A MIGHTY ELECTRIC WIND
By Paul Grimshaw
For Weekly Surge
Bernie Kenerson plays the flute. But at 6'4", 200-plus pounds and after 14 years in the U.S. Army I wouldn't give him any grief about it. He also plays just about every wind instrument and horn ever invented, though his true passion is the EWI. Pronounced eee-wee, the Akai EWI 4000 is the latest in the evolution of electric wind instruments - those you play like a traditional clarinet but that are attached to a synthesizer - think the "Star Wars" Cantina Band. Kenerson has been demonstrating his skills with the EWI and standard horns around Myrtle Beach for more than a decade playing at several area theaters, with the symphony, in the house band at the now defunct Jasmine Supper Club and with local funk/fusion band Painted Man.
His own band, Slipstream has been gathering steam and attention with performances around town occasionally in the few places that will hire jazz bands and Kenerson locked down the headliner slot at this weekend's Little River Shrimp & Jazz Fest. He'll perform at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Festival admission is $3.
Promoting his new CD "Just You & Me - The Art of the EWI," Kenerson and band (Sam Favata on guitar, Gary Craddock on bass, Art Weiss on drums/percussion) will perform selections from the project and other compositions from his many years as a composer. "It's time to bring the EWI out to the forefront and give it some respect," says Kenerson. "It's the acronym for "electric wind instrument" and I wish they'd called it something else - but oh well."
Kenerson was born to musical parents and began playing the clarinet at age 7, sax at 10 and flute at 13. At 16 he began his professional career playing around his hometown of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. and at 17 he joined the Army where he enjoyed a 14-year career as an instrumentalist and arranger in Army bands. He obtained a two-year Professional Diploma from Berklee College of Music and a Bachelor of Music Degree from Appalachian State University. After college, where Slipstream was first formed, Kenerson spent several years overseas performing at concerts and festivals throughout western Europe and north Africa before settling into Myrtle Beach. No stranger to beach music, Kenerson has won three Cammy Awards (the beach music scene's version of the Grammys) and has been recorded on countless CDs including 11 that made the Beach Music Top 100 poll.
But jazz is where Kenerson's passions lay and his songs clearly prove his abilities as a composer, arranger and performer. While he plays traditional instruments, the EWI is his favorite and he's unapologetic in his obsession for the unique horn. "I've been playing electric wind instruments for almost 30 years now - since 1978. I've always loved them. I just took to the thing. I really connect with them and I think this latest version, the Akia EWI 4000 S is about the fifth generation and I think the best. I played the Lyricon in the late '70s, the Yamaha after MIDI came out and then I switched to the Akai - and I'm glad I did. It's the instrument, that when I have it my hands, I can express what's going on inside and get it out."
Kenerson's CD was recorded at Big City Music Studios in North Myrtle Beach in the spring and features Jim Schneider on keyboards, Craddock on bass, Weiss on drums and percussion, Painted Man leader Vince Peeples on guitar and a few guests. The 10 original Kenerson compositions merge traditional jazz with the fusion/pop sounds of Steely Dan and contemporary/smooth jazz of groups such as the Yellowjackets and Weather Report. "The CD is doing really well," says Kenerson. "It's been picked up by a few radio stations and been featured in a few magazines. My goal is to be the poster boy for the EWI.
"Bernie Kenerson, Just You & Me, The Art of the EWI" is available online at CDbaby.com. And check out www.berniekenerson.com for video and audio clips and more information about Slipstream.
BRINGING THE (ELECTRIC BIRD) NOISE
Brian McKenzie's eclectic electric sounds are back with the first so-called "official" Electric Bird Noise "Fragile Hearts...Fragile Minds" CD release party scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday at McKenzie's studio, the Music Factory, 700 Seaboard Street, Unit G., Myrtle Beach. There's no cover charge, but donations will be accepted at the door. A pre-release party and art show a few months back gave fans and friends an early taste of the five-song project which runs the gamut of electronic studio experimentation and freaky whacked out sounds mixed with instrumental electronica and live instrumentation. Lots of synths, camouflaged guitars, loops, a live drum track by local skinsman Tommy Tipton and vocal musings by McKenzie's Something About Vampire and Sluts compatriot Michael Wood compliment McKenzie's unique artistic take on the world through songs including "We Share More Than My Father's Last Name," "Fall of the World Trade Center," and others, including the ethereal, hypnotizing 26-minute epic "Vestibule Transitoire." The project is now available through McKenzie's record label www.nomorestarsrecords.com with distribution through www.silbermedia.com. McKenzie promises to perform live at the event, which will also feature Cat Puncher & The Mayor. Check out www.myspace.com/electricbirdnoise for song samples and show schedule.