Multi-instrumentalist Arun Pal likes to create musical fusion
Fusion is a keyword in Arun Pal’s life be it playing with musicians galore or his role as composer, arranger and accompanist for new works in modern dance where he plays piano, drums and sings at the same time.
This noted multi-instrumentalist, now based outside of Toronto, recently composed a new piece for renowned Dancetheatre choreographer David Earle. It’s called “The Gift.” “What David has done for art in Canada is incredible,” notes Pal. “I feel like he is one of the parents of modern dance in Canada. I think 80 to 90 per cent of the artists in this country that are thriving, come from under the umbrella of his teachings.
“I have to say that every time I see David’s work it just tells me how lucky this country is that someone like him has been present here since the ‘60s,” says Pal, who met Earle in the mid to late ‘90s.
“I worked with him on a small tour,” recalls Pal. “My life changed when I saw his work and how David uses music — his art of movement and how the music to me turns into something new.
“I think he really appreciated the compositional approach that I had,” recalls Pal.
“I was definitely more of a composer at heart even when I was just playing drums I think. We would do this as improv. There was a lot of structure in modern dance and I was already tuned into the vocabulary of what the class can be like even though they were quite unique from teacher to teacher.
“That is how we started but I think David encouraged me to write and compose,” says Pal. “About 10 years later we did our first main project together.
“The piece I composed for him this time around has some Hungarian folksong in it. Generally speaking, some of the modality of
it is a little bit Middle Eastern. I know David really loves that style of music. I do too and I would use it when I was improvising with his classes.
“This is the first time in about 10 years that I have written something,” says Pal. “To be honest, it is designed more to be a present so that’s why it’s called ‘The Gift.’ David was interested in choreographing to it. I just don’t know if I have given him enough time,” admits Pal with a laugh.
“I just want the piece to be organic, and have David as part of the program to represent my good fortune and how that has been my last 25-plus years working with music and art.”
Pal is originally from the scenic town of Thornbury near Collingwood. At a very young age, he would tinker around on his parents’ old upright grand Gerhard Heitzman piano so his mother decided to enrol him in piano lessons.
“Mum actually restored the piano,” says Pal. “I don’t know
how long it took her. She restored the wood, stripped it down and refinished it. It still looks immaculate and that piano is now in my house in Ajax. It was in my parents’ home for many years and then it finally fit in my front door!
“It’s the piano I use for recording,” notes Pal. “There will be a piece in the show — it was not planned — but that is the very first piano I ever played so it will be there via recording!” he adds with a laugh. “Plus it fits the theme of the show,” says Pal, adding he moved from Collingwood to Kitchener to study music at Laurier where he majored in drums, piano and composition.
Pal became the accompanist for the modern dance classes which led to a job in Eastwood Collegiate’s Integrated Arts Program. He played the piano and then slowly introduced percussion including the melody of hand drums into the modern dance class mix.
“That is the beginning and then the fruition of me putting the piano and the drums together at the same time,” says Pal. “It is very organic — the hand drum and an acoustic piano together. It is really amazing so I think just the tone made sense to me. Many of my students are still working in the arts,” says Pal, adding he worked at Eastwood for 18 years where he also met longtime friend, kindred spirit and fellow multi-instrumentalist Sam Dlugokecki, a.k.a. Sammy Duke.
Duke is one of many artists that Pal performed with over 20 years of living in Kitchener.
Pal, also a producer and recording engineer, played with the band Snack! and very close friend late singer/ songwriter Matt Osbourne.
Other local artists that Pal has played with or produced include Lynn Jackson, Pat Skinner, Chris Mulligan and several bands including Any Other Day.
“It might be easier to count the number of artists I have worked with based on the (40 or so) CDs I have done,” jokes Pal. “I was recording them and then I was playing with them often around a CD release.”
Pal has also performed with Bob Egan of Blue Rodeo, Rebecca Campbell, Eccodek, and Luke Doucet, in addition to playing many festivals from Hillside to Nashville. He has opened for many artists including David Usher (of Moist), the Skydiggers and Amanda Martinez.
“Before Now Always” guests features Latin Fusion Trio featuring Afro-Cuban/Afro-Brazilian jazz melded with rumba, flamenco, bossa nova, and tango.
The trio includes Pal’s brother Suneal and Neil Douglas on guitars, with Pal on the piano and drums.
Other guests include longtime groove rocking pals Snack! jam band (Adrian Jones, Kim Regimbal and Dave Jones) and noted guitarist Juneyt Yetkiner.
The 25-year retrospective will showcase Pal’s piano drum kit and hand drums front and centre.
“That has always been my thing. There is the high hat in the mix from the drum kit and the bass drum always. With the hand drums, I may use sticks every once in a while,” says Pal, adding he would someday like to bring string players into his live arrangements.
Pal will be performing new material and says he has enough new songs for five more CDs but is more interested in producing a live DVD of his performances.
He is thrilled that his good friends are taking the time to perform with him for this special night.
“To me, it was supposed to be a reunion but it turned into this chance to present my little world that I have been lucky to have for so long,” notes Pal softly. “This has all been a part of my life for this many years and I get to throw it out there. I am so grateful for everyone being there. I am hoping that — because I was not able to fit everyone in — that maybe sometime in the future we can do another night!”