Bouquet of Might and Fury – 2010
Lush, epic and surrounded by mystic beauty, Bouquet of Might and Fury, the third album by Courtney Wing, reveals a strong sensitivity towards the human condition and an extraordinary portrayal of musician and his devotion to his art. Available in digital format on February 15th on Proxenett Records, Bouquet of Might and Fury unleashes a musical universe of communion in which many of the artist’s opposing sides emerge in tender force.
After the release of two albums, (For The Good Times, 2001 & Starlight Shuffle, 2005) Courtney Wing found himself discouraged by the music industry and the deep roots it had in his surrounding. In the midst of his low, the CBC contacted Wing and invited him to perform for the program Canada Live during the summer of 2008. Thrilled by the offer, Courtney dedicated himself to the project, recruiting a new cast of musicians, including Sage Reynolds on double bass (Amon Tobin), Bruce Cawdron on percussion (Godspeed! You Black Emperor), Stef Schneider on drums (Bell Orchestre), and a 15-piece opera collective called Liederwolfe. Amazed by the recorded result of Wing’s performance, the producers of Canada Live chose to feature his performance on CBC’s homepage and broadcast the entire recording across the country on numerous occasions. High appraise and national buzz followed immediately. In response, Wing decided to compromise his initial plan to record a solo record and instead embraced his newly acquired team and tackled a much larger production. The end result is a ‘symphonic folk’ masterpiece that embodies the creative forces of over 30 musicians.
Bouquet of Might and Fury invites the listener into an extraordinary indie-folk universe where a mighty barrage of choral Opera singers lilt amidst a larger-than-life, yet perfectly sculpted, orchestral background that is at times gentle, and other times fierce and grand. The title of the album and most of the lyrics refer to the concept of contrast. It visit’s the notions of social disillusionment, the perils of kindness, calm over devastation, and most true to the album’s premise is the notion of love, and the rise and fall of it – a theme that played itself out during Wing’s song crafting process. Courtney tells us “ When something negative happens, inevitably something positive emerges. We are not always aware of it, but balance tends to plays itself out.”
Starlight Shuffle – 2005
“… laced with exquisite instrumentation and heart tingling vocals . A must have for 2005!” – montreal mirror
“A punch of soul with every beat!!!” – cbc
‘Starlight Shuffle’ emerged out of a small one room Montreal apartment turned studio in March, 2004. Courtney spent four intesive months recording the nine song masterpiece with the help of numerous Montreal based musicians. Synths, guitars, drums, violins, brass sections, electric and double basses, indian sarods, chromaharps, dancing troupes, and soulful vocal melodies make for a diverse and progressive folk rock album. Wing’s unique arrangements, choice of instrumentation, and unique songwriting have been compared to the likes of J.J. Cale, Beck, and Daniel Lanois productions.
For the Good Times – 2001
Wing spent 11 months recording and mixing his debut album “For the Good Times” in Vancouver and Victoria, B.C., Canada as well as Austin, Texas. Various recording studios provided the basis to what has become a wonderfully warm and refreshing album.
Solid arrangements and sweet melodies lead listeners through a mixture of roots based sounds and styles. Traditional familiarity blends with mellow acoustic instrumentation to provide the backbone of the album while tones of rock and blues emerge occasionally, exemplifying Wing’s diverse approach to music.
Purchase ‘For the Good Times’ here