Hello everyone! Here are the liner notes #5 Man-Eating Cats, from the new Craig Pedersen Quartet CD: Days Like Today. They’re short but sweet!
The CD will be officially released Tuesday Nov 29th, 8PM, at Club Saw in Ottawa. Tickets are $12/$7 at the door, or $10 in advance. You can preorder the record and tickets online at www.indiegogo.com/cp4 and as of Tuesday the 29th, buy online at craigpedersenquartet.bandcamp.com.
Man-Eating Cats
Man-Eating Cats is the name of a short story by Haruki Murakami in his book Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman.
In the opening scene of the story, a couple who have exiled themselves from Japan after their respective partners discovered the couple were lovers, sit by the sea on an unnamed Greek island. The weather is temperate as they drink coffee and read the newspaper to one another. Something struck me about the calmness of this scene amid the recent chaos of their lives.
The title of the story alludes to a completely different part later in the story that is much more surreal and violent than the opening scene.
Hello everyone! Here are the liner notes #4: So Far So Close, from the new Craig Pedersen Quartet CD: Days Like Today. They’re short but sweet!
The CD will be officially released Tuesday Nov 29th, 8PM, at Club Saw in Ottawa. Tickets are $12/$7 at the door, or $10 in advance. You can preorder the record and tickets online at www.indiegogo.com/cp4 and as of Tuesday the 29th, buy online at craigpedersenquartet.bandcamp.com.
So Far So Close:
All I know about this piece is that I wanted to write a whole-tone blues. Once I knew that, the piece seemed to write itself. As for the title, it’s nonsensical. I wrote down the first thing that came to mind when I finished writing the piece.
Joel’s bass solo on this tune kills me. I think that he should win a medal for it, or something.
Hello everyone! Here are the liner notes #3: Points From Centre, from the new Craig Pedersen Quartet CD: Days Like Today.
The CD will be officially released Tuesday Nov 29th, 8PM, at Club Saw in Ottawa. Tickets are $12/$7 at the door, or $10 in advance. You can preorder the record and tickets online at www.indiegogo.com/cp4 and as of Tuesday the 29th, buy online at craigpedersenquartet.bandcamp.com.
Anyways, here are two little bits about pieces from the new record.
Points from Centre
Points from Centre is a nearly non-sensical piece. I wanted to write something waltzy and inspired by Ornette Coleman. I wanted something very fast and challenging to play, so that it always sounded like it was falling apart.
Think of Ornette Coleman’s “Eventually” as a point of departure:
I wrote it in August 2011 in my apartment at the time in Hull, Quebec. I wanted something new that was unlike the rest of my pieces. I remember sitting at my desk and looking out the window, remarking that there was really nothing extra-ordinary about the day. I think observing the ordinary quality of the day brought something different out in my writing.
The piece seems to mark a shift in compositional focus for me. It is one of the first pieces that I workshopped with the band before it was completed. In fact, the version we now play live, came after three or four takes in the studio. It’s interesting to consider that the piece wasn’t finished being ‘composed’ until the end of the last take in the studio.
Drawing inspiration from the ordinary events of my life, combined with the feeling that this piece was written for and by this specific group of people, are why I named the CD after this track.
Hi everyone – I’m in the process of finishing up the liner notes for the awesome booklet I’m putting together for the new record, and decided that I’d like to expand a bit on some of the tunes. Every few days between now and the CD release I’ll be writing about the music and giving a sneak peak listen to some of the tracks from the new record!
The Baron:
The Baron is a tribute to the music of Duke Ellington. The quartet does arrangements of two great Ellington blues tunes – Such Sweet Thunder and Blue Pepper. I found the tunes to be really similar. Both alternate between ‘jungle’ and ‘swing’ beats, and have a certain chunky-funky groove about them. The trumpet plunger-mute work in Such Sweet Thunder always blows me away. Have a listen here:
When it came time to make the record, I was dying to record one of these tunes, but did not want to face the process of recording and releasing a copyrighted work. Plus, I wanted the album to be all originals. So, I took my favourite things from Such Sweet Thunder and Blue Pepper – the blues form, the jungle and swing beat, and the plunger-mute sound – and combined them with a few of the things that define the quartet’s sound – an odd meter (5/4) groove, our penchant for high energy music teetering on the edge of falling apart, and free improvisation. Have a listen below and let me know what you think:
August and early September have been super busy, and I neglected to update any news here. I’d like to share some of the highlights.
FIRST of all, I’ve been honoured to recieve a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to study trumpet and jazz harmony in New York with Laurie Frink and John McNeil. I’ll be heading down once a month for the next 6 months, and am EXTREMELY excited.
On August 17th, my film-making friend Pixie Cram and I took a trip to Kingston to view the first public screening of the film we did together, entitled “Bones”. This was the first public screening of a film for which I had provided the soundtrack, and it was a great learning experience.
The week of August 22nd to 26th, my good friend Nicholas Dyson and I ran the 2nd annual “Nicholas Dyson Trumpet Bootcamp” at Alcorn Music studios. It was a treat to work with 12 aspiring young trumpet players. The week culminated on the Friday with a masterclass by none other than the great Dr. John Ellis , and a concert by the participants. I’m looking forward to the 3rd Annual, 2012 Session next summer.
Immediately after the bootcamp on Saturday, Nick and I drove to Peterborough to join Mike Essoudry’s Mash Potato Mashers for a headlining show at their folk festival, where we were joined by our good friends Sheeshum and Lotus.
Of course, this whole time, I was practicing my face off trying to get ready for the NEW CRAIG PEDERSEN QUARTET RECORD. It’s due out the 2nd week in December, just in time for Christmas. We took the week of September 5th-9th to make the record. Between Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we probably put in close to 15 hours of rehearsal. Starting Wednesday evening we began recording with Matt Ouimet at Resonator Studios in Ottawa. It was a short session, and we got 2 tunes in the can. Thursday and Friday, we probably spent 4-5 hours each day recording, and altogether ended up with 11 tracks, 7 or 8 of which will make the record, with the remaining being saved for future use. Thanks so much to Joel Kerr on Bass, Linsey Wellman on Saxophone, Mike Essoudry on Drums, and of course Matt Ouimet.
PLUS! We made video. Here’s a special album trailer, made from the recording sessions. The audio is NOT studio quality, FYI!
After recording, Mike, Linsey, the rest of the Potato Mashers and I headed out to Guelph to play all night at there Nuit Blanche festival. IT WAS INSANE!
FINALLY, I’ve also been working hard with Linsey Wellman and Renée Yoxon to get the Improvising Musicians of Ottawa/Outaouais 1 year anniversary/CD release concert together. It’s been a ton of fun and work, and you can read more about it at www.improvisedmoo.com. It’s this coming Sunday the 18th of September at 7pm at Umi Café in Ottawa.
Thanks for Reading!
Craig
Upcoming Events:
Sept 17th – Mike Essoudry’s Mash Potato Mashers – A Taste of Wellington – Ottawa
Sept 18th – IMOO 1 year Anniversary/CD release BASH – Umi Café – Ottawa
Sept 22nd/24th – Mike Essoudry’s Mash Potato Mashers – Pop Montreal – Montreal
Sept 28th – MASTERING THE NEW RECORD WITH PHIL BOVA
Oct 5-7th – Heading to New York for lessons with John McNeil/Laurie Frink THANKS to the CANADA COUNCIL.
Oct 12 – Craig Pedersen Quartet opening for JERRY GRANELLI – 4th Stage – Ottawa
Oct 14 – Mike Essoudry’s Mash Potato Mashers CD RELEASE – Black Sheep – Wakefield
July 24 – Craig Pedersen Quartet – Casa Del Popolo – Montreal, QC
July 23 – Mash Potato Mashers – Romprestomp – Wakefield, QC
July 17 – Mash Potato Mashers – Stanton Moore Clinic – Ottawa, ON
July 11 – Pedersen/Gravel Duo – Mercury Lounge Underground – Ottawa, ON
July 8-10 – Mash Potato Mashers – Sudbury Folk Festival – Sudbury, ON
July 1-3 – Mash Potato Mashers – Dusk Dances – Ottawa, ON
Hey all — Here’s a list of some gigs I’m doing this month. Hope to see you out!
Times are listed for gigs that I have the info for.
June 30-July 3 – Mash Potato Mashers – Dusk Dances – Ottawa, ON
June 28 – Mash Potato Mashers – Toronto Jazz Festival – Toronto, ON
June 27 – Craig Pedersen Quartet – Ottawa Jazz Festival – Ottawa, ON – NOON
June 26 – Mash Potato Mashers – Ottawa Jazz Festival – Ottawa, ON
June 20 – Craig Pedersen Quartet – The Manx – Ottawa, ON – 9pm
June 19 – Mash Potato Mashers – Dragonboat Festival – Ottawa, ON
June 14 – Mash Potato Mashers – Brockville Jazz Festival – Brockville, ON
June 12 – Pedersen/Jackson Duo – IMOO – Umi Café – Ottawa, ON – 7pm
June 11 – Pedersen/Gravel Duo – Brookstreet Hotel – Kanata, ON – 9pm
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All recorded by me. All sounds are trumpet or processed trumpet.
Welcome to the website of Ottawa-based trumpet playing composer/performer and educator Craig Pedersen. Here you will find media and information about upcoming events.
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Quotes
"Since his arrival a few years ago to Ottawa,
trumpeter Craig Pedersen has jolted the city's creative music scene with
both his energetic playing and organizing." - Peter Hum (Ottawa Citizen)
"He is a calm, thoughtful trumpet player with the technique of a studied traditional brass player and an ear for all the fresh sounds that are coming out of the improvised world." - Petr Cancura (Programming Director, Ottawa Jazzfest)
"Les quatre prochaines années seront bien dures sur la colline parlementaire, heureusement Craig Pedersen veillera. Trompette en main." - Douze Pouces (CiSM radio, Montreal)
