CAMfest Revival -- August 20, 2011

This past Saturday (Aug. 20) I had the pleasure of attending a revitalized festival near my hometown of Bowmanville, Ontario.  The neighbouring town of Orono played host to CAMfest, a day long festival celebrating arts and music in the Municipality of Clarington, Ontario.  The daytime stage played host to many wonderful local bands, while the evening stage played host to three of Canada’s finest international acts.  Local artists and chefs were front and centre as well, as there was a large section of the fairgrounds dedicated to artisans displaying their works and a wide variety of locally produced food items.

The evening portion kicked off with Bowmanville’s own Mark Sullivan, an internationally acclaimed instrumentalist.  Sullivan, who now resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, was backed by two wonderful musicians Caroline Leahy, from the infamous Leahy Family, and Andrew Hayhurst, who is a fine guitar player and vocalist.  Sullivan’s hour-long mostly instrumental set was a wonderful kickoff to a great evening and was the perfect showcase of the diversity of Americana/Canadiana music that exists on both sides of the border.  Mark Sullivan is a world-class violinist and fiddle-player who is worthy of your time when the opportunity presents itself.

Next up in the evening was an artist that I grew up listening to on Canadian country-radio as a kid.  A legend in the music business, he is no stranger south of the border.  Singer-songwriter Murray McLaughlin has been writing and performing on an international stage for over 40 years.  When it was announced he was coming to Orono, I was very intrigued.  When Mr. McLaughlin took the stage, it was like listening to an old friend in your living room telling stories about his life.  His opening number “Don’t You Want to Have Some Fun” was brilliantly descriptive as he painted a vivid picture of places and locations in the city of Toronto, where I grew up.  The small but appreciative crowd revelled in the many stories McLaughlin told of his songwriting exploits over the years.  My particular favorite was the story of a great song of his that was to appear on an album of Kathy Mattea’s a few years ago but was subsequently cut when the record label executive felt that the subject matter wasn’t commercially appropriate. Nice to see that some things are consistent in the music business (said with tongue firmly in cheek).  Anyway, the song was called “Try Walking Away” and it received new life as Murray McLaughlin’s version of the song would play at Toronto Blue Jays games whenever a walk was issued.  The first new album in ten years will be coming out in the near future, and Mr. McLaughlin gave us a wonderful preview with what should be a single at radio, “Picking Up Mary Lou.”  The show was a wonderful performance delivered by a music veteran, a true legend in the music business.

The final performers of the weekend are no strangers to the Americana/Canadiana music scene. Yep Roc recording artists, The Sadies, have been around for several years now with an ever increasing following.  The two front men of The Sadies, Dallas Good and Travis Good are world class musicians who completely dominate the stage with their musicianship and vocal harmonies.  I have heard of The Sadies and their reputation as a live act.  All I can say is, they appear as advertised.  A world class band who is reinventing the psychedelic-rockabilly sound and delivering it to new and loyal audiences in scorching fashion.  Mixing a blend of instrumentals with vocal performances, The Sadies played one of the best shows I have seen all year.  They deserved a larger audience then what they received on this night, but the Sadies were professionals throughout, delivering a show worthy of their headliner status.  I look forward with great anticipation to attending another show to be entertained by this group of world class musicians.  The Sadies, simply put, are the real deal.  They are an indescribable talent that will be around for a long time. 

The Art of Social Relevance

One of my favorite music writers is a gentleman named Chet Flippo.  I've never had the pleasure of meeting Chet, but I have a feeling he and I might get along quite well.  Chet is a longtime veteran of music writing, and it seems like he's had a long history of writing and saying what's on his mind regardless if anyone's feelings might get bruised.  I like Chet's writing because we have a similar take on the state of country music, specifically country radio, at this time.  Clearly Chet's take is more educated than mine, but I agree with him on most days.  


Chet's most recent column for CMT.com, the weekly Nashville Skyline feature, talks about one of the most socially relevant songs to come out in a long time by one of the greatest vocalists the industry has been fortunate enough to witness.  Ronnie Dunn's "Cost of Livin'" is a masterpiece that will be remembered as a modern-day classic, regardless of it's chart position.  It will be a life-and-death struggle for this song to reach the top 10, which is a complete and utter shame.  Country radio is at a state where they'll only play tunes about how big your "country to the core" is, or whatever.  That's a debate for another time.


While not naming any names, "Cost of Livin'" is a true story that takes place across both the United States and Canada every day.  It's no secret that the recent recession has been tough on both sides of the border, as well as around the world.  Admittedly, Canada has fared better than our friends and neighbors to the south.  Country music has always been about stories that capture what is socially relevant at that time.  From recent examples as Alan Jackson's "Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning", to Loretta Lynn's feminist anthem from the early 1970's "The Pill", country music has always been there to tell the story of the masses, not the privileged few.  Country music, in general, remains the social conscience of the music world. "Cost of Livin'" is the song that will tell the story of the Great Recession of 2008 - 2011 and beyond to future generations.  


Hopefully radio will come around and play this song as it deserves it's rightful place on every playlist at every country and Americana radio station.  I include Americana in this list because I believe that, at this time, the Americana/alt-country branch of the format more closely captures the social conscience of North America in the same vein as mainstream country did in the 1960's and 1970's.  One can only hope that the balance will be restored at some point in the future.  In the meantime, track down and listen to this song (you can hear it by clicking on the link above).  And if you are one of the people Ronnie sings about in the song, keep plugging away and don't give up.  Better days are ahead.  I wish you and your families all the best and please take care of one another.

Concert Review: J.P. Cormier, Little Lake Music Festival, Peterborough, Ontario

On previous occasions I have written about the vibrant music scene that exists in Peterborough, Ontario, a city of 75,000 northeast of Toronto.  In addition to the many clubs and bars that host many nights of live music, the newly-christened Little Lake Music Festival takes place weekly on Wednesday and Saturday nights from the end of June to the end of August.  The concerts are free and they take place lakeside at Del Crary Park.

This past Wednesday July 27, I had the great pleasure to attend this festival and take in a show by East Coast singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist J.P. Cormier.  A lifelong musician, J.P. has performed with the likes of Waylon Jennings, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart and bluegrass giants Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs to name a few.  When I read that on his web site, I knew I had to see his show.  

J.P. as a man, is a very commanding figure on stage.  This gentleman stands 6'4" and towers at the center of the stage between his two back-up singers/musicians.  As a musician and vocalist, J.P. demonstrates why he has won all the awards and why he has been so successful in both Canada and the United States for more than 25 years.  Performing "Gilgarry's Glen" early on in the set, J.P. showed the crowd from the get-go that he is one of the finest guitar players Canada has ever produced, as well as one of Canada's finest vocalists.  Quite simply, this was one of the best shows I have had the pleasure of seeing this year.

There were many stories to tell on this night, with tales of his time in the state of Alabama and growing up in Nova Scotia.  My personal favorite was the story of the time J.P. fell in love with a young woman ... but not just any young woman mind you, it was a young woman at McDonalds who asked him so wantingly, "Do you want fries with that?"  This story was a great lead-in to a beautifully written and performed song, "My Autumn Girl."  Given the opportunity, and with his long history as a musician working with some of the greatest legends in the music business, I would love to hear more of J.P.'s experiences.  

Songwriting seems at the core of what J.P. does musically.  As I've stated previously, this is a gifted musician, a multi-instrumentalist who played the guitar, fiddle and banjo on this evening.  His voice is as rich and smooth as you will ever hear.  When the music starts, you will find yourself tapping along and smiling.  But songwriting appears to be the biggest pleasure for J.P.  "Leaving Charlottetown" is a beautiful piece of art that is reminiscent of Merle Haggard's earliest works.  Perhaps the finest performance of the night was a tribute to Canada's own singer/songwriter legend, Gordon Lightfoot.  Playing a selection from J.P. Cormier's The Long River: A Personal Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot, J. P. delivered an astounding version of Lightfoot's "Song for a Winter's Night."  It was one of the finest performances I've had the pleasure of seeing and hearing, and I am sure that Mr. Lightfoot would be very proud of what J.P. has done with his song.  

J.P. continues his 2011 tour with stops in Edmonton, Alberta on August 4 at the Edmonton Folk Festival; the John Arcand Fiddle Festival in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on August 12; the Dakota Dunes Casino on August 13, also in Saskatoon; Music Up Close House Concerts on August 20 in Innisfil, Ontario; and the Shelter Valley Folk Festival on September 2 in Grafton, Ontario.  Do check out J.P. should you get the opportunity.  You will bear witness to a Canadian/East Coast treasure.

Meeting New Friends

I've always held the attitude that I have no real enemies or strangers in my life ... just friends I haven't met yet.  As mentioned in the Jimmy Bowskill review, I recently changed positions in my day job and I now work in Peterborough, Ontario.  Now that I'm spending large amounts of time in Peterborough, I am now realizing what fertile musical ground exists in this part of Canada.  


At my workplace I've made a new friend in John.  John is a great guy, very knowledgeable about a lot of things and is always up for a good conversation about two of his greatest loves in life, that being hockey and music.  They happen to be two of my greatest loves in life as well, so we hit it off well in this regard.  We have had many conversations about the state of music, the quality of singers, the value of being a singer-songwriter, and most importantly, who we're really in to musically.  


John is great friends with a local performer in the Peterborough area named Uncle Jim.  Uncle Jim is a veteran of the Peterborough music scene and has a steady gig at one of the finer local establishments in town called Elements.  This past Saturday, John mentioned that if I wasn't doing anything and would like to see a great show, come on up to Elements and check out Uncle Jim.  The bonus in all of this, was that Uncle Jim's daughter was also going to be on the show and she is a singer and musician "that will just blow you away."  This was the second such time John had mentioned Jim's daughter and that she was incredible, so something told me it Peterborough was the place to be the next night.


And so it was on Saturday that my lovely lady and I made our way up to Peterborough to Elements to see this family in action.  Little did we know that we were going to see one of the most uniquely talented up-and-coming performers I have ever seen.  


When John introduced me to Uncle Jim, it was just before the show was set to begin.  We greeted each other with a warm handshake and Jim was clear on this evening that he was setting the stage for his daughter to go up and take the mike.  While he may have made his intention clear to me, I want to be clear that Uncle Jim is no slouch on stage.  He is an excellent singer, songwriter and first-rate blues musician, as he so capably demonstrated playing the blues on guitar and harmonica at the same time.  I'm always thrilled and impressed when I see something like that.  I once played guitar and tried to sing at the same time ... it was a trainwreck.  I have no idea how people play two instruments fluently at once, but thank God they can do it.  It's a credit to the art when people can perform such a task.


Following Uncle Jim's first thirty minute set, the gushing father turned the stage over to his daughter Billi.  Opening with a Ray Lamontagne number, this young lady had the hair on the back of my neck standing up by the time she hit the fifth word of that song.  Billi Cope is arguably the finest, most talented up-and-coming star that has not been discovered.  I had the great pleasure of meeting Billi briefly before and after her first set.  My assessment of Billi is that she is a singer, songwriter, musician and artist of the highest order.  Her guitar playing is among the best I've seen, clearly the beneficiary of growing up in a musical family.  Perhaps it was those surroundings that gave Billi the skill to develop a strong set list which flowed from solid covers of the aforementioned Lamontagne to Tracey Chapman and a stellar version of John Prine's "Angel From Montgomery", to original material such as the mournful true story of "Josh's Song." Simply put, Billi Cope is the real deal.  This girl is going to be a star.  I may not be the only one who senses that fact.


As I was watching Billi perform, I caught a glimpse of Uncle Jim out of the corner of my eye.  I could see this proud father wiping away a tear as he witnessed his daughter holding the crowd in the palm of her hand and guiding them through her songbook.  I believe the day is coming soon where we won't be able to see Billi perform at Elements anymore.  Rather, she will be performing on the stage next door at the Showplace Theatre in front a much deserved larger gathering.  

The Words and Rhyme of Dolly Parton

It's amazing what albums you can find when you walk in to a store that sells new and used records.  Earlier this week, I was walking in downtown Peterborough on a lunch break from my day job when I happened upon this new and used record shop.  I like walking through and checking out those stores, so I popped inside for a few minutes.  I came across two albums that I meant to pick up when they were originally released, but I never got around to it.  One such album sparked the subject of today's writing. 

The 2007 Sugar Hill Records release of Just Because I'm a Woman: The Songs of Dolly Parton came with much fanfare. I recall being excited when this record was released, as it was to include artist interpretations of songs written by Dolly over the years.  It should be noted that all of the songs performed were monstrous hits in their day.  The performers on the album are all superstars in their own right.  I was curious to hear the interpretations of these other fine female artists as they performed the hits of one of my heroes.  After four years of not having the album, I finally got down to listening to it. 

The album kicks off with a fantastic version of "9 to 5", the song that introduced Dolly to the acting world, as there was a film made of the same name.  Alison Krauss has a wonderful interpretation of the song to kick start the album. Melissa Ethridge makes a wonderful contribution with the iconic "I Will Always Love You."  Norah Jones does simply an amazing turn on "The Grass is Blue."  However, for my money the best track on this album is the Shania Twain with Alison Krauss and Union Station performance of Dolly's autobiographical hit "Coat of Many Colors." 

Of course, that's a brief album review but that isn't the point of today's piece.  I mention this album for two reasons.  The first of course, is to tell everyone to go and pick up this album if they can find it.  It's a wonderful piece of work that will benefit every music lovers collection.  The other reason was to highlight what a really amazing and phenomenol songwriter Dolly is.  When you hear up and coming female performers in country/Americana music speak of their influences, the names that typically come up are Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline and more recently, Reba McEntire.  But somewhere on that list there has to be room for Dolly Parton.  The offerings on this album by these wonderful female artists are performed with such love and admiration for this lady from Sevierville, Tennessee, that the listener can't help but be drawn to the performance.  It's only then do you really hear the words that are said in each song.  They are works of art ... poetry from a woman who grew up in a home that knew nothing of excess and was able to find her creativity and work hard to become a cultural icon.  To this day, Dolly still gives back to her hometown and surrounding community is East Tennessee offering scholarships to graduating high school students and employing thousands at her amusement park, Dollywood. 

Dolly Parton is a deserved and honored member of the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame.  She is still putting out albums and has just started a world tour.   For aspiring musicians and songwriters out there, you would do well to research this remarkable woman, her words and music

The Year in Americana Review

My goodness, how time flies when you're having fun.  It's hard to believe that this past May 2011 marked the first anniversary of Americana Review.  

I find it amazing that over the past year almost 1,700 of you have visited the site.  Amazing, considering that for the first month or so, no one came by to read anything.  It's true.  My first three blog entries generated no traffic ... none.  But that's okay.  If you've decided to click on the hyper-link I think you'll understand why I don't mind.  This site has always been about a learning process, and discovery of new music and unheralded artists.  It's also been about my development as a writer, and as I look back on some of the first entries to this blog, I feel my writing has gotten much better.  I've gone from writing about "What is Americana" to doing some fairly comprehensive concert and album reviews.  Even then, as you review those past columns I think you'll see a big difference between the writing of the Elizabeth Cook review to the Jason Isbell review.  I feel my writing is now now at the point where I'm comfortable sharing the site with my family, friends and associates.  I feel like there is a lot of potential for this site going forward, some of which I will share with you today.

Writing this blog has afforded me the opportunity to do a lot of things I would not normally have done in my past.  I publicly aired my feelings of support for Chely Wright, shared a personal story about one of my sports heroes, Sparky Anderson, and visited Chicago for the first time to watch and review the last performance of Cross Canadian Ragweed.  I also became a proud member of the Americana Music Association.  This October, I will be going to Nashville, Tennessee for the first time in 9 years to attend my first Americana Music Conference and Festival.  I look forward to sharing that experience with all of you on this site.

Speaking of the future, what do I see happening down the road for this blog?  Well, my goal is to really start promoting the site.  For those of you who have been reading and keep returning to the site, I encourage you to share the site with your family, friends and acquaintances.  My goal is to continue to write something that is compelling, relevant, at times moving, but always enjoyable for you to read and share.  I thank you for your support and repeated visits.

Another goal I have is to make this site more interactive.  I love receiving comments on pieces, but I don't always share that with you.  Please leave comments as often as you like, I respond to all of them.  If you have suggestions for a column, sampling of music you would like reviewed, concerts coming to your town that you would like reviewed, or want to carry on a conversation, my e-mail address for this site is americanareview@gmail.com.  Feel free to drop a line anytime.  My pledge is to write back to everyone who comments or writes, whether those comments are positive or negative.  

If you like what you have seen over the last year on this blog, I would be thrilled if you would add this blog to your list of those blogs you follow regularly.  A big advantage of signing up as a follower is that you will automatically be notified of new postings, which is a great convenience.

What else would I like to see improved on the blog?  Certainly some pictures and other items to brighten up the place. But most of all, I would like to bring consistency to the blog with respect to postings.  When I started, my big commitment not only to this site but to myself, was to write every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.  Sometimes, and sometimes regrettably, life happens and it can get in the way of those simple goals.  I feel I have a better grasp on this now and my pledge to you is to post items regularly on this site.  Starting this Saturday June 4, 2011, you will begin to see the regular postings of a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday schedule.  Three times a week, that sounds like a good plan.  

As always, this site doesn't happen without you who are there to read it.  A former manager that I used to work for once told us at a department gathering, "You can do your job without me, but I cannot do my job without you."  Those words have stuck with me for a very long time now.  I believe those words ring true in this instance.  All of you reading this have so many choices and options of blog sites to read, and it means a lot that you take the time include this site in your cyberspace travels.  You have all the tools to read many opinions and critiques, but without all of you, I would not be able to lend my voice to the masses and actually be heard.  For that, I thank you and God bless.

Concert Review: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, Ontario

This past weekend in Canada, and indeed the across the British Commonwealth, we celebrated our Queen Victoria's birthday.  It's widely known in Canada that this particular long weekend is typically the unofficial kickoff of summer.  What it usually means is bucket loads of rain for those who head out to cottage country from Toronto, and enough cold weather to keep you bitching for days when you fight the traffic to get back to the city.  I typically stay close to home on the long weekends.  I live in a small town outside of Toronto, so I don't really miss the cottage thing.  But mostly it's because I have no patience to sit in hours and hours of cottage rush hour traffic that runs for a hundred miles or more.  Adding to my desire to stay close to home this past weekend was the news that Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit  were playing the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, Ontario.  


I was excited for this show for two reasons.  Firstly, I have wanted to see and learn more of Jason's music since I began this journey of discovering Americana music.  His music was one of my first encounters when I was researching the Americana Music Association where he was previously nominated in the New and Emerging Artist category.  You can find a lot of his music and clips from his shows on You Tube, as well as his own web site.  Secondly, the show was at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto.  The Horseshoe has been around for 64 years and counting.  It has played host to some of the most legendary acts in music.  As a final dress rehearsal for their most recent world tour, the Rolling Stones played the Horseshoe to just a completely packed house.  The concert area holds no more than 400 people ... so you can imagine what it must have been like to be there on that particular night.  If you are in Toronto and want to check out a place where live music is still King every night, go to the Horseshoe.  Great music and eclectic group of people.  It's a really great, unique Toronto experience.


Anyhow, back to Jason and the 400 Unit.  As I mentioned, I have been waiting somewhat patiently to check this act out, and the opportunity finally presented itself on Sunday May 22, 2011.  Touring across North America to support his recently released album Here We Rest (Lightning Rod Records), I was thrilled to see a rather large crowd waiting for the boys to take the stage.  Not sold out, but a good, enthusiastic crowd.  In spite of the fact the show started 20 minutes late, these guys did not disappoint.  Opening up with such numbers as "Alabama Pines" and "Never Could Believe" from the newest album, the band had the crowd hooked from the start.   Working in a song from his previous self-titled album, "Soldiers Get Strange" and "Goddamn Lonely Love" (Live at the Twist and Shout, New West Records), Jason and the band showed they could work seamlessly from hard-driving, soulful and rocking alt-country, to a wonderful ballad from the new release with "Heart on a String."  


Perhaps the most soulful tune of the evening was a story that is all too often told in North America, and that's the return of the soldier from active duty overseas.  "Tour of Duty" tells the hard tale of a soldier trying to assimilate himself back in to everyday life on this side of the world, dreaming of doing the simple things that most of us take for granted.  Highlighting the real simple pleasures in life, like eating chicken wings, and describing how even something as comforting as that can be challenging for some returning soldiers is a real credit to Jason Isbell's songwriting talents.  It is a talent that was exhibited in spades on the stage of the Horseshoe on Sunday night.


Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit are touring all across North America this summer.  Their next shows include stops in Bloomington, Illinois (Castle Theater) on May 25th; Chicago, Illinois (Lincoln Hall) on May 26th; Madison, Wisconsin (High Noon Saloon) on May 27th; and St. Paul, Minnesota on May 28th (Turf Club).   Opening for Jason and the band is a wonderful young lady by the name of Maria Taylor, who accorded very well for herself on this night as well.   If you are in those areas and are looking for a night of great entertainment, do check them out. It was a wonderful show.


For more tour dates and more information about Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, including ways to order albums, t-shirts and a whole host of other items, check out the bands' web site, a link to which is included in this entry.