Cyberpresse/La Presse-4 band members

USA and Canada (April 1 - June 4, 2009). Special concert for fans in NYC (February 19). Concert reports, set lists, photos, media coverage, multimedia links, recollections...
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bridger15
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Cyberpresse/La Presse-4 band members

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http://www.cyberpresse.ca/arts/musique/ ... iciens.php
The following is a translation of the article using: Google Translate
Alain De Repentigny
La Presse
May 16, 2009

For a year, Leonard Cohen gives a performance with nine musicians and singers who value beautifully in his songs. We will present four, two accomplices long and two recruits, whom we met in New York before the start of the North American tour that will stop soon in Quebec City and Ottawa. The topic of conversation: Leonard Cohen.

RAFAEL BERNARDO GAYOLE

Drummer Rafael Gayol Bernardo was born in Mexico but grew up in California. He has played with including Robbie Robertson, the Bodean, Charlie Sexton and the Norwegian group A-ha. This is his first tour with Leonard Cohen.

"I was 11 and I knew Leonard Cohen was very special. That was in 1969, I started just playing music and listening to his albums.

"I met Leonard for the first time in a festival in Norway in 1988. The guys from A-ha were great fans, they listened to I'm Your Man on the bus tour and I'm in love with this album.

"Two years ago, I was in a shoe store in San Diego when the phone rang. It was Roscoe Beck (musical director Cohen) with whom I have ever played in Texas. "Come immediately to the house of Leonard in Los Angeles, he said, it needs a percussionist." It clicked with Leonard and a little later, I was part of his group.

"We rehearsed for 11 weeks before the tour, a real luxury, but necessary. We worked six days a week. With Leonard, it is important his words, his voice. I learned to play very slowly, each week, I added a pillow in my bass drum.

"When the tour began, Leonard wanted to be certain that the venues would fit him and he'll feel at ease. Today he plays at all.

"His music is timeless, few artists can say that. For me, it's an honor, a blessing, a gift to play with Leonard Cohen, not a job. "

Leonard Cohen, at the Pavillon de la jeunesse of Quebec, May 21, and at the National Arts Center Ottawa, 25 May 26

BOB METZGER

Boston guitarist Bob Metzger is the touring band of Leonard Cohen since 1988. With his wife Leanne Ungar, he also participated in the realization of some records of the Montreal artist.

"When I joined Leonard, 21 years ago, I heard Suzanne and Bird on the Wire, but I was not familiar with her repertoire. He was looking for a guitarist who could play the pedal steel.

"I look at it and sing Leonard draws from the same emotions when he wrote his songs. He is a master in the art of building a concert, to choose the order of songs, he knows how to lead us to the next plateau.

"I remember the concert at the Montreal Forum in 1993, the Canadiens had just won the Stanley Cup and we were installed in the visitors locker room. Jacques Demers gave Leonard a sweater Canadian. Leonard is not the biggest sports fan, but it is a true Montrealer. He talks all the time sandwiches smoked meat even if they eat more meat, I think. During the concert in Montreal last year, we were all very aware that it was his city.

"Leonard is very good for us to push ourselves. When we said it was pulling the strings like a puppeteer. It is a master arranger. It is as if it was a blown up using all the ingredients: I'm bacon, Javier, Iberian ham. Working with him is like attending a master class. It is very serious, we need the music is correct and the example just above.

"Leonard is continuously reinvented. This is one of the great lyricists of the story, but it takes time to refine the very good music. Like the Beatles, it does not write the same song.

"The man has 74 years, and gives performances of three hours or more. It could easily sing for six hours. "

JAVIER MAS

The Spaniard Javier Mas, who lives in Barcelona, playing guitar, the bandurria and laud. "I am the Mediterranean flavor in the music of Leonard," he said. In 2006 and 2007, he was musical director for a show in tribute to Cohen in Spain, particularly involving the companion of the singer Anjani Thomas, and his son, Adam Cohen.

"I became acquainted with Leonard two years ago at Christmas. He had seen the video and listened to the disc of our tribute concert and he said he would like to play together one day. Then he called me to say that rehearsals began in February 2008.

"I listen to Leonard Cohen when I was 15 years, he has always been part of my life. I was playing Suzanne, Bird on the Wire, Chelsea Hotel No. 2 and The Partisan and try to translate words into Spanish to understand what he was talking about. It is the feeling of her songs and her voice that captivated me. Few whites sing so erotic, so un hombre, a man who sings, not a woman.

"Leonard is interested in eastern music, Greek, Turkish ... My thing to me is a mixture of Arabic music, Eastern and flamenco. The arrangements I made for Leonard are inspired by Greek music (Dance Me To The End of Love), Flamenco (Gypsy's Wife) or take over improvisation (Who By Fire). Every night, my solos are different. As guitarist, Leonard has his own style. There is something unique in its tremolo in his bass line, nobody does it better than him.

"For me it is a gift to play these songs with the extraordinary man who has written. I thought this tour would last one year, but the reaction is such that I take before other commitments. "

ROSCOE BECK

Bassist and musical director, Roscoe Beck Texan working with Leonard Cohen from the album Recent Songs in 1979. It was his tour in 1979-1980 and has mounted the groups that have accompanied Cohen in 1988 and 1993 even if there were not played. He has performed with Jennifer Warnes album Famous Blue Raincoat, where she took songs from Cohen.

"The producer Henry Lewy, who had worked with Joni Mitchell, gave me a call when registering Recent Songs. At the time, I played with (the band) Passenger and Leonard asked us to accompany him on tour with Jennifer Warnes, Sharon Robinson, violinist Raffi Hakopian, John Bilezikjian on oud and mandolin.

"This meeting, in 1979, has changed the way I see music. I might have followed in the footsteps of Jaco Pastorius I hoped replace Weather Report, but I made an abrupt left turn. It was exactly what I needed. From a purely instrumental music, I returned to the texts and which texts were! For me it was an awakening similar to the first time I heard John Coltrane.

"I always kept in touch with Leonard is a friend. When it came to me in Austin in 2006, I decided that I would never raterais one of its tours.

"Leonard has an incredible repertoire. It was so difficult to mount this show! Initially, we chose 120 songs. Which we cut?

"Leonard has an extraordinary talent for music, we do not say it enough. It comes from a musical tradition close to country music, labor songs, old folk songs, with melodies very simple, but memorable, very strong.

"The other day I heard journalists say that Leonard has been on tour because he lost money. I think not. He was really ready to make a tour to reconnect with its audience. I may be wrong, but I think this group will be his last. "
©2009 Google
2009-San Diego|Los Ang|Nashville|St Louis|Kansas City|LVegas|San Jose
2010-Gothenburg|Berlin|Ghentx2|Oaklandx2|Portland|LVegasx2
2012-Austinx2|Denver|Los Ang|Seattle|Portland

Arlene's Leonard Cohen Scrapbook http://onboogiestreet.blogspot.com
benning
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Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2009 5:01 am

Re: Cyberpresse/La Presse-4 band members

Post by benning »

Great article! Thank you for posting.
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bridger15
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Re: Cyberpresse/La Presse-4 band members

Post by bridger15 »

I forgot to mention that the article includes a great photo by Michael Petit of
Rafael Bernardo Gayol, Javier Mas, Roscoe Beck and Bob Metzger
2009-San Diego|Los Ang|Nashville|St Louis|Kansas City|LVegas|San Jose
2010-Gothenburg|Berlin|Ghentx2|Oaklandx2|Portland|LVegasx2
2012-Austinx2|Denver|Los Ang|Seattle|Portland

Arlene's Leonard Cohen Scrapbook http://onboogiestreet.blogspot.com
MaryB
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Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 5:40 am
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA

Re: Cyberpresse/La Presse-4 band members

Post by MaryB »

Nice background info and insight from the band members, and pleasing photo - Thank you Arlene!

Best regards,
Mary
1993 Detroit 2008 Kitchener June 2-Hamilton June 3 & 4-Vienna Sept 24 & 25-London RAH Nov 17 2009 NYC Feb 19-Grand Prairie Apr 3-Phoenix Apr 5-Columbia May 11-Red Rocks Jun 4-Barcelona Sept 21-Columbus Oct 27-Las Vegas Nov 12-San Jose Nov 13 2010 Sligo Jul 31 & Aug 1-LV Dec 10 & 11 2012 Paris Sept 30-London Dec 11-Boston Dec 16 2013 Louisville Mar 30-Amsterdam Sept 20
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