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Northern R​ú​stico

by Andrew James Barker

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barkwanderer
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1.
All Roads To You 06:31
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2.
A Northern Nights Dream 02:53
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3.
Person Place Thing 03:27
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4.
Good Tidings 03:21
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5.
Tomo Mi Gato 02:45
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6.
Airglow 03:25
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7.
Rústico 03:05
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8.
Where'd You Come From 02:35
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9.
The Lion Trials 03:45
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10.
Catatónico 02:27
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about

Northern Rústico

Northern Rustico finds Barker returning to his first and long-standing musical love, the guitar. This collection of instrumentals is a culmination of all the musical tenets picked up throughout the decades, a cementing of identity to move forward as a guitarist and composer. Northern Rustico is an album to listen to while reading a book, but then put the book down and slip into a gentle reverie. Smooth Jazz with a rusty edge.

Since attaining his Bachelors in Jazz Performance 25 years ago, Barker's musical path has been anything but a straight line. 'Jazz, guitar, and instrumental music have always been present in my listening and practicing, but I didn't want to identify solely as a guitarist, and I like to paint broad strokes. However, I've always told myself I'd make a full-length guitar-based instrumental album one day.'

Demoed quickly within a flurry of pandemic lockdown creativity, Northern Rustico recorded with the help of some of Toronto's best (Mack Longpre - Drums, Michael Herring - Bass, Braxton Raymond - Flute, Neal Davis - Bass, James McKie - Violin, Ken Yoshioka - Harmonica). The album's title is a nod to Barker (A Canadian who immigrated from the UK as an infant) and the influence of his Colombian wife, Catalina.

There's a lot of diversity stylistically on this record. Tracks shift from 70's era progressive rock to dusty country melodies reminiscent of 'Midnight Cowboy.'
Some tunes evoke images of expansive prairie skylines, or the shifting northern lights, while others have kinetic energy reminiscent of a bustling outdoor market.
The album's sequencing accentuates this shifting of gears, the effect being a delightful journey back and forth between two parallel interwoven narratives.

credits

released September 14, 2022

Players

Andrew James Barker - Guitars, LapSteel, Synth, and Bass on tracks 3, 4, 6, 9, 10.

Mack Longpre - Drums/Percussion tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9.

Neal Davis - Bass tracks 1, 2, 5, 8.

Michael Herring - Bass track 7.

James McKie - Violins tracks 8, 10.

Braxton Raymond - Bass Clarinet track 4. Flutes track 7.

Ken Yoshioka - Harmonica track 8.

Engineering

Mixed by Andrew James Barker

Mastered by Harris Newman at Greymarket Mastering

Guitar/Bass/LapSteel/Synth recorded by Andrew James Barker.
Drums were recorded by Mack Longpre.
Flute/Bass Clarinet recorded by Braxton Raymond.
Harmonica was recorded by Ken Yoshioka.
Bass tracks 1, 2, 5, and 8 were recorded by Neal Davis.
Bass track 7 was recorded by Michael Herring.
Violins recorded by James McKie.

Art

Cover Photo By Andrew James Barker, sculpture by an Unknown Artist.

For Catalina Posada-Barker, all roads to you.

license

all rights reserved

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Andrew James Barker Toronto, Ontario

Mercurial Toronto musician and artist Andrew James Barker has been zigzagging between identities for the past twenty years. Barker cut his teeth in the budding Toronto scene of the naughts as a multi-instrumentalist sideman (most notably with the band Bruce Peninsula). Songwriter, composer, jazz guitarist, producer, and engineer, Barker has consistently been crafting albums of note since 2005. ... more

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