Christine Bougie’s “Aloha Supreme”
Christine Bougie has enjoyed the distinction of performing as a guitarist and lap-steel player in many top Toronto and Canadian bands. She is also in high demand as a session player for the likes of Amy Millan and The Good Lovelies. There’s a reason Christine is kept so busy and this CD reveals just why.
Aloha Supreme, Bougie’s latest release takes a pleasing journey weaving very original and poetic motifs through each track with a slight nod to guitar great Bill Frisell.
(Christine Bougie played with her hero Bill Frisell a few years ago in Banff.)
I happen to be a fan of Frisell’s sound so it’s no surprise I have fallen for Christine’s intellectual compositional style. It’s fun, flirty, thoughtful and often emotional.
This record is not about guitar playing chops nor is it intended to be. It’s more about melody: exploring new musical ground with the clever, tasteful use of other instrumentation, like clarinet, cello, trumpet, bass and drums.
That said, Christine’s lap slide work is pristine, as is her guitar work, staying true to the place where the simplicity of the melody abides.
You can go there too, but you have to be pure of heart and not fooled by the commercial hype of the fabled “Guitar God.”
My heart is full of this record. I have sipped from Aloha Supreme’s cup and the scales have fallen from my eyes…
I am smitten.
More:
Purchase Aloha Supreme CDs or downloads
Exclaim! reviews Aloha Supreme
Marcus J. Wilson describes Christine’s micropatronage funding method for Aloha Supreme
- The Making Of Aloha Supreme: Dean Drouillard, Producer
- The Making Of Aloha Supreme: Hammy’s Revenge
- The Making Of Aloha Supreme: Take This, Leave That
- The Making Of Aloha Supreme: Chet & Chomsky
- The Making Of Aloha Supreme: Me Her
- The Making Of Aloha Supreme: I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times
- The Making Of Aloha Supreme: Bobcat
- The Making Of Aloha Supreme: Blanche & Rose
- The Making Of Aloha Supreme: Aloha Supreme!
- The Making Of Aloha Supreme: PHOTOS
- The Making Of Aloha Supreme: Mixing
- The Making Of Aloha Supreme: Artwork
nice work, David, that record sounds very tasty indeed
Christine is the bee’s knees, cat’s pajamas etc. My (Swift Years and Bare Bones) bandmates were mightily impressed by her when we shared a bill with some singer guy she was backing a few years back. I couldn’t remember the name of the singer if my life depended on it, but she was amazing. I then checked out her solo stuff on the internets, and Frizell was indeed the first thing that sprang to mind. Great great stuff.