Mike Rud has always stood at the intersection of intellect and imagination. A Juno Award-winning jazz guitarist, vocalist, and composer born in Edmonton, Alberta, and based now in Nelson, BC, Rud unveils the latest chapter of his creative journey: The Paranormal Adventures of Uncle Mike. With his new single, “The Lonely Sea Monster of Pigeon Lake, Alberta,” Rud delivers a poignant and whimsical tale from his youth—one that blends folk roots, jazz textures, and a touch of the otherworldly.
“The Lonely Sea Monster” is a mythical romp through prairie memory and emotional introspection, set against a lonely lakeside and an encounter with a seven-story creature. “Inside you lives a beast a lot like me / Don’t be that way,” the monster warns. It’s a line that speaks to Rud’s lyrical depth—this is a song about heartbreak, empathy, and learning not to hide from who you truly are. Jazz, roots, and nostalgia intertwine as he tells stories soaked in memory and metaphor.
Recorded in Paris, Montreal, and Edmonton, the album was produced by Paul Johnston for Bent River Records and features a remarkable cast:
- Mike Rud: vocals, guitar, guitar synth, all songwriting and lyrics
- Karl Jannuska: drums
- Yoni Zelnik: bass
- Chris Andrew: piano, accordion, electronic keyboards, theremin
- Paul Johnston: additional upright bass on “Edna and Maurice”
- Cynthia Hamar and Annaletha Boateng: backing vocals
Describing his latest work, Rud says, “It’s a travelogue of Canada—sort of. Filtered through monster movies, prairie dreams, and the heart’s truth of an 11-year-old boy in the ‘70s.” Each song takes listeners into a fictionalized-yet-familiar Canada, from haunted manor houses in Streetsville, Ontario to UFO sightings at CFB Southport, Manitoba.
Notes on Montreal, an album praised for turning Montreal’s literature, such as Leonard Cohen’s, into jazz songs. Now, with The Paranormal Adventures of Uncle Mike, Rud fully leans into his love of storytelling—where music becomes a stage for memory, fantasy, and identity.
“The Paranormal Adventures” is also a tribute to Rud’s roots. Raised in both Edmonton and Montreal, he’s taught jazz at McGill University, mentored rising musicians, and performed alongside greats like Herb Ellis and Kenny Wheeler. But this project—part concept album, part autobiography—is perhaps his most ambitious yet. “The songs are fiction,” he admits with a wink, “but they’re also my deepest truths.”
Thanks to support from Selkirk College and MacEwan University, and guided by Johnston’s vision, the album’s production matches its sweeping creative intent. From the surf-jazz tones of theremin to the shimmering accordion that evokes ghost towns and seashores, each instrument feels like a character in Rud’s world.
Whether it’s “The Lonely Sea Monster of Pigeon Lake,” the tragic love story of “Edna and Maurice,” or the spooky hilarity of “Your Neighbourhood Witch,” Rud’s new album invites listeners into a world that is at once nostalgic, otherworldly, and emotionally true. It’s the sound of Canada through the eyes of someone who’s seen its magic—and lived to write the soundtrack.
