It’s once again time for our monthly Sooke Folk Music Society Coffee House. This Saturday, May 17, we are very pleased to be presenting the Victoria-based group, OzMoses.
Paul Winfield of the group has supplied us with the following write-up.
OzMoses is a “new” four-piece acoustic act out of southern Vancouver Island. To say “new” is definitely tongue-in-cheek cuz these guys are not new to the music biz (or to life, if you get my drift) … just new to local audiences. Each of the members of this diverse musical entourage hails from a different part of the known universe. I was asked to write a piece for them because – frankly – they are either illiterate or too lazy (maybe both?)…. Just kidding?
OzMoses consists of:
Elies Van Sommeren: token Dutch import and supreme songmeistress. Elies started singing in a children’s choir at a young age and hasn’t shut up since (you can still hear the faint cadence of a Dutch accent on English prepositions). Her voice can best be described as a mix between Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Nicks and she gets a glow when singing jazz, blues, rockabilly or gospel.
Patty Castle: resident folkie and guardian of the bottom end … Patty started playing flute in grade school, electric bass for her high school jazz band, performed in many island acts and is currently a mover and shaker who books the music for the Victoria Folk Music Society every Sunday.
Burke Rosen: keeper of the Chi. This Zenny fella grew up in Winterpeg where - at 13 - he learned the fine art of Travis picking from a student of Lenny Breau whilst hanging out at coffee houses groovin’ and jamming to live acts. There’s not a songwriter on the acoustic planet that he doesn’t know about … and probably knows how to play as well. Burke was in a few of the 400 garage bands that were active in Winnipeg in the 60’s. He also played the prairie folk circuit, and, it was under the myopic spell of those golden times he bought himself a Gibson guitar … which he still plays … and plays beautifully. Oh those sixties …
Paul Winfield: disturber of the force. If there’s a way to cause back pressure in the landscape of a quiet acoustic piece, this guy will find it. A mixture of caustic and hippie, this Ontario native found his musical calling as a 17-year-old against the backdrop of West Coast draft dodgers, communes, ponytails and hitchhiking. He learned to play on an old Yamaha 12-string while laying track for the Canadian National Railway. His current passion is to try and make OzMoses’ two guitars sound like one although - if you listen closely - you still might hear someone ask him to turn it down a bit …
Please come out and join us this Saturday, May 17 at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 1962 Murray Rd. for a night of engaging music and banter. Doors open at 7 p.m. with open stage at 7:30 and our feature at 9.
Submitted by Dave Gallant