About
Charlie's Story
The process never ends for Charlie. Ending is just another way of beginning.
Drummer · Band Leader · Producer · Composer · Instrumentalist
Charlie's Story
The process never ends for Charlie. Ending is just another way of beginning. Or he might, equally, be writing a commissioned fantasy suite for church organ, depending on what point in his career you want to look at. He can go from Balkan rhythms to Bebop via Asian inspired lines, all somehow within the same gesture. And all the while sidestepping the mainstream completely. He seems intent on erasing the idea of cliche, even when using the most familiar phrase. “I’ve always played with this way of contrasting what is readily known and immediate, with that which seems other worldly and distant”, says Charlie. He has a doggedly unique vision, both musical and otherwise. Not to be overly grandiose, but there are some artists who, if they weren’t doing their thing, their thing would simply be missing from human experience, because no one else would ever do it quite that way. Charlie Ringas is like that.
Many Hats, One Voice
Drummer
Band Leader
Producer
Composer
InstrumentalistGroups led by Charlie over the years
Ensembles & Projects
Banana Moon
A jam workshop ensemble led by Charlie with an almost open-door policy, later settling into a quartet with Fraz Milne, Campbell Walker and George McFetridge (later Robert Sharkey). Albums: Communications Community (1984) and Old Oak Tree (1985).
Don Valley Parkway
Formed in 1986 as Charlie’s first solo effort as composer, drummer and bandleader — a Toronto ensemble mixing European-style fusion with hard bop. Albums: Flappers, Swish Timing (1988) and News Wave (1990).
Ring Cycle Orchestra
A Toronto musical collective with Charlie at its centre, bringing a large cross-section of musicians together to interpret his compositions. Albums: Flame Of Days (1997) and Heart Of Mind (2000).
Hermetic Music Commission
Free improvisation framed by Charlie’s written compositions, captured live at the Music Gallery and the Idler Pub Improv Series on In Sound Is (2002).
Mesotron Orchestra & Spectra Chorus
Thirteen players and six singers conducted by Scott Good performing the two-part suite Gold Of Hours, recorded at the Premiere Dance Theatre, Harbourfront Centre.
1984 — today
A Timeline in Records
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1984
Communications Community
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1985
Old Oak Tree
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1987
Flappers
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1988
Swish Timing
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1990
News Wave
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1997
Flame of Days
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2000
Heart of Mind
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2002
In Sound Is
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2007
Gold of Hours
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2010
Revolving
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2011
Signposts
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2014
FreePlay
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2017
Transactions