The Shuswap Theatre featured some home-brewed Shuswap tunes on Dec. 28 as Jake McIntyre-Paul and several special guests hit the stage to debut some original music.
While back from Vancouver and on break from his studies at Capilano University, McIntyre-Paul organized a homecoming concert at Shuswap Theatre, along with some well-known Salmon Arm musicians who have all played together for local audiences in the past.
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An opening act composed of Jordan Dick, McIntyre-Paul and Gareth Seys warmed up the crowd with a collection of blues-infused tracks, and a Neil Young song transcribed as an instrumental experience that added a unique flavour to the song.
Following a short intermission, the main event hit the stage: McIntyre-Paul joined by Brian Pratt-Johnson on drums, Chris Petterson on saxophone and Dan Smith on guitar.
The quarted played a set of original music composed by McIntyre-Paul; some of them were old creations, while others were composed during his semester at Capilano, but they were all fresh tracks for the hometown crowd. The tunes were exceptionally soulful, with a dynamic rise and fall of lead melodies from Petterson and Smith and, at times, featuring a seriously infectious rhythm and beat thanks to the percussion skills of Pratt-Johnson. At times it was reminiscent of the soundtrack to a studio-produced film, with the emotional quality of each song being conveyed distinctly through musical notes.
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McIntyre-Paul will be heading back to Vancouver to resume his studies soon at Capilano, but expect him back in the area to entertain fans with more original tunes in the spring.