NEW ALBUM

Vancouver's producer and bassist extraordinaire Rick Kilburn gave the nod to release these three older 1998 demo tracks that were originally recorded in his studio in 1998 as a brief demo for a concert performance at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival by the Kerilie McDowall Sextet and Special Guests. The track, Tree Talk is especially moving to me. We have lost three band members who have passed. They perform so beautifully here. The performing was transcendental. It seems we forgot Rick was there recording the band and listening. After playing back very delicate, cassette tapes, (some in poor shape) from the 90s that I had not heard in decades, I then decided to go through my recordings and remaster many of them for release to the public, something I had thought about for years. Unfortunately some fine recordings were lost due to cassette failure upon playback. I am examining now what could be retrieved from that period during my performance years as a guitarist. With grateful thanks to Rick Kilburn for making this recording recovery project possible and starting it off and for assisting me. You can sample some of the tracks Rick recorded and has remastered in 2021 below, he is still working on some tracks, and I may bring more to him depending on his thoughts on any tracks worth saving, and his busy schedule.

Additionally I am thinking of releasing some of the amazing moments from the 90s that I was blessed to share with such wonderful musicians as mp3s. Yes they are sourced from cassette, I often used to record sessions and performances on portable cassette players. Some very special Vancouver, BC creative moments by my gifted bandmates and special guests were documented. They will only be available online, (or possibly released if the original recordings' quality are fairly reasonable.) I have about 90-100 cassettes I am currently going through with my good friend radio producer and host of What's Next, Tom Roden. We are transferring them over. I am not sure what is on the tapes they were not labelled very well, some were, some were not, they were for study and composing purposes at the time, they were not meant to stand alone as recordings, they were my performance notes to self. I have recognized due to losing some band members who passed away, and due to a band member facing a health challenge, that is important to permanently release what is retrievable for public use and enjoyment and especially for documentation purposes about the 1990s scene, that was just at the first stages of digital releases.

PS: Longterm plans to re-release tracks from my past release City Wildflower, (originally a cassette release recorded at Crosstown produced by myself) onto a new album with the 1998 tracks eventually, too. I would select the tracks that I love the most to share to the public. I am also looking at possibly releasing a few tracks recorded with drummer Micky Earnshaw and also in trio with the late Vancouver bassist Chris Nelson, who passed away from cancer and was like a mentor to me.

I had a long 18 year hiatus from guitar playing, but since 2017, have been playing guitar again teaching guitar and music students. With the unexpected global pandemic, I realized that musicians need to do their part to keep the industry going strong where possible. I had always wanted to release some tracks but ended up furthering my creative journey delving deep into other types of performance like radio and television/TV directing. I think I would like to release these tracks now, I think for me it is finally time to look at this closely. I think you will enjoy listening to the musicians I was blessed to perform with. I am always so impressed by all of them and always have been in admiration of their talented music gifts. I am finalizing tracks, and still working with various producers/approaching labels to tell them about it and I am in a discussion of the project and how to process it. Enjoy the journey from tracks from various stages of my career that I will bring to you over time to enjoy. Some tracks have been produced by Rick Kilburn and others are being discussed. CBC Vancouver radio's Hot Air recorded some tracks during an interview with the legendary CBC host Paul Grant with producer Neil Ritchie for broadcast that I am thinking of releasing eventually, too. Sign up for my newsletter to hear all the latest about the project! Donate, and send a message  if you would like to contribute or pre-order. Thanks to all who have shown their amazing support and help along the way!

Guitarist/Short Documentary Director Kerilie McDowall and Way album artwork cover, bassist Rick Kilburn- Images by Dirk Heydemann of HA Photography. https://www.haphotography.com/

New! Remastered by producer Rick Kilburn featuring: 

Way - Three Demo tracks from 1998 with The Kerilie McDowall Quintet, Sextet and Special Guests,  Produced by Rick Kilburn 1998 

Remastered September 3, 2021 

Previously released cassette City Wildflower 1993 - three-five tracks to be remastered

Never-before-released tracks considering now for potential release: 

Kerilie McDowall Trio featuring Chris Nelson, two tracks first mixed/produced by Chris Nelson.

The Kerilie McDowall Sextet & The Ghost Band Live

Hot Air Vancouver, BC - CBC Tracks, possibly

Kerilie McDowall Quintet  

Up the Mountain   

(copyright ©1998 Kerilie McDowall. All rights reserved.)   

Kerilie McDowall Quintet 1998   

Produced by Rick Kilburn 

Navigating the waves of constant change and transformation of our earth, the mountain represents symbology of hope, strength and courage. Traveling up the arduous winding mountain path, and at times gliding downwards with a loss of control, the mountain is the perfect analogy of our strength in overcoming adversity and difficult life challenges. We reach the apogee and the lowest dips with grace and courage. Yet the mountain represents bravery, the lone vision quest on the dark mountain peak at night, and the painted rising of the sun. The lifting of our spirit and the fall when we falter. The peaks of our moods and the lowest drops. The powerful strength of the black bear and the cougar who reside on the Vancouver island mountain, the shy deer fawns, quail and rabbit and hummingbirds and tame whiskeyjacks, all merging as one. The delicate, irreplaceable rare mountain wildflowers, the scent of the rainforest at the mountaintop lake, the glacier water, the landslide, the avalanche. A reflection of opposites; "Up the Mountain," and "Down the Mountain:" these are two of my compositions that grew to have further meaning and further deeper understanding as the years passed by, especially once I had moved into a neighborhood located on a mountain with its own spiritual meaning, captivating wilderness ecosystem, and unpredictable and often stormy weather. 

In this quintet recording, 'Up the Mountain' features Kerilie McDowall on guitar, John Korsrud on trumpet, Graham Ord on saxophone , Paul Blaney on bass and drummer Stan Taylor. This recording session was a lot of fun and documents a great time period in Vancouver that ended up with a performance of the Kerilie McDowall Sextet and Special guests, The Ghost Band at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival 's Roundhouse in Vancouver, BC. In this show special features were a few spectacular folk arrangements by BC guitarist and composer Tony Wilson.  Fun, special adventure. I have always loved BC's Tony Wilson's guitar and compositional work and am a huge fan.

Vancouver vocalists/hand drummers were also featured as special guests at the concert who had also originally first worked with Wilson in prior jazz fesival performances.The vocalists were: Jimy Sidlar, Elisha Sidlar, Anthony and Lisa Sazama. You can hear a sample of some of them performing on the track posted entitled, 'Tree Talk' with improvised sections by the band and vocalists. Kerilie had composed this song specifically for this nonet ensemble working with a previous compositional sketch as a vehicle to feature the Ghost Band and Glenna Powrie. The ideas include 3 against 4 rhythms from Africa merged with North American indigenous and jazz sounds and performers for a very special collaborative performance.

Kerilie McDowall Quintet

Way 

(copyright ©1998 Kerilie McDowall. All rights reserved.)    

Kerilie McDowall Quintet 1998    

Produced by Rick Kilburn  

Focused on a spiritual adventure, the "Way" can guide us, that all-knowing inner-voice; the higher self, where inspiration is derived from each global cultural spiritual path. The spoke of the same wheel within a similar center. A global mosaic of higher intention towards the one; and love. On this quintet recording,  featured is Kerilie McDowall on guitar, John Korsrud on trumpet, Graham Ord on saxophone, Paul Blaney on bass and drummer Stan Taylor. 

Much thanks again to producer Rick Kilburn and the musicians for their fine work and performances.

When do you anticipate on releasing the album? 

I am aiming for a 2023 release date. 

How can I best support and contribute to your upcoming album project? 

You can support the album and make a donation of the amount of your choice by clicking "PRE-ORDER DOWNLOAD: $25.00" on the crowdfunding page once the page is posted. Donations of $25 or more will receive a digital album and a CD copy once it is released. 

When will your newsletter update news about the upcoming recording(s)? 

Due to being busy with film-related work, I hope to update you with important details as progress is made with my album project as well as with any exciting film news once the project commences. 

(Kerilie McDowall Estate photo shown as a teen approx. 1982.) 

Which musicians played on your 1993 cassette release City Wildflower? 

Kerilie McDowall, guitar; Kevin Elaschuk, trumpet; Graham Ord, saxophones; Allan Johnston, acoustic bass; Bruce Nielsen, drums. Special guest appearances: George McFetridge, piano, Dylan van der Schyff. 

Which musicians played on the Hot Air CBC recordings? 

Kerilie McDowall, guitar; Glenna Powrie, piano; John Korsrud, trumpet; Graham Ord, saxophones; Paul Blaney, acoustic bass; Stan Taylor, drums. 

Who are the musicians on the Rick Kilburn-produced jazz festival demo tracks? 

Elisha Sidlar, vocals, handdrum; Lisa Sazama, vocals, handdrum; Jimy Sidlar, vocals, handdrum;  Kerilie McDowall, guitar; Glenna Powrie, piano; John Korsrud, trumpet; Graham Ord, saxophones; Paul Blaney, acoustic bass; Stan Taylor, drums. 

Who are the musicians on the trio jazz demo tracks you might release featuring bassist Chris Nelson? 

Mickey Earnshaw, drums; and Chris Nelson, bass; and myself Kerilie McDowall on guitar. 

Why are you releasing this album after so many years? 

I decided the timing was right both for me, my bandmates and the post COVID-19-affected music industry. I had been wanting to do the project for many years but it was put on hold due to an injury, then it became less important when I started doing other performance mediums like radio and television. Despite all of this, releasing this has been a "bucket list" item for years. 

How long did you perform professionally? 

I started performing professionally at the age of 16 in Toronto, Canada in high school in local pop bands and was also attending music jams and playing in a blues band with friends at that time. I had performed in school orchestras as a violinist from age 8 onward but switched my focus to guitar at age 13 or 14. After moving to BC, I started working as a jazz bandleader of jazz trios, quartets, quintets and sextets starting in 1989-90 in Vancouver, BC until the year 2000 when I moved to Vancouver Island. 

Were you a DownBeat jazz magazine writer? 

I loved writing for the USA's DownBeat from 2016-20 ( Maher Publications) until my schedule could no longer accommodate it. The writers and editors have done such exceptional work for many decades and to be honest, they were continually inspiring me with their forward-thinking, thought-provoking writing and endless creativity. It was an honour to be chosen for this role and I would like to thank the editors that I worked with Brian Zimmerman and Dave Cantor for their phenomenal work and dedication to the global jazz scene. 

Are you a guest columnist for Canadian Musician magazine? 

I have been a guest columnist at Canadian Musician magazine recently in summer 2021 and in March 2022 and have been enjoying writing what I think that musicians and music-loving Canadians will enjoy when inspired as a freelance writer. 

Do you make music short films? 

I directed and hosted television as a volunteer for over 7 years at Shaw Spotlight and that led me to producing some short TV shows with jazz and blues-related topics. When supervisor Cameron McLean gave me the idea to shoot and gave me the green light in 2019, I filmed my first short film about the inspirational life and work of multi-award winning Vancouver Island/Vancouver jazz bassist and music producer Rick Kilburn. It was released in March 2020. The cast/crew and I have since been honoured with 11 awards and 10 nominations. 

Do you also plan on making another film? 

Yes I hope to produce a feature film in the next coming few years. I may start with short films prior to this as ideas for documentary episodes for a TV series. 

How many jazz recordings will you actually release? 

(Photo shown of Kerilie McDowall 1993 by Gordon Montgomery.) 

I am hoping to release 1-2 albums with the material I have, depending on what can be saved from deteriorating/the sound quality of it, at this point in time. 

I hope to release other recordings as mp3s online as well. 

Will it be a limited album release? 

Depending on the support of the project the first pressings may be limited. This is yet to be determined until the crowdfunding process has been underway for some time. 

Where will you sell the album? 

I like the idea of Bandcamp and possibly Amazon. 

Can I pre-order an album copy, if so, how? 

Yes you sure can! Pre-orders will be available for the price of $25 USD. Look for the button link, "PRE-ORDER DOWNLOAD: $25.00" once the crowdfunding page is posted.

Will you also release on vinyl? 

I have not decided yet. 

What are your longterm plans with your music? 

An immediate longterm dream is to get back into the studio with new songs. 

I would like to study music with you, what do you teach? 

I teach guitar, music theory, sight-reading, TAB, chart-reading, songwriting, technique and other guitar basics. Learn more at the STORE HERE. 

I would like to take a career-focused workshop with you, how do I find out more? 

Please visit my WORKSHOP page to learn more. Find out about rates and services at the Canadian Online Guitar Lessons STORE here. 

What are the business services that you offer? 

Music lessons, guitar lessons, music/publicity/writing and songwriting workshops, publicity services, coaching, writing services and media contact/liaison for recording artists/organizations/corporations/creatives. 

How can I get in contact with you? 

Reach me at my CONTACT page or at the top of my web page on SOCIAL MEDIA. 

I have a project that I would like you to consider for the Polaris Music Prize, will you listen to it? 

There is no formal submission process for the Polaris Music Prize, but you bet I will! I am always scouting for the best music contenders for the various judging work that I do, including the Polaris Music Prize. Get in touch during the weekday evenings to send me your materials. You can reach me under CONTACT. I look forward to hearing your wonderful recordings!

Images of Kerilie McDowall by Dirk Heydemann of HA Photography. https://www.haphotography.com/

COMING SOON, IN TIME:

Kerilie McDowall Quintet
CITY WILDFLOWER

from City Wildflower copyrighted © 1993 Kerilie McDowall. All rights reserved.

​Kerilie McDowall Quartet/Quintet 

At the time of this live to 2-track recording called City Wildflower, originally a cassette release, Kerilie was experimenting with ideas. The recording City WIldflower was never actually formally released into stores or online,  most of the band was relatively young in their twenties.The great thing about every single one of the band members is that they were (and still are) creative composers creating original music on a regular basis. All of the musicians were involved in leading their own creative projects as well, bringing their influences and unique distinct voices to the overall sound of the band. It was truly a wonderful experience recording with these incredibly talented musicians and performing in Vancouver with them at clubs and festivals. I honour these fantastic memories. Thank you Graham, Kevin, Al and Bruce for the great gigs and fun performances over the years....you guys are the best!  These recordings mean a lot to me ...thanks to all of you for your fine performances and playing and creativity. A huge thanks also to guest, "City Wildflower track," and "Station at Lyon," track drummer Dylan Van der Schyff and also guest Rosehip pianist George McFetridge for your beautiful playing and contribution on City Wildflower as well. Thank you for your support and your fantastic playing. Playing with all of you was positive, transcendent and uplifting.

"Kerilie is an excellent guitar teacher and person. She was extremely patient and kind with my son. He really enjoyed his lessons and looked forward to them. If we hadn't moved out of the area he would still be going. I highly recommend her." —Jam Drones, Facebook review