KevinHutchings.ca

Live at Cafe Voltaire with Sahra Featherstone, July 23rd

Kevin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:52:17 +0000

On Friday July 23rd I’ll have the rare pleasure of performing with special guest Sahra Featherstone at Cafe Voltaire in Prince George, British Columbia. The evening will begin with a solo performance by Sahra, who will be playing songs on Celtic harp from her new CD, after which I’ll be trying out some new material from my forthcoming album along with some old standbys. Afterward, Sahra and I will join each other on stage, just like old times. The music begins at 8:00 PM. There’s no cover charge, but we’ll be passing the hat for gas money to help get Sahra home to Toronto. If you happen to be in Prince George on the 23rd, we hope to see you there!

Into the Inner Sanctum at the University of Oxford

Kevin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:02:23 +0000

Yesterday evening I unexpectedly found myself an awkward guest in the inner sanctum of British academia, having been invited by a colleague a couple of days earlier to dine at University College, here in Oxford, where I’ve come to attend a William Blake conference. Lowbrow as I am, when I accepted the invitation I had imagined a casual meal in a cafeteria-like setting. But when I arrived straight from the pub–wearing blue jeans, a summer shirt, and without a jacket–an immaculately attired waiter ushered me into a beautiful dining room panelled with dark wood on which were displayed fine old works of art, including a framed engraving of the famous Dr. Johnson, who had supped there long before me, way back in the eighteenth century. Supper formally began when my colleague, who was host for the evening, hit the table loudly with a gavel–which I must admit gave me a bit of a start–and announced the benediction–in Latin; and the meal was presided over by a wonderful ninety year-old professor–a fellow of the college since 1948!–who held court at the head of the table, affably regaling us, with a mind as sharp as a razor, with interesting and funny stories of the college. Out of my element in such a setting, I was careful to observe the table manners of my dining companions, so as not to embarrass myself by using the wrong utensils in the wrong way at the wrong time. Thankfully, as the evening progressed (from wine, to soup and bread, then to the main course and on to dessert and coffee), I became increasingly at ease, so that when the affable old professor addressed me–at first by asking if there were any grizzly bears where I live–I was able to respond articulately, and the evening ended up being very pleasant. I suppose I should have cultivated some ironic distance from the quaint, ritualized character of the evening, but I must confess I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I seemed to amuse my fellow diners–and even the magnificent old professor himself–with stories of black bears in my garden and moose in the driveway at home in Prince George.

London after “London”

Kevin — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 22:29:00 +0000

After seven days at The Drive Shed in Toronto, my musical friends and I have finished recording all 12 tracks for my new CD “Light to Shine.” The sessions, which, by chance, were held concurrently with the G8 and G20 Summit meetings in Toronto, were marked by a sense of exuberance that was heightened by the G20 riots: while police cars burned, windows were smashed, and 900 people were incarcerated in downtown Toronto, we had a great time making music, including a rocking rendition of Blake’s “London.” I’m now in London, England, where, during the day, I’m researching a new book at the British Library, a literary project generously funded by the same government that spent upwards of a billion dollars on G20 security. Walking Blake’s “chartered streets” this evening, I was filled with wonder–and perplexity. Tomorrow, with my good friend and songwriting partner, the Cardiff-based poet Grahame Davies, I’ll be heading to Felpham, Sussex, to visit the cottage where Blake lived from 1800 until 1803.

Recording Sessions at The Drive Shed

Kevin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 03:09:22 +0000

After two days of live recording at The Drive Shed in Toronto, we’ve laid down most of the tracks for for “Light to Shine.” The musicians–Jason Fowler, Gary Breit, Maury Lafoy, Mark Mariash, and Burke Carroll–were a pleasure to work with, consummate artists who’ve made my songs sound really good (to my ears at least). Jason and I will be heading back to the studio tomorrow for five more days of work on the project, after which London.

Writing and playing in Kingston

Kevin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:49:02 +0000

I arrived in Kingston, Ontario, this week to do research for my next book in the archives at Queen’s University. When the archives close in the evening I’ve been wandering the streets, listening to–and singing along with–some of the local buskers. Next Monday morning I’ll be back in Toronto for a week of sessions at The Drive Shed, where we’ll be recording my new CD “Light to Shine.” We hope to complete the whole album–most of which will be recorded live–in three days, followed by four days of mixing. It will be an intense series of sessions, after which I’ll be heading to London and Oxford to continue my book research. A busy time!

June Recording Sessions

Kevin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:31:38 +0000

On June 21st I’ll be heading into John Bailey’s studio, The Drive Shed, in Toronto to record my new CD Light to Shine. Jason Fowler will be doing double duty, sitting in the producer’s chair and also playing guitar. We’ll be recording the bedtracks and lead vocals live, and Jason is bringing in some fine players for the purpose: Maury Lafoy on bass, Mark Mariash on drums, and Gary Breit on piano. These guys are true artists, and I’m looking forward to working with them.

CD Cover Artwork Commissioned: Scott Dickson

Kevin — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:13:32 +0000

I’m thrilled to report that Kootenay-based artist Scott Dickson has accepted a commission to produce an oil painting for the cover of my next CD. Check out his stunning work at www.scottdickson.ca. A master of graphic arts and oil painting, Scott also painted the cover art for my 2009 CD “On the Bridge You Were Burning.” After discussing the commission with Scott last weekend during a visit to his home in Nelson, BC, where we shared our visions for the project, I can hardly wait to see what he’ll come up with.

April Update: Spring and Summer Events

Kevin — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:49:45 +0000

Now that the springtime has arrived here in northern British Columbia and my semester’s teaching duties at UNBC are nearly completed, I’m looking forward to a productive summer of musical and literary activity. On the musical front, I’ll be spending a week in a Toronto recording studio in June, where I’ll be working with producer and finger-style guitarist Jason Fowler (www.jasonfowler.ca) and other hot musicians. On the literary front, I’ll be presenting papers on the Scottish author (and former Canadian Governor General) John Buchan, Lord Tweedsmuir, at the University of Guelph and the University of London. I’ll also be heading to Oxford to participate in the “Sexy Blake” conference being held in July at St. Aldate’s. In order to move my new book project forward, I’ll also be conducting archival research this summer at the Ontario Archives, Queen’s University, and the British Library. By summer’s end I hope to have produced a new CD and a good deal of new writing…

March Update

Kevin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:28:54 +0000

Plans are moving forward for a new CD in 2010: I hit the studio at Cheslatta Records near Pilot Mountain in Prince George a couple of weeks ago and came away with a new 18-song demo, from which we’ll choose 11 or 12 songs for the CD (whose working title is now “Light to Shine”). Last Thursday morning I had the pleasure of chatting about Romantic poetry with Carolina de Ryk on CBC Radio’s “Daybreak North,” after which she played my rendition of Byron’s “So, we’ll go no more a roving” from the new CD. I’ve just completed a new essay on Blake’s Songs, which will appear in the next issue of a London-based publication called eMagazine, and I’m looking forward to attending a Blake conference in Oxford in July. Currently, I’m writing an essay on Scottish Romantic poet Thomas Campbell and co-editing a book on nineteenth-century literature and culture. This semester my Romantic Lit students at UNBC are a really smart bunch, so life is good!

A New Recording Project for 2010

Kevin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:18:20 +0000

During the past week I’ve been making preliminary arrangements to record a new CD in 2010. Tentatively titled “Better than Before” (after a song I wrote last summer), the album will feature eleven or twelve original songs, including one or two I’ve recently co-written with Welsh poet Grahame Davies (www.grahamedavies.com). Although the CD will be recorded in Toronto in June, I’ll begin the project later this month by recording a demo at Cheslatta Records in Prince George. In the meantime, guitarist and producer extraordinaire Jason Fowler (www.jasonfowler.ca )–with whom I had the pleasure of working on my first two CDs–will be arranging studio space and booking hot players for our June recording sessions in Toronto. I’ll be posting updates here as our project unfolds.