Music with Coffee

What better way to end off 2011’s month of September then to spend it rockin’ out with Jerry Leger & The Situation at The Dakota Tavern!?

With a strong opening act by The Woody Allens (http://www.myspace.com/thewoodyallens) that had the bar up and dancing around in front of the stage, I knew this was going to turn into a fun night.

Setting up their gear, and performing a quick sound check, Jerry and the boys, looked sharp and ready to go.  James McKie (lead guitar and fiddle player) looked sharp in his velour blazer and tied back hair; Dan Mock (bass player) was outfitted in his identifiable fedora; Kyle Sullivan (drummer) was rocking his classic v-neck and performing his usual stretching routine; while Jerry Leger, sang out a few notes and strummed away to make sure the levels were good on the monitors and for the patrons anxiously awaiting the performance.

                Wasting little time after introducing himself and the band – welcoming and thanking the crowd at The Dakota – and takin’ a quick swig, Leger opened off his night with a rendition of The Jokes on You off of his latest studio album, Traveling Grey.  This opening number made the audience aware that this band wasn’t playing Castro’s Lounge that night, it was The Dakota Tavern, and they’d brought a great crisp sound, both instrumentally and vocally.  As they dove into Wrong Kind of Girl, the second track off of the aforementioned album (http://www.maplemusic.com/artists/jlg/disc.asp) the disco ball happened to be spinning in time with the music.  Call it a coincidence or wonder whether Jerry was looking at it spin as he began the song; but I call it a sign, that everything was in sync on this night.

                After performing four more solid songs – James McKie broke out the fiddle for Looking For A Friend off of Leger’s 2008 album, You, Me and the Horse.  James is quite the fiddle player – and seems to fit in perfectly with this band – he can add beautiful drawn out notes with his control of the bow, and can unleash a fiddle solo that will have you fixated on him for the rest of the evening waiting for more.  He’s a strong lead guitarist, with an ability to take control and perform hair-raising solos, while staying conscious enough of the feel of a song, crowd, and venue to make his guitar work suitable to the particular situation he is in.  He’s sure to be a continuously sought after musician in the Toronto music scene and potentially and deservedly outside of it as well.

                Finishing off the first set after six more songs, that saw the band perform Den of Sin off of an upcoming album Leger is working on; bring Mark McKie up on stage (no relation to James – Jerry swears on it) to accompany on fiddle as James kept hold of the lead guitar role; and unveil an extended interpretation of the classic You Are My Sunshine, that evoked smiles, laughs, tears and accompanying vocals from the crowded Dakota Tavern.

                The fifteen-minute set break allowed the band time to fuel up on some beer, whiskey or water – and after the break, they came back stronger then they started.  With the song Ladder off of 2006’s JL & TS album Farewell Ghost Town, the second set was commenced and setting up to be a solid second half.  Jerry opened up a little more in the second set, interacting with the crowd more so than he did in the first half of the night.  He’s got a gift when it comes to stage presence.  He can get the crowd to emote the feelings he’s going to portray in the song he’s introducing.  With little effort, Jerry grabs your attention and makes you fall in love with his songs before he’s even performed them.  He’s a talented song writer – and he knows how to explain just enough of what a song is and means to him to get the listener hooked. 

                The performance of John Lewis off of Traveling Grey really showcased the talent and tightness of this band.  With solid rhythm kept by Dan and Kyle, and psychedelic-vocal-like tones coming out of James’ guitar, matched with the vocal-performance by Jerry – we got the feeling that this band knows each other inside and out.  It’s a fun thing to realize – when the band is all together, all in sync, and just feeding off of each other.  After this song ended, Leger took the electric guitar from McKie as he picked up his fiddle and they performed the heart-wrenching Is He Treating You Good? also found on his latest album.  This song is sung from the perspective of a guy who’s lost a girl (I know typical right…) but in this portrayal of the classic heartbreak – Jerry Leger asks the questions, is he treating you good?  Is he treating you kind?  Does he wait at your doorstep, give you all his time?  Listen to this track and tell me you don’t feel the emotion behind it (http://www.amazon.com/Is-He-Treating-You-Good/dp/B004HJZUFK).

                Ending off the set with seven more solid performances of songs such as, Round Walls, Carol King and Gerry Goffin’s Keep Your Hands Off My Baby, Hank Williams Lost Highway, Truth Is All Around You (http://www.southernsouls.ca/jerry-leger/), and an insane 10-15 minute version of Big Joe Williams’ 1935 song Baby, Please Don’t Go.  As they ended off the set with the Hank Snow-inspired song Too Broke To Die off of  Farewell Ghost Town, the crowd showed their enjoyment by requesting an encore.  And Jerry Leger & The Situation didn’t disappoint.   After declining to play the requested Friends In Low Places made famous by Garth Brooks (so not Jerry’s style) – the band opted for an interactive version of Be My Baby – popularized by The Ronettes! 

                If you get the chance – I advise you to check out this band.  With a weekly residency at Castro’s Lounge in the Beaches, and other random shows around the city, there are plenty of opportunities to catch this group of talented artists.  Check out: www.jerryleger.com; Follow them on Twitter: @JerryLeger; and Like them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/jerrylegermusic

Until the next show,

musicwithcoffee

Debating at the door, whether to go in or not with a $5.00 cover for a guy I used to see jamming outside of the LCBO and the Cameron Brothers Band slotted to start playing within the hour, I made my way into The Painted Lady and settled down near the stage to ensure I had a good view.

It was 10:24 when Jake Hoag took the stage.  Guitar in hand, harmonicas (an array) lined up in front of his pedal, ready to accompany his vocals in any key he happened to play in.  Joel Sweet and the band had finished their sound check, James had rolled in, fiddle in hand, and they were settling in with a couple of beers to watch Jake (their drummer for the next set and the everyday-drummer of The Swamp Yankees - another local Toronto band who were just in studio a few weeks ago recording their album).  Opening up with a strong vocal number, featuring simplistic guitar work but one hell of a harmonica bit, he told us a story right off the bat.  The song told of roads traveled and where they’d led him to; almost like he was introducing himself through his first song (because if you hadn’t seen the billing for the evening, you’d not have known who he was until a ways into Joel’s set when he introduced him - Jake wasn’t a big talker, but his sound made up for it).  With a crisp and powerful voice, Jake captured the attention for the entirety of the 8-or-so songs he performed. 

With a gentle sincerity in his playing style and voice (both his literal vocals and that of the harmonica) Jake Hoag covered a Hank Williams classic, You Win Again, and he did it with poise.  With a great control of his voice, he covered a Steve Earle tune, who he’d later tell me is a musical influence of his now that he (Jake) has decided he’d like to be a musician.

With 10% more confidence in his ability on stage to perform and entice his audience, Hoag will be a guy to keep your eye on around the city; be it his solo-acoustic act, or as the drumming-member of The Swamp Yankees (album in the works - I’ll keep you posted).

***

After a break, some beers and some cigarettes, Joel Sweet and the band took their spots on stage.  Joel being the character he is, kept the crowd relaxed as the band figured out cues, and engaged in last minute discussions before they began to play.  This is the first time this group of four musicians had all played together. 

He started off with Orillia, the tenth track off his eleven-track album released in May of 2011 called Born and Raised  (check it out here: http://joelsweet.bandcamp.com/ and support him if you’re so inclined).  This track is done much differently live than he has recorded it for his album - however a lot of that could be due to the fact that the album track is void of any percussion and bass. The driving rhythm-keeping addition of Dan on bass and Jake on drums added a much more determined way, where the album lets the track kind of sway to the sounds of Joel’s picking and James’ fiddle playing.  This song was a good choice to start off with, as it (along with Born and Raised) really define my understanding of the album and where Joel Sweet is coming from - what he wants you to hear and know when you listen to his music.

Many of Joel’s songs are autobiographical.  Told as stories that let you see the raw, the real Joel Sweet… and sure, this is just the surface of who this guy is, but I think it’s as close as one can let the general public get.  I give him credit for opening up and writing what he’s been through and what or how he feels.  When he performed Father Song (the longest song by far on his album) he really gets into his past and family stuff.  Stuff no one expects him to divulge, and yet he does it comfortably and sincerely in the way many have before, as a conversation between a father and a son.  I think when he sings “a man is only what he’s earned,” he really gets it.

Midway through the set Joel Sweet and the band powered up and delivered a hard-hitting version of Born and Raised (video available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxn7qKoXYJA).  James taking his fair-share of fiddle solos in this number had me on the edge of my seat (as a huge fiddle-fan), and the vocals from Joel, although different in style to some of his other song-performances, really seem to hit home. 

Sweet performed a few covers over the night including Hank Williams’ Lost Highway, Ron Sexsmith’s Strawberry Blonde, and my favourite, by far - an extremely heartfelt rendition of the Skydiggers’ A Penny More.

As the band was discussing which two songs they’d be concluding their set with, Joel tried easing the crowd and encouraging their patience while Jake ran downstairs to let out some of the beer.  He joked “My Mom’s even leaving… you know it’s bad when…”  As they dove into Lovely Lady, the fifth track on his album, after being begged by an audience member to have the band let him accompany them onstage with a harmonica.  It was a solid version that does the song the justice it deserves. 

Ending off the night with Far From Home, the ninth track on Born and Raised, I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to a young James Taylor.  Whether Joel would admit to him being any influence or not, we’ll have to ask, but when I heard him belt out his final number, I saw some potential in Joel Sweet that with a bit of discipline could be transformed into reality.  The kid knows how to have fun, and he knows how to perform.  He’s got it all, but he’s got to see if he’ll be able to keep up to the industry and focus enough, and work hard enough to get to where he wants to go.  Heard it here though… I say he’s got a shot.

Stay tuned for a Q&A session with Joel Sweet and Jake Hoag to come later on.  Until the next show,

musicwithcoffee

@musicwithcoffee - twitter

Coffee - this being a Music and Coffee - blog, I figure it’s about time I do a coffee post.  Everyone talks about good quality coffee coming out of Colombia when people think “good coffee” and don’t get me wrong, you can get some very good coffees out of this country, out of that coffee growing region in general.  Latin America produces a ton of coffee - Brazil being the highest producing coffee country in the world. However, when we’re looking at great coffee - we can’t get caught up in the stereotypes that say Colombia is THE coffee - my favourite growing region is the Asia-Pacific region - Indonesia being my personal favourite country.  The islands of Sumatra and Sulawesi produce some amazing full bodied coffees full of flavour profiles that totally contrast those of the “Colombian” coffees of the world - yet they’re equally as good and sought after in the coffee industry. 

Sulawesi produces about 420, 000 metric tons of coffee - as of 2007 stats - with only 25% of it being Coffea arabica.  These coffees are used frequently in blends as the Indonesian coffees usually have lower acidity to them and a heavy body - they can add a lot of depth to blends.  Sulawesi is probably one of my favourite coffees - this and Sumatra - but Sulawesi has some interesting history behind it.  It is one of the four larger Sunda Islands in Indonesia.  It is said to be formed by the collision of terranes from the Asian Plate, the Australian Plate and from island arcs previously in the Pacific.  It is said to be geologically ancient, dating back more than 100 million years, this resulting in a soil rich in iron content which is believed to have a beautiful impact on the bold flavours that come out of the Sulawesi coffees. 

Coffee is greatly affected by its surroundings.  If there is an farm of lemons growing within the vicinity of a coffee growing plantation - its more than likely that the coffee will have a slightly more present citrus flavour.  Sulawesi coffees have a sound presence in your cup.  They are round and full - with nutty and warm spice notes like cinnamon and cardamom.  Now don’t get me wrong - this does not mean that these are “flavoured-coffees” by any means - these are just flavour notes that will be present in your cup if roasted a certain way, kept fresh, ground and brewed in proper fashion - I don’t drink flavoured-coffees, nor do I endorse or recommend them at all - but keep an eye out for a post called “Flavoured-Coffee” in the near future, where I’ll touch more on this subject.

Sumatra is another island in Indonesia.  It’s atop my list of favourite coffees in the world, right up with Sulawesi and it happens to be in Indonesia as well, what a good coffee-producing country!  The coffees in Sumatra are consumed because of their smoothness, sweetness and balanced and intense body.  Used as a typical after-dinner coffee for me personally, I like this one because of its capable pairings with foods such as buttery-bread and cheese, peppers and smoke - even cedar and and cocoa can be found.  I find it’ll pair well with your evening the way a nice glass of red wine could.

Sumatra is the largest island that is entirely a part of Indonesia - and the sixth-largest island in the world.  With a coffee industry producing product in many different parts of the island, the beans are usually wet-processed and identifiable by the bluish tints to the beans in their un-roasted state.  They grow the most coffee of any island or region in Indonesia - but are unfortunately losing many of the island’s tropical rainforest coverage due to illegal logging activities, economic development and corruption.

I suppose I could ramble on a bit more about Indonesian coffees, but instead, I’ll just encourage you to go out and try some - try roasting it yourself if you dare.  Look out for a post on “Coffee Roasting” that will go into some of the details associated with roasting your own coffee fresh at home!  The Indonesian coffees are usually roasted darker so if you’re going to be experimenting with your own roasting  - you’ve got more time to get it down pat because going darker will only drop more of the lacking acidity in these coffees and increase the body that is so desired in these blend-worthy, yet amazing single-origin coffees.