Valery Gore

Avalanche To Wandering Bear is borne of stubborn restlessness. The curiosity, trepidation, and victory of discovery are wrapped in a heavy dose of danceable rhythms, soul, and humour. With its tumbled lyrics, unconventional arrangements, and progressive piano, Avalanche sets the mood for a bold audio journey. The album features a handful of stand out tracks; “Shoes of Glass” has lush vocal harmonies and a steady 1950’s momentum. “Worried Head” is charismatic in its lyrics and full with driving Motown horns. “Scared” pays homage to jazz fusion singer Karin Krog and lends an esoteric metaphor to the album name. The harmonium arrangement and solid piano of “Consolation” is a rough outline of Gore’s admiration of producer Jon Brion’s work.

The piano tones of Avalanche range from the prestigious Steinway of CBC’s Glenn Gould studio to the grittiness of The Hive’s cranky upright. The first blending seamlessly with the epic woodwinds of “Sparrow”, and the second setting the vaudeville-esque “Red Eye Family” against a backdrop of ticking pipes, settling rain and distant ghosts.

Engineered and mixed by Tim Abraham, this album’s depth and dynamic is matched by the musicians who made their mark on it: Devon Henderson on bass, Dan Neill on drums, Trent Reschny on saxophones and clarinets, and Ben Bowen on trumpet.

The Toronto-based pianist and songwriter began her musical journey from the age of eight, tapping unemotional melodies on the black keys. Valery’s repertoire grew from songs about bees and snack time to the classical masterpieces of Chopin, Debussy, and Listz. All the while her ears were tuned to her dad’s playlist of 70’s – 90’s rock. Gore topped it off with jazz piano studies at Humber College and wove these disparate sounds into her own indefinable genre.

Valery Gore’s words and music transcend emotions, force you to gear-down and listen, feel.

www.valerygore.com