Music

Tree Talk    

(copyright ©1998 Kerilie McDowall and Sextet w./Special Guests. All rights reserved.)    

Kerilie McDowall Sextet & Special Guests 1998  

Where the rainforest trees hint at ideas within the breeze of the wisdom of the ancient northerly winds. Where imagination takes hold and inner self-discovery and connection. A communal yet solitary path; Tree Talk. 

A pop-jazz track featuring the powerful vocal talent and magnificent hand drumming work of the late Lisa Sazama and Jimy Sidlar. Also featured is Elisha Sidlar on vocals and hand drums joined by another special guest on keys, the incredibly gifted and brilliant late Glenna Powrie who also left us much too soon and passed too young. The quintet features the band personnel, Kerilie McDowall, guitar; John Korsrud, trumpet; Graham Ord, saxophone; Paul Blaney, bass; and Stan Taylor, drums. The track , 'Tree Talk' with written sections by McDowall features improvised melody by the vocalists and sexet in sections.   

This track was recorded after a special prayer ceremony had been conducted by the vocalists and hand drummers. I admire the entire ensemble's moving performance. The vocalists and musicians that I was honoured to work with sound beautiful, documenting a very special studio moment with Rick Kilburn and an exciting creative time period in Vancouver. As you get to the end of Tree Talk you will notice that the band starts improvising all together freely all at once in a transcendental, meditative moment of oneness, completely uplifting and each time I listen to it I am inspired. 

Glenna, Lisa and Jimy  passed too soon and I admired them so much, and it has been very painful and emotional trying to process it. I struggled for hours when I listened to the recordings for the first time after several decades while mourning the knowledge that three of us were gone. The emotions are painful, but I feel that something great exists with the collaboration on this track. I have come to realize that what happened was a beautiful and important moment and that we should celebrate it and cherish it and honour instead of falling in to the grief of those who have passed.  

Since the recording of this track in 1998, vocalist Lisa Sazama has passed away from a battle with cancer. Lisa sounds beautiful on this track with the band. We have also lost Jimy Sidlar at a too-young age. This recording shows Lisa Sazama improvising freely with Elisha and Jimy and the sextet and was truly a memorable performance.  I looked up to Glenna Powrie for many years as a composer and pianist and was very devastated when I heard the news that she had also passed much too young. I dedicate this moment and upcoming release to Lisa, Jimy and Glenna, their families  and the band with deep condolences, and with a nod to their brilliant music gifts, strength and limitless inventive power. It is my hope that we can proceed with releasing this track and “Way,” eventually, despite the difficult emotions tied up with these special tracks due to three band members passing, I acknowledge that it is super tough still for some of us including myself to emotionally process some of these tracks. However many of us are still mourning all of this, so unfortunately this track might or may not ever get released.

To the band, families and special guests and to Rick Kilburn: I am sending you much love and thanks to you all for this special session. Much gratitude to you all for your amazing work and unstoppable creative energy. 

I am thinking of releasing some of the amazing moments from the 90s that I was blessed to share with such wonderful musicians as mp3s. Yes they are sourced from cassette, I often used to record sessions and performances on portable cassette players. Some very special Vancouver, BC creative moments by my gifted bandmates and special guests were documented. They will only be available online, (or possibly released if the original recordings' quality are fairly reasonable.) I have about 90-100 cassettes I am currently going through with my good friend radio producer and host of What's Next, Tom Roden. We are transferring them over. I am not sure what is on the tapes they were not labelled very well, some were, some were not, they were for study and composing purposes at the time, they were not meant to stand alone as recordings, they were my performance notes to self. I have recognized due to losing some band members who passed away, and due to a band member facing a health challenge, that is important to permanently release what is retrievable for public use and enjoyment and especially for documentation purposes about the 1990s scene, that was just at the first stages of digital releases.

Longterm plans to re-release tracks from my past release City Wildflower, (originally a cassette release recorded at Crosstown produced by myself) onto a new album with 1998 and 1999 tracks are in the works eventually, too. I would select the tracks that I love the most to share to the public. I am also looking at possibly releasing a few tracks recorded with drummer Micky Earnshaw and also in trio with the late Vancouver bassist Chris Nelson, who passed away from cancer and was like a mentor to me.

Up The Mountain

(Copyright ©1998 Kerilie McDowall. All rights reserved.) Kerilie McDowall Quintet 1998  

Kerilie McDowall Quintet 

Up the Mountain   

 Navigating the waves of constant change and transformation of our earth, the mountain represents symbology of hope, strength and courage. Traveling up the arduous winding mountain path, and at times gliding downwards with a loss of control, the mountain is the perfect analogy of our strength in overcoming adversity and difficult life challenges. We reach the apogee and the lowest dips with grace and courage. Yet the mountain represents bravery, the lone vision quest on the dark mountain peak at night, and the painted rising of the sun. The lifting of our spirit and the fall when we falter. The peaks of our moods and the lowest drops. The powerful strength of the black bear and the cougar who reside on the Vancouver island mountain, the shy deer fawns, quail and rabbit and hummingbirds and tame whiskeyjacks, all merging as one. The delicate, irreplaceable rare mountain wildflowers, the scent of the rainforest at the mountaintop lake, the glacier water, the landslide, the avalanche. A reflection of opposites; "Up the Mountain," and "Down the Mountain:" these are two of my compositions that grew to have further meaning and further deeper understanding as the years passed by, especially once I had moved into a neighborhood located on a mountain with its own spiritual meaning, captivating wilderness ecosystem, and unpredictable and often stormy weather. 

In this quintet recording, 'Up the Mountain' features Kerilie McDowall on guitar, John Korsrud on trumpet, Graham Ord on saxophone , Paul Blaney on bass and drummer Stan Taylor. This recording session was a lot of fun and documents a great time period in Vancouver that ended up with a performance of the Kerilie McDowall Sextet and Special guests, The Ghost Band at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival 's Roundhouse in Vancouver, BC. In this show special features were a few spectacular folk arrangements by BC guitarist and composer Tony Wilson.  Fun, special adventure. I have always loved BC's Tony Wilson's guitar and compositional work and am a huge fan.

Vancouver vocalists/hand drummers were also featured as special guests at the concert who had also originally first worked with Wilson in prior jazz fesival performances. The vocalists were: Jimy Sidlar, Elisha Sidlar, Anthony and Lisa Sazama. Kerilie had composed this song specifically for this nonet ensemble working with a previous compositional sketch as a vehicle to feature the Ghost Band and Glenna Powrie. The ideas include 3 against 4 rhythms from Africa merged with North American indigenous and jazz sounds and performers for a very special collaborative performance.

Way - Kerilie McDowall Quintet

(copyright ©1998 Kerilie McDowall. All rights reserved.) Kerilie McDowall Quintet 1998 

Focused on a spiritual adventure, the "Way" can guide us, that all-knowing inner-voice; the higher self, where inspiration is derived from each global cultural spiritual path. The spoke of the same wheel within a similar center. A global mosaic of higher intention towards the one; and love. On this quintet recording,  featured is Kerilie McDowall on guitar, John Korsrud on trumpet, Graham Ord on saxophone, Paul Blaney on bass and drummer Stan Taylor. 

Much thanks again to producer Rick Kilburn and the musicians for their fine work and performances.

WAY - FAQ 

How long have you been playing music?

I loved music at a very young (age two) and first began experimenting with a toy piano at age five and my first public performances were at that time playing the ukulele at primary school.

I discovered the violin at school in grade four at age eight and studied at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music. I also studied the recorder seriously in enrichment classes for gifted children (one of two children chosen Toronto-wide), and learned all the music clefs at age 8 while authoring and illustrating self-made books. I played the piano, but was extremely disappointed in my teacher, who discouraged me and scolded me for improvising on the piano with my habit for spontaneous composition.

I stopped piano lessons and first discovered the guitar at age 13-14 while on regular family retreats at an Anglican monastery near Orangeville, in Bracebridge in a more northern part of Ontario. The monks would often would let me play the large church pipe organ and I really loved that, they were always so kind to me.

On one occasion the monks were in weeks of silent vows. As an act of early teenage rebellion I played the guitar quietly in the common room encouraged by a visiting guest. I was scolded and told to go outside. So I did and kept playing. I ended up playing my first song by ear, and have since never stopped playing the guitar, but with a few hiatuses, I have always returned to the guitar as my main instrument and my first passion.

When did you first start performing?

While my first performances were in school in classes and string orchestras, I began performing in pop bands professionally at age 16/17. I also played in a neighbourhood blues band, and experimented with other genres. I studied the Classical guitar seriously at about the age of 16/17 with Toronto master teacher, Eli Kassner (who also taught Lenny Breau, Norbert Kraft, and Liona Boyd). I also studied jazz and classical guitar and composition at York University.

When do you anticipate on releasing your debut release of an album? 

I am aiming for a 2024/25 release date. 

How can I best support and contribute to your upcoming album project? 

You can support the album and make a donation of the amount of your choice by e-transfer at [email protected]. To pre-order your release by e-transfer or pay to canadianonlineguitarlessons@gmail at Pay Pal HERE. For a CD: $15 (plus shipping) minimum if you would like to reserve a CD copy. Digital releases prices TBA. Prices are subject to change according to the timeline of release.

When will your newsletter update news about the upcoming recording(s)? 

Due to being busy with past film-related work I was delayed, I hope to update you with important details as progress is made with my album project as well as with any exciting other news once the project commences. 

(Below: McDowall Estate photo shows Kerilie as a teen approx. 1982.) 

Which musicians played on your 1993 cassette release City Wildflower? 

Kerilie McDowall, guitar; Kevin Elaschuk, trumpet; Graham Ord, saxophones; Allan Johnston, acoustic bass; Bruce Nielsen, drums. Special guest appearances: George McFetridge, piano, Dylan van der Schyff. 

Which musicians played on the Hot Air CBC recordings? 

Kerilie McDowall, guitar; Glenna Powrie, piano; John Korsrud, trumpet; Graham Ord, saxophones; Paul Blaney, acoustic bass; Stan Taylor, drums. 

Who are the musicians on the Rick Kilburn-produced jazz festival demo tracks? 

Elisha Sidlar, vocals, handdrum; Lisa Sazama, vocals, handdrum; Jimy Sidlar, vocals, handdrum;  Kerilie McDowall, guitar; Glenna Powrie, piano; John Korsrud, trumpet; Graham Ord, saxophones; Paul Blaney, acoustic bass; Stan Taylor, drums. 

Who are the musicians on the trio jazz demo tracks you might release featuring bassist Chris Nelson? 

Mickey Earnshaw, drums; and Chris Nelson, bass; and myself Kerilie McDowall on guitar. 

Which recordings will you release?

I hope to release CBC recordings originally produced by Hot Air’s Neil Ritchie, tracks from City Wildflower (which was never formally released), and some of my first recordings produced by the late Chris Nelson before the digital age, likely as mp3s. 

Why are you releasing this album after so many years? 

I decided the timing was right both for me, my bandmates and the post COVID-19-affected music industry. I had been wanting to do the project for many years but it was put on hold due to an injury, then it became less important when I started doing other performance mediums like radio and television. Despite all of this, releasing this has been an important "bucket list" item for decades. 

How long did you perform professionally? 

I started performing professionally at the age of 16/17 in Toronto, Canada in high school in local pop bands and was also attending music jams and playing in a blues band with friends at that time at age 14. I had played piano since a young age, and performed in school orchestras as a violinist from age 8 onward but switched my focus to guitar at age 13 or 14. After moving to BC, I started working as a jazz bandleader of jazz trios, quartets, quintets and sextets starting in 1989-90 in Vancouver, BC until taking a hiatus from performing jazz after the year 2000 when I moved to Vancouver Island. I did perform only briefly at a concert I produced with Miles Black and Mike Allen, but had my focus elsewhere on many creative pursuits like writing and film.

Were you a DownBeat jazz magazine writer? 

I loved writing for the USA's DownBeat from 2016-20 (Maher Publications) until my schedule could no longer accommodate it. The writers and editors have done such exceptional work for many decades and to be honest, they were continually inspiring me with their forward-thinking, thought-provoking writing and endless creativity. It was an honour to be chosen for this role and I would like to thank the editors that I worked with Brian Zimmerman and Dave Cantor for their phenomenal work and dedication to the global jazz scene. 

Are you a guest columnist for Canadian Musician magazine? 

I have been a guest columnist at Canadian Musician magazine a few years ago in summer 2021. In March 2022, and I was focused with Musicworks in 2023, and All About Jazz in 2023/24, with another INSPIRED 2024 article or two on the way. I have been enjoying writing what I think that jazz and creative fans and musicians and music-loving Canadians will enjoy when inspired as a freelance writer in my blog In the Zen. 

Do you make music short films? 

I directed and hosted television as a volunteer for over 7 years at Shaw Spotlight and that led me to producing some short TV shows with jazz and blues-related topics. When supervisor Cameron McLean gave me the idea to shoot and gave me the green light in 2019, I filmed my first short film about the inspirational life and work of multi-award winning Vancouver Island/Vancouver jazz bassist and music producer Rick Kilburn. It was released in March 2020. The cast/crew and I have since been honoured with 12 awards and 10 nominations. See more here.

Do you also plan on making another film? 

Yes possibly, I hope to produce a feature film in the next 3-4 coming years. I may start with short films prior to this as ideas for documentary episodes for a TV series, or just may focus instead on my music bucket list. Music has always been my first priority.

How many jazz recordings will you actually release? 

I am hoping to release one or two albums with the material I have, depending on what can be saved or produced and mastered at this point in time. The tapes are at risk of deterioration, so time is important, and I am considering my options.

I hope to release other recordings as mp3s online as well. I would like to work on some new project material/composition projects, additionally, too.

Stay tuned for news! Support my upcoming project here. Send to: [email protected] at Pay Pal. Shipping fees TBA. Information about payment, and provincial and state tax: Payment | In the Zen (beehiiv.com) 

Drop me a note that you would like to chat by email HERE, or find me on Facebook, Twitter, Blue Sky, Instagram or Pinterest. You may also find me on Alignable or LinkedIn.

Contact by Email: https://poplme.co/sx3r8jLP/dash 
Email: [email protected] Phone: 1-(250)-668-3589

Book a session meeting below on Calendly.

Contact by Email: https://poplme.co/sx3r8jLP/dash 
Email: [email protected] Phone: 1-(250)-668-3589