Mike
      Ross's
      CD
      Launch
      a
      Success
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      launch
      of
      Mike
      Ross's
      first
     
    
   
   
    
     
      solo
      CD
      entitled
      "The
      Dennis
      Lee
      Project,"
     
     
      took
      place
      on
      Friday
      evening,
      March
      29
      at
     
     
      the
      MacKenzie
      Theatre
      in
      Charlottetown.
     
     
      Taking
      into
      account
      the
      quality
      of
      the
      per-
     
     
      formances,
      the
      enthusiastic
      audience
     
     
      reception,
      and
      the
      healthy
      CD
      sales
      at
     
     
      intermission
      alone,
      it
      is
      best
      described
      as
      a
     
     
      tremendous
      success.
      ~~
      eee
     
     
      Mike
      Ross's
      popularity
      with
     
     
      Charlottetown
      audiences
      has
      come
      to
      the
     
     
      point
      where
      he
      is
      just
      about
      a
      household
     
     
      name.
      For
      several
      years
      he
      was
      heavily
     
     
      involved
      with
      the
      Feast
      Dinner
      Theatre,
     
     
      performing,
      writing
      and
      directing.
      After
      he
     
     
      graduated
      from
      UPEI
      with
      a
      Bachelor
      of
     
     
      Music,
      he
      became
      the
      front
      man
      for
      the
     
     
      swing
      band
      The
      Jive
      Kings,
      which
      won
     
    
   
   
    
     
      consecutive
      ECMAs
      for
      j
      jazz
      in
      2000
      and
     
     
      2001.
      Last
      year
      he
      took
      a
      starring
      role
      in
     
     
      the
      Charlottetown
      Festival's
      wildly
      suc-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2083
     
    
   
   
    
     
      WOU
      Ac
      Pe
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      eek
      sete
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cessful
      production
      of
      "Fire."
     
    

    
     
      As
      the
      name
      might
      imply,
      "The
     
     
      Dennis
      Lee
      Project"
      is
      an
      album
      of
      songs
     
     
      set
      to
      Dennis
      Lee's
      poetry.
      In
      case
      you
     
     
      had
      a
      terribly
      deprived
      childhood
      and
      are
     
     
      unfamiliar
      with
      Dennis
      Lee,
      he
      is
      one
      of
     
     
      the
      best
      known
      poets
      in
      Canada,
      especially
     
     
      for
      his
      children's
      poetry.
      His
      most
      popular
     
     
      collection,
      “Alligator
      Pie,"
      has
      sold
      over
     
     
      half
      a
      million
      copies
      since
      its
      publication
     
     
      in
      1974
      and
      his
      book
      "Civil
      Effigies:
      and
     
     
      Other
      Poems,"
      won
      a
      Governor
      General's
     
     
      Award.
      Lee
      is
      currently
      the
      Poet
      Laureate
     
     
      of
      Toronto,
      the
      city's
      first
      ever.
     
    

    
     
      The
      fact
      that
      Lee
      is
      best
      known
      as
     
     
      a
      children's
      poet
      might
      lead
      one
      to
      think
     
     
      that
      Ross's
      songs
      are
      also
      intended
      for
      chil-
     
     
      dren.
      But
      not
      so.
      Ross
      explained
      that
      in
     
     
      every
      Lee
      collection,
      there
      are
      a
      few
     
     
      poems
      snuck
      in
      that
      walk
      the
      line
      between
     
     
      adult
      and
      children's
      poetry
      and
      some
      that
     
     
      are
      just
      blatantly
      intended
      for
      adults
      (such
     
     
      as
      "Dead
      Man
      in
      Edmonton").
      These
      are
     
     
      the
      poems
      that
      Ross
      seeks,
      poems
      that
     
     
      have
      the
      simple
      cleverness
      of
      Lee's
      chil-
     
     
      dren's
      poetry
      while
      simultaneously
      speak-
     
     
      ing
      to
      "grown-ups."
     
    

    
     
      During
      the
      launch,
      he
      told
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      audience
      that
      "The
      Dennis
      Lee
      Project"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      has
      been
      in
      the
      works
      for
      three
      years.
      The
     
     
      idea
      of
      setting
      Lee's
      poems
      to
      music
      came
     
     
      from
      Bob
      Nicholson,
      the
      founder
      of
      the
     
     
      Jive
      Kings.
      When
      Ross
      was
      having
      trouble
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      coming
      up
      with
      lyrics
      for
      Jive
      Kings
     
    
   
   
    
     
      songs,
      Nicholson
      suggested
      using
      a
      poet's
     
     
      words,
      someone
      like
      Lee.
      The
      subsequent
     
     
      song
      using
      a
      Lee
      verse
      didn't
      make
      it
      on
      a
     
     
      Jive
      Kings
      album,
      but
      concept
      of
      an
      album
     
     
      devoted
      to
      Lee's
      poetry
      started
      to
      take
     
     
      shape.
     
    

    
     
      To
      say
      that
      the
      music
      is
      good
     
     
      would
      be
      an
      understatement.
      The
      music
      is
     
     
      really,
      really
      great.
      I
      can't
      decide
      whether
     
     
      Lee
      poems
      or
      Ross
      song-writing
      skills
     
    
   
   
    
     
      should
      be
      given
      the
      credit,
      but
      regardless,
     
     
      Lee's
      poems
      work
      amazingly
      well
      as
      song
     
     
      lyrics.
      The
      music
      itself
      is
      a
      comfortable
     
     
      blend
      of
      jazz
      and
      rock,
      with
      many
      influ-
     
     
      ences
      that.I
      could
      mention,
      but
      are
      unim-
     
     
      portant.
      What
      is
      important
      is
      that
      he
      has
     
     
      created
      a
      sound
      undeniably
      his
      own,
      truly
     
     
      remarkable
      for
      someone
      so
      young.
      There
     
     
      was
      melodic
      and
      rhythmic
      intelligence
      and
     
     
      cleverness
      that
      you
      don't
      hear
      coming
      out
     
     
      of
      many
      songwriters
      these
      days.
     
    

    
     
      In
      particular,
      I
      found
      his
      ability
      to
     
     
      create
      transitions
      between
      musical
      sections
     
     
      that
      are
      incredibly
      smooth
      and
      defy
      expec-
     
     
      tations
      to
      be
      the
      most
      impressive
      aspect
      of
     
     
      these
      songs.
      If
      his
      song-writing
      is
      this
     
     
      strong
      now,
      I
      am
      anxious
      to
      know
      what
      he
     
     
      will
      be
      writing
      in
      ten
      to
      twenty
      years.
     
    

    
     
      It
      didn't
      hurt
      that
      Ross's
      back-up
     
     
      band
      was
      fantastic.
      On
      drums
      was
      Kirk
     
     
      White
      and
      on
      bass
      Dery!
      Gallant,
      both
     
     
      graduates
      of
      the
      UPEI
      Department
      of
     
     
      Music,
      while
      Carrie
      MacClellan
      (UPEI's
     
     
      yearbook
      editor),
      Amanda
      Mark
      and
      Beth
     
     
      Gould
      performed
      back-up
      vocals.
      While
      I
     
     
      did
      have
      issues
      with
      the
      balance
      in
      places,
     
     
      the
      band
      performed
      Ross's
      music
      quite
     
     
      well.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      always,
      Ross
      himself
      had
      the
     
     
      crowd
      in
      the
      palm
      of
      his
      hand.
      He
      sang
     
     
      lead
      vocals,
      played
      the
      piano
      and
      even
      the
     
     
      guitar
      for
      a
      few
      songs,
      demonstrating
      his
     
     
      remarkable
      versatility.
      Between
      songs
      he
     
     
      talked
      to
      the
      audience,
      telling
      the
      stories
     
     
      behind
      the
      songs
      and
      how
      the
      idea
      of
      this
     
     
      album
      came
      to
      fruition,
      which
      was
      great
     
     
      for
      the
      audience.
      (If
      you've
      ever
      heard
     
     
      Mike
      Ross
      tell
      a
      story,
      you
      would
      under-
     
     
      stand.)
      He
      was
      sincerely
      grateful
      for
      the
     
     
      support
      he
      has
      been
      given
      over
      the
      years
     
     
      and
      for
      the
      audience's
      eager
      reception
      of
     
     
      his
      music.
     
    

    
     
      "The
      Dennis
      Lee
      Project"
      is
      cur-
     
     
      rently
      available
      at
      Back
      Alley
      Discs
      and
     
     
      will
      be
      more
      widely
      distributed
      soon.
      This
     
     
      isn't
      one
      of
      those
      CDs
      you
      should
      buy
     
     
      because
      people
      guilt
      you
      into
      buying
      and
     
     
      supporting
      local,
      independent
      music.
      It
      is
      a
     
     
      CD
      you
      should
      buy
      because
      you
      are
      going
     
     
      to
      love
      it.
      There
      is
      a
      lot
      of
      talent
      on
      this
     
     
      disc,
      don't
      let'it
      pass
      you
      by.
      Ross
      intends
     
     
      to
      perform
      his
      music
      based
      on
      Lee's
      poetry
     
     
      frequently
      during
      the
      summer
      in
      a
      number
     
     
      of
      different
      venues.
     
    

    
     
      page
      8
      opel?
      2
      2003
     
    
   
   
    
     
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