Not so abstract

Do you have a favourite musician in the city who you think deserves a lot more recognition? Or do you have a much-loved venue in town, where you go to listen to up-and-coming talent? I would love to hear what you think. People have such strong opinions about music; what they like, what they don’t like, but it has a way of bringing us together. So, share away!

Now, let me tell you about my favourite musician in the city.

Poetic, luminous, imaginative, lush and inventive are some of the words used to describe the music of Toronto-based singer-songwriter Lori Cullen. Her reflective voice has garnered much praise in the local and national music scene. Cullen has played at various local venues across the city and will open for Ron Sexsmith at his October 23 stop at Massey Hall. She’ll also be performing at Hugh’s Room on May 17 and 23.

I first saw Cullen perform at WinterCity in early 2003, with the Ron Davis Trio. The trio has just released their jazz-influenced CD, So Much, in the fall of 2002. I was completely blown away by her incredibly crisp and lyrical voice. She definitely wasn’t just another vocalist singing jazz tunes — what was great about his CD though was that it had a mix of standards, rock and pop tunes, infused with jazz sensibilities.

So Much was a bit of a departure from her debut album, Garden Path, which was more folk derived, featuring Cullen’s honest voice, her acoustic guitar and depth for songwriting. Her unique sense for harmonies and movement was carried through her 2005 release, Uneven Hill — an art-pop record.

She returned to the jazz vibe with Calling for Rain, which was nominated or a 2007 Juno Award for ‘best vocal jazz album.’ She also sang at the ceremony the night before the awards, performing with two other nominees in the category. “The best part was being able to connect with other musicians and people I knew. It was very much an industry thing,” Cullen said, when we spoke in late-November 2007.

Her new album, Buttercup Bugle, only has three covers on this album, the rest are original songs written by Cullen. “I wanted to get back to my songwriting and remind people and myself and I am a songwriter; it’s where I come from,” she said. Cullen noted that Uneven Hill was “very intricate; there’s lots of chords, lots of movement.” With her new CD, she said she was “trying to write things that were optimistic…upbeat and lighter than I normally write.”

Cullen is in a company of superb musicians across the city, artists who are true to their craft and contribute to a vibrant local music scene. So, what are your thoughts on music in the city?

More information about Cullen:

Cullen’s site:
LoriCullen.com

Music samples:
MySpace.com

CDBaby.com

Not so abstract arts; no frills, no fuss, no muss. That’s how accessing the arts should be.

The arts are everywhere; in concert stadiums or concert halls, at art galleries or photography exhibits, in the park or on the street, at your nearby coffeehouse or bar, in libraries or bookstores, at comedy clubs…well, you get the picture.

Forget the stereotype of the arts being this hoity-toity, froufrou, think-they’re-too-good-for-me, snooty, form of expression that is out of your reach.

To me, the arts include the music of Led Zeppelin or Toronto singer-songwriter, Lori Cullen, Susan Orleans’ colourful short-stories, the synchronized “Jet Song” dance sequences in West Side Story, a 13-year-old’s journal capturing the angst of teenage-dom, a young child’s first attempt at finger-painting, silent or horror movies – even the original Friday the 13th flick, although honestly, the rest of the franchise’s series is up for debate – a trapeze artist or contortionist performing mind-boggling stunts. The list goes on.

But, I’m not saying that you have to love everything the arts have to offer. Maybe you prefer one form of dance to another, or find the spoken word non-sensical; while you might prefer the sounds of classical music to rock anthems, or have visions of watercolours dancing in your head – to each their own; explore what you want. The arts should not be preachy.

That’s what my column is set out to accomplish – dishing out the arts, whatever medium it may channel itself into – old and new music, book launches, gallery openings, arts and street festivals, off-the-wall plays, local arts programs, artist profiles, up-and-coming artists, new art-forms, poetry-on-the go, not-so-mainstream movies…so much to talk about, many entries to follow!