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Music at a Rakish Angle

The music of The Rakish Angles is difficult to define. Is it jazz? Is it roots? Is it folk? "You can call us by a really general description," said Angles' fiddler Serena Eades.

The music of The Rakish Angles is difficult to define. Is it jazz? Is it roots? Is it folk?

"You can call us by a really general description," said Angles' fiddler Serena Eades. "How about new acoustic? We've got the same configuration as a classic string band: violin, guitars, mandolins, bass."

The Sunshine Coast quartet could once have been called an instrumental group but with the launch of their latest CD, Cottonwood Moon, produced on the Coast with the assistance of Courtney Wing and Andy Amanovich at Oceanview Studios, they have introduced singing on three of the numbers.

"All four of us have so many musical influences in our background," said bassist Boyd Norman, who refers to himself as an "old folkie" of the coffee house era. Although he has no classical background, he has learned a lot about jazz, especially after performing with the Creek Big Band. Eades has classical training and sometimes disappears quietly from the Coast with her violin to perform with the Kamloops and Prince George symphonies. Dan Richter has a classical guitar background, while Simon Hocking is a mandolinist and songwriter who was the first to add lyrics.

They seem ready to embrace any musical genre. For example, they will collaborate in the Sechelt Festival of the Arts main stage showcase, Tapestry, this Saturday evening with DJ Honeybee to blend acoustic and electronic music.

"Sometimes we try a tune on a dare. If we don't have a ska tune or a Cajun tune - let's write one," laughs Eades.

The result is a lively, eclectic collection of original tunes written by all four members. Eades leads off with a country fiddle tune, The Dirty Spoon Rag. One of Norman's pieces, Runnin' Late, will make you hop.

"It's based on many years of commuting," he said. He would tear out of his Roberts Creek home and on to the ferry arriving minutes before its departure. Warning: the tune can make you anxious if you stress over being tardy. Other listeners will find it invigorating and reminiscent of a fast-paced Balkan folk dance.

The title song, Cottonwood Moon, is a dreamy, meditative ballad composed by Hocking and Richter. Guests Jayme Stone on banjo, Doug Cox on dobro, Curtis Andrews on percussion and Angus Lyon on accordion add to the richness of the sound.

The Rakish Angles will launch their new CD at a Coast show on Friday, Oct. 28, at the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons at 8 p.m.

Friend and fellow musician Joe Stanton will do an opening set. The next day they launch in Vancouver at Celtic Traditions, and then, thanks to a Canada Council touring grant, they will go on a concert tour giving three shows in Quebec and ten in Ontario. Not bad for a group that only formed in 2007. Since then they have been nominated for the Canadian Folk Music Awards and the Western Canadian awards, as well as an American award that honours independent acoustic projects. Their music is multi-generational, like the ages of its members. With this second album, the Angles have gelled into one of the country's most progressive string bands.

"We are busy and booked now," Norman said. "But it's been a lot of hard work to get here."

Tickets for the CD launch concert are at Gaia's Fair Trade in Gibsons, MELOmania in Roberts Creek and Strait Music in Sechelt for $15 advance and $18 at the door. The CD will be for sale at the concert, at local outlets, on their website, www.rakishangles.com, and on iTunes.