It’s quite an undertaking touring a group of musicians. In Canada at least fringe art forms need financial help. The Canada Council helps with that if your project is super strong, your gigs are good and you’re lucky. Croft/Adams/Pearse have a new CD and a certain world-class drummer Gerry Hemingway, who recorded it with them. We got some good concerts at Open Space in Victoria and The Western Front in Vancouver (which, after the application deadline swelled to Montreal, Hamilton, Guelph and Toronto); and we’re lucky!
Gerry flew from Lucerne via London, was delayed in London thanks to the plane crash landing in Halifax, but finally flew in a day late via St. John’s. He walked off the plane, we drove downtown, ate a quick dinner, got to the Maritime Conservatory at 7:30, where he proceeded to tune his loaner drum kit. The show started at 8:15, ended at 9:30, we packed up and were home at 10:15! “Like an improv SWAT Team” Gerry quite accurately observed!
He did it all with calm, flexibility and grace. I breathed an organizer’s sigh of relief!
The concert was great. So much of improvised music is the chemistry of the players, their quality of listening and their shared understanding of what is being achieved. This quartet has all of that. The music is so varied, you can never pin it down: it’s constantly in flux from texture to sound, to melody to groove to aggression to serenity! It’s just the music I love. The path of the music is always clear with these guys, all you have to do is find it, follow it, or not…..
It’s truly and honour to get to play with Gerry Hemingway. Playing 7 nights in a row together will be a lifetime experience! I’ll keep you posted.
Apr 1, 2015 at 13:38