Lyrically letting it all hang out, "Tres Bien Ensemble"
Yesterday, Sept. 11th, was a somber day for most of us adults, remembering where we were and what we were doing that fateful Tuesday morning twenty-five years ago. To soften the mood, bside artisan eyewear on King Street at the corner with Court. Optician Sarah and husband Marshall Bureau are serious supporters of the arts and local culture, perhaps instinctive because Sarah is an operatic soprano.
The duo of Yawd Sylvester and Greg Smith have been together for eighteen years and are part of a larger musical organization centered in Toronto. Guitarist Smith vocalizes what seems to be an eclectic selection of his own compositions. His lyrics are insightful but appear somewhat reflective of self-doubt and introspection. Occasionally scatological, they must have mirrored his audience's own identification given the enthusiastic applause. The noticeable attention and focus was visceral, especially in such numbers as "Slow" and definitely during "Alone", which reverberated with this particular listener. I kept thinking about Paul Simon's "I am a Rock" where he also compares himself to an island. Such analogies must surely reverberate within all of us. The 'Put your hair down' number and certainly his 'Learning how to learn' punched this writer viscerally. Songs that are somewhat 'folk' in methodology are meant to evoke an emotional response, and Sylvester's output succeeded in doing so.
Smith is something of a synthesizer maven. Under that Tilley ® chapeau is an innovative musician whose technical multi-tasking and creative concepts are fascinating. He uses an ancient dial telephone as a hand mike, as well as what appears to be an acoustic guitar comprised of parts gleaned from a dumpster. They, and he, are a fascinating visual treat. One of his pieces was a paean to his late father. The lyrics are simplistic but were so moving as to necessitate me surreptitiously wiping my eyes. Like his counterpart, he too didn't balk at giving a piece's origins something that was less than self-complimentary; something that must surely be a sign of contentment with one's own psyche. I found myself memorizing the refrain to his 'Once I had a girl named Lee', and then singing along with Smith as he told us about her; especially her eyes.
His closing number is also the theme and philosophy of 'Tres Bien'. "Keep on, KEEPING ON". Words to live by, and a humanistic road map to overcome life's vagaries.