The Bishop Was In Town

This past Friday (11/04/05) friend, composer and saxophonist Andrew Bishop was the special guest for the Restless Spirit Music Series at the 5C Cafe. The night was filled with lots of musical surprises and adventure.

One of the special parts about Andrew performing with Jacob Sacks and myself is that Andrew is not only a fantastic improviser on the saxophone (he also plays a killin’ clarinet) but he is also an award winning classical composer. With those two talents, Andrew brought a unique contribution to the group that was inspiring.

One of my favourite moments was when we performed a Canadian folk song called “Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie”. Andrew opened with a very quiet yet penatrating flourish of arpeggios that set the tone for me to being singing the first verse of the song. Chris (my darling), said it made his hair stand on end and his eyes tear.

We played a vast range of music that night. Some of the tunes were jazz standards like Dancing On The Ceiling and We’ll Be Together Again; folk songs adapted by classical composers Benjiman Britten and Aaron Copland such as At The River, Can Ye Sew Cushions and Oliver Cromwell; Neil Young, Joe Raposo, originals from myself and Jacob and some free improvisations.

It was a nice little crowd at the 5C and we all had a great time. Having a wonderful musical experience like this makes me so happy that I am a musician living in this great city that I call home.