On Saturday, March 11, the Vallican Whole Community Centre in the Slocan Valley will be hosting an exciting musical event, Breakwater (plus one!) debuting their brand-new CD, “New Ground.”
The band’s lively mixture of classical, Celtic, roots, folk and jazz has gained them a loyal following of music lovers, many of whom experienced them at sold-out gigs in Nelson and at the Kaslo JazzFest.
The group has just released their first CD, “New Ground,” a powerful collection that will undoubtedly enhance their musical reputation.
Now listeners can take home this music and hear it again and again. What started out as an enjoyable evening with a great band has suddenly become a CD Release Party. To find a sample of music from the album, go to https://tinyurl.com/vallican.
The folks who book events for the Whole have become huge fans of Jeff Faragher, the virtuoso cellist who first surfaced here with the Symphony of the Kootenays. When Faragher appeared with his new band, Breakwater, this group became the hands-down choice to be featured in the Whole’s Up Close and Intimate 2017 season, and the quartet signed up to be the series’ star presentation.
As the quartet has since become a trio, for this performance only the evening will feature Nelson’s own Jesse Lee on standup bass. Jesse is one of the area’s most popular musicians and was declared Artist of the Year at the Kootenay Music Awards in 2015. Everyone loves a standup bass, and Jesse’s contribution to the evening will add a solid yet subtle richness to the entire performance.
Jeff Faragher, of course, is the man with the cello who exhibits completely unexpected and fascinating moves with that usually staid instrument. The audience becomes spellbound wondering what he will do next. Known for his enrapturing performance style, Jeff is a natural entertainer. Breakwater’s other two performers are James Desautels (fiddle and backing vocals) and Rob Maciak (drums, percussion, and backing vocals).
James first gained international attention when he toured with David Byrne and Tosca Strings. Since then he has worked with Arcade Fire, Marcia Ball, Garth Brooks, Diahann Carroll, Natalie Cole, Elvis Costello, and others too numerous to mention.
Rob has collaborated with such artists as Dan Brubeck, Diana Krall, and the Vancouver Chamber Choir. As a recording artist, he is featured on vibraphone and marimba with Chick Corea and Philip Glass on an album which scored high on the iTunes Jazz Album Charts.
Faragher says, “We are really excited to be playing the Vallican Whole!” They are looking forward to seeing their many fans and to making new ones, and are pleased and proud to be able to present their hot-off-the-press CD for everyone’s ongoing enjoyment.
This is the second performance in this three-part series. The next will be on April 1, original theatre from Bessie Wapp: “an evening of original theatrical shorts from earth and space.” Purchasing tickets for both events online will get you a special series price.
Tickets are available at Otter Books in Nelson and Emery Herbals in Winlaw. Doors are at 6:30, music at 7 p.m. For more information re the series and online ticket sales, go to www.VallicanWhole.com. The Whole is at 3762 Little Slocan South Road in Vallican.