Home : Plato's Words : November, 2005

November, 2005

I write these words on my two days at home in between my fall touring. The last few weeks have been very exciting for me. I spent several days in Toronto playing with my new band which includes Nancy Walker, Steve Wallace and Joel Haynes. Also because on one of the dates Steve Wallace couldn’t make it I got to play with one of my favorite bassists, Kieran Overs.  The music making with all of those incredible musicians was very exciting indeed. More on that a little bit later.

Once again I fell in love with Toronto in a big way. I know several people who just don't see any beauty or warmth in Toronto but I claim the opposite is true for me. I have felt only warmth and a welcoming spirit in that city and on this trip I also discovered some of the hidden beauty there as well. I stayed in a wonderful area where I could easily walk to bookshops and restaurants, clothing stores and anything that I might want or need. It reminded me of living in Vancouver's West End, which I did for several years. On this trip I was very frugal and I didn't even buy myself a new pair of shoes. Usually Toronto trips sway me to buy more than a few pairs of new shoes. I was really busy while I was there but I did make time for exercise and discovered a glorious trail along a ravine where the fall colors seemed to envelop me so it was there that I went for my daily run. I saw for the first time a red cardinal perched on a tree branch. Such a lovely bird! I had only seen them in pictures before. That was a really peaceful place for me to get my exercise and breathe in some fresh air while in Toronto.

As far as the music making  during my days there, it was all fun and games for me this time.  That is to say that I didn't feel nervous, I felt comfortable in my own skin (that doesn't always happen) and I felt free in the music. What a great sensation that is! I wish it could feel like that all of the time. I performed my debut at The Montreal Bistro. The Bistro is a very intimate and inviting club. We had a packed house which made for a good feeling all around. I always knew that singing with Nancy Walker would be an inspirational experience and that it is. She is an incredible pianist and I love singing with her. This was the gig that Steve Wallace couldn't make so I was thrilled to find out that Kieran Overs was available to fill in. He is such an intense bassist with a rich and warm tone and he can play anything it seems and that is just what he proceeded to do. Joel is a wonderful drummer who can swing or groove in any fashion that the music calls for. Our evening of music was spontaneous and energetic and such a thrill for me to be a part of. I love my new Toronto band and hope to be making much more music with them in the future.

After my Toronto trip I rendezvoused with Bill Coon and Paul Rushka in Saskatoon where we played to a sold out crowd at The Bassment. Once again, how exciting that was to be a part of on many levels. The audience included several people that I know but that I hadn't seen for many years. It meant a lot to me that those people made the effort to come out and hear our music. Some of those people hadn't seen me since high school and had never heard me sing jazz before. Bill and Paul played beautifully as they always do and the three of us had a really nice time playing together. Again I felt really free and relaxed singing that evening and felt so happy about that. Maybe my nerves have finally been banished? I hope so.

I will head back out to Ontario in a couple of days and will be performing with my Toronto band some more. After that I will be going to Regina to lead some school clinics and also to perform with two other great friends and musicians; Jim Gallagher and Peter Dyksman. I always have a wonderful time singing in Regina, particularly when I get to perform with those two men. They are both very humble and gentle and have become very dear to me over the years. I hope to sing well with them on this trip.

So it seems there is only good happening to me right now. I am grateful for that and I will accept it as a gift to me from some higher place. Thanks to the powers that be…

Next month I will mention some of the great music that I have been listening to. This month seems to be an entry about the music that I have been making and not of the music that I have been listening to but that is the kind of month that it has been I suppose.

Karin