July 25 poster

CD preview track

I’ve just uploaded a track from the new CD to MySpace:

http://www.myspace.com/chriscawthray

The track is called “cc3 2009 CD preview”, and is located in the MySpace music player in the top right corner of the page.

mix report

I drove out to Trenton, ON to the Sli-Fi Chapel studio to finish the mix on the new trio record today. Brent Bodrug (Sli-Fi’s head honcho and engineer/producer extraordinaire) and I spent about two hours finishing the mix on about 25 minutes of music. Brent and I have worked together on multiple records (at least two records of my old rock band, HEARSAY, back in the early 90s), but haven’t done a project together in years. We tracked the trio live off-the-floor late in May in a quick 3 hour session, yeilding two songs and a nice collection of improvisations.

I’m really pleased with the performance of the band and the sound of the record. It turned out to be a shorter collection of music; so if we were to use vinyl terminology, it’s technically going to be an “EP”, but in truth, that’s a perfect length for an improv record. In terms of material, we didn’t do any originals this time out; the lineup of Glen Hall, Simeon Abbott and myself is relatively new, and I’m just now beginning to write material specific to this lineup. Much of our current gig setlist is tunes that I’ve previously recorded, so I didn’t want to do more studio versions of them. So, we recorded some great improvisations, and two of teh covers we’ve been doing: “Hollis Brown” by Bob Dylan and “Jesus, etc.” by Wilco. Sometime in 2010 we’ll get back in to record the new originals…

I’m going to spend the next week deciding on sequencing and titling the improvs, and maybe begin the cover art, etc. With any luck, the EP will be out at the end of the month. It’ll be released digitally (iTunes, emusic, etc.) and as a CD at gigs.

Speaking of gigs, here’s what’s coming up:

July 25 – CC solo set, opening for Prehistoric Horse @ Somewhere There, Toronto 3:00pm matinee
July 26 – Chris Cawthray Trio (w/Hall and Abbott) @ Trane Studio, Toronto 8:00pm

September 12 – Chris Cawthray Trio CD Release Gig
Tequila Bookworm, Toronto
details TBA

Much of this summer will be spent cranking out the hits in two different cover bands: Hot Buttered Soul and an un-named trio featuring myself, Mike Pelletier and (on alternating weeks) Lester McLean on vocals/sax/guitar and Mike Bongertman on vocals/guitar. That trio is doing a weekly hit at Canyon Creek in Scarborough, two sets from 7-9, no cover.

Hope to see you out there!

cc3 new-recording update

The trio (Glen Hall, Simeon Abbott and myself) went into the studio this past May23 and we got some really great stuff recorded. I’m excited to share it with you as it is the first official document of my new cc3 lineup, a lineup which I hope can continue working together for a while. I haven’t had a steady trio lineup since the days (years, actually, from 2004-2007) of myself, Mike Pelletier and Eric Boucher. That lineup was documented quite well on the 2007 album (pamplemousse), which is available at iTunes, emusic and elsewhere as a digital album. In the intervening period the trio featured lots of great players, but never settled back into a real “band”. The current lineup feels like a band, and we’re starting to play like one.
Also, the new record will feature my vocals, singing Bob Dylan’s “Ballad of Hollis Brown”. We’ve been doing at least one or two vocal tunes per set and I hope it will increase as my writing and confidence increase.
Speaking of Dylan, I’m working on a set of Dylan tunes for my solodrumming performances. Some of the tunes I’m working on right now in addition to the aforementioned “Hollis Brown” are “Masters of War” and “Isis” with more to come.
I’ve found that the Dylan tunes that are written over one-chord (such as Masters…) adapt very easily to the drums, but I’m working on establish a basic drum tuning that will help me approximate some simple chord progressions, but it means adding more drums to my usual 4 piece setup.
Anyway, back to the Trio record: the album will have two song performances and at least two “suites” of improvisation. We recorded about 45minutes worth of improvisations, which I’m editing into short sections and arranging into non-consecutive order. Our engineer, Brent Bodrug, got great sounds at his studio (Sli-Fi Chapel) in Trenton; the mixdown session is July 3, I’ll report back after we’re done. I’ll spend most of July doing the artwork and design, and then hopefully have a release prepared for August.

In terms of live work, the only cc3 date on the books right now is a set at the Trane Studio in Toronto on Sunday July 26; we’re double-billing with drummer Paul Fitterer’s group. The day before (July25) I’m doing a solo set opening for my friends from NYC, Prehistoric Horse (venue TBA) at their matinee gig. As is usual for my summers, I’m busy cranking out the hits with Hot Buttered Soul (http://hotbutteredsoul.blogspot.com) most weekends. Expect trio activity to increase in the fall as we promote the new album.

The album will be released digitally and on CD (to be sold at gigs). I’m going to offer a special bundle with the CD and include a re-release of my solodrumming DVD from 2005. My friend, percussionist Derek Thorne, once described this DVD as an “Al Quaeda ransom tape”; the picture quality and general videography is basic at best, but it has some good stuff on it.

Ok, till the next time…

-cc

the blog is back…

I’m going to really try and blog again, honest.

The LINKS to the right will take you to lots of content, and you can also get to my Google Calendar for gigs, etc.

Stay tuned for new stuff!

-cc

video from 5/22/09

ballad of hollis brown – cc3 – 5/22/09

video tour dates

from Coagulated International:

video tour dates march/april

I know… I know…

There’s not much happening here. It’s not you it’s me. Well, actually, there is someone else:

http://www.twitter.com/CoagulatedInt

cc3 setlist 1.26.09

We did the first cc3/PJC jazz jam gig tonight. It was sparsely, yet enthusiastically, attended. The music was good and people even got up and jammed; some on their own and some with us.

here’s what we played:

cold duck time

all blues

mouse game

hope song

cissy strut

(intermission)

show biz kids (cc sings)

jammers:

flute w/cc3 – major key jam

clarinet w/cc3 – minor key jam in 3/4

The Red Lagoons (Max Lazich and Friends)

cc3 returns:

gravity (emile sings)

canteloupe island

cc. simeon abbott and a third member tba will bring cc3 to Peterborough for the first time ever; and this will be cc’s first gig in Peterborough since the early 90s!