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CounterPoint at Nuance 2009

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The Nuance Festival was at the Black Swan on The Danforth and this year and the talent did not disappoint us at all. At this years show, Counterpoint opened up the seminal event!

To illustrate CounterPoint’s musical prowess in detail, takes up way too much time and I’ve been on the old soap box so many times that I’m getting dizzy … but to me it’s more then worth it! They are pure progressive rock god’s! At last years showcase, they kept me at the edge of my seat all night and this night they added even more dept and colour to their musical masterpieces.

They have now added another layer of sound to their arsenal with a Toronto guitarist called Neil Harvey.I’ve only seen them live twice, and I am eager to see what happens when all their magical alchemy comes together. If you love this genre, then just go out and see them live to fully understand what I mean.

First tune they did was Track 9. The intro to this one, in comparison to last year, was very refreshing in many ways! Some new portions were quite inventive. Chris Noto pulls these bass harmonics right out of thin air it seems. Without notice, Led Zeppelin has made an entry into their sound?! During Chris’s solo, Rick and Neil do some fine and very tight harmonizing together. Neil will finish this one with a solo that rounds it off nicely! Neil just adds a nice intrinsic feel to the band.

The next one up is Morphine. For some reason, the boys didn’t put this video up on there site so I can show ya. Once again, they pull this one off flawlessly. Rick changes up some keyboard parts that tend to make the song flow in subtle ways. Joe is the backbone on this one, he keeps it all together. Chris is … well Chris. He gravitates in and out of the limelight like only he can.

Ritual is next on their set list. The beginning is something right out of a RUSH, Farewell to Kings or Hemisphere’s album. All that is missing on this one are some wind chimes and wood boxes played by Joe the drummer! I am really looking forward to watching this guy do a drum solo, on his own kit someday. At this point, Chris is using a wah, wah pedal and performs with it to perfection. There tends to be this 70’ish sound rising in the background with some Nirvana thrown in for good luck, admirably done boys.

Now the original Ritual rears it’s mighty head! This Ritual of old has all the early ear markings of the embryonic sound and feel to it. Rick’s keyboard has that primitive Hammond B3 ambiance and aura to it. Rick has introduced some subtle suspended touches to it, skillfully done sir. His sound is building up gradually throughout the piece. You’ve got to see these guys live to bring into context what I am talking about.

Then to finish off the night, the audience asks them for one more! CounterPoint then decides, reluctantly I think, to just jam.

So that is what I experienced that night. Next Nuance, I hope to see ya there!

Keep on Jammin’





What is a Prepared Guitar anyway?

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Have you ever heard a guitar that creates such a incomparable sound, that it makes you sit up and take note of it? How and what does the guitarist do (ie:place something physical on the strings or do it through electrical means) to achieve new sounds? Well it could be anything at his/her disposal.

Some call this guitar styleNoise music (think new age or abstract/avant-garde jazz). Noise music is an acquired taste to most lovers of music. Now for a bit of background information.

It took me many, many years to understand abstract jazz, but in the end it was really eye opening and definitely worth it. Finally one day it hit me like a ton of brinks!

When listening to it, you have to unlearn everything you know about modern music making with all of conventional chord progressions. You have to force you mind to disregard familiar melody lines and watch out for rhythm patterns instead, at least that is how I came to this understanding of it. To me it was like holding back raging lion with a spool of knitting thread.

Imagine an radical poet/lyricists trying to make sense of a modern day song. If the sound of music itself infuriates them, they would have to put on musical sound plugs, in order to get what they would be naturally interested in (words/lyrics)! They would have to filter out all the sounds in their mind and then concentrate completely on the words being brought forth to them. This would tax their sanity to the max.

Yes, to most of us beauty is in the eyes of the beholder … but at least give it a try!

There are many levels of this music. First there is the just kinda having fun with it guitar player. Then there is the extreme lover of Prepared Guitar performing! I tend to lean towards the first.

I just had my subscription to Acoustic Guitar arrive in the mail the other day and I saw a piece titled Prepared Guitar. While reading it, all the above came to mind. Near the beginning of the article, I thought how in the hell can you do this technique on an acoustic? Well you are only limited by the number of things around you.

When goofing around on your axe (or watching someone play guitar) just pick up the closet thing to you and try you best to alter the sound in anyway you can.

You could place a chop stick under some strings, but not all, and strum the unaffected strings? You might want to lay some paper over all the strings and proceed playing a simple song, let the vibrating strings bounce the paper up and down? Hey, whats that I see? A paper clip … here … through it over! For all you song writers out there, this might be that missing bridge in a song your currently working on … your welcome!

A Prepared Guitar is simply one that has had a foreign object of some sort added, usually to the strings, to alter the sound
Bill Horvitz Acoustic Guitar Magazine

So kidz, here is today’s lesson. Go out there and start experimenting with any object at your disposal and get back to us with what you came up with! Then, get back to us right away and tell us all here of your results … we’ll be waiting for your response!

Keep on Jammin’

Kickin’ it Rhythm Stompbox style

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I came across an article from acoustic guitar magazine, May 2009 edition, that talks about a device called Three Rhythm Stomp Boxes. I’ve never heard of such a device before. This equipment simply plugs into an amp or PA system and takes no batteries at all. Just plug it in and starting jammin’!

As we all know, when you see a guitarist playing, you see some of us tapping our feet to help us keep the rhythm of a song. Stomping Tom Connors is Canada’s best example of this technique. With this piece of modern wizardry, it provides us with more then just a simple aid to use when we’re playing.

The Stompbox is made up of wood, or some other wood composites, that have a built in mic system that sends a signal to an amp. Some of these units have 1/4 guitar jacks or low impedance XLR jacks. The XLR jacks are to be used in systems that are specifically made with heavy bottom end equipment, ie: bass amps or sub-woofers.

Some are as simple as plug and play, with a straight forward use, and some are created quite complex thus meaning guys you have to really check out the manual to understand it’s full potential!

The three models shown in this article are Ellis Guitars Original Stompbox (Straight forward approach), Porchboard Bass (both complex and great give), and the Shadow SH Stompin’Bass (has a great Wood like intonation/sound).

Acoustic guitar has this great video that can help you understand stompboxes in greater detail so check it out!

I must admit that I don’t tap my feet much when I play. When playing I tend to bob my head very lightly, but I do have this weird accented breathing while performing intricate pieces. This might be a good thing for me come to think of it, it might just cover up this horrible sound that I make? Just thought of it right now … really!

Being a guitar player who hates to have any dead sound, I think this would be a very important addition to my arsenal. I know the price maybe steep, but the first one seems decent enough.

So the question I have for you would be, is this something that you’d buy for yourself or possibly for someone you know that plays guitar?

Keep on Tappin’

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