It's always an interesting proposition to ask any of us here at CKUA about our favourite cds. Why? Our work requires us to regularly swim upstream in this wondrous river of music where new delights await us each time we wade in. What we catch in our nets today must be released overnight for we need to be ready for tomorrow's treats. With that said, let me tell you of a sonic treasure that I'm reluctant to let go of before placing it in the spotlight.

I moved from Edmonton to Calgary recently and I've been caught up in a whirlwind of activity (packing, fundraising, Alberta Scene-ing, moving, unpacking, meeting new people, digging the sights & sounds of southern Alberta, etc.). Although the music is always playing these days, it's a rare cd that can stop my world long enough to unfold from start to finish, let alone one that could entice me to want to hit the repeat button and listen all over again.

David Myles' Together and Alone is one of those records. Something about it's understated strengths, it's easy going nature, it's subtle shifts of instrumentation and tempo, the captivating voices, the quiet confidence of the singer and the slightly elusive character of the lyrics have all worked their magic in a way that caught me off guard, got me hooked, and reeled me in.

David's record is one I particularly like to listen to after midnight. When the big beats are no longer necessary and what is needed is honesty and space and wonder and romance then David Myles has something for us. If acoustic guitars, sincere singing, quiet keyboards, some unpretentious bass playing, and lyrical turns of phrase that breathe new life into the everlasting themes of love and loss and looking are all you really need then keep your ears out for Together and Alone
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If I called it music for a rainy day, that would be selling it short, although these wistful tunes mimic the feel and sound of rain on the eaves.  If I said it was the soundtrack for a bold adventure, you'd get the wrong idea, although the lyrical sentiments journal the reflective moments of a rugged journeyer on the highway of life.  If I said the style was familiar but uncharted, I would be shortchanging you with an oxymoron, perhaps cheating you into accepting my words instead of the remarkable music of David Myles.

Raised on jazz, Myles may have been attracted to this simple, open roots sounds because it reflects the directness and honesty of his lyrics.  There is no artifice here - the music is airy without being artsy, soul-filled without becoming megalomaniacal.  Costumed in the gladrags of roots, jazz, blues and ragtime, the songs capture that familiar feeling of unnameable longing that we so seldom allow ourselves the time to feel.  Music for a rainy day?  Then let it pour.
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What pushes the creative mind to seek a canvass, or scrap of paper, or musical instrument to express a burning emotion?  Fredericton singer-songwriter David Myles has no doubts about his inspiration. 

“I started playing guitar totally out of boredom,” says Myles, shrugging his shoulders, “I got into singing for myself, and figured I’d better learn to play the guitar.”

Myles was living in Hangzhou, China, in 2001, having swapped the small-town academic climate of Sackville, NB, for the bustling Chinese city of seven million while completing his degree in political science.  

With few friends in the city and plenty of free time, Myles asked a Chinese acquaintance to help him buy a starter guitar.  They came home with a$30 red and green plywood Chinese-built Kapok.  

It was all the catalyst he needed.  

“If I knew three chords, then those were the three chords for the song,” says Myles, who recently settled in Halifax.  “It became my shelter from the storm.”

Some of the tunes Myles wrote in China are on this impressive debut, a mellow and intelligent album of a dozen originals.  Accompanied by acoustic bassist Tom Easley (Hot Toddy), keyboardist Mike Doherty (who also produced the project) and vocalist Tania Breen, Myles turns in an assured album of understated folk-jazz.  

The jazz-trained Easley and Doherty bolster the music, and Myles’s relaxed singing and steady acoustic guitar (he’s since traded the Kapok for a big Gibson) combine for a great listening album.  Like his favourite Greg Brown, or John Mayer, Myles creates a contemporary feel to the simplest of acoustic songs.  

Why so mellow?

“I don’t know,” laughs Myles.  “Maybe it’s where I wrote a lot of this stuff.  It’s pretty hard to rock out when you’re writing songs in your bedroom.”

The heart of the album is the meandering Moonshine, a gorgeous duet with Fredericton actor-singer Breen.  Their voices slide together in easy harmony over the barest piano and string-bass accompaniment.  

Myles brings a wide-sweeping experience to his music.   The youngest son of a Fredericton teacher who directed school musicals for 30 years, Myles took up trumpet early.  He played in the school orchestra and a couple of weekend showbands, including KungFunkShun. 

After finishing his degree in politics (with a minor in Chinese) at Mount Allison, he spent a year interning at the provincial legislature in Toronto, negotiating the intrigue of politics.  When that stint was up, he passed on a full-time constituency assistant job in Thunder Bay, Ont., to pursue his music.  

Though in Halifax only a few months, Myles is making waves.  He recently recorded a live session for CBC Radio’s Songwriters Series with Gabe and Ruth Minnikin, set to air in January.
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