Home : Plato's Words : June 2004

June, 2004

Sometimes things really do happen for a reason. That's what I like to believe. I had a three-night duo gig booked recently and needed to find a substitute pianist for one of the evenings. I went through my fairly large list of pianists that I know and enjoy singing with. It seemed that everyone was already working so I decided to take a chance on a pianist that I had met briefly at a party and had actually only heard perform one other time and that had just been one song. I really didn't know what approach this pianist would take or whether or not she would be a good accompanist for me or whether we would hit it off at all. Wow! I connected in the first few bars of singing with her. Lisa Miller is relatively new to Vancouver. She and her husband Steve Smith lived and worked in New York and a few other cities in the world before settling down here in Vancouver. Lisa ended up being a really progressive minded pianist and although we were performing in a room where not everyone was attentively listening, I really listened and absolutely loved what I heard. So then did everyone else begin to listen and respond. Somehow the two of us did connect almost instantly and the only time something like that has happened was when I first played with Bill Coon. With Bill too something extraordinary occurred and I seemed to connect on many levels without truly knowing him at that time. With Lisa I was very taken with her approach to harmony, with her use of dynamics and with the mere fact that she didn't simply play the tunes in the same way that I had heard them so many times. She really was playing in the moment and to share that experience in taking the tunes in a few different directions was a lot of fun and really inspired me to sing from the heart. I don't think we did anything that was so ultimately brand new or different in the large scheme of things but to me it was fresh and new. I loved the piano voicings and colors that she chose to reinvent every tune. Not everyone can connect with their musical partners all of the time since we are individual minds coming together and we may be on different wavelengths but when that connection does occur it certainly is a special feeling. Thanks Lisa for inspiring me!

I have been getting prepared for the Vancouver Jazz Festival. I have some new pieces that I want to perform for the first time and have been fretting about whether or not they are good enough. Sometimes when it is your own composition and not one of the great standards it is very hard to judge (for me at least) if what you have to say musically is really up to par. Today I think a tune is good enough and then the next day I feel fragile about my decision. Still I forge on and continue to compose and arrange until I feel more secure with what the end result will be. I am very excited about the fact that I will be performing with the full quintet for my July 4th performance at the Roundhouse for the festival. The quintet will be Bill Coon, Ross Taggart, Darren Radtke and Craig Scott so I will truly be in the company of some incredible musicians. They are so talented and so supportive when it comes to what I have to offer and for that I am grateful.

On a non musical note and yet still ultimately connected with music my musician friends Jennifer Scott and Rene Worst finally officially tied the knot and got married in Vegas. To celebrate with their family and friends they had a huge party at a friend's beautiful home here in Vancouver. So there we all were on that lovely Sunday and by all I mean many MANY of Vancouver's musicians. The entire house and yard and backyard pool area had musicians there to celebrate with the happy couple. I honestly have never seen so many musicians all in the same place at the same time like that ever. It really was a special party. Congratulations to Jennifer and Rene!! Here's to a long life of making music together…

Karin