‘MUSIC KEEPS YOU ROLLING’
At 70, an energized Terry Gillespie recorded latest CD live, launches his latest tour
Eastern Ontario bluesman Terry Gillespie is celebrating the release of his latest CD, Home Boy. Lynn Saxberg spoke to the veteran musician about recording live, and the rejuvenating effects of a yearly winter getaway to Jamaica.
Q Your new CD, Home Boy, was recorded live at your regular monthly gig in Vankleek Hill, where you live. What was it about the place, the Granary, that made it conducive for recording ?
A Well, basically we just stuck a lot of microphones up and went for it. The way I play is I play live. We don’t really rehearse. Well, that’s not exactly true. We rehearsed a couple of times. We don’t plan what we’re doing. We play free. We play open. So that means we have to play well or it doesn’t work. It’s real natural for us to record live. We recorded all last summer because it was easy to do, and then I realized we had a lot of good stuff. Q Now the Granary is closing.
Does it feel like the end of an era?
A Yeah. Once a month for 15 years, we played there on a Tuesday and filled the place. But now it feels like the beginning of another era. Q Why?
A The guys I’m playing with now, we’re all feeling energized about the music. I don’t know why. We just feel good about it. We all feel like a bunch of kids now, like when you start a band and can’t wait to play music. That’s how we feel, which is OK by me. Q Who’s in your Skin Tight Band?
A I’ve got Andrew Cowan on guitar, Peter Measroch on keys, Wayne Stoute on drums and Chris Breitner on bass.
Q You’ve been playing with most of them for a long time. What’s changed?
A This is a time of extreme change for everybody. Look what’s happening politically and globally. In the midst of all that, it’s pretty easy to get overcome and overwhelmed by events, and wonder if what you’re doing makes any sense. And if you play for a long time, you feel that way, too. Then all of a sudden I got a feeling. Part of it I think has to do with going to Jamaica every year for three months, January to March. It does sort of change the way I look at things because they have a different outlook on life.
Q What is it about Jamaica that affects your perspective?
A That environment, it’s good for your health. When you get there, nothing hurts. You get in the sun and float in the water. Q And listen to reggae?
A The music, of course, is a big part of it. It’s something I ran into in 1968 when I first came to Canada. I was thrilled to find this new form of blues and jazz. That’s what I think reggae is. I fell in love with it. And then I found out that I like the food and everything else about Jamaica, too.
Q You didn’t discover reggae until you came to Canada?
A That’s right. When I was in the U.S., I was in Detroit a lot at the same time as Howling Wolf and John Lee Hooker and Junior Wells. That was the music. When I came across the border, I got to be friends with black people, and said, “Where’s your music?” because they had the best music. And it was a different kind of music, which thrilled me to pieces. What a surprise.
Q You had a big birthday on March 30. How did you celebrate your 70th?
A I was in Jamaica. It was two days before we left to come back. I didn’t want a big party. It’s all parties there so we went to a special event for the kids of Negril. The kids were running completely wild down by the Negril beach, and the parents were all sitting around getting as high as they could. There was a huge buffet and a talent contest. It was excellent. What a great birthday.
Q Have you been writing songs?
A Yes and no. I can’t say I have a whole bunch of new tunes but I’ve been digging out some old songs, things I never finished, things I never thought would work, and that’s part of the excitement. It doesn’t have to be anything anybody gives a damn about. It’s just gotta be a song. It doesn’t matter what happens to it after you make it. It’s all part of the expression. That’s part of the grown-up thing, I think, that’s happening here. Making music without an agenda.
Q What’s next for you?
A I’ve got a nice tour happening out west. I’m sure I’ll put out another CD next year. I’m booked through 2019 so I might have to start lying about my age (laughs). Basically I want to just keep on doing what I do. Music keeps you rolling.