Album Notes

When trying to come up with a graphic concept for this record I found myself getting frustrated. I usually talk to the designer about the personality of the artist and his music. For those of you who know Bruno, you can understand why this would lead to frustration. For those of you who don’t know him, he is a true character: enigmatic, eccentric, idiosyncratic and unpredictable. These traits are also prevalent in his music and it is these characteristics that make his music such a joy. He is however hard to explain!

A timely email arrived from photographer/graphic designer Julie Quennenville. I clicked on ‘photography’ first and the image that popped up was the one you see on the cover of this record. I think it is absolutely perfect. I’m sure it can be interpreted many different ways. I see it as two solidly planted wheels (Brad Turner and André Lachance) and one slightly off-kilter wheel that looks like it could collapse at any moment (Bruno). There is no chance that Bruno and the trio will actually collapse but it’s the crookedness, the wobbling and the unpredictability of that wheel that represents the musical direction of this trio and the personality of its leader.

I often refer to Bruno as Canada’s best kept secret and have learned over the years that he is quite happy being a secret. It gives his music a purity and honesty that is hard to come by these days.

The music that makes up this CD is from the last two nights of an ‘Artist In Residency’ at The Cellar brilliantly captured by Brad Turner. Bruno’s personality that I alluded to earlier can be difficult to capture in the sterile confines of the studio. For the true essence of Bruno and his trio, you have to hear and see them live. Bruno’s touch on the piano is unique and he is a fun pianist to watch. Sometimes it’s the notes that he doesn’t play that makes the music so powerful.

There are too many highlights to mention so I would rather just let the music speak for itself. Enjoy!

Cory Weeds
Owner/producer/jazz fan