Russell deCarle - Real humans make music

It's like a frozen dinner vs. a gourmet meal.

You will hear me talk from time to time about how I like performers with an authentic sound.  Too much studio tinkering to smooth out the rough spots or create a sound that just wasn't there in the live performance, just doesn't do it for me.

It's like a frozen dinner vs. a gourmet meal.  Sure when you're hungry or you don't have a choice, you eat the frozen dinner.  You know what you're going to get and it might just be tasty, but there is no comparison with a fresh, well prepared feast by someone who knows what they are doing!

It's the same with music.  Live music is the best, with all of the richness and flaws in the music and performance and the shared experience of hearing with an audience in a unique location.  I'll take it any day over most of the pop music produced by card board cutouts.

Russell deCarle of Praire Oyster knows how to make authentic music, that soothes the soul.  His latest album and solo effort "Under the Big Big Sky".  Is a collection of songs deCarle says, took "thirty-six years" to complete. The eclectic album was recorded live with a who's who of Canadian roots music helping out.  Jim Cuddy, Dala, Kevin Bright, Steven Briggs, David Wilcox,  John Sheard, Amos Garrett and many others.

The album borrows heavily from deCarle's musical influences and stands uniquely as completely separate from what Praire Oyster has done.  Lyrically it's has a contemporary, whimsical and poetic feel.

September Rain

This is the latest video in the series that we are doing to promote the release of our upcoming EP.  Big East consists of myself (James Jones) on rhythm guitar, Mark Sylvah on lead guitar and Kip Daynard on Piano.  Big East is a vocal group with acoustic instruments.  I guess you would describe us as Acoustic Pop with a twist of retro folk.  We focus on creating original songs, but we also do covers of some of the songs we like from other artists.  The album we're working on is going to be released in 2011 and we will be putting out a free EP (extended play) early in 2011.  We have plans to do some touring locally and in and around Ontario in 2011 and we'd be happy to see you out to hear us live.  Please mention that you have seen us in one of these videos.

September Rain is a song that Mark and I wrote beginning back in September of 2009.  Mark came up with the little guitar riff you hear throughout the piece and it caught my ear.  I spent a couple of weeks writing lyrics and settled on the "Rain" theme one morning while I was staring out my window at the September Rain.

This is the first song that Mark and Kip and I sang together and I think it was when we realized we had an interesting vocal harmony.  Truly a situation where the whole is greater than the some of the parts.  I home you enjoy September Rain.

James

Jeremy Fisher

I recently heard an interview with Jeremy Fisher on CBC radio,  Specifically, "Q" with Jian Ghomeshi.  I can't tell you how impressed I am with this guy!  Well maybe I can.  Here goes...

First.  He's writes great songs.  You need to check out Shine a little light , Cigarette, Jolene and The Scar that never heals.  These are all Youtube videos that stand by themselves, but the songwriting is superb.

Jeremy's performance is somewhere a cross between Bob Dylan and Paul Simon.  He plays guitar feverishly and  keeps things moving along with savory lyrics and appealing melodies.



In the CBC interview Jeremy gave a live performance, just him and his guitar.  Definitely not as polished as his recordings but authentic and satisfying just the same, maybe better.

If you get a chance check him out at a live event or pickup his new album.  This guy is a true talent that needs to be appreciated for his art.

James

Pipe Street Studios

BIG East goes the the Recording Studio

We had our first recording session at James Gordon's Pipe Street Studios yesterday.  After a five hour journey (2 hours late) due to traffic... ugh! BIG East finally arrived.





James Gordon

Pipe Street Studios is three small rooms crammed with recording and musical equipment, located in Guelph, Ontario.  We were joined by Randall Scott (currently touring with Sylvia Tyson in Quartet) on Drums and Jesse Turbon on Bass! We laid down rhythm, piano, guitar and vocal tracks for "Home To Stay".  Then we worked on "Hey Carolyne" and added a really cool bowed bass part to the piano section as well as a really killer drum part.  In "I Die For You"  the rhythm provided by the percussion section really adds to the vibe, but it sounds (at least at this point) very much like our arrangement in our Backstage BIG East #3. 

When we head back for our next session in January, we'll be laying down vocal tracks for "I Die For You" and "Hey Carolyne" as well as getting started on the next three songs. "September Rain", Across the Water and a song to be decided on.



Those of you who have had any experience of working through the studio recording process, can testify to the fact that the process is painstaking hard work but incredibly fun for musicians.  It's the place where you can see your musical ideas come to fruition and where all of your previous practice and planning can be seen and heard, tweeked and geeked.



Randall Scott



It was a great experience and I look forward to heading back in January for our next session.  I think everyone was a little nervous to start, we all came together and made some beautiful music. By 7:00 pm we were done... that is exhausted.  We headed out to the local pub for a tasty supper and a beer right after that.  Yummy!





HEY CAROLYNE!

This is the BIG East arrangement of Hey Carolyne.  Hey Carolyne is a song about "Love at first sight".  Meeting someone at an airport who you fall madly in love with... but you are in between flights and you have to leave before anything really happens.  The original song was me playing guitar with me on a green screen.  It was kind of lame, but it was fun to do.  In this version we feature Kip on Piano along with our friend Jamie Bestwick on Double Bass.  Jamie joined us for the evening and we were wowed!