A Michael Kaeshammer Christmas

“Something magical happens when Michael Kaeshammer sits at the piano. Sure, like all pianists, he plays 12 notes across 88 keys. But the musician and songwriter coaxes dazzling, kaleidoscopic sounds from his instrument in a way few can rival.”

Thursday night’s performance at Oliver’s Frank Venables Theatre (no bad seat in the house BTW) showed this magic in spades. I am not sure what I was expecting. Some media reports had suggested a more “mellow Michael,” possibly crossing over to a Michael Bublé pop style. Well . . . the fiercely physical boogie-woogie pianist I remember from his early recordings opened a dazzling show of keyboard virtuosity well supported by David Steinmetz on drums, Steve Hilliam on tenor sax, with Malcolm Connor on acoustic and electric bass.

I always intended my blog takenote.ca to include musical stories and commentary but as music no longer captures my interest and experience as it once did, I have been thin on the ground where music is concerned, until now. In Oliver we got a rough and tumble parade of rock, blues, jazz, and pop tunes all under a Peace for Christmas umbrella.

Described as “one of the best pianists in the country . . . Michael can also play classical pieces, blues, pop . . . all at a top-tier level . . . His vocals have a real sincerity to them, and a charm in how he phrases things. His topics are on the positive side, as he really looks at the world in a positive light. That comes out authentically in the music.”

Not only did he explore the endless possibilities a very fine piano, in all registers, dynamics, and range of touch (including some prepared piano plucking a la John Cage). We also enjoyed some wonderful stand-up comedy while sitting down. Kaeshammer really knows how to work and engage a room. On more than one occasion he moved into the crowd leaving his rhythm section to keep it all going as he took his horn player with him for a rear seat romp. A truly impressive gig gag.

While his second half leaned hard into the blues, his first half paid homage to his parents, to his father’s love of stride and Joplin, and his mother’s suggestion that one day they take in a Little Richard concert. In such music he found his genre, and it’s in good hands.

David Steinmetz’s drumming reminded me of the movie Whiplash which tells the story of a young drummer finding his place in an aggressive New York jazz scene, a style of drumming both emotionally fierce and technically demanding. From Steve Hilliam’s horn we heard shades of Charlie Parker and other hard 50s boppers. Kudos to Pen High band teacher Justin Glibbery who found a stand-up bass for Steve Hilliam.

At 66 years old I did find myself thinking at one point “here we go again” as the band launched into another high energy techno extravaganza. I did long for a quieter and calmer number which eventually appeared in a new composition: Peace for Christmas, a song many of us want and need to sing ourselves this year:

Sittin’ here again with paper and pen
Lookin’ at the world and wondering when,
All the battles will be done
Only silence, no more need
To hold a gun

All I want is
Peace for Christmas
Is that too much to ask
Am I dreamin’ all alone
And to find a way
For all of us to
Find a way to come on home

When all is said, sung, and done, Michael Kaeshammer enjoys what we all seek, a vocation doing what we love to do. Kaeshammer loves performing and is so very good at it. He’s a national treasure with a still growing international reputation. He has performed at three Olympic Games! He still loves the road, though it should be noted that following his Oliver concert, the next morning his plane could not fly out of Penticton, so with his crew he drove to Vancouver only to meet Taylor Swift traffic, congestion, and downtown frustration. Long day, bad timing.

The challenges of the road notwithstanding, Kaeshammer says “I love playing shows and being on-stage and if this music helps me to do more of that, then I’m all in. Music is my favourite thing to do.” And it shows. Catch him when you can.