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Mike Rud: Notes On Montreal
ByRud's liner notes give off a hint of the fascination and awe he has for his home base, but the music is the actual love letter. Rud weaves a genre-blind pathway through the real and imagined Montreal, using the work of authors like Michel Tremblay, Gabrielle Roy, Nicolas Dickner, and Heather O'Neill as inspiration. He strikes a near-perfect balance all the while, creating music that's economical, yet fully realized in every aspect.
The album contains music with country overtones ("Streetcar 55"), tango-tinged allure ("Florentine"), pop-based architecture ("As The Cross Looks On"), and backbeat horsepower ("LaPointe's Beat"), but it's somewhat foolish to speak about the music without stressing the importance of the lyrics that go with it. Rud may have turned to the work of well-known authors to get his mind going, but he writes stories that can stand apart, creating vivid portraits of the lives we lead ("Bags, Clothes, Bottles"). Vocalist Sienna Dahlen brings Rud's tales to life in brilliant fashion, creating tangible scenarios with her every sentence. Rud puts guitar, piano, drums, bass, and a string quartet behind Dahlen, and all do a fine job of supporting her. But the strength of this work comes with Dahlen's telling of tales, and she's never short of compelling. The standout tracks"Streetcar 55," the haunting "Parc La Fontaine, "Bags, Clothes, Bottles," and "To Carmen, To Breavman," to name just a feware painterly and poetic, with music amplifying the power of Dahlen's work.
Notes On Montreal took home a 2014 Juno award in the category of "Vocal Jazz Album Of The Year," and that comes as no surprise. Rud created a praiseworthy project that resonates on so many levels.
Track Listing
Smoked Meat And The Main; Streetcar; Florentine; As The Cross Looks On; The Writer' LaPointe's Beat; Parc La Fontaine; Dry Land Pirate; Bags, Clothes, Bottles; Baby; To Carmen, To Breavman Intro; To Carmen, To Breavman; Ode To Dusty's; The Alley's Where To Start.
Personnel
Mike Rud
guitarMike Rud: guitar, vocals; Sienna Dahlen: vocals; Chad Linsley: piano, keyboards, engraving; Dave Laing: drums; Adrian Vedday: bass; Willy Rios: charango (5); Melanie Belair: violin; Melanie Vaugeois: violin; Ligia Paquin: viola; Annie Gadbois: cello.
Album information
Title: Notes On Montreal | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Self Produced