Ben Bowen ~ horns, metallophone, keys
Nick Zubeck ~ guitars, lapsteel, FX
James Castle ~ bass, loops
Robbie Grunwald ~ keys
Marshall Bureau ~ drums and percussion
Influences
awkward social interactions
muscle relaxants
nursery rhymes
3/4 parenthood
Bill Frisell
Walt Whitman
Erik Truffaz
hangovers
sleep debt
the Flaming Lips
Tripping Daisy
Max Ernst
Paul Klee
Jean-Paul Riopelle
Jasper Johns
K-Mart
Miles Davis
gardening
Tomasz Stanko
Brad Mehldau
In A Silent Way
Charlie Mingus really grey, rainy days
Sounds Like
anthemic nursery rhymes
"...it's like instrumental Tom Waits, only like, happy..." ~ bassist Brandi Disterheft
"Book of Gnomes is a music geek's dream band. Professional instrumental jazz musicians experimenting with Indie Rock, Jazz and Electronica mixed in. If you like to watch top notch improvisation, don't miss 'The Gnomes'." ~ the Freeway
"If you're looking for something to alternately dance to as well as lounge out and have a cup of coffee, this group should do the trick." ~ Pulse Niagara
"It's a like a whole new level of Mario that's never been discovered!" ~ a fan
The Book of Gnomes is an electroacoustic collaboration between Nick Zubeck (Barzin, Polmo Polpo, Great Lake Swimmers), James Castle (Elkton Hills, Phil Stabile, Cable, R., Cable, W.), Marshall Bureau (A Northern Chorus, Erika Werry, Nick Zubeck), Robbie Grunwald (Jill Barber, Everything All the Time, Barzin, Matza Ball Gumbo), and Ben Bowen (Great Aunt Ida, A Northern Chorus, Ronley Teper). The music, presented in the form of long-form post-fusion suites, combines elements of rock and pop with improvisation. A recent Skopemag "Artists to Watch" feature proclaimed, "The music that these guys create is not mainstream but it definitely caters to the serious music enthusiast. The diverse instruments and sounds that all come together is truly music to our ears."
yeah, ...busy... let me get my bearings. this week is killer. next week may involve recording, and then tourette (pun intended). i'm going to Vancouver too... if you're around on the 31st, come out to the 'Zac and we can talk there.
okay, so it's been a while since i've taken a peek at yr space and listened to yr music, and that makes me a fool b/c it's amazing. so we should do a show together with Polyester Heart. yr neck of the woods or mine. let's get our people to confer.
Cool thing you have going on. Check out this weeks show with Big Rude Jake. It's right up your alley. Keep in touch.
It's Canadian Music Week in Toronto this week and IndieCan has already started. Episode 74 has some of our sleeper picks for this great week of music. If you can't be there, be here, we'll bring you the good stuff.
Cheers,
Joe C host IndieCan Radio www. indiecan. com info@indiecan.com artists and fans, doing for ourselves!
