It’s easy to get discouraged thinking about Montreal if you focus on things like potholes and corruption, but it’s really a great place. At 8pm this Saturday, November 30 at Café Matina, 272 Bernard West, my good friend Mike Rud will remind us of some of the reasons why with the official launch of his new CD, Notes on Montreal. Inspired by some of the literature set in the city, these songs simultaneously celebrate and are an example of the richness Montreal and Montrealers have to offer.
In thirteen jazzy pop tunes that more than stand up to repeated listenings, Rud’s evocative lyrics draw from the works of Mordecai Richler, Gabrielle Roy, Leonard Cohen, Dany Laferrière, Trevanian, Michel Tremblay, and others. From the cool “Smoked Meat and the Main” to the cheerful “As the Cross Looks On” to the melancholy “Parc La Fontaine,” many facets of Montreal’s present and past are brought to life beautifully.
Rud’s sweet guitar and arrangements are crowned by Sienna Dahlen’s luxuriant vocals, and accompanied by the excellent playing of Chad Linsley on piano, Dave Laing on drums, and Adrian Vedady on bass, not to mention a string quartet on some of the tunes and a charango on one song. The whole thing was painstakingly produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Paul Johnston, and features a gorgeous painted cover by Mark Lang.
As I said, Mike is a friend, but you don’t have to take my word about how very good this music is. You can drop in at Café Matina this Saturday evening, and if you can’t make that, you can check out Mike’s website and hear it for yourself.
Rud’s sweet guitar and arrangements are crowned by Sienna Dahlen’s luxuriant vocals, and accompanied by the excellent playing of Chad Linsley on piano, Dave Laing on drums, and Adrian Vedady on bass, not to mention a string quartet on some of the tunes and a charango on one song. The whole thing was painstakingly produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Paul Johnston, and features a gorgeous painted cover by Mark Lang.
As I said, Mike is a friend, but you don’t have to take my word about how very good this music is. You can drop in at Café Matina this Saturday evening, and if you can’t make that, you can check out Mike’s website and hear it for yourself.
