Birds of Paradox

Debut self-titled album, released in spring 2010.

Birds of Paradox was formed in 2007 to explore the fusion of composition and improvisation, incorporating three very distinct voices and cultural backgrounds into a creative whole. The trio synthesizes elements of jazz and improvised music, traditional Chinese, Western and Indian music into a collective expression of life in post-millennial Vancouver.  Their new cd was nominated for a 2010 Western Canadian Music Award in the category of  Instrumental Recording of the Year.

Neelamjit Dhillon tabla, alto saxophone, flute, bansuri

Ron Samworth guitar, effects

Lan Tung erhu, vocals

“It’s so vivid, you can almost feel the heat and the surging press of bustling humanity. “Asian Market: Chapter 1 China”, from the Vancouver trio Birds of Paradox’s new, selftitled CD, mixes discordant cries, half-heard conversations, the rattle and clatter of traffic, and the whirring and clanking of mysterious machinery into a startling, abstract portrait of a Beijing streetscape. Even if you’ve never been to the Chinese capital, it’ll put you there…” – Alexander Varty, The Georgia Straight, July 6, 2010

“Both gorgeous and adventurous at the same time, the dozen tracks on this disc provide a wealth of unique entry points into where classical, modern and improvisational styles meet.” -Stuart Derdeyn, The Province, July 5, 2010

Buy the CD online at CD Baby and iTunes.

Bios

Being born and raised in Vancouver has given me a unique and interesting perspective on music.  Having extensive training in two different musical styles [jazz and classical Indian], and being from one of the most multi-cultural places on the planet, I don’t see barriers that others might.  It’s all just sound, expressions of emotion and it is all valid.  Music doesn’t have a nationality; it comes from the human experience, which is tied together at all corners of the world.  No matter where we come from, it is our humanity that leads us to create, explore and discover, humanity that surrounds us and which is within us at all times.  Neelamjit Dhillon tabla, alto saxophone, flute, bansuri

The music on this CD is a conversation between three artists who are a product of Vancouver, Canada in the early 21^th century. Needless to say, there is an intercultural aspect to it, but like the city itself, diversity is a given. Musicians, in general, have a particular quality of discovering natural affinities among themselves. Strong melodies, interesting grooves, cool sonic textures are our common currency. Playing together, bringing whatever you have in your musical arsenal into play, is what it’s all about. The personal narratives that constitute any community, musical or otherwise, are what give the world of human relationships its nuance and fullness. Being open and engaged is all that’s required to get on board.

Nightface is a composition of mine originally written as an instrumental then adapted, with lyrics by Elizabeth Fischer, into a beautiful haunting song that was performed and recorded by the band DarkBlueWorld. It is in 7/8 time, a 3-2-2 pattern with one bar of 6/8 at the end of the verses just to keep you on your toes. The verses are in G minor – the bridge in E major.

It’s a great pleasure playing with Lan and Neel – two gifted and wonderfully expressive musicians. Listen and enjoy!   Ron Samworth guitar, effects

After moving from Taiwan to Canada in 1994, I have been surrounded by great music of different genres – from western contemporary music to various ethnic styles – which feed my ever-growing musical appetite. I am inspired by the western violin’s ability to transform itself in Indian, Gypsy and Middle Eastern music, jazz and even Cantonese opera. This, as well as travels and studies in the “exotic” lands of India, Egypt, Amsterdam and Berlin, has led me to look outside Chinese traditions to develop new vocabularies on the erhu and to countless interesting collaborations at home and abroad. In both composition and improvisation, I experiment with contradictions by taking culturally specific music outside its context and fusing it with other genres. Ba Ban Variations, inspired by traditional Chinese music, embodies the paradox of many opposite characters: chromatic vs pentatonic, composed vs improvised, contemporary vs traditional, with sudden shifts between a mysterious quality and an exciting 3+2+3 rhythmic cycle. Asian Market begins by using the basic four tones/inflections in Mandarin to develop vocal patterns to depict a vibrant market scene. Colourful Clouds Eating the Moon is an incarnation of Colourful Clouds Chasing the Moon from China, with an Indonesian twist. Temple Bells colours Cantonese melody with blues chords. Xia He (Flowing River) gives occasional hints to its Chinese roots. By incorporating improvisation with Asian traditions, I see a whole new territory in which to discover fresh sounds.  Lan Tung erhu (Chinese violin), vocals

Track Listing

1. Nightface – Samworth, E.Fischer 6:34

2. Ba Ban Variations – Tung 5:41

3. Colourful Clouds Eating the Moon – Tung 5:16

4. Improvisation I – Samworth, Tung, Dhillon 4:18

5. Travellin’ Travis – Dhillon 5:07

6. Improvisation II – Tung, Dhillon, Samworth 2:33

7. Xiao He – Tung, Samworth, Dhillon 5:45

8. Asian Market: Chapter 1 China – Tung 5:34

9. Temple Bells – arr. Tung, Samworth, Dhillon 5:06

10. D’Arcy Island – Dhillon 6:34

11. Improvisation III – Dhillon, Samworth, Tung 2:24

12. Charukeshi – Dhillon 6:41

Total Time: 61:33

Recording Credits

Recorded by Sheldon Zaharko at The Factory Studios, Vancouver, BC Canada on August 6 and 7, 2009

Mixing and mastering: Dylan van der Schyff

Design and Layout: John Endo Greenaway

Cover Art: Aleksandra Dulic and Kenneth Newby

Photography: Nenad Stevanovic

Birds of Paradox was co-produced by Ron Samworth, Lan Tung and Neelamjit Dhillon.

We would like to thank Ken Pickering and Diane Kadota who have supported this project since its inception.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts through the Specialized Music Sound Recording Program and the Department of Canadian Heritage Canadian Music Fund through the Canadian Musical Diversity Program of the Canada Music Fund.

Tags: bansuri, chinese music, composition, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, erhu, flute, guitar, improvisation, indian music, jazz, Lan Tung, Music, Neelamjit Dhillon, Ron Samworth, saxophone, tabla, Vancouver

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