Stirling Silver

 

Recorded October 10, 1993.  Released February 1995. 

 

The concert held at the Stirling Theatre was one of frantic preparation.  I wasn't yet at the point where transcribing my compositions for a band was ever needed until this concert was thought of.  Even then it was a response to a few external factors. Firstly I had taken a job booking a club at McCaul that had three floors of entertainment and food. The club lasted two months but I had the chance to give gigs to Bob Mover and Big Rude Jake.  I was also at the point where after almost five years of working at the National Ballet of Canada; I was ready for a change.  

 

When the club fell apart I was lucky to get my equipment out before the sheriff bolted the doors and ceased all assets. Once again I was in a tight spot not sure what to do. The one thing I didn't want to do was go crawling back to the ballet so I dreamed up this concert as a way out of a few of my immediate problems.

 

I was under the impression that the concert would be released by Dark Light Music, a small Toronto label, so I set out to make sure it would be well recorded. Shawn Nykwist helped me with the transcriptions of my pieces and I could only hope that the music was solid enough to sustain an evening and hopefully not bore the musicians. I chose Kirk MacDonald, tenor, Kevin Turcotte, trumpet, Kieran Overs, bass and Norman Marshall Villeneuve, drums.  It was a great thrill working with Norman on this project as he and my father played many gigs together as well.

 

At the Stirling end of things was my friend Paul Cowen who owned my favorite record store in Belleville. Paul co-ordinated the local sponsors and created posters and tickets for the event. We had a good audience and a good show even if the lights went out briefly as the concert began. Everything went smoothly and when it was all said and done with I also had a top shelf recording that only cost me $150. Try and do that today my friend. 

 

Before it was ever released I allowed one person to hear the tapes to gain some feedback. That person was Horace Silver.  I was also working with Salome Bey at the time and she was able to put me in touch with Horace in Malibu. His comments were frank and constructive and we had the conversation over the phone.  I remember having to assure him that there would be a different spelling of "sterling" so as not to be completely ripping off one of his album titles.  I also remember his walking for what seemed like a minute to his front door to greet the mailperson, I thought that maybe there could be money in jazz.

 

As it turned out I didn't have any backing from the local label to release an already produced recording because it would preclude any ability to qualify for further grants. I wasn't going to let that stand in the way and began the process of releasing the album myself with the help of my daughter Kasandra's mother Judy.  She financed the production of the discs. I took a "selfie" for the cover with a 35mm camera and wrote the liner notes.  The CD did well critically and sold well also, well enough in fact to be a featured artist in a "Sam The Record Man" advert, the best 60 dollars I ever spent. It was the start of a new phase. I could go out with twenty CDs and have them sold before dinnertime. Restaurants and bars everywhere still used CD players and most people were glad to see an artist plying their wares.

 

Stirling Silver was bootlegged in Japan and also had a video created for the track "Jombo Memsahb" which featured Kimberly Glasco of the National Ballet of Canada and as soon as I find a copy I will post it to this site. This was also the first time the band was known as Ken Skinner and the jazzmongers! as opposed to simply "jazzmongers!".  I also strived to make the name mean something along the lines of Art Blakey's "Jazz Messengers", guaranteed great musicians, interesting material and an infectious swing.

 

We were hired not too long after this to play an after show party for the production of "Five Guys Named Moe". A black production whose after party catered to a number of luminaries from the black musical community in Toronto.  I remember Kirk seeing this and leaning over the piano suggested that we play a few standards. I was sure of my material and wanted to play that instead. It worked out fine and we were offered a spot on "Lunch TV" with John Major and I felt like a rock star.

 

Nothing like taking it upon yourself to get things done.  An event in my life that comes with no regrets or melancholy.  Hopefully it holds up against the passing of time.