Two Intents by Modasaurus

All compositions by James McGowan, SOCAN.

Funky Pteradactyl
Prime Time
Cereal and Eggs*
Seeking*
Dancing Preacher
August Evening
New Beginning
FreeFall Funk


There are two intents for naming the group Modasaurus. On one hand, it combines the musical term “mode” with an imposing, but enjoyable dinosaur name. On the other, the name suggests the multiple meanings of musical modes as one would find in a “thesaurus.” Fusing together the HML Trio—Jamie Holmes, Alex Moxon, and JP Lapensee—with their former professor and pianist-composer James McGowan, the group thrives by creating a musical fusion of a variety of styles.


A Modasaurus is not a real dinosaur. But if it were, I think it would be a classy one, well-grounded and getting along with the other dinosaurs, yet innovative and ahead of its time. It would be agile and strong, but also at times epically expressive; a creature willing to explore less familiar lands, then thrive by finding ways to adapt and fuse together different traditions.

But let’s say a Modasaurus is metaphorically real, as the cumulative embodiment of a quartet of four musicians. And let’s say that these four musicians have fused together one of Ottawa’s busiest trios—the HML Trio consisting of Jamie Holmes, Alex Moxon, and JP Lapensee—with pianist and composer James McGowan.

Having formed while students at Carleton University, the HML trio have worked together in numerous groups and performances, from forming the three-quarters of the Chocolate Hot Pockets to leading a long-running weekly jam session at Brookstreet Hotel in Ottawa, Canada. Each of them studied with Carleton music theory/composition professor James McGowan; and later the four started playing together and finding a strong musical link that connected them.

Jamie suggested that we find a name with a dinosaur theme. The idea stuck but with a twist: we decided to create our own dinosaur named after the musical concept of “mode.” Modes are crucial to jazz-fusion music in its rich tonality that extend beyond major and minor scales. But a second meaning to mode—a style or fashion—is relevant here as well: the repertoire of Modasaurus would be intentionally diverse where we constantly challenge ourselves to find the fusion among jazz, rock, funk, gospel, latin, and other world music styles, while still rooting ourselves in a sound unique to us. But in the spirit of phrase “two intents,” a second meaning to the quartet’s title is a play on the word “thesaurus.” Thus, our music gives more than one meaning or intention to the modes that we play.

The title Two Intents makes reference to the rich dynamic spectrum of intensity that is found in our compositions. But more significantly, each of the compositions feature more than one meaning behind their names. And all the songs themselves feature two (or more) contrasting elements that are at times juxtaposed and at times fused together. The play on words is a tribute to my father, the punster, who died in 2004, who would undoubtedly have appreciated it.

www.jamesmcgowan.ca

James McGowan is an active composer and pianist, having performed in Canada, the US, and in Europe. Stylistically, he finds the hybrid space within jazz, classical, contemporary improvisation, art music, and world musics. Dr. McGowan is a multiple award-winning professor of music at Carleton University where he teaches music theory and composition.

jamesmcgowan.ca