GRAVENHURST SANTA CLAUS PARADE; MENDELSON JOE'S GUITAR YESTERDAY; JIMMY BOWSKILL'S ACOUSTIC, TODAY!

Two acquisitions for Currie's Music; A  1960's Harmony Archtop and a Pine Electronic Tube Amp from our friend and well known blues musician Jimmy Bowskill. Jimmy performed with The Vinyl Cafe previously at The Gravenhurst Opera House and most recently at Peter's Players on Muskoka Road South.

A Weekend of Christmas Parades in Muskoka

 

This weekend will see the three major towns in Muskoka holding their Santa Claus Parades to kick-up the Christmas Season.   Huntsville’s popular evening parade was held on Friday night, Saturday’s parade was held on Saturday morning and Bracebridge will hold their parade on Sunday afternoon.

 

Today's Gravenhurst parade brought out a large number of people who lined the main street to watch the many participants and floats that took part in the parade with the theme “Christmas around the World”.   The crisp morning didn’t stop young and old who weathered the below zero temperatures to fill the sidelines.   Fred Schulz Photos

     NOTE: IF YOU WERE AT THE GRAVENHURST SANTA CLAUSE PARADE, TODAY, WASN'T IT GREAT TO SEE AND HEAR ALL THE CHILDREN LAUGHING AND SINGING, DANCING AND RUNNING? NOW THAT'S A "MERRRY CHRISTMAS," IF EVER THERE WAS ONE! IT'S NICE TO SEE SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE TURNING OUT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ANNUAL PARADE, AND TO WATCH THE EVENT UNFOLD. SANTA HAD A LAP-FULL THAT'S FOR SURE. NICE PARADE, AND A GOOD WAY TO LAUNCH THE FESTIVE SEASON IN OUR HOME TOWN. CONGRATULATIONS TO ORGANIZERS, SPONSORS AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS. IT WOULDN'T OCCUR WITHOUT THEIR GENEROUS AND ONGOING SUPPORT. THANKS ALSO TO THE BRIGADE OF VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTERS, MEMBERS OF THE GRAVENHURST FIRE DEPARTMENT, FOR HEADING THE PARADE, COLLECTING DONATIONS TO KEEP THE PARADE GOING AGAIN NEXT YEAR. A NICE DAY ALL ROUND. I WANT TO THANK FRED SCHULZ FOR TAKING THE PHOTOGRAPHS ABOVE, FOR USE IN THIS CHRISTMAS-TIME BLOG. LOTS MORE TO COME. PLEASE STAY WITH US FOR A MUSKOKA CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION.....COMING RIGHT FROM THE HEART OF GRAVENHURST. YUP, MUSKOKA ROAD. COME IN FOR A VISIT. BUT I MIGHT BE SLEEPING ON THE JOB (FORMER MUSKOKA THEATRE BUILDING)

THE OLD VOYEUR - AND THE MUSIC SCENE "HAPPENING" ALL AROUND ME

IF ONLY I'D PAID ATTENTION - WHEN JOHN RUTHERFORD ASKED ME TO FOCUS ON THE BATON

     FRESH OFF THE ACQUISITION OF CANADIAN MUSICIAN, MENDELSON JOE'S DECORATED 1970'S, GUILD GUITAR,  YESTERDAY, OUR NEVER SAY NEVER BOYS, ANDREW AND ROBERT, MADE A DEAL TODAY TO ACQUIRE BLUES GUITARIST, JIMMY BOWSKILL'S WELL WORN, AND WELL USED, HOLLOW-BODY GUITAR, AND HIS FIRST AMPLIFIER. JIMMY STARTED YOUNG AND HAD KIND MENTORSHIP FROM CANADIAN MUSIC LEGEND, JEFF HEALEY, EARLY IN HIS CAREER. HE APPEARED WITH HEALEY ON A VINYL CAFE SHOW, WITH STUART MCLEAN, AT THE GRAVENHURST OPERA HOUSE, A FEW YEARS BACK. AT THAT POINT, ANDREW WAS HIS SOUND TECHNICIAN. HE ALSO PERFORMED LAST WEEKEND AT PETER'S PLAYERS, ON MUSKOKA ROAD, ON THE SAME BILL AS "THE LAST WALTZ." JIMMY WAS KIND ENOUGH TO SIGN THE GUITAR FOR US. WHAT A WEEKEND. A GUITAR ACQUIRED FROM A VETERAN AND ANOTHER FROM RISING STAR IN CANADIAN MUSIC. AND YES, JIMMY DID ENJOY HANDLING MENDELSON JOE'S "MAINLINE" GUITAR, CIRCA 1970. I WAS THE FLY ON THE WALL. I SHOULD BE PAYING ADMISSION FOR ALL THAT I'M SEEING AND ENJOYING HERE, THESE DAYS IN SNOWY SOUTH MUSKOKA.

     I LOVE MUSIC. BUT I ALSO LOVE AIRCRAFT. I COULD SIT AT A BUSY AIRPORT FOR A WHOLE DAY, TO SATISFY MY INTERESTS IN FLIGHT. AS FOR MUSIC, I WANT TO BE AROUND IT, HEAR IT, SEE IT BEING PERFORMED, BUT I DON'T CARE TO BE A PLAYER ANY MORE. I RETIRED YOUNG FROM BAND LIFE, THE SAME YEAR AS THE BRACEBRIDGE AND MUSKOKA LAKES SECONDARY SCHOOL BAND'S TOUR OF ENGLAND. FROM THAT POINT ON, I BECAME A GOOD LISTENER. MY SONS ANDREW AND ROBERT UNDERSTAND THIS, AND LIKE SITTING AT AN AIRPORT, THEY ALLOW ME TO LODGE IN A LOUNGE CHAIR, IN THE STUDIO OF THEIR GRAVENHURST VINTAGE MUSIC SHOP. THEY HAND ME A LAP-TOP TO WRITE THIS BLOG, AND CARRY-ON WITH THE BUSINESS OF THE DAY. BOY OH BOY, DOES THAT EVER ENTITLE ME TO A LOT OF NEAT STUFF, HAPPENING ALL AROUND ME! THIS IS THE KIND OF IMMERSION FOR THE SENSES, THAT MAKES MY DAYS SPENT HERE, A CULTURAL PANORAMA, WITH THE SWEETEST SOUNDS YOU'VE EVER HEARD. AND THAT'S JUST THE WARM-UP. I EVEN GET A RUSH OUT OF ANDREW TESTING AN OLD AMPLIFIER, WITH ONE OF HIS STUDIO GUITARS. IT MIGHT THEN BE A VIOLIN OR MANDOLIN; A VICTORIAN ZITHER, OR AN HAWIAN UKE, BEING TESTED FOR A CUSTOMER. THE ONLY CASUALTY TO ME, IS THAT IF THE PLAYING IS SOFT AND NURTURING, I'M LIKELY TO BOUNCE MY HEAD OFF THE KEYBOARD, WHEN I SLUMBER-OFF BECAUSE OF THE INHERENT KINDNESSES, AND WARM DIGS, AFFORDED THE JOURNEYMAN WRITER. I DON'T DESERVE SUCH SPECIAL ATTENTION. BUT I'M NOT GOING TO SCREW-UP A GOOD THING, BY ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS, OR BEING IN ANY WAY INTRUSIVE; IN FEAR THEY MIGHT TOSS ME OUT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE DOING, OR HOW THEY GET THE SOUNDS THEY DO, BUT IT'S ALL PART OF MY SUBTLE INQUIRY INTO THE MUSIC SCENE, AS IT SURROUNDS ME. BY THE WAY, THEY'VE ONLY ACCIDENTALLY (THEY CLAIM IT WAS IN ERROR) TOSSED A VISITOR'S COAT OVER MY HEAD A COUPLE OF TIMES, FORGETTING I WAS SITTING IN THE CORNER CHAIR OF THEIR STUDIO. THEY'RE MY BOYS. I'LL FORGET THEIR MISADVENTURES IF THEY FORGIVE MINE....ESPECIALLY WHEN I'M LIVING WITH THEM IN MY ELDER YEARS, AND SPILLING MY PORRIDGE ON THE RUG....OR WORSE. I CAN GET WORSE AND THEY KNOW IT!

     MY MUSIC TEACHER IN HIGH SCHOOL, WAS A MAN OF CONSIDERABLE ACCLAIM. HE LOVED MUSIC SO DEEPLY, AND PASSIONATELY, THAT HE PASSED IT ON TO HIS STUDENTS BY, FIRST OF ALL, THE TRADEMARK AURA OF THE MUSIC MAN; SECONDLY, BY THE FACT HE KNEW HOW TO ENCOURAGE HIS STUDENTS TO SET THE BAR HIGH, AND STUDY HARD. JOHN RUTHERFORD, THE FORMER TORONTO MUSIC TEACHER, WHO FOUND BRACEBRIDGE A GOOD TOWN TO RAISE HIS FAMILY, HAD GREAT EXPECTATIONS FOR ME. ALAS, I WAS PROBABLY HIS ONE BIG DISAPPOINTMENT. I EVENTUALLY DID GAIN HIS APPROVAL, BY MY LAST YEAR OF SCHOOL.  WHEN I WAS ASKED TO FOLLOW DIRECTION, AND THE MOVEMENTS OF HIS GLISTENING WHITE BATON (WITH HIS EYES GLARING AT ME), I WANTED TO SHOW HIM, THAT MY FIVE YEAR "BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS" TUTORIAL HAD PAID OFF. AN INVESTMENT WITH A MORSEL OF DIVIDEND. I CAN AT LEAST BE SATISFIED WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE. I MADE THE SCHOOL'S PRESTIGIOUS "ENGLAND TOURING BAND," A FEW MONTHS BEFORE GRADUATION, AND I DIDN'T LET HIM DOWN DURING OUR MEMORABLE STAY; WITH CONCERT GIGS, STRETCHING BETWEEN LONDON AND YORK. IF YOU DON'T COUNT THE FACT, THAT AT HEATHROW AIRPORT, MY BARITONE CASE CAME TUMBLING DOWN THE BAGAGE CONVEYOR, AND ICING ACROSS THE FLOOR....WITH THE BRASS INSTRUMENT BEING FLUNG LIKE A MISSHAPPEN CURLING STONE, RIGHT TO THE TIPS OF HIS POLISHED BLACK LEATHER SHOES. IT HAD BEEN OUR INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS, BEFORE LEAVING HOME, TO ENSURE THAT THE INSTRUMENTS WERE PROPERLY SECURED IN THEIR CASES. OOPS! MY TAPE JOB LET GO AT THE WORSE POSSIBLE TIME. THE POOR MAN LOOKED AT ME, AND IF THERE HAD BEEN A CARTOON BUBBLE HOVERING OVER HIS HEAD, IT WOULD HAVE CONTAINED THE WORDS, "OH GOD, WHAT HAVE I DONE? GIVE ME STRENGTH!" WE HADN'T PLAYED ONE NOTE ON FOREIGN SOIL, AND ALREADY HE WAS HAVING DOUBTS, HIS WEAKEST STUDENT WAS GOING TO EMBARRASS THE WHOLE BAND, AND OUR TOWN. MAYBE EVEN THE COUNTRY! HE DIDN'T HAVE TO SAY A WORD. I SCOOPED UP THE BARITONE (SMALL TUBA-LIKE AFFAIR), AND EXAMINED IT FOR DINTS AND VALVE DAMAGE. WE DIDN'T BRING ANY BACK-UPS. I GOT IT BACK IN THE CASE, AND HANDED IT OFF TO MY BAND-MATE, WHO WAS COVERING HIS EYES DURING THIS WHOLE TIME. JOHN RUTHERFORD MIGHT HAVE GONE OFF LIKE A MISSILE INTO OUTER SPACE, BUT ON THAT DAY, FOR WHATEVER REASON, HE WAS IN SUCH GOOD HUMOR GENERALLY, HE LET THIS INDISCRETION SLIP. THIS WAS A MAN WHO WOULD GO INTO A FRIGHTENING TIRADE AT HOME, IF SOMEONE DROPPED A MOUTHPIECE ON THE CLASSROOM FLOOR. SO I UNDERSTOOD THE "I'M A LUCKY MAN," GLINT IN HIS EYE.

     THE SECOND AND FINAL MISADVENTURE, WAS WHEN AT A SCHOOL CONCERT IN NOTTINGHAM, I BELIEVE, A FEMALE CLASSMATE, I WAS TRYING TO IMPRESS, (AND POTENTIALLY, LOOK DOWN HER BLOUSE) DROPPED HER MUSIC SHEETS ONTO THE FLOOR OF THE STAGE. ONLY MOMENTS BEFORE JOHN RAISED THE BATON, TO PREPARE US FOR THE PLAYING OF "THE LONDON SYMPHONY," OF WHICH HE WAS PARTICULARLY PROUD. WE PLAYED IT PRETTY WELL. SO IN MY MISSION TO HELP MY FRIEND, I BUMPED MY HEAD, ON THE WAY UP, ON THE OUTSIDE BOTTOM EDGE OF HER MUSIC STAND. WELL SIR, I HAD BEGUN THE DOMINO SUCCESSION, OF STANDS TIPPING OVER, BANGING NOISILY INTO EACH OTHER, RIGHT THROUGH THE BRASS SECTION. IT WAS ACCELERATED BY EACH OF THE MUSICIANS IN MY ROW, REACHING NERVOUSLY TO SECURE THEIR OWN MUSIC; BUT INSTEAD, ACCIDENTALLY HITTING THEIR NEIGHBOR'S STAND INSTEAD, CAUSING EVEN MORE MOMENTUM, CONFUSION AND CARNAGE. WHAT WAS HAPPENING? DID I CAUSE ALL THIS DESTRUCTION? MY STAND WAS FINE. I LOOKED UP AT JOHN, AS HE WAS HOLDING THE WHITE BATON IN FRONT OF HIM, AT WAIST LEVEL; I THINK THE GLISTENING IN HIS EYES WERE TEARS, ALTHOUGH THEY HADN'T YET STREAKED DOWN HIS CHEEKS. ONCE AGAIN, I THINK I SAW HIM MOUTHING THE WORDS, "HELP ME GOD, PLEASE!" HEY, I WAS READY TO PLAY, BUT MY NEIGHBORS WERE A LITTLE MESSED UP; THEIR MUSIC SHEETS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. AH, GOOD TIMES.

     JOHN RUTHERFORD DIED THIS FALL, BUT I COULDN'T REALLY ADDRESS THESE MISFORTUNES OF KNOWING ME, IN A MEMORIAL TRIBUTE. HE WASN'T A PATIENT MAN, TO MOST OF US, BUT FOR ME, HE WAS A PILLAR OF PATIENCE. ALL HE COULD SAY TO ME, AT THE END OF THE CONCERT, (WHERE WE HAD EXPERIENCED THE "TOPPLING" OF STANDS), WAS "THESE THINGS COME IN THREES. WHAT HAVE I GOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO MR. CURRIE?" I'M PLEASED TO REPORT, I KEPT THE PEACE FOR THE BALANCE OF THE TRIP, AND I ARRIVED HOME IN ONE PIECE; WHICH WAS FORTUNATE BECAUSE MY BAND-MATES HAD WANTED TO SEND ME HOME IN THE LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT, FOR MESSING THEM UP ON STAGE.

     SO YESTERDAY, WHEN WE GOT HOME FROM OUR BUYING TRIP, UP TO THE KAREN ROBINSON GALLERY, IN EMSDALE, WHERE WE HAD GONE TO PICK UP THE 1970 CIRCA "GUILD" GUITAR, FORMERLY PLAYED AND DECORATED, BY WELL KNOWN MUSICIAN / ARTIST, MENDELSON JOE.....AND AFTER EVERYBODY ELSE HAD A CHANCE TO HOLD AND ADMIRE IT, ANDREW HANDED IT TO ME LIKE IT WAS A NEW BORN. I REMEMBER THE LOOK, BECAUSE IT'S EXACTLY THE WAY SUZANNE STARED AT ME, BEFORE HANDING OVER OUR FIRST BORN, WHICH, WITH SOME IRONY, WAS ANDREW. SHE ASSUMED I WOULD DROP HIM, JUST AS ANDREW THOUGHT I MIGHT FUMBLE MENDELSON JOE'S GUITAR.....WHICH, BY THE WAY, HAD ITS OWN TITLE, AS GIVEN BY THE ARTIST. "THE LITTLE MAHOGANY GUILD." ALL OF A SUDDEN, WITH THIS MUCH ATTENTION ABOUT MY HANDLING CAPABILITIES, AND MY OWN RECOLLECTION OF THE LOOKS I USED TO GET FROM JOHN RUTHERFORD, UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES, I WAS GOING TO HAND IT BACK QUICKLY. YOU KNOW, ONCE THAT STORIED PIECE, OF CANADIAN MUSIC HISTORY, ONCE USED IN THE CANADIAN BAND, "MAINLINE," WAS CRADLED IN MY OUTSTRETCHED ARMS, THERE WAS AN INSTANT CONNECTION.....A SORT OF SPIRITUAL SHARING BETWEEN MERE MORTAL, AND INSTRUMENT, SUCH THAT I BEGAN SILENTLY CHANTING, "TED, CONCENTRATE. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS. YOU WILL NOT FUMBLE THIS HAND-OFF. NO YOU WON'T!" SO I DIDN'T. I DIDN'T LET MENDELSON JOE DOWN. I DIDN'T DISAPPOINT ANDREW, OR MY WIFE, LOOKING OVER HIS SHOULDER, AND I MAY HAVE EVEN AMUSED JOHN RUTHERFORD, LOOKING DOWN ON WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN AN EPIC EVENT OF HISTORY'S MISHANDLING. LIKE WHEN I CRADLED ANDREW HIMSELF, IN THOSE FIRST FEW MOMENTS OF LIFE, I HELD ONTO THIS ENERGY-FILLED RELIC AS IF BOTH OUR EXISTENCES DEPENDED ON IT! I PROVED MY CRITICS WRONG. I WISH I COULD UNDO ALL THE STUFF I INFLICTED UPON JOHN RUTHERFORD, FOR THOSE TURBULENT YEARS, TRYING TO MAKE A MUSICIAN OUT OF A SOW'S EAR.

     MENDELSON JOE'S LATEST CD IS ENTITLED "ART IS THE HEALER." HE'S RIGHT ABOUT THAT. BUT IN THE CASE OF THE GUITAR, IN MY ARMS, IT WAS LIKE THE CD; MUSIC AND ART COMBINED. I DIDN'T WRITE THIS HEADING. BUT I LIVE IT EVERY DAY, IN THIS HUMBLE STUDIO, FULL OF ARTFUL MUSIC. FOR THOSE FEW MOMENTS, THAT THEY ALLOWED ME THE PRIVILEGE TO STRUM THIS DECORATED PARLOR GUITAR, WHICH HAD BEEN WITH MENDELSON JOE, ON THE STAGE OF TORONTO'S MASSEY HALL, (1975, OPENING FOR PATTI SMITH), I GOT THAT WILD SENSE OF MUSIC CHRONICLE, MY BOYS DRINK IN LIKE SODA POP. ALL OF A SUDDEN I WANTED TO PLAY AN INSTRUMENT AGAIN. THIS INSTRUMENT? ANDREW GOT A LOOK OF PANIC. "NOT THIS ONE DAD....THE BEATER IN THE CORNER IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU!" HEY, IT'S THE TH0UGHT THAT COUNTS!

     WE HAD TEN SHOWINGS OF THE MENDELSON JOE GUITAR TODAY, FROM THOSE WHO HAD READ ABOUT IT ONLINE. DROP IN ANY TIME. I'M HALF WAY THROUGH HIS BIOGRAPHY, ENTITLED "ALIEN," AND QUITE ENJOYING THIS UNIQUE LOOK AT THE CANADIAN MUSIC SCENE DURING THE 1960'S AND 70'S. THIS PERIOD IN MY LIFE  WAS KIND OF A BLUR. SO I'M LEARNING ABOUT IT ALL OVER AGAIN. THERE ARE COPIES OF THE BOOK AVAILABLE AT THE KAREN ROBINSON GALLERY, AS WELL AS HIS LATEST CD, AND OF COURSE HIS ART WORK. YOU SHOULD CALL TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT IF YOU'D LIKE TO VISIT, OR ACQUIRE EITHER A BOOK, A CD, OR BOTH. CHECK THE GALLERY SITE ONLINE FIRST, AND EMAIL FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

     IF YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE A CRACK AT JIMMY BOWSKILL'S GUITAR, THAT'S WHY WE ACQUIRED IT.......IT'S FOR PLAYING. WE'RE NOT A MUSEUM.

     THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME TODAY FOR THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON BLOG.

     I MUST END WITH A LITTLE CONFESSION. ROBERT BEGAN PLAYING HIS GUITAR IN THE STUDIO, LATE THIS AFTERNOON, AND IT WAS SO RELAXING FOR THIS WRITER IN RESIDENCE, I FELL ASLEEP, WAKING MYSELF ABRUPTLY WITH A WHACK IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD.....WHEN I HIT THE WALL BEHIND THE CHAIR. I STARTED TO DREAM ABOUT FLOWERS AND PASTURES AND THEN BAM! OH WELL.