Sunday, December 7, 2008

Recording the Seasons



While making music with my friends, Éric, Steph and Pat is like heaven, the studio is located in an incredible and trully heavenly swale. Situated between the low mountains of St. Côme, Quebec, the area is loaded with lichens and moss of many varieties. In the mornings, when the boggy bits are moist and damp with the dew, the vast selection of fungi and small, "temporal" plants is an excellent meal for the eyes. Each morning we traverse this short road to the studio behind the house of Éric's father. As you can see, nature renders an amazing transformation on this northern landscape as the seasons pass.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Introducing Norouet



Today we are working on the new Norouet CD here in St Côme, Quebec. I began to play with this wonderful band back in 2000 and appeared as a guest when they made their first CD "Spirale" in 2001. The group features fiddler/singer/composer Stéphanie Lépine, percussionist Patrick Graham, and singer/composer/guitarist Éric Beaudry(of La Bottine Souriante fame). Éric created an excellent recording studio in "un grand shack" behind his father's house deep in the back country of Quebec. Already a foot deep, the snowfall is covering the woods in a blanket of feathery white. The pines have a lovely spiral shape: the boughs holding the snow like pallets of white dough. Winnie and Cliquot, the two resident hounds, can do nothing but frolic and play in the chilled fluff. The stillness is calming and a wonderful retreat from the excitement of New York. My pals, Natalie Haas and Yann Falquet will come this next week to add some guest tracks to the CD. I will try to post some photos in the coming days!
Peace, Chris
P.S. Don't forget the solo gig at L'Interlude this Saturday night at 8:30pm!