Ptarmigan -

Ptarmigan was a Canadian symphonic-folk band from Duncan, BC, that released a 1974 self-titled album on Columbia.

Members: Michael Bieling (congas, 1970-71), James Lithgow (guitar, 1970-71), Glen Dias (vocals, alto recorder, tenor recorder, bass recorder, percussion), Dennis Lelonde (alto saxophone, percussion, vocals, 1970-71), Monte Nordstrom (12-string guitar, vocals, 1970-74), Shawn Mullins (percussion, 1970-71), Peter Wheeler (percussion, 1971), David Aston (bass, 1974)

Background

Ptarmigan was a Canadian symphonic-folk band from Duncan, BC, formed after percussionist Michael Bieling introduced vocalist and recorder player Glen Dias to guitarist James Lithgow in Vancouver during late 1970. Dias and Lithgow began writing songs with Bieling on congas. The first working lineup added reedist-keyboardist Dennis Lelonde, guitarist-vocalist Monte Nordstrom, and percussionist Shawn Mullins.

The sextet played Vancouver Island rooms and attracted the attention of flautist Paul Horn, who had relocated to Victoria from Los Angeles. Lithgow and Bieling left during the early lineup period, and American percussionist Peter Wheeler joined Ptarmigan. Lelonde also left before Dias and Nordstrom reduced the band to a duo for eastern Canadian dates.

Dias and Nordstrom opened the duo phase at the Ting Tea Room in Winnipeg. They wrote new material during a two-month stay and continued to Toronto, where failed auditions at Grumble’s and The Riverboat preceded a Fiddler’s Green engagement with Leon Redbone and Downchild Blues Band. The duo moved through Hamilton, Winnipeg, and Northern Ontario before Ottawa audio technician Rob Putt helped place them at Kitchen Cinq.

Ptarmigan secured a Le Hibou engagement in Ottawa and opened for guitarist Lenny Breau. After an unsuccessful Astra Records audition, Dias and Nordstrom returned west through Winnipeg and Edmonton. They recorded demos and reached Victoria, where Horn signed Ptarmigan to Samadhi Music. Horn produced the album sessions during 1972–73 at Canbase Studio in Vancouver.

Ptarmigan

Ptarmigan released their self-titled singular album in early 1974 on Columbia.

The albums contains five Glen Dias–Monte Nordstrom originals, each structured as an extended song or multi-section acoustic piece. Dias sings and plays alto, tenor, and bass recorder, with incidental percussion. Nordstrom sings and plays 12-string guitar.

Ptarmigan features drummer Kat Hendrikse, acoustic bassist Dave Field, electric bassist Richard Mayer on “The Island,” and hand-drummer Peter Wheeler. The arrangements place high recorder lines and paired vocals against 12-string patterns, hand drums, and bass movement.

“Go Dancing” lumbers under close male harmonies, with small hand accents tucked around the lead. “The Island” passes from a short opening figure into a darker main theme led by Glen Dias. “Vancouver” starts with a reverbed solo vocal, then quickens as the lead recedes behind layered lines.

“Night of the Gulls” sets creaking waterfront noise against sparse, formal picking. “An Hymn to the Ocean and a Great Northern Lake” alternates sung lines with breath-toned replies, then closes on a slow-picked figure. “Coquihalla” opens on short riffs, widens into a denser ensemble passage, and breaks to wordless vocal improvisations over an acoustic figure.

A1. “Go Dancing” (5:47)
A2. “The Island” (9:01)
A3. “Vancouver” (4:30)

B1. “Night of the Gulls / A Hymn to the Ocean and a Great Northern Lake” (11:01)
B2. “Coquihalla” (9:43)

Sessions occurred during the fall and winter of 1972 at Canbase Studio, Vancouver, with producer Paul Horn and engineer Keith Stein. Horn and Stein mixed the album.

Ptarmigan appeared in a sleeve with cover art and photography by Dias. G.R. Shankaruk created the poster art, and James Norquay designed the logo. The front cover shows a blue-purple field with white organic shapes, circular image cells, a rocky-water photograph, and a central collage of faces, flame-like forms, and abstract detail.

Columbia lifted “Go Dancing” as an early 1974 single, backed with “Vancouver.” Lion Productions reissued Ptarmigan on CD in 2006 with bonus material.

Discography: