Concentration - Christian Tatonetti

It's possible to hear the sounds of the guitar, banjo, mandolin or violin almost any time down on the Inner Harbour Causeway but it's a special treat to listen the rich tones of the sitar threading their way through the hustle-bustle murmur of the crowds. I very much enjoyed the little bubble of peace created by Christian Tatonetti and his sitar the other day and plan to hear some more soon.

One Bright Morning

Now that summer's here the Inner Harbour Causeway is once again a venue for some great local musicians. Here's a pair called "One Bright Morning" consisting of Tad Ruszel and Miki Klaver. Take a listen to the short video I made of them playing earlier this week to get an idea of the high quality performance they offer, something that is characteristic of all the Causeway entertainers.

Safe Mode 3

Here's another using the same special effect setting as yesterday's photo. Today's photo is of one man band Dave Harris who is endlessly patient with my incessant photo-taking. Thanks Dave. And thanks also to regular visitors here who are getting a grab-bag selection of photos for the last couple of days because I am having ongoing computer problems. Operating in Safe Mode means I can only see very fuzzy distorted versions of my photos and cannot edit them before putting them up here.

Plasterman Revisited

A couple of weeks ago I posted a photo of Plasterman, a mime artist who performs as a living statue on the Inner Harbour Causeway. In addition to video recording some of the musical artists on the causeway I've lately been shooting video of Plasterman. He's an interesting performer and you can expect to see more of him here soon.

One Man Band - Dave Harris

I've been spending a lot of time down on the Inner Harbour Causeway lately for several reasons. It's one of my favourite places in this city, especially when the weather is warm enough to be out in the evenings. I've also been spending more time recently shooting video of some of the entertainers who busk on the Causeway. A special project has been to record some of the performances of our famous One Man Band, Dave Harris. Below is a video of Dave's extraordinary version of the classic Orange Blossom Special. Take a close listen to the Harmonica/fiddle/drum break near the middle of the recording - it's an amazing performance. You can see more of Dave Harris on his YouTube Channel HERE.

Swan Song

			The musicians pictured here gathered together on Thursday afternoon to hold a concert on Victoria's Inner Harbour Causeway. The concert was to bid farewell to a long-time musician on the Causeway, Swan Walker. Swan is moving to Toronto and the proceeds of the concert were aimed at helping to defray his moving expenses. Swan's energetic reggae and calypso influenced music will be much missed here.

The video below captures some of the session, which ran for two hours.

Jaime Nolan

This week Victoria is hosting its second annual Buskers Festival featuring street entertainment acts from all over the world. Today's portrait is not one of those imported acts though, it is one of our homegrown veteran performers on the Inner Harbour Causeway, singer/songwriter Jaime Nolan. The Buskers Festival is a great addition to our summer entertainment here in Victoria but I encourage everyone who visits downtown to catch some of these acts to take a turn around the Inner Harbour Causeway and get to know the buskers and artists who live here and work hard all summer to make our downtown one of the nicest in the world. They deserve our gratitude and support. Jaime's been singing on the Inner Harbour since 1994 and he's well worth listening to.

Jammin'

The musicians who play on the Inner Harbour Causeway are always worth listening to - they have to prove their talent at springtime auditions before they are granted a license to perform. But sometimes passersby will get a bonus when two or more of these talented artists team up and play together. Here is our famed one man band, Dave Harris, dueting with Victoria's youngest busker, guitarist Landen Shaw.

One Man Band Dave Harris

No roll call of Causeway performers would be complete without welcoming the presence once again of one of the city's treasures, one-man-band and author, Dave Harris. Dave's been providing his brand of the blues on the Causeway for more than thirty years now. You can find out more about Dave, his music, and his book (a veritable encyclopedia of One Man Bands) by clicking HERE. Listen to a sample track below.

Swan Walker

Here's another of the Causeway's finest performers, Swan Walker. Swan plays mostly reggae though he salts his performances with songs from other genres. When he brings his big blue steel drums they give a whole new edge to tried and true reggae favorites. Best of all, though, in my opinion, is when Swan plays his own compositions - interesting tunes that provide a firm basis for lyrics that are intelligent and arresting. Swan's another good reason for spending some time on the Causeway.

Plasterman

The Inner Harbour Causeway is a bit of a circus in the summer but it's a warm, friendly circus where visitors to the city can mix with the performers and artists. Plasterman, pictured here today, though he looks a little aloof and unapproachable, is a wonderful entertainer who routinely interacts with passersby and leaves them with lasting pleasant memories. Check out his website HERE. I think our city owes a vote of thanks to the buskers and other entertainers and artists who meet visitors on the causeway. They are infinitely patient and friendly and are a credit to our city.

Jean Bedard

There's a wide variety of musicians performing in the streets and downtown tourist venues. Generally, however, the best are those who live here and who scrape a living doing what they love to do, performing for the public in the open air. I haven't met a rich busker yet but none of them are beggars. In fact, most of them give far more than they receive. Jean Bedard (above) is a good example. Here he is performing on the Inner Harbour Causeway. When I sit down and listen to Jean I'm always amazed that such artistry is so freely given away to casual passersby. Take a listen to "Lay Down by the Water" and you'll hear what I mean. You can find out more about Jean HERE
"Lay Down by the Water" was written by Jack Williams.

Picker (Landen Shaw)

Here's summer coming to an end and I feel like I missed a lot of it this year. I regret not visiting the Inner Harbour quite so often since I have missed some new artists and performers as well as not getting quite enough of my old favorites. Above is a young fellow whose guitar picking is worth listening to. I've captured a bit of it on the video below but I didn't have my good quality microphone with me so the sound doesn't do justice to his playing. This is the Inner Harbour's youngest busker, Landen Shaw, age 12. Click HERE to read a local news article about him.

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This is the first of a series of posts that will include videos. Visitors will please be patient with me while I learn how to edit video with some new software - Pinnacle Studio 15. Tomorrow we'll have a video of our local dulcimer player, Metro Semeniuk, and I have two more videos lined up for later in the week.

Shelley Vaags

Here's a musician who's returning to the Inner Harbour after a 15 year hiatus, Shelly Vaags. Both her voice and her demeanor are reminiscent of Dolly Parton and she sings country and western with the same vivacity and sincerity. I never saw her back in the day but I'm glad she has returned. Below is a brief video sample of her music.

John McCallum

If you look carefully just left of center in the photo above you'll see one of my favorite Causeway Artists, singer/songwriter John McCallum. I've enjoyed John's music for years now both on the Inner Harbor Causeway and on Fisherman's Wharf where this photo was taken. As well as tuneful, his songs are thoughtful and often wryly humorous. If you get a chance to hear him, sit down and listen closely. You won't be disappointed. Below is a clip of John's version of Folsom Prison Blues. The audio doesn't do justice to John's sound, which is much better in person, but the video may give you some idea of what Fisherman's Wharf looks like from a busker's perspective.

Country Dave

A combination of inclement weather and transportation problems have contrived to keep me housebound for the last few days so that I have been forced to look into the archives. But it's an ill wind, as they say - I have recovered some photos that got passed over in the wealth of summer and recollected some people who should be mentioned. Today's photos are of Country Dave Ryerson, who brings good country music tunes to the causeway. Dave's been busking a long time and he also contributes one way or another to a lot of the other entertainment you see on the causeway. If you've ever wondered how those causeway performers all manage to spread themselves out and not be in constant competition for the best spots or times, you should talk to Dave, who facilitates the weekly schedule and posts it on the Causeway Artists Website, where he is also the webmaster. And, for those of you who wonder what it's like to be a busker, there is no better source of insider information than Dave's blog, Country Dave's Acoustic Routes, where you'll find fascinating in-depth interviews with many local buskers. While Dave usually performs solo, here's a very short clip of him in a duet with another great causeway performer, Dave Harris. They're singing Country Dave's version of Merle Haggard's Okie From Muskogee, entitled, Proud to be a Busker.

And, while I'm picking up loose ends, here's this year's picture of a kid leapfrogging over one of those distinctive causeway mushroom lamps.

Grace II

It's not only athletes, dancers and children who are graceful, the practiced movements of musicians often display the same physical grace and a harmony in tune with the music they produce. Above is the violinist from the chamber music group called Satori Strings, and the cellist (lower right), while playing on the Inner Harbour Causeway.

Summer Night

Victoria's Inner Harbour Causeway on a summer evening is a delight. There's music in the air (that's one man band Dave Harris in the lower left), jugglers, mimes, artists, beautiful boats and lovely reflections, all lit by the dazzling Legislative Assembly Buildings in the background.

One Man Band

Lately I've been featuring artists and performers on the Inner Harbour Causeway. Today I'm going out to the Saanich Peninsula to pick some strawberries or, more accurately, to photograph other people picking strawberries. But before I leave the causeway I have to post some photos of the most enduring Causeway performer, one man band Dave Harris, whose music has enriched the Inner Harbour for thirty years.

Dave's a consummate musician in the long tradition of minstrel one man bands stretching back to the middle ages and before. It's a pleasure to listen to him play and sing and it's always interesting to see the variety of spectators that watch and listen spellbound.

Mermaid

It's interesting to consider how persistent is the idea of human/animal combinations. I am tempted to cite the "current" fad of vampires except that it is not really current so much as ongoing. In film, one only needs to look at Nosferatu (1922) and the dozens (if not hundreds) of vampire films that followed. Right now we have the Twilight series which features both vampires and werewolves. Humans may assume other animal forms in other cultures. In West Africa the leopard is often the chosen form of black magic or juju priests. The combination is not always dark and horrible - here on the Inner Harbour Causeway we have a charming mermaid. This is Hilarie Ann Higgins who performs with her accordian as the Mesmerizing Mermaid.