We saw a busker setting up near the Ferry Wharf and when we realised he was singing in French, we rushed to listen to him. His name is Joshua Minsky and I must say he was very easy on the eyes as well as the ears. We stayed quite a while, applauding politely when he'd finish a song. As some of you may remember, I used to teach FSL (French as a Second Language) and my ears prick up when I hear French, especially in song.

Josh began to study guitar at the age of 8 and after finishing college in 1980 he moved back to New York and began performing in clubs and restaurants, singing and accompanying himself on the guitar. In 1984 he moved to Europe, where beginning in Amsterdam and then moving to Paris in '85 he made his living by playing in various venues, based mainly in Paris but moving also between Nice, London, Zurich and Stockholm. In 1996 Joshua moved back to Vancouver. After a four year break from music he began playing and singing at Granville Island's Daily Outdoor Concert Series, where he can still be found.

He was so charming and delightful, we each purchased one of his cds. Josie bought Souvenir de Paris and I bought his latest one entitled Au Cafe Mazet. Rumour has it this cafe is where Jim Morrison of The Doors had his last drink before his rather untimely death and so Le Mazet has kept the reputation of being a drinkers bar. On the weekends it's very lively and caters to ex-pats, but I believe it's now closed for refurbishment. Josh wrote three songs on this latest cd and as I type this, I'm listening to the first one entitled "L'Ete" (the summer) as he accompanies himself on guitar. He has an intensely haunting voice when he sings slow ballads like "La Vie En Rose" but he also sings some fun and upbeat songs like "Le Soleil a Rendez-vous avec la Lune" (the sun has a rendezvous with the moon).

"Joshua Minsky is a blues and jazz guitarist from New York City. He is well known to audiences in Chicago, New York, Paris, Amsterdam, and beyond. Joshua's steady rhythm leaves no doubt as to his quality- that of a professional musician.his own compositions have a style reminiscent of Eric Clapton in the sixties."
Orlicke Noviny, Usti Nad Orlici, Czech Republic, December, 1995

"It was already dark- only the stage was lit- when The Happiness Army took the stage. [They are: Joshua Minsky, (guitar and vocals), Ian Berrymen, (bass)[replacing Derek Nievergelt], John Ellis, (Alto saxophone), Roger Greipl, (tenor saxophone), Nigel Hilbourne, (drums), and Duncan James, (guitar). From the first song it was clear that they knew how to bring the audience with them. There is no question that here is a funk band that is definitely worth hearing."
Bundner Tagblatt, Switzerland, September, 1996

"The absolute highpoint of this years open air festival was The Happiness Army. With their 'funk rock' they brought the audience of 1700 fans of all ages to their feet."
Sarganser Morgenpost, Switzerland, September, 1996

Over the hustle and bustle, over the fuss and hubbub, I heard a voice. It wasn't God's, nor was it Hardin's; it was low and lilting with a slight edge, complimented by a guitar like Tomak's but not quite Django's. A few steps closer to the voice's source helped me to pick out French words on a jazzy melody, and a few steps further was all it took for me to identify a very square gentleman in a nice suit and bowtie singing for a lady and her dog and a few other less-interesting audience members.

Qu'il te conduise à travers ciel
Au père eternal

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Phan: I'll take this one.
Le Chanteur: That then? Twenty dollars please.
Papa: We only have American money.
Le Chanteur: That's great. Merci.
Phan: De rien.

I took away one of his CDs and that ^ picture.

Joshua Minsky - Left his hometown of New York to travel the world at a fairly young age. Toured with a Canadian Jazz band for a time. Speaks and sings in almost as many languages as Owain Phyfe.

Biography

Josh began singing along with his parents' records at the age of five: Otis Redding, the Beatles, The Staple Singers, Ledbelly and others. He learned his first song on the guitar at the age of eight, in a youth hostel in Rome. He began studying the guitar in 1970, with Barry Hall at Bill Lewis Music in Vancouver. In the early eighties, after earning a degree from Antioch College, he returned to New York and, while performing as a singer/guitarist in the cafes on Bleeker Street, in Greenwich Village, he studied jazz violin with Akhbar Ali (violinist in the David Murray ensemble). In 1983 Mr. Minsky briefly returned to Vancouver, appearing at the Soft Rock Caf%uFFFD in the songwriters showcase.

In the summer of 1984 he moved to Europe, where he played on the Leidseplein in Amsterdam to packed and appreciative crowds. >From 1985 until 1990 Mr. Minsky was based in Paris, performing almost daily, and was a regular at the legendary Caf%uFFFD Mazet, where musicians and performers gathered to drink and trade songs after their shows. He began collaborating with Andy Hadel, a bass player from L.A. who also sang harmony. This branched out into a larger community of musicians who were playing in bands, playing jazz, rock and roll, and R and B standards with vocal harmony arrangements.

Andy went back to L.A. and Josh started working with Phil Jones, a guitarist with a gift for complex vocal harmony arranging. Phil knew these four young kids from the north of England (where have we heard that before?) Neil Berrymen (guitar and vocals) Ian Berrymen, bass, Liverpool Andy Small, guitar and harmony vocals, and Nigel Hilbourne, drums and harmony vocals. Neil was the front man, and when he got tired or his voice gave out and the others still wanted to work, then Josh would sit in. Nigel was the bands' music teacher, being the only one who had a degree in music. "Nigel was always grumbling about the harmonies until we got them right.but the boys from England had a wicked sense of humor-we had a lot of good fun in that bunch." Josh formed a duo with Ian Berrymen on bass and harmony vocals- a lasting and successful partnership. They toured the Riviera and Switzerland and teamed up at various times with Dave Smith, a jazz violinist who doubled on the drums, Michael Kohler, a guitarist from Hamburg, and later with Richard Blackmore, a guitarist from Manchester. That part of the tour was called 'More Berried Black Minsky Men.'

Ian went back to England again and Josh started working with Andres Villamil, a bass player from Maine, Marc Bouchard, guitar and vocals, Peggy Hsu, a jazz singer, both from Long Island, and Nigel Hilbourne, drums. By the summer of 1986 a close community of performers had formed, including such powerhouses as Charlie Hunter (seven string guitarist and Blue Note recording artist), Scott Macintosh from Montreal(saxophones), Christian Fernandes (guitar and vocals) a gypsy from Nice who specializes in the Brazilian sound, and Andres Villamil and Dom Richards from London on bass- both of them amazingly gifted jazz bass players. There was Marc Bouchard, from Long Island, a guitarist, and Jasmine Jasmine (accordion and cabaret artist).
" We had this game where we would put all the musicians names into a hat and then we would form bands based on the random drawing. But we always went back to our regular formations."

There was Neil Berrymen, a guitarist and singer who specialized in R and B and show tunes. Tommy Tortellini, the king of comedy music and an incredibly talented songwriter, Dave Smith from Chicago on the jazz fiddle. All incredibly gifted musicians. It was a summer to remember. It was followed by many summers to remember.

The family grew larger, to include tap dancer Herbin Van Cayseele, or Tamango, the founder of 'Urban Tap', Derek Nievergelt on bass, (now a Warner Brothers recording artist), singer Madeleine Peyroux, The Lost and Wandering Blues and Jazz Band, trombonist Lorentz Persson, saxophonist Roger Greipl, bassist Jorge Romaniello from Argentina, and saxophonist Karsten Gohde from Hamburg. Josh now joined a band called "the Overexcited", which also included vocalists Lisa Asplund from Uppsala, Sweden and Belinda Blair from the U.S., Michael Sjoholm(also from Uppsala, Sweden) on the guitar, Andres Villamil on bass and Dave Smith on drums and fiddle, and Karsten and Eric on tenor sax and trumpet.

"After "the Overexcited" a band formed called "The Horns from Hell" with Lorentz Persson on the trombone, Scott Mcintosh on tenor sax, Andres Villamil on the bass, Klasse from Sweden on the guitar, and Nigel Hilbourne played drums. "We played jazz standards, and had so much fun that the audience never knew whether they should be laughing or listening to the music. One thing that playing in the street teaches you is that audiences like to see the musicians enjoying themselves!" In 1996 Josh and Derek Nievergelt formed "the Happiness Army," with Josh on vocals and guitar, Monica (another Berklee student) on tenor sax, John Ellis from New Zealand on alto sax and percussion, Derek Nievergelt on the bass, and Nigel Hilbourne on the drums. After a few months the band took on another member, percussionist and energizer Dr. Celestino Rodrigues from Cabo Verde. Monica and Derek went back to Berklee and were replaced by Roger Greipl on tenor and Ian Berrymen on bass. See reviews below.

In 1996 Josh returned to Vancouver, where he directed the fundraising at Greenpeace's Vancouver Office for five years, recording a song which appeared on their website (see below). He has formed a floating ensemble with vocals, guitar, drums, bass, keyboards, and tenor saxophone to perform his original compositions, available on a CD titled "A Snowflake in the Desert."

Welcome back, Josh!

References

Appeared in the film "The Streets of Zurich by night", the directorial debut of a popular Tunisian movie star, playing and singing a song, accompanied by Ian Berrymen, bass, Dave Smith, jazz violin, and Nigel Hilbourne, snare drum. The scene took place in the street outside a clothing shop while the main character was inside robbing the till.

Composed and recorded the song 'No GMO's', for Greenpeace's campaign against genetically modified foods.
Download the song at http://www.greenpeace.ca/e/home.html

Main stage featured performer at the Festival of the 500th anniversary of the battle of Sempach in Luzern, Switzerland, August, 1986, accompanied by Phil Jones (guitar and harmony vocals), Ian Berrymen, (bass), Andy Small, (Rhythm guitar and harmony vocals), and Nigel Hilbourne, (drums and harmony vocals).

Main stage featured performer at the Walenstadt Open Air Festival, in Walenstadt, Switzerland, in August of 1996 with 'The Happiness Army', a band formed by Josh Minsky and Derek Nievergelt (bass). See reviews above.