Thursday, February 16, 2006

Movement post-mortem/Strings preview

Back on the 10th, Kweku & The Movement opened for Throwback at a just-opened venue called Le National Music Hall. It's a converted theatre - it used to be used for television filmings, but now the management of Cabaret Music Hall/La Tulipe have taken it over. In fact, Cabaret Music Hall doesn't exist anymore - it's all moved to Le National. Reminiscent of Toronto's The Opera House, it has a big stage and balcony. It differs with a very sloped floor.

Gig-wise, we played well (save a couple of miscommunication flubs) and had fun. I'll give the sound guys and techs the benefit of the doubt because they're all new. But it was strange - I had what may have been the best monitor mix I've yet to encounter in a rock club, yet the keyboards weren't coming through out front. The bassist could barely hear the drummer, even though they were standing beside each other. As a friend commented later, inebriated patrons shouldn't be doing a paid employee's job better than they are - i.e. our friends shouldn't be correcting the sound men on the mix. I'm just convinced that sound guys don't know how to deal with keyboards anymore.

Up next for The Movement: March 3 at Cafe Campus. Details to come.

***

Had the first rehearsal for the Indigone Trio + Strings recital last night. We're doing 6 of my arrangements and 2 by Alex. All I have to say is wow. I don't want to let cats out of the bag prematurely but this is proving to be the best recital I have put together yet. We started the rehearsal with an arrangement that I sort of rushed and wasn't completely sold on, and by the end of it I had shivers. Alex and I are complementary composers; our styles differ (sometimes fairly drastically) but they really work together. His two originals are really stunning.

I am incredibly privileged to have the opportunity to work with such wonderful, open and creative musicians. The concert is March 2, 2006, in Clara Lichtenstein Recital Hall. 8 pm. Free.

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