Barnyard Records: Cacophonous Three!
Toronto’s Barnyard Records are a creative bunch, armed with energetic solos, euphoric interplay, and spontaneous improvisations. In one eventful setting, the label is presenting a CD launch party for 3 brand new recordings at Montréal's Casa del Popolo.
Barnyard Records certainly isn’t very old. Its young livestock roster sprung into gear with the 2006 release I’m A Navvy by Barnyard Drama, which featured the resourceful poetic-styled vocal presence of Christine Duncan, the drumming and turntable work of label head Jean Martin, and the fancy guitar impressions of both Justin Haynes and the incomparable Bernard Falaise. You can expect that foursome to create some excitement during the upcoming Suoni Per Il Popolo Festival later this June, but for the moment at least, Barnyard Records is busy welcoming three new creative beauties into the world.
With three combos in the spotlight, individuality may need to be shelved for a short while, and Jean Martin should be a little busier than most, as the CD Launch Party and Concert will zig zag through Colin Fisher & Jean Martin's Little Man on a Boat, Evan Shaw & Jean Martin's Piano Music, not to mention Plumb by trombonist Scott Thomson and Montréal clarinetist (and bass clarinetist) Lori Freedman, for a very eventful evening of mostly jazz-based collaborations (and I use the term loosely) at the Casa del Popolo. And to set the record straight, negating my catchy article title, there’s as much simple beauty involved as anything remotely cacophonous.
It’s a bit of a toss up, but both albums featuring deft percussionist Jean Martin are my favorites from the lot. The dude’s got a magic touch on the skins from the likes of it. Piano Music, featuring Martin alongside Evan Shaw, with its tongue and cheek title, doesn’t actually feature any piano, but it’s well-stocked in crazy ass jazz improvisations (not to mention a few overdubs), often reaching great heights— all of which can hardly be contained on the 14-minute "Rattlebag Jimmy". Shaw, an extremely talented and rich-sounding alto-saxophonist, manages to keep things captivating and tantalizing throughout. Little Man on a Boat, meanwhile, finds Martin hooking up with reeds/guitar multi-instrumentalist Colin Fisher for a wild ride, despite the more song-oriented format. À la fois tactical and free as the wind, these two animals really cut the cake on the wondrous, rustic and comforting "Folk Song"(which features Rob Clutton on bass), or the shining cacophonous splendor of "Hempville".
Pay yourself a treat, and get the quality and diversity you really crave in one single malt shot serving.