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Do or do not, there is no try

Bryan Birtles / Vue Weekly / Edmonton AB

Published: Thursday, Sept 18, 2008

There sure are a lot of confusing things about Vancouver based band Loose Change Trio. For one thing, it’s not a trio. Well, actually, it is—kind of. When the band hits the road, there are just three musicians, but at home and in the studio there are actually six members of the group. Furthermore, the band is less a musical endeavour than it is a community one; through the medium of music, the group is seeking to influence the world around it in small but positive ways.
 
“It’s kind of complicated—the ‘trio’ in our name doesn’t actually refer to how many people are in the band, it refers to three ideals that we aspire to: one’s community, the other is music and the third one is change,” says drummer Greg Bevis, explaining some of the band’s most recent initiatives such as building and sending a medical cupboard to Ghana, and creating a DVD library for St Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. “Music is always the goal of our band, we just want to create great records and have an amazing live performance, but having a band and playing live shows is a venue to get money to support these initiatives. Since we have the power and we have the stage, we wanna use it.”
 
And so far the band has used it. The band sets up a jar at the front of the stage to collect any loose change that fans may want to donate to its cause—and that’s where the “loose change” part of the name comes from—then use the money to fund whatever endeavour the group members have decided on. On the eve of a particularly long tour, however, the band is unsure about what to do next to help build the community they seek.
 
“The next one, we haven’t really figured out what we’re going to do, but it has to be something that we can do on the road because we’re going to be on tour for the next six weeks,” Bevis says, mentioning that workshops in elementary schools has come up as an idea—one that would create a small community of songwriters within the larger community of a school. “Community can be people just hanging out and creating art together, or it can be people making music together. That’s the kind of community we want to create.”
 
The most important part in letting the three ideals guide the Loose Change Trio is the part where the members get off their asses and do something about the problems they see—none of this would have any effect if they just sat around talking about it. When asked if Bevis thought his band was unique for trying to strengthen the sense of community around the world, he said that they weren’t.

“I think it’s important to every band. Most of the bands I talk to or have played shows with, everyone aspires to do this, [the hard part is] just trying to realize it and put it into place. You just gotta take that extra step and do it.” V 

Wed, Sep 24 (8 pm)
Loose Change Trio
With Samantha Schultz
Blue Chair Café, $10

 

A Jingling of Loose Change

John P. Mclaughlin / The Province Newspaper / Vancouver BC

Published: Tuesday, August 19, 2008

The thing about Vancouver’s Loose Change Trio is it’s actually more of a duo, truth be told. It’s singer/songwriter/guitarist David Ward and drummer/percussionist Greg Bevis.

Except for their Unstruck Note album when bassist Sam Shoicett made them a threesome (pictured above) and they have a loose coalition of other players who tend to sit in when they play out.

On Thursday’s show, for example, they’ll be an octet including backup singers and a horn section.

And they’re going on a tour through the Prairies and into Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto in September and for that they’ll be a quartet. So maybe they should be the Loose Change Trio Kinda More or Less.

Well, no. The trio aspect of the Loose Change Trio in fact refers to the three ideas that fuel Ward and Bevis, notably the commitment to positive change, the commitment to their music and the commitment to the community. Laudable ideals, to be sure, but it’s their exceptional abilities with number two that makes numbers one and three workable.

I first heard David Ward when he sent me a solo CD a couple of years back and it was really impressive stuff if almost impossible to pin down, style-wise. Jazz, funk, blues, a touch of folk — it was all in there with Ward’s amazing vocals and it all meshed wonderfully.

Then their Unstruck Note album came out and it just furthered and fleshed out the ideas from the previous CD. It’s great stuff. Just not genre specific.

“Yeah, that’s one of our biggest problems,” says Ward. “A lot of the reviews wanted one thing or the other. They’ll say the slow poetic pieces are really beautiful, but we really don’t know where our heart lies, that we need to decide on a singular path. That was a big bulk of the reviews. Everybody seems to want to put you into some sort of a bag.”

As for the first and third elements of their trio of ideals Ward and Bevis are downright proactive. In Africa a while back to study music, Ward wound up in Ejura, Ghana where he noticed a distinct lack of medical supplies. And what supplies there were seemed scattered everywhere.

Back in Vancouver he decided to launch a campaign to at least right that small wrong. His uncle, a carpenter, built a nicely made hinged box with compartments inside they call a medical cupboard and soon a California woman sent up a lot of supplies when she read about Ward on 4Real.com. He scrounged more from medical companies and the cupboard is headed to Ghana in September.

Then there is Eva Markvoort who suffers from Cystic Fibrosis and received double lung transplant last November after living at St. Paul’s for months at a time, isolated. To give back she and the band are gathering art and crafts supplies to help ease the awful boredom of a hospital stay.

Most are quite content to just focus on making the best music they can. What’s with the altruism?

“Because,” Ward says, choosing his words carefully. “Because that’s part of who we are . . . and who we want to be. One thing I took away from that trip to Africa is the importance of community. And, well, we’re able to do it so . . . let’s do it.”

 

Reviews for Unstruck Note

Ron Cheng – ronatron.net independent reviews

“The creativity that went into this record renders me speechless. This is a must buy CD and a must see band. Loose Change Trio is a perfect example of how musicians are not just there to play music, but to entertain as well…The stage presence of the band is filled with humor and energy…If you only want to support one local band, I highly recommend Loose Change Trio.”

Georgia Straight – Gregory Adams

“David Ward’s range is impressive, blending gruff, James Brown–styled catcalls and a breathy falsetto, often in the same song…Unstruck Note offers up a handful of varying styles…The banjo-driven bluegrass of “Bone Glow” could give the Soggy Bottom Boys a run for their money, while the clanking, chain-gang vibe of “Headed Downtown” is the album’s finest moment.  Unstruck Note will likely see a few quarters tossed at the Loose Change Trio.”

Eric Porcher – Soulwindows.com

“Enthralling and satisfying vocals by David Ward…drums are solid and not overstated…Soul, Blues, Pop, Jazz, Funk and a bit of Bluegrass and Latin, rolled up sensitively and with solid musical abilities in an accessible form…well-written songs…Mainstream appeal but with an intriguing and satisfying musical quality. I’m looking forward to seeing this band’s future unfold.”

John P. McLaughlin – The Province

“Stirring in funk with some great jazz moves and more than a little R&B/soul, singer/writer/guitarist David Ward, aided by the rock solid and utterly sympathetic Greg Bevis on drums and percussion and Sam Shoicett on bass, has come up with a delicious musical gumbo here. Seemingly unencumbered by the usual conventions, there’s a surprise around every corner, some odd and appealing tempo change or modulation or vocal swoop that’ll keep the headphones on. Think Zappa meets James Brown meets Tom Waits meets Stan Getz meets Marvin Gaye – there are a lot of flavours to the Unstruck Note. One of my favourites in a long time.”

Jess Daniels – Freelance for web-based Music Review

“Loose Change Trio’s recent release, ‘Unstruck Note’, is a diversified compilation of energetic grooves and complementary heartfelt lyrics. Searing with the authentic blend of the Loose Change Trio, the album fuses together folk, jazz, blues, theatre, and pure imaginative wit…‘Unstruck Note’ is essential for the musically passionate, as well as those who appreciate the collaboration of many talents, backgrounds and genres, merged together in a beautiful melting pot of love and harmony. Suggested dosage: listen while producing art, mingling with friends, sipping coffee, relaxing, and any other daily activities needing the accompaniment of exceptional music.”

Rootstime – Rootstime.be – Blues and Roots website from Belgium & The Netherlands

“The trio makes a solid and experienced impression on this record…the trio is able to exceed different genres of music without loosing their unique sound…with their latest cd the trio truly belongs in the ranks of the most important Canadian bands of the moment…exciting and organic music which also gives a subtle and a relaxed groove…Davids voice sparkles, a voice which resembles Jeff Buckley or Tom Waits…the knowledgeable mix of funk, soul, jazz and blues that more than once makes the sound of this trio so very special. ‘Unstuck Note’ is above all a beautiful cd.”

Amy O’Brian – Vancouver Sun

“Their talent and ambition shine brightly through the music. This is a rare, bold foray into melodic experimentation.”

Subba-Cultcha.com – UK review website

“Tthe songs are interesting, varied, and well executed…The kind of album that, one assumes, comes to life in a smokey jazz club.”

AnEVibe.com – Online Entertainment Magazine

“Very professionally organzied as the troup seem to have a heightened sense of detail in music…stunning and poetic…incredible musicians and have a great vocalist in David Ward.”