MICHAEL KAESHAMMER DELIVERS AMAZING PERFORMANCE AT SOUNDS OF DOWNTOWN
By Peter Brown

I'm not prone to hero worship. There are hundreds of musicians I admire but normally I'm happier to play with others than to sit and watch someone else perform - unless that someone is the jazz and blues pianist Michael Kaeshammer.

Imagine a pianist with the blues feeling of Ray Charles, the speed and finesse of Oscar Peterson, the classic jazz sound of Fats Waller, the improvisational spontaneity of Keith Jarrett, plus a little Victor Borge-style musical humour and you might get some idea of how Michael plays.

Michael Kaeshammer was the headliner for the Arts Carleton Place Sounds of Downtown fundraiser this past Saturday night. He and his drummer, Marc Pizer, put on a dazzling concert in the Carleton Place Town Hall for a full house of very happy listeners. Counting all the encores, the show was almost two hours non-stop.

And that's a long time considering the amount of energy Michael and Marc were putting out. They began with a fiery boogie version of Battle Hymn Of the Republic, chugging along at about 900 miles an hour. You could feel the amazement around the room and there was a roar of surprised delight at the end of this first number.

The pace never slowed for the next two hours, except for a little dry humour from Michael in introducing the songs - at one point when the audience couldn't resist clapping along with a particularly infectious rhythm, Michael thanked them and said "if there's something you think should be included in the music and it isn't there, feel free to supply it".

There were more highlights to this show than I can cover, but here are a few:

• a swinging version of Sunny Side Of the Street that featured Michael playing directly on the piano strings with his hands;
• a Kaeshammer composition called "Clouds" played in 7/4 time which someone evolved into a rhumba rendition of Tico Tico;
• a percussion solo by Michael to a Bo Diddley beat, using his feet and every part of the piano except the keys;
• some lightning fast Fats Waller-style stride piano on the Waller composition, "Handful of Keys";
• getting the audience to sing along to a jazzy version of "Ain't She Sweet";
• Michael's left hand playing octaves so fast that all I could see was a blur of motion.

Michael's style must be very demanding for a drummer - the songs are marked by many sudden stops, blazing speed and dramatic changes of style and tempo. But Marc was right there with him for the entire show and the chemistry between the two of them was a big part of the package.

I've met Michael a few times before - he was nice enough to listen to my first piano album a few years ago and gave me some positive comments about it. So, when I found out he was coming to Sounds of Downtown I wrote to invite him to jam at the Mississippi Blues Society show at the Thirsty Moose after his concert.

To my surprise, not only did he agree to this but he announced it during his Town Hall show. With the permission of the house band, Still Dangerous (who seemed to be putting on a pretty hot show of their own, by the way), I had set up my electric piano at the Moose ahead of time - hoping that Michael would come over to play it (and, yes, hoping that he would hear me play too). All of this happened, making for one of the most exciting evenings of music I can remember. Both Michael and Marc sat in with the band, as did I. And we finished the night with Michael and I sharing the piano keyboard with some 4-handed boogie and blues. Now that was some serious fun.

The Sounds of Downtown event was a resounding success. Lots of fun, lots of excellent performers, lots of attendees and lots of positive feedback. Click on the pictures below for a sampling of some of the fun activities that took place! Photo credits (first 13 pictures): Richard Ellis

Arts Carleton Place and Ballygiblin's present the Flippin' Art Night on Thursday, September 18, 2008 at 5-8 pm.

Come to Ballygiblin's at 151 Bridge Street in Carleton Place and watch as the featured artists install their work.

Enjoy meeting the artists while you sample yummy appetizers and the cash bar.

Beginner Watercolour
- for those new to painting & those with limited knowledge of painting.
Wednesday afternoons 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Begins Wed., Oct. 1st. & runs until Wed., Dec. 3rd.
COST: $150.00 plus supplies

To register: call Brenda @ Oak Lane Studio
#112 Oak Lane, Perth, Ont. K7H 3C8
brenda.ken.wright@sympatico.ca or Call (613) 267-5377

APPLETON STUDIO FALL 2008 ART CLASSES

Life drawing/Portraits: all levels, $225 (+model fee)
Mondays 9:30am - 12:00pm, starting Sept. 29

Drawing: beginner/intermediate, $200
Mondays 1:30pm - 3:30pm, starting Sept. 29

Open Studio/Acrylic painting: all levels, $225
Wednesdays 1pm - 3:30pm, starting Oct. 1

Acrylic Painting: beginner/intermediate, $225
Wednesday evenings, 6:30pm - 9pm, starting Oct. 1

Small class sizes, courses run for ten weeks

For more information and course descriptions contact Adrian Baker appletonstudio@sympatico.ca or call 613-257-4233