Gina Burgess leaves you with a sublime case of the Kingsburg Blues in her hypnotic and haunting new single — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Truth is, despite its title, there’s nothing all that bluesy or melancholy about the latest track from Nova Scotia violinist Burgess, the winner of the 2024 ECMA Fusion Recording Of The Year for the song Anuri. Instead, Kingsburg Blues, which blends psychedelic elements with Celtic and Inuit roots, takes us into a magical and mischievous fairy world shimmering with fireflies and secrets.
There’s only one lyric to the song: “And how long does it take for a rose to bloom and die?” But that lyric allows an entry point into that November day in Nova Scotia when Burgess was inspired to write Kingsburg Blues.
“I was walking along the ocean coast in the village of Kingsburg, on the south shore of Nova Scotia,” Burgess recalls. “The path I walked was lined with rose bushes entering their hibernation state for the winter. The wind picked up and I heard this magical music. It felt as though the rose hip spirits were singing this melody to me.” In fact, it was more as though Burgess was being led into the song rather than fully forming it herself. “Quieting my mind, I could hear the whispers of the fae folk as they taught me this song,” she says. “I immediately went and got my violin and played the notes I had heard.”
The hypnotic composition features Burgess’s violin, accompanied by Cynthia Pitsulak’s contemporary Inuit throat singing. Also featured is the Angolan berimbau, played by Ross Burns. Double bass is handled by Jordan Stephens, with Matthew Gallant on the drum kit.
“I met Cynthia Pitsiulak in Ottawa at a Silla And Rise (her band at that time) performance. I knew immediately that I wanted Cynthia to record the contemporary Inuit throat parts,” Burgess recalls. “We have since then created a wonderful friendship and collaborative spirit together.”
Her collaborations with Stephens, Gallant and Burns go back even further. “I have played with Jordan and Matt in many capacities over the last two decades,” she says. “They are both incredible musicians in their own right and I knew I wanted to work with them for my solo project… (And) Ross and I have a long history performing together in the swing manouche band Gypsophilia, We composed, performed, and toured together in that band for 12 years. During that time, he would occasionally bring the capoeira instruments into the mix, and I absolutely love those sounds.”
Kingsburg Blues is one of nine songs on Burgess’s most recent album Isnow. The genre-bending compositions fuse together the different musical elements that have influenced Burgess through her musical training and travels. “I spend a lot of time in nature,” says Burgess. “That’s where I hear music the most. When I am still and listening, the music comes to me. I have never actually sat down to write a composition yet. I feel more like a conduit where the spirit of music flows through me.”
Burgess is a multi-genre violinist, composer and educator. A former member of the Juno-nominated band The Jerry Cans, a four-time East Coast Music Award winner with Gypsophilia, and collaborator with numerous ensembles, she is a highly sought-after performer and collaborator.
Check out Kingsburg Blues above, listen to Isnow below, and find Gina Burgess on her website, Instagram and Facebook.
