The Three Sides of Elmer Gill + 2

LP LINER NOTES: "When Elmer Gill came to me and said he'd like me to do the notes for an album he was recording, I tried to beg off. As a newspaperman I've long held the view that print is a lousy thing to do to a record album; so much of what goes into the creation of something like an album is the total make-up of the artist so that anything less than an in-depth interview fails to do his work justice.

Sure, you can come along with the standard back-of-the-album-cover cliches; 'Elmer Gill is a versatile performer, equally at home at the piano keyboard or at the vibes, and his singing, reminiscent of Bobby Short or early Nat Cole, underlines the authenticity of his instrumentals.' But that doesn't tell anything of the combination of introspective sensitivity and inner steel that made it possible for Elmer to turn down jobs rather than throw in his lot with what he felt to be the 'non music' of the current era. Nor does it help to understand the artist who says, 'I am the performer. If people want to sing-along, they'd better go someplace else --- or I'll go someplace else.'

That sounds like it might come from a hippie who is hung up to do his 'own thing.' Elmer Gill is anything but. He's a family man and, over a glass of beer, is one of the boys. He took up flying and soloed just about the time this album was cut. When he says he wants to do what he knows how to do, the way he feels it should be done, all he has for inner strength is his own conviction; no string of wildly successful personal appearances, or hit records, which make it easy for a performer to send in a tough-talking agent in advance to lay down the conditions under which he'll work. There have been places around the Pacific Northwest where Elmer has been able to work during the past 21 years including small clubs, coffee houses, occasional concerts and the ski resorts where he often doubles as the most enthusiastic novice on the slopes.

One of his most recent stops was at the "'Top of the Marc' in downtown Vancouver where the regular crowd began coming in early, just as the proprietor hoped it would, in order to catch Elmer doing his unique thing. He became such a favorite that some of them got together and encouraged the production of this album.

Although the session took place in a studio, there is the distinct touch of the late night saloon in the selections he chose and the feeling he and bassist Dave Friesen of Seattle and drummer Al Johnson of Vancouver bring to their approach. Essentially the tunes were chosen because Elmer knows from his wide ranging experience that 'they get the most applause when I play them.' They are good tunes and Elmer, who is a good, honest musician, play them with the listener in mind. The approach is straight forward, professional and intelligent. I thing you'll enjoy the change. And I hope I've avoided the cliches as well as Elmer has."

LOCATION: Vancouver, Canada
RECORDING PERSONNEL: Elmer Gill (piano); Dave Friesen (bass); Al Johnson (drums).
RECORDING STUDIO: Aragon
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FORMAT: disc
SIZE: 12"
SPEED: 33 1/3 rpm
DISC NOTES: ASL 201

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