Jazz Pianist, Composer, and Teacher based in Vancouver, B.C., Canada

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New Bassist Jon & Drummer Phil

He’s French…

Well Friday night was the first night in our band’s two nights of opening for Stef Lang. Also the first gigs for our new bass player Jon. We were supposed to be there for 7 to set up.  So going off of the traffic problems I had last week on Friday night Lindsay and I left our house at about 5:15.  We got to North Van at 6.  That never happens. So we got some supper and killed some time finding what street the place was on again and still got there at quarter to 7.  Long story short set up and sound check didn’t actually happen until 8 ish and we didn’t start playing until 8:30.  Musician’s law:  Show up late because they expect you to anyways.

So since we were all there too early we got some food.  Notice our beautiful lead singer eating oh so classy.  Did lots of waiting and a little bit of sound checking.  Finally we went on to do our set.

We haven’t had a gig in a while and it kinda showed.  We weren’t bad by any stretch, but didn’t have the same togetherness that we normally have.  Some of our starts were a little off and a lot of the songs came out too fast.  I’m sure nobody else except for us notices this of course because we’re so used to what they should sound like.  The sound levels were a little off, expected in such a small space and lack of sound guy.  Apparently the guitar was loud and the vocals too quiet.  Someday we’ll have a sound guy and we’ll never have to think about it again.

Sound Check

I myself made some technical gaffs that I kicked myself for.  At the end of ‘Let Us Stop’ I fade out all my sounds, using my foot pedal and using the keyboard’s main controls.  I turned the main volume back on for the next song, but forgot to put my pedal back up to full volume.  I’ve just discovered that when you do that my keyboard plays the first note of the next song and then goes silent and I stare at it in complete puzzlement trying to figure out why all the lights are on and nobody is home.  I clued in after a couple of bars and got it working again, but since I have the lead line at that time it was an odd start.

The New Guy – Jon

 On another song we just changed the key a half-step down.  I haven’t learnt it in the new key yet so I’m cheating by using the transpose button on the keyboard.  This is a very handy function in such circumstances, if you remember to push the button.  Needless to say, playing a chord a half step above everybody when you all start in unison sounds like two metal cars colliding head on against a chalk board.  I thought everyone else played quite good and Jon has no problems with the songs, he’s a natural fit in the band.

The turn out on a Friday night of Halloween weekend wasn’t quite what we had hoped.  We found out the next night that the most people of the evening came at around 11, to be expected, but it wasn’t packed.  So we finished our set of 9 songs to a few  appreciative fans and grabbed a seat to watch Stef Lang.

Yep I can look up sometimes

 Her band and sound is very different than I was expecting.  It started out with some more country folk sounding songs played with acoustic guitar, slide guitar, and a violin.  Yes she has a violin player.  A few songs later the drummer and bass player joined and the sound changed to more progressive rock/pop interspersed with the straight ahead pop numbers everyone knows from the radio.  I’ve got a few pics and a video here you can take a look at.

She put on a good show, lots of stage presence and interaction with her band members.  It looks like they’ve been together doing this for quite a while.  I liked it even if it can’t be classified very easily.  I enjoy how her guitar player looks like a cowboy with a giant red beard, minus the hat, and her drummer could be mistaken for Gord Downie.

Watching them for the first set, most of our band took off after that, I felt we all were getting some ideas for our stage presence.  You always have room to grow right.  Stef was plugging the bar’s drinks and food while bantering with a few folks and her band.  Lots of interaction on the stage groovin with her bass player, highlighting the soloists, etc.  We’ve got the music part down, I feel next is growing our stage presence so it’s more show less just the music (which is of course great)

Anyways, enough of my ramblings on Friday night.  I’ll be back soon with details on night number two, which went way better overall. If you’re reading this blog, and enjoying it from time to time please send your friends a link and subscribe our follow it.  Also check out my sponsors if you’ve got the time.
A short and dark Stef Lang video is at the bottom of the page.

Thanks,
Faas

It’s a pig in case you’re wondering

>Hello.  It comes to my attention that not everyone who is reading this fancy dancy blog knows what and RSS feed is.  Basically it’s a program that acts like a newspaper.  Huh?  Why should you care?  Well, say you like reading this blog and want to do it on a regular basis without waiting for that post in facebook or elsewhere.  You get an RSS reader and input this blog into it.  The reader automatically checks the blogs you’re subscribed to and shows the website to you in a nice independent view.  It’s like reading the paper, but only the articles (blogs) you want.  That funky looking orange square with white stripes that shows up all over the internet and in your address bar on certain pages is the nice and easy way to add a blog to your reader.  The now universal subscribe button.

Now, if that didn’t make any sense (mom and dad, and other people who are scared to turn their computer off for fear of it not turning back on again…) here’s a website that explains it a bit more.

http://www.whatisrss.com/

If you’re using firefox a great reader that I use is called “Newsfox”.  For those other web browsers out there, just do a search for RSS readers for them and you’ll get plenty of great, and free, options.

Now you know all you need to know to stay updated to all the band going-ons whether, funny, sad, maddening, or just plain weird. You can subscribe by clicking the little orange button on the right top of the blog here, or enter in you email address, or become a follower, so many ways….

Hope I didn’t bore the less tech savy folks. If you made it to the end, congrats, pat your head and rub your tummy, you are awesome.

Ryan

>Well my sarcasm and gentle teasing finally caught up with me yesterday.  We had band practice last night, which was the first one that we were all at with our new bass player, as I had to miss last rehearsal.  I am always ribbing on Rachel for being late and through a series of practice time changes, horrible rush hour traffic and my lack of hover car I was late for practice.  There are times out here that I miss Deerfoot trail and I’ve definitely come to hate bridges and the way people drive to them…

Anyways, after finally getting there way late for me we got going through the songs.  We’ve got one more practice tomorrow, Sunday, and I think we’re going to sound great.  Jon, our new bassist, fits in just fine.  He’s got some solid bass playing chops, great work ethic, and is overall a great guy.  Perfect addition to keep us getting stronger and more popular everyday.  (you should all be telling everybody you know about Rachel Thom and her awesome band by the way, you want to be on the inside scoop when we’re huge. Just saying.)

We’re also hopefully going to be landing some gigs more frequently and perhaps paying(cross fingers), as we’re trying to get a booking manager.  Hopefully this pays dividends in gigs and fans. And they work on commission so sounds like a win situation.  I’ll keep you posted. We’re still opening for Stef Lang this friday and saturday in North Van, which is gonna be sweet.

Well I’m tired.  Been reworking a song and coming up with ska horn lines and some organ.  Catchy I hope, repetitive, for sure.

See you tomorrow

>Hey there Peoples.  Just had a gig last night.  The Heritage Matters Concert at the Chief Sepass Theatre in Fort Langley.  Show was sold out and went great for me.  I started off the show playing in the dark then once the spotlight came on I got Dave Brubeck’s Blue Rondo a la Turk started.  Had a nice effect to start the concert.  Played 3 more songs then I was done my 20 minutes.  After another act and intermission I came back on as part of a trio with a vocalist and bass player.  That was a breeze and a ton of fun. 

Bonuses of the evening were that I met some local jazz musicians that I can hopefully be doing some gigging with in the future.  The vocalist, Liana Savard, and the bass player Tim Stacey, were great and really nice people to boot.  Also found out about a local venue for music that I hadn’t heard about and hopefully I will be playing there sometime soon with my duo and my band.  Two completely different sounds, but both fun.  I even got paid more than I was expecting for the evening, so all in all it went very well. 

If only all the gigs were that great.  The Theater had a green room and very nice changing room with huge mirrors and seats with make up lighting.  Didn’t need that but added to the atmosphere.  Very nice place and it’s part of a school, wish I’d gone to some place like that!

Having a rehearsal on friday with the Rachel Thom ‘band’ and will get to try out this new bass player for myself.  From what everyone else tells me though he’s sounding great and is well rehearsed already, after 1 1/2 practices.  We’re back in the races it sounds like.

Talk to you soon,

Faas

>So…we’ve had our first real drama as a band.  Last Sunday we had a rehearsal after a bit of a break from those.  It didn’t get off to a good start because Alexis was in a minor car accident.  He has horrible luck as this was the second one in about a month.  The first wrote off his car, this one put a big dent in his back bumper.  So he couldn’t make it to practice which was rough because we were trying to work on a new song and changing up some of the old ones.  Hard to do with one of the main harmonic instruments missing.

So we made it through practice, didn’t accomplish a whole hell of a lot, then parted ways until next practice.  The next day we all get an email from our bass player Nate.  Long and short of the email was that our bass player is getting offers to play some studio time for jazz groups (among other reasons) and as such has decided to quit the band.  Not good for us.  First off, he’s a great bass player, secondly we have two big gigs coming up in a few weeks.  This is horrible timing to ditch.  It would have been nice and respectful to have at least not left us hanging for the upcoming gigs and left afterwards.  Teenagers, sheesh.

So we started looking for a replacement.  It didn’t take long at all and just yesterday our guitar player, Alexis, met up with our hopeful replacement.  They went through some songs and Alexis gave him the once over.  His stuff online seems decent and he sounds like a good guy.  I’ll reserve full judgment for once I’ve actually played some music with him, but I’m glad we’re out of a pickle for now.

Speaking of pickles, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.  I had Salmon, my preferred bird of choice

Got some more rehearsals coming up and then the big gigs opening for Stef Lang in North Vancouver.  Check out the upcoming page of this blog for some details.  More to come on that as I find out the info.

Peace,
Faas

>Hey There peoples, particularly those in the Vancouver area.  There is a big musical event coming up that you should come out and see.  One good reason, I’m playing in it.  Twice.  Once as a solo act and then again as part of a quartet.  Check out the link and come out and support the arts and building community as well.

Check out the link for all the details.  http://www.heritagematters.wordpress.com/

Hope to see you there,

Ryan