by Jim Kelly

Who: Zubot and Dawson
What: rootsy and original acoustic instrumental music
Where: Vancouver, BC
Website: www.zubotanddawson.com
To Contact: Black Hen Music, PO Box 74661, Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC, V6K 4P4 (604) 224-5717, FAX (604) 689-3005, info@zubotanddawson.com

How unique is Vancouver’s Zubot and Dawson? So unique they had to come up with a new word to describe their music. They’ve followed up on the success of their 1998 debut album, Strang, (an album which won them a Juno and a West Coast Music Award) with Tractor Parts: Further Adventures in Strang. And what is Strang? It’s a word they invented to describe the kind of music they make, “as opposed to tacking on a whole bunch of adjectives,” explains Steve Dawson. Essentially, it’s shorthand for the heady mix of influences and styles they use to create something original. Though most of the instruments on Tractor Parts are acoustic and rootsy, they are played with a distinctly non-traditional twist. This, in addition to the occasional loops and drum sampling, and support from such cameo instruments as a hurdy-gurdy and a “$15 roadside synth,” gives their arrangements a fun, innovative edge. “We were just trying to avoid a standard, stock, acoustic-sounding record because there’s tons of those and we wanted to try and make something that was sonically rich and interesting to listen to,” says Dawson. Dawson’s Hawaiian and dobro work is stellar throughout, and he picks a mean 6-string, too, while Zubot’s fiddle and mandolin playing is truly exceptional. But it’s not just that Zubot and Dawson (et al.) are superb players, it’s because they play with an exuberance and a spirit of freshness and originality that just can’t be beat. Strang days indeed.

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 11th, 2000 at 10:15 am and is filed under Showcase. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.