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New Review from Rambles.Net
"This album deserves wide acclaim if only for that wonderful title. It says it all on a CD that is seen by Judy Brunet as one of "introspective exploration." As she says, it is a collection of songs about life and love, and that is exactly what you get.
From the opening track, "Red Shale," you are drawn into an intimate story that charts various stages of life and relationships that may reflect the writer, but in true literary fashion they will also mirror aspects of our own lives. This gives added life to already good lyrics as we pick out aspects of the songs that we can relate to our past. I particularly enjoyed "My Everything" and "Matters of the Heart."
Brunet is ably assisted by the accompaniment of Bruce Wing on all tracks, and they work extremely well together.
The album will appeal to all lovers of good lyrics, especially those with a romantic leaning. It is worth seeking out, and you may need to make an effort because like so many good releases it may not ever grace the airways of your local radio station."
July 2010 - Lovin' all this sun! It has been a great month for music so far kicked off by a performance at Canada Day. Now that Bruce is a Canadian citizen it is all the more reason to celebrate the lifestyle we are so thankful to enjoy. The 1st Tuesday Fundraiser for the Parkinson Society went well, with a stellar performance by Sue Medley and Barrie Donaldson. Right on the heels of that was a weekend at Vancouver Island Music Fest, where I got to provide some vocal harmonies for the talented Sue Pyper on her concert stage, and enjoy the backstage shade.
A treat for us all was the performance by Little Feat, where Shauna's hubby, Little Feat drummer Richie Hayward, thrilled the local crowd by performing with the band for a few songs. If you aren't already a Feat fan, Richie is one of the founding members of the band but after 40 years of making music together, he's had to sit out the past year due to poor health. It was great to see these guys rock and to see Richie grooving in his "natural habitat". A moment of musical history we will always remember. Also here for Musicfest from LA was Richie's friend Eddie Baytos and Bruce enjoyed having the chance to play some bass with them at a pool side soirre.
Now that things are calming down, we are back at home, writing & recording some new tunes, and very happy to be here anticipating family visits throughout the summer and enjoying the garden spoils. Hmmm... snow peas anyone?
June 2010 - Rain! That's what May was all about, reversing the usual routine of April showers and May flowers. Garden is in, now we just have to wait for it to do its thing, an annual miracle that always brings a sense of wonder. We were honoured to provide some music for the family of a friend who recently passed away. What a meaningful expression to have so many people come to share their memories of who he was and the imprint he left on their lives. Like the garden, we don't fully appreciate the seed until it falls away to reveal a deeper purpose and beauty.
Speaking of spring, our beautiful CD artwork designed by Sue Pyper at Emagination Design is part of an art exhibit this summer at the Comox Valley Art Gallery and we're delighted! You'll have plenty of time...the exhibit runs until July 17th.
We're working on a few new songs, and the summer calendar is filling up. Looking forward to our showcase at VIMBC on June 26th at the Grotto. We celebrated the Art and Bloom Festival at Woodland Gardens in our usual gazebo spot, which is always nostalgic, our little happy spot.
1st Tuesdays are whizzing by... Joanna Finch and Jim Lambert were our guests for the 1st Tuesday Fundraiser at the Mex Pub and brought a gentle collection of bossa, blues and ballads. June 1st featured Ron Tilley, another amazing local talent who shared some of his original songs as well as Roy Orbison and Cat Stevens favourites. We are so lucky to have so many supportive musicians to work with on this project!
April 2010 - It's been a busy month, spring is a well named season as it seems to give momentum to every part of life. All of a sudden the grass needs mowing, the phone is ringing, writing jobs are coming in, the garden is calling, and new grandbabies are on the way...
We were honoured to play a few songs at Alexandra Morton's "Migration" event that is drawing awareness to the impact of fish farming on the wild Pacific salmon stocks. If you agree that companies like Marine Harvest in the fish farming industry should be regulated by the Canadian Fisheries Act, and that their industry should be held accountable to the same standards of conservation that commercial fishermen and all Canadian citizens are, you can sign the online petition at www.salmonaresacred.org as well as a letter to the Minister of Fisheries.
We have some new additions musically this month. One is a new single released on iTunes this month called "My First Day". It was inspired by the weightloss journey of an inspiring public speaker Joel Lamoureux. The other is a tongue in cheek music video we made that features our song "Islander" which is up on YouTube. We hope you'll check them out, and pass them along to friends. We've also written a few new songs which we are looking forward to recording.
Our April fundraiser at the Mex with 5Play was alot of fun, and they had a great turnout which raised money for the Comox Valley Foodbank. Some exciting opportunities coming up as well...a showcase spot at the Vancouver Island Music Business Conference in June, some harmonies for Sue Pyper's appearance at Vancouver Island Music Festival and Helen Austin's Song of the Week CD Release in September.
March 2010 - It's stirring to see how the musical community rallies in times of need, both locally and globally. We were grateful for the opportunity to participate in both Joey Clarkson's fundraiser for Haiti as well as Eric Benson's event at the Tidemark in Campbell River. The warmth of the musical community here is just another reason why Vancouver Island will always be home. We hosted a send off for musical friends Gidd and Bettyanne Hampton of Off the Couch Productions who are moving to Fort St. John to bring their warm inspiration further north. It was very cool to see so many of their friends come out to jam with them, share some laughs, and lots of hugs, and witness yet another demonstration of the amazing friendships that have evolved through the strumming of a few strings. Speaking of good friends, Trinitude did an amazing show at the Mex for the Hospice fundraiser. Our thanks to Steve and Carolyn at Two Eagles Lodge for providing such luxury accommodations for our guests.
Back to Sointula - Our concert with Darrel Delaronde and Saskia in Sointula was a lot of fun, and the Sointula Firehall is a beautiful place to play music. The island is home to about 600 people, which is about half the size it was when I first moved there in 1985. It was interesting to see what things had changed and what had remained. This metal sculpture hangs in the Sointula Firehall, along with billows of gillnet, a decor that reflects their past glory days of commercial fishing. The old homestead had changed too, with improvements and trees that are almost ten years taller. I wrote a song called "Where is Home" which is a bit of a lament of family breakdown and the sometimes ruthless pruning of the family tree. Bruce and I plan to record it and have it available on iTunes in the next while. It was heartwarming to know a young family is now living there, setting down new roots. It was also good to see the familiar smiles of friends, and to see that the important things have not changed.
Awards! A cool surprise! Our YouTube music video "Life Was Sweet" was awarded for Achievement in Performance, and Achievement in Development by Country Music Broadcasting in Australia! We had the expertise of our good friend Sue Pyper, who rode around on the back of Adventure Steve's Harley with her video camera... kudos Sue, we couldn't (and wouldn't) have done it without you! The serenity of Gordon Carter's farm was the perfect location for Bruce's ballet debut. Curious now, aren't you? Just visit our video page.
Jan 2010
Happy New Year! We feel very optimistic about the new year and really enjoying the direction that our musical aspirations are taking us. We are encouraged by the feedback for the 1st Tuesday Fundraisers, the enthusiasm of our sponsor, the appreciative audiences, and the generous and talented performers. So, we're pleased to say that we will be continuing another year of great concerts. Our guest performers in January were Luke Blu Guthrie and Alison Romanow, two stellar musicians who make tremendous music look effortless. It was a treat to have them perform and we're excited for them as they travel around introducing their sound to more listeners.
Speaking of, we have a few upcoming shared concerts coming up... one with our good friend Sue Pyper, and three with our friends Saskia and Darrel Delaronde. Will be fun! We're also working on some new recordings, which will be available on iTunes so we are looking forward to that.
December 09
Anela Kahiamoe put on such a good show for listeners at the Mex for the Foodbank Fundraiser on December 1st. He truly enjoys himself on stage and shared some fun stories about his life as a Hawaiian entertainer. His joyful nature wonderfully contagious. He was joined by Luke Blu Guthrie for the last half of his set; they did a terrific version of "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight", we're still singing along! We are so honoured to have the participation of so many fantastic performers. Anela played a few tunes with us on our last set which was a huge amount of FUN. We had Bruce's brother Mark Wing play a little bass as well. It's always an inspiration to make music with such talented folks! Mmmmmm. Yes, please.
Although we thought the concert series would end this month, it's going to continue into the new year due to popular demand and the enthusiastic support of our sponsor Roy Tai at the Mex Pub. Our thanks to Roy, audience and performers! It's a lot of fun!
November 09
Sue Pyper did a fabulous job for the foodbank on November 3rd. She shared a wide variety of songs from her eclectic repertoire that included songs from Stacey Earl, the Indigo Girls, and Joni Mitchell. Of course, songs from her original collection are always a treat to hear as well. She was joined on guitar by Gidd Hampton and we enjoyed sharing the set with her as well, adding harmonies and some additinal instrumentation. As always, it was a treat to perform with her. Unfortunately, I missed the photo opp, alas it seems that even when I DO remember my camera I get so enthralled in the listening that I forget to catch the moment! Bruce played bass for Richard Caissie's CD release concert at Joe's Garage on November 28th which sounded great. We've also been out enjoying some of the other local jams this month... the Waverly in Cumberland, the Pier in Comox hosted by John Mundy and Jilli Martini, and the Serious Coffee gathering in Campbell River. Live music is alive and well and we feel so blessed to live amongst it all.
October 09
Fall is here and we're all about the great outdoors... at least the part of the great outdoors that's in our yard and low impact. Lots of garden harvesting, pumpkin hatching, salsa making and firewood piles. It's all got me thinking along the lines of sowing and reaping ... and I always enjoy the call of seasonal hibernation where life gets simple, slow, and cozy.
We've participated in more fundraisers this month. What a great turn out of musicians and supporters for local musician Doug Supple on October 3rd. The generosity of the local music community is entirely heart warming. We shared our set with Gidd & Bettyanne Hampton, and had a tons of fun dancing, and chatting with people we hadn't seen in a while. Our special guest Gayle Ferguson at the Food Bank Fundraiser was very funny, sharing some of her favourite songs and the stories behind them. It was a very entertaining evening of narrative and song. I especially enjoy her version of "Hummingbird", which is why I liked the photo as well. She has a voice that makes my heart take notice. " Listen up, something real is happening here." It's always a gift to hear her sing.
We'll be playing at the local telethon this year again on November 1st, and will have Sue Pyper as our guest for one of the last food bank fundraisers on November 3rd. Thanks once again for your ongoing support!
September 09
Well, for those of you longing for an update on the goings on of Juce and Brudy (and you know who you are)... we've had a busy month of musical frolics, and an entirely enjoyable season of summer performances.
We performed at Richie Hayward's fundraiser (along with our friends the Hamptons) which was a very heart warming day of friends and fans showing support for the Hayward family. Richie Hayward is the legendary drummer of the band Little Feat, whom we have had the priviledge of getting to know through his lovely wife Shauna who is dear to my heart. There was a silent auction and 12 hrs of non stop music. If you would like to donate to Richie's medical expenses you can click here.
Next stop, a Voices Three performance at the Comox Valley Exhibition, which was a special musical opportunity considering we won't be doing our annual concert for hospice in January. The collective wit of our trio was on par and the exhibition was a testament to the diversity of the Comox Valley. We are so fortunate to be able to collaborate with these musical friends and call this lovely valley our home.
Sue Medley and Barrie Donaldson were our guests at the Mex for our monthly food bank fundraiser in September. They put on a great show, their duo act was very inspiring, and the audience showed their appreciation in cash and food donations. It was a pleasure to work with Sue and to enjoy such a warm concert setting. Next fundraiser will feature Gayle Ferguson on October 6th.
The Pier Street Market in Campbell River was a beautiful way to spend a Sunday morning. Always good to see our writing friend Jim, as well as new friends and musicians we've met from Campbell River who have been coming down to the Backstreet to jam. Speaking of piers... we also enjoyed performing at the Pier Pub in Comox. Lots of fun, and a great audience.
Our friends Darrell and Saskia are wintering here in the valley after months of extensive touring with Gerry Fjellguard. We were thrilled to open for their home coming concert and enjoyed seeing them perform. They are natural entertainers and a positive musical force. Earlier in the day we played out at Woodland Gardens in beautiful Kitty Coleman for the annual artisan festival. So as you can see, there has been a lot going on... thank you for all your support, we really love being able to share our music with you!
August 09
The month is starting off busy, just how we like it! It started off with a waterfront moonlit performance with our good friend Sue Pyper. It's always a treat to add a bit of harmony to her beautiful songs. The annual Nautical Days event in the Comox sunshine was a great way to spend a bit of the afternoon holiday. Last night we hosted the foodbank fundraiser at the Mex Pub with special guests Brodie Dawson, Kevin Houghton and Rachelle Andre. The variety of the Comox Valley is always inspiring and it's fun to meet new musicians. It was a night of spontaneity...Doug Biggs popped in to add a little guitar to Brodie's last song, and we'd asked Gidd and Bettyanne Hampton to join us for the evening which adds a new dynamic. Brodie's voice was velvet and magical...
July 2009
Helen Austin and Doug Biggs put on a great show at the Mex Pub for the Comox Valley Food Bank. Helen had written the names of songs on cards, and let the audience (and chance) pick their random set list as they went along. Are they a duo that is well rehearsed? We think so!! Next month's event, August 4th, features Brodie Dawson, a warm beautiful soul with a fabulous voice so bring your food/cash donations down to the Mex Pub!
Bruce and I are enjoying eating veggies from the garden and the opportunity to do some private gigs, close to home. Took in a day of the Vancouver Island Music Festival for some additional "sing-spiration" as well as some of the entertainment from the Vancouver Island Business Music Conference... check out Kenny Byrka, (front man for SLEDDOGS). We really enjoyed listening to them play! http://www.kennybyrka.com/
Got a few new tunes brewing, which we'll be recording as singles. Let us know if you want to receive notification of their release. Summer's waiting...
June 20, 2009
June has been a busy month starting off with the foodbank fundraiser on June 2nd. Our guest was Tammy Fassaert, bluegrass songwriter extraordinairre. She performed songs from her two CD's "Just Passin' Through" and "Corner of My Eye" and joined us on her stand up bass and added harmonies for the last set. It was the first time we'd played together and it was a lot of fun. The diversity of this concert series is especially appealing to us and we're looking forward to the upcoming events.
We played with Sue Pyper for her CD release concert at Joe's Garage on June 5th along with Chilean guitarist Rodgrio Figueroa. The audience obviously enjoyed it and the night included lots of laughs. At one point, we'd decided that the group could be called "Chile Pypers with Hot Wings on the Side". Sue is always fun to perform with and her easy laughter is quite contagious.
The Dawn to Dawn Action on Homelessness Society is receiving the proceeds of a Comox Valley Musical Project called the HOME album, a compilation of local artists who are singing "songs from here". It was initiated by Bobby Herron and the CD release was on June 13 at the Waverly in Cumberland. I played a small part in this project, adding backups to Gordon Carter's song "Homeless in Your Hometown" which was recorded by Todd Butler. Copies of this CD are available at Sound Advice, and Bop City Records, Blue Heron Books, and Seeds. They'll also be available at the Vancouver Island Music Festival this year.
A Comox Valley Chamber Mixer was out at Two Eagles Lodge and we hosted a jam of local musicians for local businesses. It was a pleasant mingler, and we were pleased to have the opportunity to meet and play with Anela Kahiamoe, one of the top entertainers in Hawaii. He's all smiles,and his warm music was the perfect addition to a summer evening. You can also catch him at the Vancouver Island Music Festival this year!
Relay for Life is happening June 20th (that's tonight!) a 12 hr relay that raises money for the Canadian Cancer Society. We'll be performing a set as part of Voices Three, with Helen Austin and Sue Pyper.
May 13th 2009
Kenny Shaw had the audience at the Mex holding their sides at the Mex Food Bank Fundraiser. It had been a while since I'd seen him perform, he is a performer totally invested in delighting his audience, so no wonder he has earned so many awards. We've had great feedback from people, commenting on what a great evening it was. His collection of divorce songs from every province was a good laugh as were his impersonations. Thanks to everyone who turned out, we appreciate you!
May 2nd, 2009
We enjoyed performing a house concert at the Old Royston School House. Thanks to our host, Dan Kortes for inviting us and the public to share his unique venue space. The building has great historic charm, and the retro furnishings give it a funky livingroom feel. Thanks to our audience too! Judy recorded a harmony track on an upcoming album that is being produced by Bobby Herron. The CD is a compilation of local artists that will raise funds for the homeless through a local organization called "Dawn to Dawn". The harmony track was for a song written by Gordon Carter called "Homeless in Your Hometown" which was sung by Todd Butler. Stay tuned for CD release info.
April 8, 2009
We had a terrific turnout for the Food Bank fundraiser at the Mex last night with Voices Three. The cash donations totalled over $500 in addition to generous non-perishable food donations. We really appreciate those who came out to listen to the music.
Sue Pyper bravely protested the fashion industry with Camille West's "Bathing Suit Song", and Helen Austin reminded us of the toils of labour, childbirth labour that is. We also had a lot of fun performing parodies of reality tv and hormonal dismays. These ladies are inspiring songwriters, and it's always a treat to perform their songs with them and have them add their harmonies to ours.
March 23rd
Our thanks to Dave Gallant from the Sooke Folk Music Society for inviting us to play at their monthly coffee house. It was a very enjoyable evening for us, and always a pleasure to meet other musicians and appreciators. It was our first time visiting Sooke, and the scenery was spectacular. The Backstreet Jam in Royston was on our way home, a fun filled evening as usual, with great tunes from the local musicians, both new and familiar.
March 3rd
Our good friend Sue Pyper made a kind recommendation of our music to Bob Sherman, long time host of the radio program "Woody's Children" on WFUV in New York. We were very excited to hear back from him to learn that he'll be playing some of Sue's music as well as a couple of our songs, on one of his upcoming shows. The show will stream live on Sunday, May 24th between 1 and 2PM PST at 90.7 wfuv.org. Thanks Bob and Sue!
Joanna Finch and Danny Zanbilowicz who perform as "kitsch in synch" performed wonderfully at our monthly fundraiser at the Mex Pub on March 3rd. Joanna is an amazingly versatile performer and Danny's accompaniments on the guitar and songwriting were a pleasure to listen to. Thanks for sharing your music!
February 3rd
Gordon Carter and Kybor Tyler were our guests at the Mex Pub for our monthly foodbank fundraiser. Gord is so talented at telling musical stories, and the two of them picking guitar together were amazing. Gord performed a brand new song called "Homeless in Your Home Town", which will be part of a fundraising recording project here in the valley.
January 27th
"Thank you so much for the awesome concert! The town is buzzing over it. It’s not very often we get to experience that outstanding of an evening.."
We're back from the "Definitely Not In Kansas Tour", a whirlwind visit back to Sointula where we performed a concert in the beautiful and nostalgic Sointula Firehall. Joined by Sue Pyper and Gidd and Bettyanne Hampton, we were thrilled to play for a full house of folks who came out to enjoy the evening. Great to see some smiles I've been missing (six years have gone by already... yeow!) and to meet some new friends as well. Bere Point was as peaceful as I remembered... the local hospitality was especially appreciated, and we enjoyed a jam session with just a few of the local musicians. Plenty of memories stirring about, new songs in the making I suspect.
January 17th
Yikes! Where does the time go? We've had a busy month that started off with a "1st Tuesday Foodbank Fundraiser" on January 6th. Richard Caissie did an awesome set, giving folks a sample of his upcoming CD. The total funds raised to date is $1600 and 8.5 banana boxes of food. The next event is February 3rd when Gord Carter will be our special guest. On January 10th we had a great Voices Three Concert at the Sid Williams which was a fundraiser for Comox Valley Hospice. A great turn out, some fun memories and good music. Video clips are on the way so if you missed it you'll be able to get a feel for the fun we had on the night. Next on the horizon is the "Definitely Not in Kansas" concert in Sointula with Sue Pyper, Gidd and Bettyanne Hampton. I lived there for 17 years so it will always have a home town feel. Been a while now, so I'm sure things will seem oddly different yet the same. Likely some new songs to write when we get back.
December 14th
The "First Tuesday Foodbank Fundraiser" at the Mex Pub was a fun evening with lots of familiar faces. Sue Pyper at Emagination Design helped us with the posters, and we had a full turn out of folks who really enjoyed the outrageous antics of our special guest, Todd Butler. The food bank received $550 in cash donations that evening and 2 shopping carts of food. Their cash donations go a long way so we're pleased to see that another $600 in online donations have come in through our website. Generosity is such a wonderful contradiction to the gloomy stories we hear on the news!