by all
accounts, just as accomplished on both drums and piano.
In his early twenties Brian moved to Toronto, which was Canada's
music mecca. During his time there he produced a demo tape on
which he played all the instruments and sang. This tape found it's way
to Bill Henderson of Chilliwack in 1975-76. Chilliwack needed a
second guitar player and Brian was asked to join on the strength of his
demo tape. For a while he commuted between Toronto and
Vancouver, but eventually he settled out West. Home was a large boat
moored near Stanley Park, complete with recording facilities. During
his time with Chillwack, Brian recorded four albums; Lights From
The Valley, Breakdown In Paradise, Wanna Be A Star, and Opus10,
which yeilded the hits Whatcha Gonna Do' and Gone, Gone, Gone'.
By the late 70's, Chilliwack was temporarily in limbo because of
contractual problems. To pass the time, Brian began a new project
with a young singer named Darby Mills. Darby's ultra-aggressive
vocals and Brian's smoking guitar work were a perfect match, and the
Headpins left their mark on the Canadian music scene with songs like
Don't It Make You Feel Like Dancing' and Turn It Loud'.
I had the pleasure of meeting Brian in 1987, backstage at the
Commodore Ballroom. We were playing a record industry party to
celebrate the release of "Steel Wheels" by the Rolling Stones. Rumours
abounded that "special guests" would be joining us onstage for an
impromtu jam. I was tuning my tele when a shaggy haired guy in a black
leather jacket said "Hey is that an old one?" Brian taught me a lot
about old Fenders that night. Then we went on stage where he and Keith
Scott taught us a thing or two about tone. Talk about guitar heaven!
After parting ways with Darby, Brian formed another group with
singer Chrissy Steele in 1990. This project would be Brian's last,
as he was diagnosed as having cancer.
By late 1991, Brian was very sick and was moved to a Stateside
clinic. A benefit was held for him at 86th Street Cabaret. He was too
sick to attend, but his guitar was there and it was played that night
by his good friend Bryan Adams. Macleod was well liked and many of
his old friends from the Vancouver musical community showed up to
honour him.
Brian remained optimistic about his chances for recovery right up
till the end. He passed away April 25th, 1992, two months shy of his
fourtieth birthday. He left us a wealth of wonderful music which will
be enjoyed for years to come.
BRIAN'S GUITAR
Some guys buy old Strats and lock them up in bank vaults. Not
Brian Macleod. This 1964 Stratocaster, serial # L 31137 was Brian's
constant companion for the last fifteen years of his life. A scarred old
veteran of the road, it bears numerous reminders of Brian's rather
physical guitar style. This guitar was bought around 1975, just prior
to Brian's joining Chilliwack. Paul Iverson, repair man extrordinaire,
was working for Iron Music at the time, and he remembers one of his
first jobs there was refinishing Brian's guitar to a Cherry Sunburst
more commonly found on a Les Paul.
Brian seems to have been more fond of the Slab Board
Stratocasters issued by Fender between 1959 and 1962, rather than
the later Veneer Board Strats ( 62 onwards). Paul remembers that
they also removed the Veneer Fingerboard at this time, planed the
neck flat, and glued on a slab fingerboard. Gibson Jumbo Frets were
also added at this time.
Brian played the Strat in this state for awhile, but eventually
felt he needed a different sound than what the stock Fender pickups
could supply. His answer came in the form of "Patent applied for
" Dimarzio single coils. These pickups have huge ceramic magnets.
They are a much higher gain pickup but still have that classic Fender
tone at the same time. Slowly the ultimate performance guitar was
taking shape!
The final evolution took place in the early 80's, around the
time Brian formed Headpins. Fender's original vibrato worked great
for playing Venturs songs, but it couldn't quite cut the mustard by
the time Turn It Loud' was written! Brian opted for one of the new
Floyd Rose vibratos, and the pickguard and neck were modified to
accept the unit (I can hear vintage buffs groaning out loud as I
write this!). The guitar has recently been refitted with a original
style vibrato.
What does the guitar sound like? Only one word can describe
it...magic. The well worn body and neck are very light, making it an
extremely comfy guitar to play. Everyone who has picked it up agrees,
it's like putting on your favouraite pair of old jeans, it just feels
"right". The jumbo frets and slab board make bending notes an easy
task, and the pickups make any amp sound great. It's like a vintage
strat on steroids!
Clearly, performance was more important than originality to Brian.
This was his ultimate tool of expression and its easy to understand
why it was his main guitar for so many years. This guitar played a
significant roll in the history of the Vancouver music scene, and
we feel honoured to have it in our store. Sometimes when I'm playing
it, I think of Brian and turn my amp up just a little bit more...
The MacLeod stratocaster can presently be viewed at Strings &
Things, 295 Trunk Road in Duncan. Arrangements are under way to
return the guitar to one of the people who knew Brian best. I would
like to sincerely thank Bill Henderson of Chiliwack and Janet York
of the Sam Feldman Agency for their personal insights into Brians
life.
Marty Daniels: Two Sides
Brilliantly-constructed guitar passages, superb keyboard textures
and wonderfully-arranged vocal harmonies are the highlights of
Marty's debut CD.
It is pregnant with splashes of lush background harmonies
(courtesy of Tania Hancheroff and Duncan Meiklejohn) which
almost spook me into thinking it's a new release by Steely Dan; and
throughout many tracks, it seems that Carlos Santana or Larry Carlton
has snatched Marty's telecaster away from him and taken control of
the maestro's fingers. A guest performance by harmonica wizard
Shakey Reay Suter on "Family" further adds to the wealth of talent
offered on this unique, jazz-driven CD which features Marty's own
compositions and arrangements.
Co-produced by Bob Benson at Seacoast Sound Productions in
Victoria, TWO SIDES' features excellent performances by Phil
Newns on keyboards, Will Cardinal on bass, and both Charlie
Wade and Wane Summers on percussion. Marty's choice of
musicians and singers couldn't have been better.
My favourite tracks are "Dos Lados" (a Latin-flavoured guitar
instrumental), "Red Room", "Questions" (with those Steely Dan
choruses again) and "First Move".
Some of his older love ballads didn't do too much for me, but then
again, I don't care much for love ballads anyway ... it encourages
overpopulation and is not environmentally-friendly.
Marty's guitar playing is rich with invention, mathematical imagery
and soulful, impeccably-executed overtones and embellishments. His
solos on this CD are brilliant but frustratingly short. I would have
preferred that he'd had a few shots of tequila and gone totally beserko
in the studio, like he sometimes does at his live performances. But
then again, I'm a guitarist ...
Marty Daniels, originally from Montreal, has played in a lot of
bands, at a lot places ... from St. Pierre and Michelon to the West
Coast; from the Dominican Republic to Nanisivik on the northern tip
of Baffin Island. He's played in rock bands, Ukrainian wedding bands
and at one point, played bass with the Russian Ballet of Montreal's
premier performance.
Mostly self-taught, he studied technique development and theory
from Paul Dickens (McGill University) and studied jazz guitar with
Ivan Symonds (who worked with Oscar Peterson).
Marty teaches guitar in Duncan and he's also taken a shot at acting
with The January Players ("Exit The Body") and Shawnigan Players
("The Ugly Man").
His CD will soon be available at Walmart and Sound Decisions in
Duncan; and at H.M.V, A&B and Lyles in Victoria.
- B.C.Newman
JIM BYRNES
AT THE CROFTON HOTEL
with Jelly Foot,
Monte Nordstrom & Groovedigger
by Ollie Mitchell
Nov 9th was here at last! I rolled through the moonlit country lanes
on my way to the ocean, very happy at the prospect of seeing Jim
Byrnes for the first time. "He's possibly the best blues man in
Canada," Bill Johnson had told me a few weeks back. So I knew it
would be a superb evening. And to cap it all, two fine local bands,
"Jellyfoot" and "Groovedigger" would perform refreshing original
songs. This was a four-course meal and I was hungry. I pulled up to
the Crofton Hotel, just a stone's throw from the ferry to Saltspring
Island.
Jellyfoot began playing at 7:30. They tackled their tight
arrangements with fervour and grace. Singer, Frank Alexander
moved and grooved with his rhythm machine. Peter Bobb applied
logarithms to his frets, cajoling strings with tapping fingers. Fritz
Schulze, guitar, Gary Sawin on drums, Dennis Turner on bass and
Reay Whitesell, acoustic guitar.
The next set was Groovedigger. Most of their songs are written by
singer and guitarist, Monte Nordstrom. The other band members are
Steve McKinnon on bass, Don McGillivary on the drums, and
Larry Blatchford on keyboard. Then, joining them on stage,
Virginia Blatchford soared thru a couple of songs with warmth and
conviction. The band ended with one of Monte's fine songs,
"Ransom" a beautiful balance of delicacy and strength. Each band had
played about fourty minutes, admirably mixed by Anthony Duke.
I noticed how the ceiling, with its laminated wooden beams,
resembled the ribs as viewed from within a gargantuan creature.
Couple this with the red and blue lights glowing on the darkly-stained
wooden surface, and we were in the belly of the....whale!
Then Jim Byrnes Band played. It took me 2 or 3 bars of music
before the clarity and breadth of sound dawned on me. This was the
best tone I'd ever heard a band play live. The first song, "The Chill Is
On", (from the last album) was written by Jim Byrnes with bassist and
sax player, Bill Runge (who played with the Powder Blues Band
from 80-85). Bill plays a profound bass and also exchanges it for a
tenor sax, letting Michael Kalanj (keyboards) ooze low frequencies
with his left hand. "This Hammond B-3 was delivered in a crate to my
front door in 68", he told me. Jerry Adolphe played drums ...a man
from whom many other drummers have been learning for years. The
band's fifth member is Tim Hearsey who played some really joyful
sounds. Jim, Michael and Jerry have been together 15 years. Bill for
10 years and Tim for 1 year. The soundman, Mike West, has been
with him 10 years.
The band scarcely finished one song ... then the next was upon us.
My favorite was "Fire on the Bayou" with Jim Byrnes playing lead
guitar in an Arabesque style.
James Thomas Kevin Byrnes was born Sept 22, 1948 in St. Louis,
Missouri. He grew up on the city's north side. One of the
neighbourhood bars had Ike and Tina Turner as the houseband. As a
teenager going to music clubs, he and his buddy were often the only
white people in the place. "We never had any problems. We were too
naive, too innocent and had too much respect for the music and
culture - they knew it, they could tell."
Starting piano at age five, Jim was singing and playing blues guitar
by age 13. He moved to Vancouver in the mid 70's after years of
drifting, working odd jobs and playing music. In 81 he put together
a band that became a staple of the local music scene. In 1986 they
played 300 nights!
Jim Byrnes is also well known from his many T.V. roles ...and has
achieved world-wide success as co-star in "Highlander" - The T.V.
Show. He also hosted "Hooked on Blues" for CBC.
Jim has proven that a serious car accident in 72 has done anything
but hinder him. Despite two swipes with death and some pretty hard
knocks he has a string of credits both on and off the screen.
His new album, "That River", released in October, is the first in 8
years since "I've Turned My Days Into Nights" a live recording at
Harpo's. Their first album "Burnin" was recorded in 81 on Polydor.
As a highlight in his musical career, Jim mentioned, "Sitting down
in a room with Muddy Waters, just him and me, and he showed me a
couple of licks on the guitar."
His greatest musical moment was the first time he saw Howlin'
Wolf. "I was devasted. I was seventeen. Who could take the Rolling
Stones seriously after watching Howlin' Wolf down on his knees
singing "Little Red Rooster?"
When Jim Byrnes is on stage and "It's on and it's happening. It's
not me. It's the Billions of people who have lived and died, laughed
and cried, and got burned in the sweet earth - they're all comin'
through me."
Jim Byrnes was smiling and thoroughly enjoying himself. As the
third set began, the bar had emptied a bit (this was a Thursday night).
"Little Red Rooster" bounced off empty glasses.
After the concert, Michael Kalanj told me, "When playing
keyboards, I see my role as that of a orchestrator in the band."
I asked him about memorable gigs. The best was the St. Louis
Blues Festival in August 93 with, amongst others, B.B. King and
Solomon Burke. The worst was being deported from Scotland after
one night of a week's gig - their work permits were not in order.
I asked Michael to recommend some music. He produced Mike
Weaver's new album "Friday Night's Activity" with Robbie
Steineger on guitar. "There's also a guy who came to me for organ
lessons called Joey di Francesco. He's a 24 year old organist. His
band "Two Trains" is really good."
As I left, I helped the roadies put the Hammond organ to bed, all
275 pounds of it, until the next evening when they would perform in
Powell River.
The Jim Byrnes Band gave a tremendous performance with about
60% original material. I want to hear their new CD, "That River".
And thanks to our host at the Crofton Hotel, Richard Smith for
bringing us such great music!
-Ollie Mitchell
What's all the hype over this band they call FISH
by Allan Cameron
PHISH, who hail from Burlington Vermont, are a touring band who
play improvisational, jazzy, folk, country, barber-shop, latin-rock
music. There's four members: guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike
Gordon, keyboardist Page McConnell and drummer Jon Fishman. They all
sing, on key most of the time. If you tend to be a lover of music in all its
styles, check this band out.
During the span of twelve years, Phish have recorded five studio albums
and this year they've released they're sixth- a concert album called "A
Live One" (Elektra). The studio stuff is great, but their concerts tend to
be what attracts their loyal allegiance of fans, who, like the Grateful Dead,
follow them from show to show.
Every Phish show is different - a different setlist, different stage
antics including a vacuum cleaner solo by Fishman, trampoline frolicking,
and counting down to New Year's on a giant flying hot dog while playing
"Auld Lang Syne". Sound like fun? Well it is. This year I got to check a
few shows out. When Phish come on stage and start playing, the fans
immediately rise out of their seats & commence the boogying. The energy,
sites and sounds are beautiful... not to mention the smells (oh the kind).
Every Halloween, fans get to vote on the album they want Phish to do.
This year it was the Who's Quadraphenia, last year it was the White
Album by the Beatles. Talk about a dedicated bunch of musicians. I guess
they just love to play.
They also like to play chess. During this tour, their simple stage
consists of a backdrop of a chess board. An audience member is chosen,
from the Greenpeace booth, and gets to make a move in an attempt to conquer
Phish at the game. Kinda fun. Phish are just that. Fun. Their lyrics are
very simple at times, focusing on the musicianship and the art of jamming.
The Phish phenomenon continues to grow. They have a newsletter with
concert info and some silly stories and cartoons, as well as a site on the
Internet (phish.net). They also allow a taper's section at each show. Live
shows are passed on to fellow Phish Heads by trading. So much can be
said about this little band, check em out on tour. They'll probably be
heading back this way in the springtime. Peace.
If anyone has any shows to trade please e-mail me at
[email protected]. or write to
Phishin, Victoria 2101
Chambers St., Victoria B.C.,
V8T 3L1.
Not Necessarily New... But Recommended
STEELY DAN ALIVE IN AMERICA
Giant CD 24634
by Ray Luxemburg
Steely Dan would be 24 years old this year if they hadn't committed
suicide at the age of nine. They always were a self-destructive lot,
having severed their arms (guitarist Denny Dias and Jeff Baxter) and
legs (drummer Jim Hadder) when they were barely four. With only brains
(bassist/ guitarist Walter Becker) and heart (keyboardist/vocalist
Donald Fagen) remaining, is it any wonder that Steely Dan gave up the
rigors of the touring life?
For the five years they had left, Becker and Fagen were assisted in
the labours by the best artifical appendages (studio musicians) that
money and musical science could provide. Always perfectionists, the
hard-to-please "Dan" brutally tortured their new limbs until they were
constantly sending out for fresh replacements. (13 different guitarists
took a shot at the one chorus solo of "Peg" until Jay Graydon finally
nailed it). The amount of drugs necessary to keep Steely Dan
disfunctioning became enormous, as they struggled to top themselves
with each new release.
Finally, after 1980's GAUCHO, heart and mind could no longer
work together - they were desperately successful and wildly unhappy.
Steely Dan lay dead on the recording studio floor, cut down in their
prime, leaving behind a catalogue of some of the most tuneful,
inventive and strange popular songs ever written...
Anybody believe in reincarnation?
Well, you better. In 1993 Walter Becker and Donald Fagen blew
the dust off their old songbook, hired themselves a crack band, and
headed out onto the concert circuit. Most of the tunes on their set list
had never been performed live. Quite a few didn't even have endings
(the "Dan" tended to suffer from terminal fadeouts, among other
maladies). But heart and brain got their act together. From the
evidence presented on STEELY DAN ALIVE IN AMERICA, I'd say
the old corpse kicked some ass.
It takes a big band to reproduce all of those studio overdubs: 2
keyboards, 2 guitars, bass, drums, percussion, 3 saxes and 3 back-up
vocalists. As faithful as this "orchestra" is to the original
arrangements, there are several subtle changes in evidence. For
example, the simple 2-note descending pattern of the verses in
"Reeling In The Years" have been replaced by sly clusters of tricky
jazz chords. There's more solo space in the tunes, with keyboards and
sax getting the extra nods. There's even a drum solo (drum solo?) in
"Josie", and it works beautifully.
At the end of the piano solo in Sign In Stranger" the band stops -
the three saxes join with the percussionist (on vibes) to play a
swinging, melodic interlude that has little to do with the song itself,
but is never-the-less sublime. The band comes in where they left off
without blinking an eye.
Ten Steely Dan favourites are presented here, along with a fine
Walter Becker solo tune "Book of Liars". However, brains seldom
sing as well as hearts. Clocking in at sixty-six minutes, ALIVE IN
AMERICA still seems short for rabid fans like myself who would
love to hear live versions of "Deacon Blues", "Black Friday", "Pretzel
Logic" and other classic "Dan" tunes. Don't hold your breath waiting
for a Volume II - lack of oxygen for that long can cause brain damage.
With wildly successful tours completed and a live album in the
stores for Christmas (best holiday wishes everyone!) Donald and
Walter may now continue to count their growing retirement funds and
ponder future collaborations. A new studio album is rumoured, but
considering how slowly "Dan" has produced material in the past, we
may be all listening to music on a totally different digital format
(computer chip?) before we get another with the name Steely Dan on
it. I'll be there to buy it...
One of the Pacific Northwest's finest harp players will perform at
the Cowichan Community Centre on New Year's Eve.
After years of road work in the Country and Blues circuits based in
Winnipeg, Shakey Reay Suter arrived in Vancouver in late 1988. He
and Muddy Fraser then co-founded the Muddy Fraser Band', which
included Sandy Smith on drums and Joe Martin on bass. Sandy, Joe
and Shakey later joined with Jonas Grames to form The T' Bones'.
In 1991 Shakey's old friend Clyde Roullette asked him to jump
aboard his band. This union lasted almost two years and included two
Stein Valley gigs, three Music 91 gigs, and a CKVU-TV appearance.
Clyde and Shakey also played the acoustic theme music for the U'
Tonight Show, featuring local Blues acts.
In 1992 Shakey joined the Russel Jackson Band (Russel played
bass with B.B.King for 7 years), with whom he toured for eight
months across Canada and the United States. This included a couple
of months with old friend Muddy Fraser on guitar.
Shakey left the Russel Jackson Band in April 1993, but later
returned to record a cut on Jackson's Alley Man' recording.
In July of 93 Shakey Reay made the move to Vancouver Island.
He had regularly commuted from the Mainland to play in the house
band once a month at the Cowichan Blues Cabaret since it's 1990
inception. He has settled in a comfortable lifestyle here on Vancouver
Island with his wife Corry and dog 'P.J.'.
Shakey currently performs regularly with the "Shakey Reay Band"
with guitarist Al Eskelson, bassist Keith Washington and drummer
Nick Jarvey. He also gigs with the "Headhunters", "Thor and The
Thundercats" and the "Al Eskelson & Shakey Reay acoustic duo".
Al Eskelson has worked in a variety of styles including blues,
country, swing, rock, folk, jazz, old time dance music. He taught himself to play at age twelve on s grandmother's beat-up hunting
guitar. He couldn't afford new strings so he had to use baler twine
onthe bass side, and barbed wire on the treble - a precursor to silk and
steel. His first gigs ranged from rock to fox-trot, polka, and waltz.
Backing up a double sax combo made him feel forever at home in Bb.
Moving through the Saskatchewan and Alberta rock scenes, Al
wound up on Vancouver Island in 1977. Along with various session
works, he recorded an ambitious cassette release with "Seadog", a
Cowichan Valley group of which he was co-founder. The longevity of
this group (1978-1992) may owe itself to the fact that they were the
torch-bearers of neo-folk/outlaw/country/psychedelia throughout the
long dark night of post-platform shoe disco-vomit.
Al has performed sub-gigs with diverse talent such as Dan Rubin,
Fred J. Eaglesmith and the Flying Squirrels, Andy Ruszel, Scott
Parsons, the Beaumonts, and Jellyroll. He has also been a member
of local groups Waitresses Only, Blue Lasso, Blue Blazes, and Joe
Charron's Great Divide. Al can be heard on the latter's
"Trainwreck On The Dancefloor" CD.
In addition to electric and acoustic guitars, Al has played electric
bass, mandolin, lap steel, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, and
alto clarinet. He sings lead and harmony and teaches a guitar course
at the Cowichan Community Center.
Drummer Nick Jarvie played in Milestone (houseband at the
former Esquimalt Inn, from 1976 to 1979), Cat Tracks (with B.C.
Newman, Graeme McGerriggle and Shirley Griffiths), Blue
Lassoo, and with Keith & Paul Washington at the Island Folk Fest
in 1991. Nick teaches drums, privately and at Carter's Music.
Bassist Keith Washington has played in so many Cowichan
Valley bands since the late 1920's that it's all one big fog to him.
LOOSE ENDS:
Alas... "Intelligence Sources" indicate that guitarist Bill Johnson
is leaving Wrinkle Town to persue better pickin's in Alberta.
Good Luck, Bill ... to you and yours ...and to the crew who works
with you in presenting your high standard of the art form. Keep us
informed with your observations and achievements from afar.
Who's the guy on the cover of this month's issue?
In case you don't know already, it's Brian Doucette. Last year, he
was working with Chuck Forrester in THE CHUCK N' BRIAN
SHOW. Lately, he's been working with John Lawe.
I've seen Brian perform at numerous venues and have shared the
stage with him at several jams over the past few years. His voice and
his eclectic, off-beat choice of material has never failed to impress
me. Brian's a Neil Young /Cockburn / Pink Floyd diehard, who can
play guitar, bass or flute with the best of ?em.
The photo was shot at Friday's Restaurant in Mill Bay, which has
recently hosted other top-notch performers including Monte
Nordstrom, Joe Charron & Steve McKinnon, Shakey Reay
Band, Gone Clear, etc. With 10-cent chicken wings, mug specials
and good music, it's a good deal for a cozy Fri/Sat night out.
The Bucca Kings are hosting "Sunday's Unplugged" at the Gorge
Point Pub (3-7:pm). Rather than a free-for-all jam, they bring in a
feature guest each week to share the stage with them ...a good way to
ensure musical quality and volume control. Among Victoria's top
bands, the "Buccas" have perfect harmonies, great arrangements and
a wonderful repertoire of classic tunes.
A meeting to discuss the next Mill Bay Country Music Festival
takes place at Kerry Park, Nov 26 at 7:pm. - Terry Botkin 743-3541
Joyce's column didn't quite make this issue, due to an avalanche of
late material, data & ad design. In fact a LOT of good material missed
this issue and many articles were stripped down to the bones.
The magazine is still basically a "one-man" operation performed
on a single computer and my time is stretched to max. Until things
become more streamlined, articles, info and ads should be sent in as
early as possible for proper layout.
The Debris is getting around... bassist Gavin Dixon recently
received a call from Florida with regard to his wantad! Keyboardist
Billy Winter and saxman Pierre Komen will be joining Monte again at
the Brigantine's Sunday Jam in January. Pierre will be replacing
Wayne Diggins, who recently left for a gig in Thailand.
Don't forget the "hospitality hangover jam" at the Brig on New
Years Day ... good time to check out each other's bloodshot eyes!
Paul Milne's band will be hosting a Boxing Day jam at the
Windjammer Pub for those of you tired of yakking with relatives or
listening to Xmas songs on the boob tube.
Below: Mike Turner from Mr. Puffy "wills" his bass strings to
vibrate in the middle of a Beatle's tune. I finally heard the band
several weeks back and was really impressed with their R&B /
Beatles mix, and especially Joyce Allenson's Janis-type singing.
As I write this, I'm still figuring when the next issue will be out.
All I know is that it will be either 7 days early or 7 days later than normal.
Just in case, I'll wish you all: A Happy and Safe Xmas ! - Barry
COSMIC DEBRIS MUSICIAN'S MAGAZINE
is published monthly for Vancouver Island musicians.
Its main objective is to provide a perspective of the Island entertainment
industry from the viewpoint of the performers, and other dedicated souls
behind the scene. Any confirmed bookings, news pertaining to live
entertainment or articles of general interest to musicians is welcome.
Distributed at over 160 hotels, music stores, restaurants,
tourist info spots, pubs and small businesses in:
Campbell River, Courtenay, Port Alberni, Qualicum Beach, Nanoose,
Nanaimo, Cassidy, Ladysmith, Chemainus, Crofton, Salt Spring Island,
Pender Island, Lake Cowichan, Duncan, Shawnigan, Mill Bay, Sooke,
Greater Victoria and Vancouver.
DISTRIBUTION DATES: 4th Thursday: Duncan & Victoria
and within 48 hours in Vancouver, Nanaimo & points north.
DEADLINE: 3rd Thursday. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $21 year.
Publisher / Editor / Desktop: Barry Newman
General Assistant: Darlene Draper
Contributors:
Ray Luxemburg, J.M. Perreault,
Phil Rossner, Sharon Dudka, Dave Gordon,
Monte Nordstrom, Elin Evelyn, Rick Dennis,
Phil Newns, Gene Grooms, Richard Payne
Graphics: Toby Nilsson, Gary Saibil
Special thanks: Brentwood College Fax, Shaw Cable 4,
Blackbird Graphics, The Cowichan Press
and ALL who've helped the magazine in any way.
No part of this magazine may be reprinted for publication
without permission from the article's author. None of the views expressed
in this publication.... what did the banana say to the vibrator?
What are you shakin' for. Shes gonna eat me.
COSMIC DEBRIS, 1395 Carlton Drive,
RR#1, Cobble Hill, BC, VOR 1LO
(604) 743-9717
>>> Phone & 24-hour FAX line <<<
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