Neo-soul singer David Ward keeps the Propeller concert series flying at Guilt and Co, with L.A. keyboard ace Brandon Coleman playing on Feb. 5.
L.A. keyboard ace Brandon Coleman plays at Propeller Feb. 5. VISUAL THOUGHT / PNG
Propeller hosted by David Ward and Golden Future
When: Feb. 5, 12, 19, 23, 9:30 p.m.
Where: Guilt and Co., 1 Alexander St.
Tickets and info: By donation ($15 minimum suggested) at eventbrite.ca
R&B, funk and soul fans know to roll underground downtown at Guilt and Co. The cool club below street level in Gastown hosts regular live music that favours grooves over guitar solos, and has developed a solid scene.
Every year, that flies off the hook in February when singer-songwriter David Ward + Golden Future host the annual Propeller concert series.
Since its debut, this event has hosted a who’s who of local musicians as well as reaching out across North America to showcase some serious heavyweights you wouldn’t expect to see in the intimate confines of a small Vancouver club. With Ward as MC and his backing band Golden Fortune keeping the music flowing, Propeller 3 really ups the ante.
First up is L.A. keyboard ace Brandon Coleman (Feb. 5). The keyboardist best known for his work with Kamasi Washington and Childish Gambino dropped his raved-about album Resistance in 2018 on the trendsetting Afro-futurist label Brainfeeder.
Following Coleman is the latest Brainfeeder label signee Salami Rose Joe Louis (Feb. 12). Massachusetts hip-hopper Makadi holds court on Feb. 19 and B.C.’s Alexis Young (Blonde Diamond) closes out the series on Feb. 23.
Postmedia talked with Ward from his present base of operations in Bristol, U.K., about Propeller, and more.
David Ward. Alex Townsend / PNG
Q: How hard is it to book a series on the West Coast from a location on the River Avon in Southwest England?
A: Vancouver is something of a niche market for what gets called neo-soul or future R&B, but there is a lot more acceptance of it here in the U.K. At the same time that we launched Propeller to showcase the best and brightest in the talented local and North American scene, I decided to move to Bristol to further my career. Now I’m doing this crazy thing of jumping back and forth which is, er, challenging at times.
Q: What made you decide to launch Propeller?
A: It was a twofold idea about expanding the opportunities for creative community in Vancouver over here and also — without wanting to sound too self-important — helping to build the cultural cachet of the city with a great series that anyone can come to see. We have a suggested donation price, but it’s pretty much pay what you can, to ensure access. (Note: Partial proceeds go to the SPCA.)
Q: Do you envision some kind of expansion from just one series into multiple events?
A: The format from here on out, pending schedules, is going to be four artists a season and we are trying to do it quarterly. So the next would be April/May. Ultimately, I would love to expand this and have an annual showcase at the Commodore. It has to grow another few feet before that.
Q: Getting A-list buzzworthy artists such as Brandon Coleman certainly doesn’t hurt that name recognition. How did you manage to bring him up for this?
A: I had a connection with Patrice Quinn, who is also in Kamasi’s band and sang on my album Violet, Gold + Rose. She played Propeller 1 and was amazing, so I asked her about Brandon and we connected and here he is, as well as Salami Rose Joe Louis, who has this great Billie Holiday voice paired with this jazzy space funk.
Q: You and your band Golden Future are backing all of these artists when they play. Is it safe to say that this ups your game a lot?
A: For sure, that was another idea behind doing the series. We put in a ton of work and, obviously, it’s not really paying off in any financial way yet. But to be able to meet with these amazing artists and make music with them is amazing. We’re also in the midst of recording the next album, and a lot of what I’ve written has been for Propeller.
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