Since moving to Canada from the UK 16 years ago, I’ve encountered some extraordinary artists working in many disciplines, especially in my home province of British Columbia. There’s something about this part of the world, a distinctive x-factor beyond its natural beauty that seems conducive to the stimulation of great art. Consequently, the arts scene spanning all arenas of creativity is fertile and extremely diverse; the musical landscape, in particular, healthily encompasses just about every genre one can imagine.
Typical of the gifted types at work and play here is Trent Freeman, who originates from a sleepy Vancouver Island community but is presently based across the Salish Sea in Vancouver. Arguably best known as a fiery fiddle player in The Fretless, the award-strewn multi-instrumentalist Freeman also has, ahem, many other strings to his bow. A dazzling musician often operating deep in traditional fiddle tune territory, he runs parallel careers in the gorgeous, electronically-rooted Speaker Face with The Fretless’ cellist Eric Wright and works extensively as a visual artist and videographer/filmmaker. On top of these pursuits, he regularly guests on other musicians’ projects, collaborating with acts as sonically removed from each other as Pharis & Jason Romero, the Nanaimo-based ambient/drone project Holy Boredoms, and Wyclef Jean. To this end, he can call upon a hefty cast of friends with whom to work on his own material, just as he has for this snuck-out digital-only EP, Tunes EP vol. 1.
Indeed, the line-up here is from the top drawer of Canadian roots talent, but their presence is a testament to the esteem in which Freeman is held within the Canadian folk music community: John Reischman is rightly considered one of the world’s best mandolin players; banjoist Allison de Groot is widely regarded for her brilliant work with fiddle player Tatiana Hargreaves; Ella Korth plays with Le Ren among many, and Vinta’s Alan Mackie most recently displayed his impressive double bass chops on Elise Boeur and Adam Iredale-Gray’s Fiddle Tunes album. Even from a technical perspective, Freeman works with the very best: the EP was recorded (live off the floor, I might add) and mixed by Adrian Dolan, the most skilled live sound engineer I’ve ever come across in almost five decades of gig-going. Finally, David Travers Smith was responsible for the mastering, and he has worked in one capacity or another on scores of recordings since 1993, including releases by Ani DiFranco, Oliver Schroer, Jane Siberry, Ron Sexsmith, and Deerhoof.
As should be expected, in both performance and its capture at Dolan’s Vancouver Island studio, this mighty ensemble has turned in a beautiful recording, albeit just five tracks clocking in at under 20 minutes total. Three have unusual titles, but all five – Fenn & Loup tk.4, The Weaving Hut, duo The Winds of Cain, Sunset & Sage, and Pretty Hollow Words cross G are Freeman originals, but although they bear an undeniably contemporary coolness, so versed is he in the realm of traditional fiddle music that they slot authoritatively along any vintage material you care to name, themselves likely destined for classic status one day. It is amazing stuff, and I would hope a precursor for a full-length project, as an entire album of such wonders as he has unveiled here will be something to behold.
Tunes EP vol. 1 is available now from https://trentfreeman.bandcamp.com/
