Category: Music

Categories
Column Archives Music

BMO and Imperial bring great Shows to Saint John

One Woman German Show @ BMO March 11 and 12

First I would like to tell you something that I found on Facebook. Ron Hynes is being inducted into the Canadian Songwriting Hall of Fame. It’s about time. Ron was one amazing songwriter; if you don’t know who he is, look him up, he wrote the international best seller and campfire song favourite, Sonny early in his career.

And next, after a lot of communication a 2017 cultural exchange which started in 2015 has resulted in friendships between two small theatre companies’ thousands of miles away from each other. Saint John’s SJTC production An Enemy of the People traveled to Theatre Konstanz (January 2017), a German production of Medea was presented at the BMO Studio Theatre by Theater Konstanz (April 2018) and an ARC production of Mary’s Wedding toured to Konstanz as well as several other German cities along with Paris, France, Nov 2019. 

Now Theater Konstanz from Konstanz, Germany will present a fully German production of the Neil LaBute one woman show EINE ART LIEBESERKLÄRUNG (All The Ways To Say I Love You) with English sub-titles at The Saint John Theatre Company on March 11 and 12. Tickets are $27.50 and $15 for students. To order visit: www.saintjohntheatrecompany.com or call 506-652-7582 ext. 236. 

 Funding for the SJTC Studio Series has been provided by Canadian Heritage, the Province of New Brunswick and BMO Financial.

Wine, Women & Song Mar 14    

A special treat from BMO Studio Theatre— three local gals, Ladd & Lasses’s Wine Women & Song at 8 pm, Sat. March 14.  They are a three piece chamber folk band, three local talented women from Saint John; Hilary Ladd, singer/songwriter/guitarist; Katie Bestwater, cello and Danielle Girard, violin.  This trio’s press release reads “Prepare to be swept away, chuckle, and maybe even shed a few tears.” This special BMO event also includes wine tasting hosted by our favourite wine expert sommelier, Craig Phinhey. This sounds like a great show to enjoy and taste a few samples of different wines Craig has chosen for the evening. Tickets are $40 can be purchased on line.

Imperial 50s, 60s Legend Show, May 29

I know this is a couple of months ahead, but worth planning for. Remember the 50s and 60s? If they were “your years” then this show is for you— one night only, the “Legends Show” brings you some of the world’s most exciting performers live on stage accompanied by the “Rockin’ Royals Band”, this show will feature incredible Tributes to Music Hits from the 50s and 60s (Pete Paquette), Connie Francis (Amberley Beatty), Roy Orbison (Jesse Aron) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Lance Lipinsky). Friday, May 29 at 7pm. Tickets: $57 A seating, $51 B seating and $46 C seating

The Island Girls @ Imperial In April

You’ll always remember these Cape Breton Girls once you see them on stage full of fun and singing full out toe tapping music. The music and comedy comes to the Imperial from Cape Breton on April 19 at 7:30 pm, Tickets are $53.  This powerhouse foursome, Bette MacDonald, Heather Rankin, Lucy MacNeil (Barra MacNeils), Jenn Sheppard and a rockin’ back-up band—they are all musical treasures with tributes, brilliant comedy and a “trip down memory lane” for all who settle into the Imperial’s comfortable seats April 19. They have a heart warming, hilarious and surprising show.

Blacks Harbour Sunday Jam 

Angela Blackier says that the Blacks Harbour Sunday Jam will be switching back to the usual 2 to 5pm schedule for the rest of daylight savings time which changes March 8.

REMINDER: Apohaqui Breakfast March 7, is at 8 am to 10:30 am at the Apohaqui Community Center in Jones Park. Come try home made beans and biscuits, brown bread, sausage, eggs, pancakes and more. Adults $7, children $5, with entertainment by the Happy Go Lucky fiddlers.  Sponsored by the Apohaqui- Lower Millstream Recreation Council

Hampton Fiddle Doo March 7

 Next Saturday, March 7 a Fiddle Doo and Potluck supper will be held at the Hampton Resource Center.  Kim and George Boone and the Maritime Fiddling Association will host this fun day starting at 2 pm to 6pm. If staying for supper please bring a food item. Donation at the door. A great afternoon of old time fiddle music.  A really popular event it features local fiddlers plus surprises from out of town.

Steve Lyons & Friends March 8

The Kennebecasis Valley Country Music Hoedown, hosted by Steve Lyons & Friends Sunday afternoon, from 2-5 pm at the Fairvale Outing Association (8 River Rd., Rothesay).A supper lineup of guests includes Anna Marie Burke, Bobby Burke, Steven Sears (aka Willie), Carol Perry and the regulars are Steve Lyons, Bob Burgess, Scott Medford, Michael Hanlon and Crystal Jones. Also there are Door Prizes, 50/50 draws, Steak Draws and the Canteen and Bar will be open. These shows also have an open mic segment where audience members can share their talents with you. 

UKES 4 U Irish Concert March 17

 If you happen to be in the area and the weather co-operates,  join them at Lancaster Mall, S.J. West, Tuesday, Mar. 17 from 2-3pm for an Irish Sing-Along.  Ukes 4 U  is a senior’s ukulele group of about 25 members, led by retired music teacher Kay MacLean, assisted by Ann Brown.  They practice weekly at the West Side Library, Lancaster Mall and already have six Spring Concerts booked thru April up until May14th. Stay tuned.

 Nick Apollonio at Camden Opera House March 27

Looking for something different to do with a free weekend? If you love folk music and gorgeous hand made instruments, this is for you. Nick grew up listening to a wide range of folk influences, from Burl Ives to Ewan MacColl’s sea songs. This program of songs, stories, poems takes place at the Camden, Maine Opera House’s Blue Cafe (3rd floor) which is a really nice small venue. He will feature his beautifully hand made instruments, like the funkyfiddle and the a new harp-guittern for accompaniment. He has a great variety of songs and music from Celtic to Spanish, by contribution, it has a March 27, 7:30 pm start.
 

Categories
Column Archives Music

Katey Day Reick Wins National Karoke Singing Championship

I want to personally congratulate Saint John’s Katey Day, now known to many as Katey Day Reick, who is now based in Shediac, on her winning the Canadian finals representing Eastern Canada. Katey will go next to Japan for the world karaoke finals.

Katey Day at Acadia Broadcasting

She told me “Over the years I’ve truly enjoyed hanging out with friends and singing karaoke, having fun, etc.; and of course as you know for more than three decades I’ve been playing music in bars, festivals, and with bands, musicians, as a soloist and duet, special guesting, running events, staging my rock musical Deception; it’s been an amazing time and continues to blow my mind every single day.

“When I moved to Moncton, I hooked up with Kathy and Alex LeGood who run the most popular Karaoke business in NB, Alley Katz Karaoke….what a lot of people don’t know is that I was in a foster home when I was 11 and 12 that was run by Kathy’s Mother so hooking up after 30 years was quite something! Kathy and Alex have been huge supporters of mine, my original compositions and my music in general since I’ve been here and it just so happens that the Karaoke World Competition’s National Director Sharon Quinn contacted them asking “if there was any talent in the Maritimes who may be interested in entering the competition?”

“Kathy and Alex suggested contacting me and a few others. So that was beginning. Next I received a phone call and had to be approved by the National Karoke Board. Then, friends who own A-1 Lumpers (they offload freight at a warehouse or sites in Moncton, Halifax and NFLD) donated a ticket for me and also one for Katie, my wife to attend the competition and our friends and fans helped us with the rest of the expenses and of course Karaoke World Championships helped as well.’

Since this is modern times the Board used technology to select the representatives to sing in Calgary for the semi-finals. Katey needed four songs to perform and choose, Piece of My Heart- Janis Joplin; Make You Feel My Love- Adele; the Moulin Rouge version of Your Song by Elton John and as the fourth song, Elton John’s I Would Do Anything For Love.

“Once we all arrived they split all of us into groups A, B and C and they also had a Duet category which they divided them the same way. I just kept forging forward, sang to the best of my abilities and won 1st place in Canada,—soooo, at the end of November, I will represent Canada in Tokyo, Japan along with two other wonderful artists who will represent Duets. Their names are Kate Dion and Candace Miles – truly awesome singers…..but to me they were ALL awesome and brought so much to the table that it’s hard for me to believe I received the ‘number one’ spot…but I’m glad and honored of course.”

And that’s Katey’s story. The prequel started in Saint John. Since I’ve known her for many years I will always think of her as a teen, wearing a beret and singing Irish folksongs. She started broadcasting at CHSJ in Saint John as a news assistant and writing commercials when she was 18. Besides always singing when she had the chance she was also a DJ in Halifax, worked with 9.9 HalFM, lite 92.9 and the Maritime News Network among other jobs connected to music including writing her own musical, Deception.

The best example of her always singing her best was at a concert Barry and Valerie MacDonald organized in Hampton some years ago. Katey was the guest and although she had sung Danny Boy a hundred times or more, I will always remember her rendition that night. The way she sang it was very moving and memorable. She is a woman of many talents and I think New Brunswick should be very proud of her and her incredible win. We wish her all the best in Japan.

She has now embarked on a new career, selling real estate for Quality Remax in Moncton and has made her first sale, no doubt she sang them into buying.

And one last thing, Katey Day Reick says that in 2020 the World Karaoke will be held in the Maritimes in March. It will be interesting times for local singers.

Music at Dr. Snow Center Sept. 13
There’s a grand opening of “The Garden Room” at the Dr. Snow Center in Hampton, a new greenhouse that the patients and visitors can enjoy. The entertainment features Margie Stackhouse who has been in the music business since childhood and Greg Stevens. He plays keyboard, lead & bass guitar, banjo and sings– for this special opening at the Dr. Snow Center, Friday, Sept. 13, 2pm, 45 DeMille Court Hampton.
Margie lives in Hampton, sang with the Maritime Farmers on CHSJ TV and the S.J. EX in the 50’s, was part of the Springhill, NS 1958 Mine Disaster Benefit show, performed on radio shows as a teenager and years later Margie performed with Nashville star, Jean Shepard. When in Florida she performs weekly at the Orange Blossom Opry in Wiersdale, FL. and when home holds a monthly Country/Gospel show at Bradley Lake.


Breeze & Wilson at BMO Theatre Sept. 7
Stan Carew discovered them on a trip to England and invited them over to be on his CBC Saturday morning radio show. I saw them at Main St. Anglican Church, I think it the last time Stan appeared with them. It was a great concert. This time they have chosen the popular uptown Saint John BMO Theatre on Princess St. for their NB stop on their Maritime Tour, Sept 7, 7:30pm. Tickets $20 at door, call 652-7582 or visit www.ticketpro.ca
Eddy Poirier’s Grassline in Norton, Sept 8
A reminder that a great night of bluegrass with Eddy Poirier, Jim Collette, Laurie Chevarie, and Edgar Bastrashe will be at Norton Catholic hall, Sept 8. Doors open at 1 pm. Tickets $12 at door. For more info call Eddie at 384-8655 or email eddyfiddle@gmail.com

Brenda Best Plays New York
Speaking of country and also rock and roll, New Brunswick’s 2015 NBCMHF inductee, Brenda Best is still busy playing oldies for local fans in and around Nashville and is always branching out, happy spreading her brand of New Brunswick happiness in the oldest rock and roll club in New York– The Bitter End, established in 1961. It’s a club that legends have played, from Ramblin Jack Elliot to the Everely Brothers, from Joan Baez to Odetta. We’re proud of Brenda for being able to add her name to that distinguished list. http://www.bitterend.com/legends/ The Bitter End is located in the heart of Greenwich Village in the western end of Manhattan and you never know who or what you’ll hear next, but we do know Brenda Best played there August 26.

Categories
Album Release Concert Event Folk Music Recording Launch Upcoming

Chicks and Docklings at Portland United Church

CHICKS & DOCLINGS HATCH NEW CD  SATURDAY AT PORTLAND UNITED CHURCH

13CoolChicksJustHatchCDcoverExuberant…that describes their CD Just Hatched…but not humour inspired exuberance as anyone who has seen The Cool Chicks & Ugly Doclings perform would expect. This disc is a recording, vocally and instrumentally, exuberant in its sheer beauty.

Their new…and first…CD Just Hatched, is being launched this Saturday, 7 p.m., at Portland United Church, 50 Newport Crescent, just off Adelaide Street in Saint John’s North End. Known for their humour and nonsense rearrangements and re-writing of old favourites, the only thing nonsensical about this, their first recording, is it’s packaging.

The eye-stopping cover is a Disney-esque cartoon: a duck doc with a finger pointing to the album title, Just Hatched and a cool 1930’s Chick in a ball gown and fur boa neck piece, a finger pointing to the unique act’s official monicker, The Cool Chicks & The Ugly Doclings. The most novel idea for a record cover ever to be hatched in any incubator. But it’s such a far cry from the songs of deep emotion and inspiration encrypted on its tracks.

“What a terrific recording of Hallelujah!,” my wife Carol exclaimed on first hearing the CD: she’d heard its composer, Leonard Cohen, sing this powerful song of his at Harbour Station, a month earlier. “It’s the first time I’ve been able to make out all the words.”

She was referring to Brenda Brooks phrasing in such lines as : “I heard there was a secret chord, that David played that pleased the Lord.”

If you’re one of the unfortunate few that have not seen or heard the Cool Chicks & The Ugly Doclings in concert, then, for your edification, they are seven local health care professions and one teacher, who have been doing charity performances in southern New Brunswick for over ten years, raising money for not-for-profit organizations.

The album opens with Andrew Clark, an anaesthetist, singing lead on Cannibals, written by Mark Knopfler. Then Blue Bayou, that Roy Orbison wrote the lyrics for, is given one of the most beautiful treatments, that I have heard, by respiratory therapist, Jennifer Rooney. Next a song, Drinking Black Rum (and eating Blueberry Pie) sung by retired orthopaedic surgeon, John Acker but made famous on CBC-TV’s Singalong Jubilee by it’s writer James Lawrence (or just plain Jim) Bennet. And Andrew Clark, an anaesthetist and guitarist, vocally interprets his own Servant To The Music (the only original song on the disc). Then Wendy Stewart, a pediatric neurologist and singing accordionist from Scotland renders I Only Want To Be With You, by Mike Hawker and Ivor Raymonde. And nurse Brenda Brooks does a grand recital of Gordon Sumner’s Fields Of Gold.

That’s a half dozen enchanting songs and there’s another seven just as beguilingly sung and played on the CD: family physician, Steve Willis along with the ensemble do a rousing interpretation of Those Were The Days (My Friend, We Thought They’d Never End) a song written by Gene Raskin and made famous by England’s Maryanne Faithful and in North America by the Limelighters (Stephen plays guitar and mandolin, too). And Jerry Jeff Walker’s ever popular Mr. Bojangles gets a rousing revival, by respiratory therapist Mike Willis, who plays bass, guitar, bodhran and sings. Next the only instrumental track, an Irish Jig Set, is performed by the eight musicians. And, Joni Mitchell’s River, is stunningly sung by Maggie Bockus ( Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on); Bob Dylan’s Wagon Wheel (that Jay Secor wrote the music for) is intriguingly performed by Mike Willis, (Rock Me Mama, like a wagon wheels.) Then Brenda Brooks wonderful interpretation of Hallelujah and the final track 13, with a slight re-writing (here and there) of the Sherman’s You’re Sixteen (And You’re lovely, you come on like a dream, all peaches and cream) with the new closing lines “We’re the Chicks (voiced by the four Chicks) and The Doclings ( voiced by the Doclings), and we’re here. If you’re digging the songs just sing along. We’re not famous, we’re not rich. It’s the end of the show and we’ve got to go.”

This wonderful CD, you’ll play over and over again, Just Hatched, is available Saturday at it’s Portland United Church launch or you can phone the office of Dr. Wendy Stewart, 848-4622 for a copy.

Categories
Column Archives Folk Music

Stompin’ Tom

Stompin' Tom 1936-2013
Stompin' Tom 1936-2013

from Gerry’s 2009 when Stompin’ Tom was last here.

STOMPIN TOM’S NEW CD A MILESTONE IN HIS NEVER ENDING STORY

Stompin' Tom 1936-2013
Stompin’ Tom 1936-2013

A perception once rooted is hard to disinter.

On page seven of Tom Connors’ own biography Stompin’ Tom Before The Fame he writes: I had been born Charles Thomas Connors at the stroke of midnight on February 9, 1936, in the General Hospital in Saint John, New Brunswick. My birth certificate shows my mother’s name as Isabel Connors.
Tom was in high school at Saint John Vocational (now Harbour View High) in 1950 when I was in the commercial art course there. He posed for several of the murals painted by Fred Ross that distinguished the corridors of that institution of learning for many decades. And long time RCA fiddling legend Ned Landry is Tom’s cousin on the Sullivan side of their families.

Yet even such an authority on the unique personalities that embroider the pages of Canadian history as Wayne Rostad was amazed a couple of months ago to learn that Tom hadn’t been born on our Garden of the Gulf. And a favourite recording artist of mine Stew Clayton begins his Tribute To Stompin’ Tom with “From Skinner’s Pond in PEI”.

Part of the myth, of course, derives from Tom himself who for many years opened every concert and TV telecast with “Hello, I’m Stompin Tom from PEI” and, of course, his was the voice of PEI’s TV commercials in those years, as well. Tom in a letter to me, 15 years ago, explained the paradox this way:
“When interviewers ask what they believe to be a simple question they don’t want you to go into a long speech about your entire historical background. I therefore use the following rule of thumb.

“When asked “Where were you born?”, I say Saint John, NB, because that is where I first saw the light of day. When asked “Where are you from”, I say Skinner’s Pond, PEI because that is the first place I could ever call home. When asked where is your home? I presume the question means right now, so I say, just outside Georgetown, Ontario.”

I was amazed a couple of years ago, giving a talk on New Brunswick songs at the Saint John Art Centre, how few of the audience realized Tom was from this city or that he had written songs about the province and Saint John.

In fact the first song he wrote, My Reversing Falls Darling was composed when he was attending Vocational. He, also, wrote and recorded Saint John Blues, The Don Messer Story, Tribute To Wilf Carter (with the line ‘Til the wood camps of New Brunswick hired Wilf for a better wage) and a great radio air-play hit New Brunswick and Mary.

And, now, on his new Ballad of Stompin Tom CD, there’s a very haunting song Rose of Silver Falls, perhaps inspired by a gypsy caravan he saw during his two years at the St. Patrick’s Orphanage near the Falls.The most hilarious song on it is an NB inspired one too, (Working In The) Bush of Bouctouche (because of a gal in Tatamagouche). And the title song Ballad of Stompin’ Tom affirms in its opening line the place of his birth, “I was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, by the sea.”

I think this is Tom’s most impressive and enjoyable album since his release of Fiddle & Song in 1988, an LP/cassette that included such powerful folk ballads as Return Of The Sea Queen, Entry Island Home, Wreck of the Tammy Anne, I Am The Wind and Lady k. d. Lang.
This new CD album of his resonates with the same powerful folk feel! He even includes a real Irish folk song, of IRA origin, Kevin Barry and Wilf Carter’s six decade old Take Me Back To Old Alberta.

Others with a definite folk gene include Birth of The Texas Gulf Mine, My British Columbia Home, Lady Slipper and Ottawa Lures.
And only Tom could take a bawdy song popular during the Second World War, Chase Me Charlie, change the lyrics, but keep its lilting racy rhythm, while transforming it into such a beautiful country love song, one you’ll be humming for days after hearing it. It’s omething he did with a song of similar origin The North Atlantic Squadron 33 years ago.

Another selection so hilarious it should have you laughing from beginning to end (it did me) on this new CD is Chickee Pooh (curly eyes and laughing toes, and where did you get those?). And there is a variant of an English folk song that Hank Snow gave new life to in the 1940’s The Cowboy’s Broken Ring. Tom’s mother Isabel died last year, that her favourite song. And there’s another beautiful new song from Tom’s pen, the Bride And Groom Waltz.
The others are updated re-recordings of three of Tom’s greatest hits, The Olympic Song (with a verse about the 2009 Games in BC added), The Hockey Song and the Hockey Mom Tribute.

In his early recording years before details of Tom’s troubled childhood surfaced I wondered why neither he nor Donald Sutherland, who even then had appeared in an amazing number of Hollywood feature movies never mentioned Saint John, their birthplace, in interviews. Unhappy childhoods or, in Donald’s case, I understand, school years, aside, it seemed to me an apathy exist toward entertainers in NB giving Cape Breton and PEI a decided edge. Various international music authorities, in conversations over the years have accessed our province as having more gifted musicians and singers than either of those, The difference, they felt, was we just don’t merchandise tour talent nearly as well.

I had one dismaying example of that myself! When Tom came out of his 1980s decade long hiatus from entertaining and was planning an 80 concert 1990 Ontario to British Columbia and back across to the Atlantic tour his road manager Brian Edwards asked me to inquire if should their first Atlantic provinces concert be in Saint John would his birth city acknowledge the fact with some fanfare?

I took the proposal to the city’s much beloved mayor, a lady I had known since we were children. She thought it was a great idea and that she would present it to council..A week later I had a phone call from a city hall secretary saying council had turned it down..Summerside and Charlottetown, however, grabbed it up quickly, staging a parade, elaborate publicity and banner draped streets.

The new Ballad Of Stompin’ Tom CD should be available at music stores everywhere, or you can visit visit www.StompinTom.com

Categories
Album Release Column Archives Country and Western Folk Memories Music

Stompin’ Tom’s Never Ending Story

Stompin' Tom Connors and Ned Landry
Stompin' Tom Connors and Ned Landry

Stompin’ Tom’s New CD – a Milestone in His Never Ending Story

Stompin' Tom 1936-2013
Stompin’ Tom 1936-2013

A perception once rooted is hard to disinter.

On page seven of Tom Connors own biography Stompin’ Tom Before The Fame he writes: I had been born Charles Thomas Connors at the stroke of midnight on February 9, 1936, in the General Hospital in Saint John, New Brunswick. My birth certificate shows my mother’s name as Isabel Connors.

Tom was in high school at Saint John Vocational (now Harbour View High) in 1950 when I was in the commercial art course there. He posed for several of the murals painted by Fred Ross that distinguished the corridors of that institution of learning for many decades. And long time RCA fiddling legend Ned Landry is Tom’s cousin on the Sullivan side of their families.

Yet even such an authority on the unique personalities that embroider the pages of Canadian history as Wayne Ronstad was amazed a couple of months ago to learn that Tom hadn’t been born on our Garden of the Gulf. And a favourite recording artist of mine Stew Clayton begins his Tribute To Stompin’ Tom with “From Skinner’s Pond in PEI”.

Part of the myth, of course, derives from Tom himself who for many years opened every concert and TV telecast with “Hello, I’m Stompin Tom from PEI” and, of course, his was the voice of PEI’s TV commercials in those years, as well. Tom in a letter to me, 15 years ago, explained the paradox this way:

“When interviewers ask what they believe to be a simple question they don’t want you to go into a long speech about your entire historical background. I therefor use the following rule of thumb.

Stompin' Tom Connors and Ned Landry
Stompin’ Tom Connors and Ned Landry

“When asked “Where were you born?”, I say Saint John, NB, because that is where I first saw the light of day. When asked “Where are you from”, I say Skinner’s Pond, PEI because that is the first place I could ever call home. When asked where is your home? I presume the question means right now, so I say, just outside Georgetown, Ontario.”

I was amazed a couple of years ago, giving a talk on New Brunswick songs at the Saint John Art Centre, how few of the audience realized Tom was from this city or that he had written songs about the province and Saint John.

In fact the first song he wrote, My Reversing Falls Darling was composed when he was attending Vocational. He, also, wrote and recorded Saint John Blues, The Don Messer Story, Tribute To Wilf Carter (with the line ‘Til the wood camps of New Brunswick hired Wilf for a better wage) and a great radio air-play hit New Brunswick and Mary.

And, now, on his new Ballad of Stompin Tom CD, there’s a very haunting song Rose of Silver Falls, perhaps inspired by a gypsy caravan he saw during his two years at the St. Patrick’s Orphanage near the Falls.The most hilarious song on it is an NB inspired one too, (Working In The) Bush of Bouctouche (because of a gal in Tatamagouche). And the title song Ballad of Stompin’ Tom affirms in its opening line the place of his birth, “I was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, by the sea.”
I think this is Tom’s most impressive and enjoyable album since his release of Fiddle & Song in 1988, an LP/cassette that included such powerful folk ballads as Return Of The Sea Queen, Entry Island Home, Wreck of the Tammy Anne, I Am The Wind and Lady k. d. Lang.

This new CD album of his resonates with the same powerful folk feel! He even includes a real Irish folk song, of IRA origin, Kevin Barry and Wilf Carter’s six decade old Take Me Back To Old Alberta.

Others with a definite folk gene include Birth of The Texas Gulf Mine, My British Columbia Home, Lady Slipper and Ottawa Lures.

And only Tom could take a bawdy song popular during the Second World War, Chase Me Charlie, change the lyrics, but keep its lilting racy rhythm, while transforming it into such a beautiful country love song, one you’ll be humming for days after hearing it. It’s something he did with a song of similar origin The North Atlantic Squadron 33 years ago.

Another selection so hilarious it should have you laughing from beginning to end (it did me) on this new CD is Chickee Pooh (curly eyes and laughing toes, and where did you get those?). And there is a variant of an English folk song that Hank Snow gave new life to in the 1940’s The Cowboy’s Broken Ring. Tom’s mother Isabel died last year, that her favourite song. And there’s another beautiful new song from Tom’s pen, the Bride And Groom Waltz.

The others are updated re-recordings of three of Tom’s greatest hits, The Olympic Song (with a verse about the 2009 Games in BC added), The Hockey Song and the Hockey Mom Tribute.

In his early recording years before details of Tom’s troubled childhood surfaced I wondered why neither he nor Donald Sutherland, who even then had appeared in an amazing number of Hollywood feature movies never mentioned Saint John, their birthplace, in interviews. Unhappy childhoods or, in Donald’s case, I understand, school years, aside, it seemed to me an apathy exist toward entertainers in NB giving Cape Breton and PEI a decided edge. Various international music authorities, in conversations over the years have accessed our province as having more gifted musicians and singers than either of those, The difference, they felt, was we just don’t merchandise tour talent nearly as well.

I had one dismaying example of that myself! When Tom came out of his 1980s decade long hiatus from entertaining and was planning an 80 concert 1990 Ontario to British Columbia and back across to the Atlantic tour his road manager Brian Edwards asked me to inquire if should their first Atlantic provinces concert be in Saint John would his birth city acknowledge the fact with some fanfare?

I took the proposal to the city’s much beloved mayor, a lady I had known since we were children. She thought it was a great idea and that she would present it to council..A week later I had a phone call from a city hall secretary saying council had turned it down. Summerside and Charlottetown, however, grabbed it up quickly, staging a parade, elaborate publicity and banner draped streets.

The new Ballad Of Stompin’ Tom CD should be available at music stores everywhere, or you can visit visit www.StompinTom.com

Categories
Album Release Folk Music Recording Launch

Christmas Folk Music Sale

With Jim Stewart of Saint John NB of Marco Polo Suite Fame
With Jim Stewart of Saint John NB of Marco Polo Suite Fame

Some of the World’s Greatest Folk CDs at Sale Prices

By today’s reckoning, Timberhead Music CD’s are unbelievably bargain priced at their regular catalog price of $16. But now slashed $3-only $12.99 a disc-during their Annual Christmas Holiday Sale, Nov. 22 to Dec. 22, they’re an incredible bargain. That’s considering that this Camden, Maine mail order service stocks some of the most excitingly beautiful folk music anywhere and Canadian and U.S. currencies now at par.

Moncton folk singer and traditional music garu Bernie Houlahan three decades ago expressed the feeling of many devotees of real folk music, when he said he’d ‘almost entirely given up interest in anything new called folk music.’ So many inept young songwriters releasing navel-gazing two month wonders and calling them them folk. Songs that would never be sung by anyone else of their own generation let alone survive decades of others singing them to meet the folksong designation. “ Then I discovered Folk Legacy Records,” he said, “ and realized there were still singers writing songs he could envision standing the test of time. The recordings Folk-Legacy were releasing restored my faith.”

And Gordon Bok, their most popular artist, had a lot to do with that. A folk song by original definition is one still sung after who wrote it is forgotten by the masses. It’s a song that has been enhanced by many singers and polished over time .

Gordon Bok’s first album, self-titled, on Verve Folkways album featured a song Fundy that became a favourite of mine. Another debut album The Magic of Mayo Muirby a goldenvoiced singer Anne Mayo Muir on 20th Century Fox Records soon filled a like niche. They’re still among our most played 40 years later. So when I read about an album Bay of Fundy by Gordon Bok with Anne Mayo Muir on Folk-Legacy I lost no time in acquiring it. That album opened the door to a whole new world of folk music and communication with the label for me.

Started by two great traditional singers Sandy and Caroline Paton with a friend Lee B. Haggerty, their studio was in Sharon, Connecticut. Their recordings were only available in Canada by mail-order or at import specialty stores. Gordon Bok after his first solo recording in 1971 Peter Kaggan And The Wind become their most recorded artist.

When Folk Legacy, due to the failing health of its founders, cut back recording operations, Gordon purchased his masters along with others from them and established his own distributing retailing company Timberhead Music. That label’s catalog now includes over 50 of his CDs. Those include solo albums, those of the trio of Bok, Ann Mayo Muir and Ed Trickett, with whom he toured and recorded for three decades and various other duo and chorus alliances.

And over those years Gordon Bok has been a frequent visitor to the Port City and Hampton. Because of a Saint John Folk Club concert here he forged a chain between the club and the New England folk community which still exists 30 years later. And for travelling expenses he came up from Camden in the late 80’s to do a Bi-Capitol concert to raise funds used in purchasing the building that became Saint John’s Imperial Theatre.

And he took part in the original Marco Polo Folk Opera written by Rothesay’s Jim Stewart in that theatre, a presentation of towering stage sets and audio visual effects that which took $100,000 to mount in the fall of 2002. As well, many of his recordings feature songs of enduring beauty written by Stewart and other local songwriting musicians.

Gordon Bok in Concert

His recent Gordon Bok In Concert is Bok’s only live album except for the Bok, Trickett, Muir trio’s, Minneapolis Concert recorded in 1987. This solo In Concert CD will open your ears to the warmer, more humourous side of Bok, and the repore he shares with audiences. I was amazed by the reaction of a couple of friends we took to a trio concert at Harvard University years ago . Not aware of traditional balladry even as it turned out, they were amazed at the capacity audience singing along with the trio on songs those two had never heard of, much less heard. Sadly such songs are not on commercial radio or even CBC now.

In Concert begins with an introduction and the comedic ballad Queer Bungo Rye for instance; a salute to Nova Scotia’s Canso Strait; The Angelius; a nostalgic While The Cane Fires Burn, an inspired rendering of Let The Lower Lights Be Burning, the rare Oysterbed Road and boisterousScottish Hie Awa with it’s introduction make this a ‘live’ music experience you’ll want to relive often, 16 songs interspersed with humour and stories.

With Jim Stewart of Saint John NB of Marco Polo Suite Fame
With Jim Stewart of Saint John NB of Marco Polo Suite Fame

There is also the Bok Trio’s 1994 Languages of The Heart CD, it’s incredibly beautiful title song written by Rothesay’s Jim Stewart and Moncton’s Bernie Houlahan. Jim’s Marco Polo song is included as well and such rarities as Blue Mountain, Stephen Foster, Merlin’s Waltz and Ballinderry: 15 exquisite songs all beautifully sung.

And, also, 15 rare, lovely songs on Harbours Of Home by Gordon, Ed and Ann, such gems as: Australian Henry Lawson’s The Outside Track; Scotsman Dave Goulder’s Pigs Can See The Wind; a lyrical treasure The Great Valley’s Harvest; Jim Stewart and Gordon’s We Built This Old Ship; John Austin Martin’s entrancing Dancing At Whitsum; J.B. Goodenough’s Turning Of The Year and the title song by a favourite songwriter of mine, Joan Sprung.

Also in the Timberland catalog is the trio’s Turning Toward The Morning which includes two masterpieces of Gordon’s own, Isle Au Haut Lullaby and the title song plus the emotional Three Score And Ten, I Drew My Ship, Gentle Annie, How Can I Keep from Singing and six others.

These and many others including Jim Stewart’s Narco Polo Suite, are available for only $12.99 U.S.-some cassettes $5, by phoning (207) 236-2707, or visiting www.timberheadmusic.com