Joey is known for his lyrical and inspired guitar and mandolin playing. He is versed in many styles such as bluegrass, blues, swing, pop and country. He is also known for his unique compositions. Joey is a sought after collaborator as much for his positive and inspirational attitude as for his musical vision and talent.
His first solo cd, “Camp”, received rave reviews from such magazines as Penguin Eggs and Bluegrass North. His original material appeals to fans of new acoustic music, bluegrass and pop in equal parts. His sophomore cd, "Jalopy" was released in December, 2006 to a slew of rave reviews and it earned Joey a Juno nomination for “Instrumental Album of the Year”.
Joey has appeared on many highly acclaimed Canadian recordings. Recently he has played on albums by Sarah Harmer (for which Joey received a gold record), Amy Millan, Oh Suzanna, Ruth Moody, Pierre Schryer, Jenny Whiteley, Dan Whiteley, and The Banjo Special to name a few. "Joey Wright doesn't need a bio. You just hear about him. A rumour, a sound. Musical charisma enveloping a career of cinematic guitars, slides of blues and bluegrass. An inspired force of beauty and bravado, danger and charm." Sarah Harmer
Jenny Whiteley
Those who have heard Jenny sing as she’s crisscrossed Canada and the U.S. over the past dozen or so years know that an evening spent listening to her songs is like a long-delayed meeting with an old dear friend. Laughter and sorrow are shared, barriers dissolve, and life’s burdens suddenly don’t seem so heavy anymore.
Great music has the power to heal, and if Jenny’s concerts are like a reunion that passes all too quickly, her CDs take their time and sink in deeply like a letter from that same long lost friend to be treasured and re-read over time.
Jenny Whiteley often jokes that she was a late bloomer and didn’t fully commit to music until the age of 24, but she’s been making up for lost time ever since. She first came to national attention while singing and playing with Heartbreak Hill, the groundbreaking bluegrass group from Ontario who were nominated for a Juno Award in 1999. But, that was an honour that had to wait until her self-produced debut came out in 2000 and Jenny won the “Roots Album of the Year” award. By 2003, things really got rolling with her second Juno-winning release, Hopetown, the first CD produced by Steve Dawson for his Black Hen Music label, marking the beginning of a fruitful and productive working relationship that continued with 2006’s Dear and has reached its highest point with her latest album Forgive or Forget.
Jayme Stone Banjo: Bluegrass, Contemporary Jazz, Roots
Jayme Stone muses that he started playing banjo because the instruments’ quirky physics align with his quick thinking. Soon after his calling to the banjo, he followed the sound of an Indian sarod in a small California town to a chance meeting with revered Indian musician Ali Akbar Khan. “I spent the better part of the week soaking up these ancient songs,” remembers Stone. “You could say it was my first banjo lesson.” Stone’s musical path always finds him with one foot sinking deeper into land close to home while the other wanders onto new territory.
An unlikely set of circumstances has lent Stone a broader set of reference points than most banjoists and those early beginnings have influenced his sound, choice of material, and collaborations. It started with the architecture of the banjo, led to a mysterious librarian who stocked his local public library with a vast trove of banjo recordings, and landed him long-lasting lessons with a series of maestros, from Béla Fleck and Tony Trischka, to Dave Douglas and Bill Frisell. Now, after seven weeks in Mali studying with the likes of Djelimady Sissoko, Adama Tounkara and Bassekou Kouyate, he realizes that old-fashioned oral transmission suits him best.
Stone is drawn to musicians who invent their own worlds, musicians who are fluent in the language of music, yet speak in broader brush strokes. With such unlikely influences as Japanese poetry and Brazilian literature, Stone even composed what he calls a tiny symphony that takes place inside an imaginary light bulb. Just as his early influences were diverse, so continues the sources of inspiration. The Jayme Stone Quartet has the uncanny ability to play a twelve-part composition in eleven, a dirge for Ray Charles, and a medley of Appalachian fiddle tunes all in the same set. They hop scotch from bluegrass hoedowns to jazz festivals leaving small musical twisters in their wake.
The latest chapter in Stone’s musical travelogue takes place in Africa. He went knowing what’s still news to most: that the hide-covered instrument with an “extra” drone string we call the banjo actually comes from West Africa. Stone became particularly curious about what aspects of banjo-playing did not make it across the ocean on slave ships headed west from Senegal and Mali in the 1700-1800’s. “What might have been passed on had the most preeminent musicians taught us Westerners on their own turf, with their own methods and with the freedom to convey the enormous scope and gravity of their music?” During his seven-week trip to Mali, Stone found himself sitting in with Toumani Diabate’s Symmetric Orchestra in downtown Bamako, lost in circles of Wassoulou polyrhythms and in a rural Dogon village with no electricity where he inadvertently discovered a banjo predecessor unheard of in the West. Africa to Appalachia, his new collaborative album with griot singer and kora player Mansa Sissoko will feature special guests Bassekou Kouyate (ngoni) and Casey Driessen (fiddle). He traveled to Africa to seek out the roots of the banjo and the idiosyncrasies that never made it to America. What he found was the musical culture that spawned the many branches of roots music. As always, Stone applied his fanciful diligence, finding himself inside another world and ready to bring it into his music wholeheartedly.
www.jaymestone.com
John Paul Copeland
John Paul Copeland's first interest in Art began as a child sketching caricatures from various sources. At nine years of age, he moved on to designing a patch for the Boy Scouts in his hometown Trenton. The sixties brought day glow paints and travel. The seventies and eighties became the study of the Primitive Soul. This gradually developed into studies of Myths in Primitive Lives and Animal Images based on dreams and synchronicity. After enrolling in the Liberal Arts program at Norwich University in the nineties, John was encouraged to study Art with Roy Levin and Charlotte Hastings. Professor Levin an international artist and former head of the Masters of Fine Art at Vermont College infused John with new insights and encouraged a large body of art work. John's course readings on cross cultural, native, and ancestral studies deepened his understanding of Art and Culture. This focus has since turned to expressions of the connections of humanity and its ecological responsibilities. John has exhibited in Vermont, Montreal, Toronto, Madoc, Belleville, and on the Tyendinaga Reserve plus various Federal events. John's chalk pastels, oil paintings, and charcoals are enjoyed in homes across North America and are shared around the world through the Internet. (http://www.canadadreams.ca)
John's first foray into the world of music starting in small communities in the Gatineau's and lead to a sound track for the artist Bill Anhang. His attraction to John's pure naked power drew Bill Anhang to include John's work with Dizzie Gillespie for a background for his Art work.
As a performer with the dance band Sand and Stone John has branched out yet again. He has recently added written works, personal stories, poetry and music to his solo and collaborate presentations. Acapella vocals, Harmonica stylings and with a little help from his friends in the music community a harmony that illustrates the gossamer web of artistry that will not be denied in John Paul's life.
John has lived north of highway seven for over thirty five years where he and his wife built a log home and have raised their two children.
Musical mentors:
Michael Colgrass, Honey Novak, Charnie Guettel, Carioca Ronaldo L. Freita, and Randy Greer (Recognized by the American National Association of Jazz Educators as one of the finest jazz singers in the world today)
Visual Inspiration:
Artemisia Gentileschi, Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky
JORY NASH - SOLO
Acoustic guitar, piano and banjo
Jory Nash blends elements of folk, jazz, blues, soul and pop into an original stew of sound. He has recorded 6 critically-acclaimed CDs, including 2004's curiously titled "Spaz Loves Weezie" and 2010's award winning "New Blue Day".
A master storyteller and a lover of hats, Jory tours across North America, playing mostly solo. Acoustic guitar, piano and banjo are Jory's main instruments. Jory is a past winner of the Ontario Council of Folk Festival's Songs From the Heart Songwriting Award, and has showcased at NXNE, NERFA, Ontario COntact and OCFF.
Jory is a fixture on the summerfolk festival circuit, having played such great festivals as Hillside, Summerfolk, Mariposa, Winterfolk, Toronto City Roots, Home County, Live From The Rock, Shelter Valley, and numerous others. Jory's music can often be heard on CBC Radio, and on college stations across North America.
AL LERMAN - SOLO!
Blues - Harp, Sax, Guitar
Considered one of the top blues harp players in the country, multi-instrumentalist AL LERMAN is a journeyman musician who plays with sizzle and a whole lot of soul. He’s garnered several MAPLE BLUES AWARD nominations for both his harp and saxophone playing as well as his song-writing. He’s founder and leader of the popular 2X JUNO AWARD winning blues/roots outfit FATHEAD. When FATHEAD is not on the road, Al can be found working with a variety of top notch musicians - as either a sideman or fronting - singing the blues, blowing harp, sax, and playing guitar. He has appeared on several recordings with the likes of famed Chicago bluesmen Willie “Big Eyes” Smith and Little Mack Simmons (which he also produced), as well as solid contributions to discs by Rick Fines, Mel Brown, Julian Fauth, Rita Chiarelli, and Morgan Davis.
He also performs as a solo artist, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar and rack harmonica. No matter what, you can always expect some downhome blues, soul and R&B that shoots straight from the heart. Al is also involved in teaching harmonica through private lessons & workshops. On a larger scale, he created a course in blues harmonica which he taught at the Etobicoke School Of The Arts.
CHRIS WHITELEY, DIANA BRAITHWAITE,
& Special Guest BOB HALL
"Blue Bird Blues Revue"
The popular American Jazz and Blues Bible DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE said about Diana Braithwaite and Chris Whiteley “It’s a rare and good thing when two talented performers join forces”. Audiences, critics, and blues lovers all over North America and Europe seem to agree.
The Album MORNING SUN, garnered rave reviews , extensive air play, and led to multiple Canadian MAPLE BLUES AWARD nominations, including Album of the year, and Acoustic Act of the year. Their second album with the Electro-Fi label , NIGHT BIRD BLUES has also been extremely well received, with great reviews and air play internationally. It led to them being awarded 3 MAPLE BLUES AWARDS in January 2010, including being recognized as SONGWRITERS OF THE YEAR. Collectively they have been awarded 8 MAPLE BLUES AWARDS and 6 Juno Nominations.
They have continued to tour across Europe and North America , appearing at Festivals and concerts, as well as numerous radio and television appearances. Highlights include successful tours of Art Centers in the UK, concert appearances in Russia and Europe, and several national tours of Canada.
With southern Florida roots, Diana Braithwaite was dubbed a “national treasure” by Bluz FM radio host Danny Marks. Toronto born and raised, her ancestors traveled to Canada from Virginia, via the Underground Railroad. A gifted and captivating performer, Diana was chosen by Sarah Mclachlan to open Lilith Fair at the Molson Amphitheatre , before 18,000 people, Her talent, and authentic blues shows have led her into the company of such stalwarts as Mel Brown, Albert Collins, John Lee Hooker and Jeff Healey. Appearances at shows in Massey Hall in North America, concert halls and festivals in the U.K. and Europe led to her reputation as a world class blues singer.
Kansas born Whiteley moved to Toronto as a youth where he met the great blues legend Lonnie Johnson who taught and encouraged him. During the late 70’s Whiteley toured and recorded with Leon Redbone, appearing with him on Saturday Night Live. He also worked with a great mentor, the legendary Chicago piano player Blind John Davis , who had been the house piano player at Bluebird Records. Whiteley toured and recorded with Davis, as well as building a solid reputation as a multi-instrumental session player, appearing on over 200 recordings. As a solo artist, Whiteley won numerous Maple Blues Awards as both songwriter and horn player of the year , and a Jazz Report Magazine Blues Album of the Year Award. In 2010 Whiteley was awarded the prestigious BLUES WITH A FEELING AWARD, for lifetime achievement in the blues.
Together, Braithwaite and Whiteley present authentic, vintage blues while they continue to expand their horizons internationally and please audiences young and old. Giving back to the community, they have performed their original presentation about the Underground Railroad for over 40,000 students across Canada . A steady force, quickly gaining popularity and growing demand on today’s blues scene, they plan to celebrate their new Electro-Fi release DELTAPHONIC LOVE LETTERS, with national and international Festival and concert dates, including The POCONOS BLUES FESTIVAL , and an upcoming tour of U.K and Italy.
Jim Christy
Poet, Novelist, Biographer, Journalist, Musician, Artist, Sculptor
and general Scallawag
Jim Christy has travelled widely, reported on various wars and conflicts, discovered the legendary lost city of Olancho Viejo in the jungles of Honduras, lived in a remote native village in Brazil's Amazon, been a bit-part actor in dozens of movies and TV episodes, contributed segments about the classics of literature to CBC Radio.
He performs poetry with a jazz and blues band, and the list of the jobs he's held, including private eye, reads like a parody of the genre. Christy has published twenty-seven books.
His writing has been highly praised by the likes of Charles Bukowski, George Woodcock, and John Hersey. Way back in 1972, reviewing his first book, June Callwood called Jim Christy one of the best writers in Canada.
Jim Christy is a poet, writer and sculptor who lives in Madoc, Ontario. He has written books on many topics, from boxing to eccentric homes and gardens. Among his many books are the recent Strange Sites: Uncommon Homes and Gardens (Harbour), The Sunnyside of the Deathhouse (Ekstasis Editions) and The Buk Book: Musings on Charles Bukowski (ECW).
He has travelled and written about many troubled spots in the world, among them Soweto, Nicaragua, El Salvador. His sculptures have been exhibited in many solo and group shows around the world. He occasionally performs his poetry with a jazz/blues band. He may well do just that at Amazing Coffee!
Eric Andersen
“Andersen is the most elegant of singers. He is powered by the singular mix of irony and high romanticism.” Rolling Stone
“A singer and songwriter of the first rank.” The New York Times.
Eric Andersen first came to prominence as a performer in Greenwich Village in the early 1960s and immediately became part of the Village folk and songwriter scene along with Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan and became one of the founders of the singer songwriter movement. His first LP for Vanguard was released in 1965. Over the past 40 years he has released over 25 CDs of original music including titles such as Today is the Highway, More Hits From Tin Can Alley, Blue River, Ghosts Upon The Road,Memory of The Future, Beat Avenue, The Street Was Always There, and Waves. His poetical songs have entertained and captivated audiences worldwide.
In the early 1990s he recorded 2 trio-harmony albums with The Band’s Rick Danko and Norwegian singer Jonas Fjeld. He has appeared in the Joni Mitchell documentary, the Wildflower Festival DVD with Judy Collins, Tom Rush, and Arlo Guthrie, and in the rock film Festival Express.
In 2003 he won the Premio Tenco award with Patti Smith in San Remo, Italy. It is an award given to outstanding songwriters. Previous awards have gone to Randy Newman, Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, and Lou Reed.
Eric performs both solo and with a blues band. He tours regularly. He has performed at the Molde Jazz Festival, the Notodden and Voss Blues Festivals,
and the Morcenx Guitar Festival.
His most recent album Blue Rain was recorded live in Oslo with members of the blues band, Spoonful of Blues, a group that is often invited to play in the Mississippi Delta. It was released in the US in 2007 on Appleseed Recordings.
Eric is currently working on several projects which include writing songs for a new album. He divides his time between the Netherlands and New York.
At the age of four he sang for his grandmother who tossed him nickels and dimes while she sat at the kitchen table sipping her whiskey - laced tea. His mother bought him a harmonica when he was about 13. Shortly after that he saw Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee on tv and he was hooked for life. The soul of this timeless genre is deeply rooted in his psyche and he continues to nurture this passion.
Pickett embraces the Blues with style, substance and musical integrity. In the 70s, 80s, and 90s he established himself as a musically ground-breaking, electrifying singer/songwriter/harmonica player, leading seminal bands Whiskey Howl, Wooden Teeth, and the Michael Pickett Band. Musically profound, they pushed the envelope for Blues and funky Roots music. He provided the direction for all three projects and surrounded himself with some of the top musicians in the country.
1998 was a banner year when he released his long anticipated and eagerly awaited debut CD, Blues Money. This all original recording was nominated for a JUNO and received the Jazz Report and Real Blues awards for ‘Blues Album of the Year’. Michael was also presented with the coveted Maple Blues ‘Blues With A Feeling Award’ in recognition of his passion and lifetime commitment to the Blues.
2000 saw the release of his second CD Conversation With The Blues which earned him another JUNO nomination and won the Canadian Indie Music Award for ‘Blues Album of the Year’. This extraordinary recording, described by Billboard as “transcend[ing] the urban Blues idiom”, is an eclectic mix of ten original compositions comprised of Blues, R&B, Soul, Jazz, Delta, and Gospel.
In 2001, he immersed himself in the guitar and was soon practicing up to 14 hours a day. With focus and diligence, this musical transition transformed him into a formidable guitarist on the six-string, twelve-string, and National Steel-Bodied Duolian. In the fall of 2002, the metamorphosis was complete. Leaving the band behind, he re-emerged revealing yet another layer of his seemingly endless reservoir of musical talents.
With exceptional award winning rack harmonica skills and powerful vocals, he delivers charismatic, compelling, and passionate performances that are charged with electricity and filled with authenticity, and a unique style. This songwriter has evolved into an eclectic and captivating storyteller through Delta Blues, Country, Folk, and Americana, revealing a profound understanding of where this music comes from and why it stands the test of time.
He has played with and/or shared the stage with Big Mama Thornton . John Lee Hooker . James Cotton . Jeff Healey . Bo Diddley . Koko Taylor . Downchild Blues Band . John Hammond . Matt "Guitar" Murphy . Doug Kershaw . Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith . Snooky Pryor . Sunnyland Slim . Lazy Lester . Tom Rush . Josh White Jr . Rory Block . Matt Minglewood . T.Graham Brown . Kentucky Headhunters . Hubert Sumlin . Taj Mahal . Muddy Waters . Son Seals . Big Bill Morganfield . Robert Cray . Buddy Guy . Jon Cleary . Tea Party . Anthony Gomes . Gary Nicholson . The Players . Fortunate Sons, Colin Linden, Brian Stoltz, George Porter Jr., Rev. Billy C. Wirtz, The Nighthawks, and more.
Pickett now performs exclusively as a solo acoustic artist touring throughout Canada, the US, the UK. and Europe, appearing in Blues, Folk, Jazz clubs, coffee houses, house concerts, theatres, festivals and is no stranger to standing ovations and calls for encores.
For more, see:www.michaelpickett.com
The Laws
Acoustic Country
"John and Michele Law's songs seem to be the lost essence of country music which has now become so commercial and formulaic sounding." Randy Bachman
With 8 years of touring throughout Canada, the United States and Australia, and 5 CDs, Ontario-based The Laws have been called "the best duo out of Canada since Ian and Sylvia.".They won the 2007 Chris Austin Songwriting contest, secured a writing deal in Nashville and have been featured on CMT, Entertainment Tonight Canada and as "rising stars" on the upcoming PBS special, Legends and Lyrics. They published a cookbook and have appeared on numerous cooking and national news shows, generating almost as much press for their culinary skills as for their music. " ... alternatively wistful and playful songs ... collection of acoustic gems." Chris Neal, Nashville Scene
" With inspired lyrics and exquisite harmonies, they engaged our audience like we've never seen before. It's crystal clear after a few bars that John and Michele were born to sing together. We are already being asked when we're having them back ... tomorrow if we could! " George & Melina Scott, Songwriters Showcase, Tottenham, Ontario "I've been a fan since I caught them at Kerrville, but wasn't prepared for an album of this strength. That opening track is a stunner, but there's plenty to back it up as you dig deeper into "Ride it Out". David Obermann, KUT "Folkways", Austin, TX "Canadian Country's hippest new act" The Calgary Sun " ... there's no mistaking that this dynamic duo are about to become a headline attraction. Watch for The Laws to become the next Canadian-based act to attract international attention." Country Music News "Destined to be stars" The Canberra Times, Australia "They wowed the main stage audience with their glorious vocal harmonies, they played and sang beautifully in daytime sessions and they anchored a legendary late-night session. I was not at all surprised that their CD's sold out before the weekend was over." Chris White, Ottawa Folk Festival, ON, Canada "While some call them country, bluegrass or folk, they could best be described as all this and more." Bluegrass Now Magazine
It would be hard to argue that Tom Savage isn't one of the hardest working musicians in the country these days. Over the past four years Kingston, Ontario songwriter, Tom Savage, has released 3 recordings of original material, performed over 600 shows, and toured Canada several times. Country-rocker Tom Savage's newest release, Live at the Acoustic Grill is a continuation of the defiant, individualistic road-weary music that he made with his last acoustic CD , Never Shed No Tears.
With the release of his latest disc "Live at the Acoustic Grill", Savage continues to think outside-the-box, deciding to record a live album of almost exclusively new material. Tom's dirt road, country folk, blues style music has had an overwhelming response from his live shows and acclaim from both his fellow artists and fans.
With this album, Savage replicates the live bar-room feel that lends itself well to his music, which is somewhere between Bruce Springsteen and Guitar Town-era Steve Earle.
Recorded all in one evening, in front of an intimate crowd at The Acoustic Grill in Picton, ON, Savage, along with Geoff Chown on Bass, and Kevin Davidson on Fiddle and Backing vocals, power their way through a selection of bluegrass inflected foot-stompers, melancholy ballads, and traditional-style country twangers.
Tom is currently on tour to promote the album, May and June 2010 touring out West with his band playing 25 shows in 24 days.
Please check out http://www.tomsavage.ca/ for tour details and upcoming gigs in Ontario
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Tom Savage Trio - Dirt Road Rock and Roll
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Click on the link to hear some of his tunes :
Acoustic Show Links
Click on the links to hear tracks from " Tom Savage - Live @ The Acoustic Grill " http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/1802162
http://www.myspace.com/tomsavagesolo
" Savage is an excellent songwriter. Often poetic in their deceptive simplicity, often politically informed, his lyrics recall the best folk singers of the sixties. The frequent comparisons to Dylan are, in this case, justified. " - Aaron Carr, Nanton News
Lazy John
Acoustic Bluegrass
Inspired by the homespun honesty of old time bluegrass and roots music, the members of this five-piece string band were obviously born to tell stories through song. Influenced by the sounds of Appalachian Stringband, Bluegrass, real Country, Jazz and Blues, Lazy John has distilled a musical concoction all their own while maintaining a deep respect and loyalty to their musical roots.
Shane Crumb, Derrick Tompkins, Matt Ray, Luke Mercier and Tim Hadley are all seasoned musicians who, individually and collectively, have performed in a variety of settings and venues from multi-band festivals to private parties and special events as well as writing and recording for the CBC. Offering something for everyone in the crowd, their tasteful and freewheeling style has gained them the respect of roots and progressive music fans alike.
Recognized as a very real player in the world of bluegrass, Lazy John was nominated for 'Most Promising Group' in 2009 at the Central Canada Bluegrass Music Awards. 'North to Ontario 2009' featuring Lazy John's 'Hard at the Bottom' received 'Recording of the Year' honors. Their sound and passion say it all.
www.myspace.com/lazyjohnband
Kate Reid
Singer, Comedienne, Songwriter
Kate Reid is a whip-smart wordsmith with a knack for candid story-telling and songwriting that is charged with humour and social-political commentary. A straight shooter but definitely not straight, she is as charming as she is in-your-face and is one of the most original, incisive and entertaining songwriters to appear on the scene in a long time.
Raised on a farm in south central Ontario, Kate taught herself to play guitar when she was a teenager.
Kate sings sometimes almost in spoken word style, musings about identity, love and queer life with an irreverent, often self-deprecating sense of humour. But best of all, you don’t have to be queer to get it. What makes her stand out from other confessional writers is that Kate turns personal experience and insight into songs that strike a universal chord in her listeners. The sold out crowds that are already standard fare in Kate’s hometown of Vancouver laugh and cheer mid-song in response to particularly choice lyrics and shout out to her between songs.
Whether she’s singing about shaving her legs to avoid being shot for wildlife by a redneck hunter in a small town or eagerly blurting out her phone number to a co-op cashier who is actually asking for her membership number, her material is as original and hysterically funny as can be. Be it garden variety insecurity, the fear of not fitting in or the insane things we sometime do for love and acceptance, Kate courageously unpacks the baggage most of us are too embarrassed to admit we have and leaves us laughing and rejoicing in our collective vulnerability, relieved that we are not the only one who feels this way.
Kate’s songs cut across boundaries bringing her audience to a place of common ground. Taken together with her charismatic stage presence and comical banter between songs, she puts on a show that leaves audience members shedding tears of recognition one minute and rolling in the aisles with laughter the next. Says Kate, “People often tell me that my songs move them to tears and laughter and that’s when I know this is exactly what I am supposed to be doing.”
Terry Tufts
Guitarist, singer, songwriter
Terry Tufts is a finger-style guitarist living off-grid with his wife and daughter in the bush in North Frontenac, Ontario.
Terry has been playing music for enjoyment since 1963 and as a profession since 1974. His father's job with the Canadian Government moved the family to Denver, Colorado in the U.S. in the 1960's at a time when the folk and rock music genres were influencing opinion everywhere. Other postings took him to Ottawa, Ontario, and Rome, Italy. Upon returning to Canada to complete high school, he irremovably stuck his head into the soundhole of an acoustic guitar. He suffers from the affliction to this day, coupled with frequent electric outbursts that last long into the night.
In 1974 he moved to Fredericton, New Brunswick, to begin pursuing his own musical career as a singer-songwriter and guitarist, as well as working as a session musician and sideman for a variety of artists including Tom Paxton, Kathryn Briggs, David Francey, Colleen Peterson, Laura Smith, Ian Tamblyn, Lynn Miles, Bill Garrett & Sue Lothrop, The Arrogant Worms, Wayne Rostad, Susan Aglukark, Tracey Brown, and George Fox. He has 7 albums to his credit (one unreleased) and is currently signed to Borealis Records.
“His mastery of a variety of stringed instruments...has led him to be revered as one of Canada’s foremost instrumentalists...”
Stephen Flood, OTTAWA X-PRESS
"a musician's musician, a virtuoso finger-style guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and a fine songwriter…"
Ontario Council Of Folk Festivals FOOTPRINTS
"Terry Tufts is one of the finest finger-style guitarists in Canada."
CBC Radio
"Tufts has the perfect vocal qualities."
Rick Overall, THE OTTAWA SUN
Yael Wand & Raghu Lokanathan
Guitar - Voice - Songwriting
Yael Wand
True to her divergent roots and wanderings, Yael Wand (pronounced “Yah-elle”) delivers songs with the sensibility of folk and allusions to jazz, all set in the landscape of a wild country. Born in Israel and raised in Vancouver, Yael now makes her home with foxes, bears and miners, deep in the interior mountains of British Columbia. Her shift from big city to small town plays out in her music. Yael sings urban lullabies along side tales from the rustic cabins of the backwoods. She navigates the political terrain of the middle-east with the same ease and passion as she does the wilderness of the Canadian west.
Her classical vocal training and 17 years of live performance make her a powerful performer. She draws in an audience with the sound of her voice, clear and passionate, and captivates with the colour and substance of her songwriting. Yael released her solo debut, Antinomy in 2004, and hit the Canadian highways. She’s gathered fans and received airplay across the country. Tracks from the album are featured on several national compilations, including Canoesongs II (2006), and Let It Snow Too (2006) and Grrrls with Guitars Vol 3 (Maximum/Universal 2005). At Your Door (official release: Feb 2007) is Yael’s sophomore release and showcases her growing artistry as songwriter and performer. This optimistic acoustic-roots collection is jazzed-up and world-informed, flowing from folk-rock rhythms to winter-night ballads. The album starts in Yael’s northern garden, meandering to the backdoor of a moonshine maker, to a mid-eastern market, to mountains peaks and ending with a lullaby somewhere on a dusty road. At Your Door is full of spirited string arrangements and acoustic instruments all wrapped around Yael’s voice – warm and comforting like the glow of a wood stove.
Yael has performed in venues from Haida Gwai to Charlottetown and tours regularly throughout Canada. She’s taken the stage at numerous festivals including the Prince George Folk Festival, Brandon Folk Music Festival, Smithers' Midsummers Festival, Edge of the World, and Ottawa Ladyfest.
Raghu Lokanathan
This spring, Raghu Lokanathan will be touring to support his new album, Blue Girl, a collection of songs that integrate all the shifting attitudes and styles of his last seven years of writing and learning; an album that reflects his developing vision of himself as a performing and recording musician; an album that takes bold risks and vividly spins the stories of characters that are as likable and warped and dignified and unlikely as the grinning, smoking man himself.
Raghu is a thin, bearded, bespectacled man who will smile if you look at him. Almost a decade ago, he came to Prince George on the run, to live in the care of his brother, a daydreaming surgeon. Raghu’s latest experiment in the countryside of Nova Scotia had led him to conclude that he was not cut out to be a farmer. He was relieved to find that all he had left were the songs he’d made, and a drive to keep making more.
So he wrote and wrote and wrote songs, better than any he had ever written before; clever, sympathetic songs that showed a dark, and darkly humorous, edge. He played some great concerts and by the time he released his album Caledonia, everyone could see he was headed for bigger things. His songs were played and regularly requested on CBC programs like the Vinyl Café and Richardson’s Roundup, whose host Bill Richardson said the song “Ramona” was “genius”. Raghu was asked to play at the Vancouver folk festival, where the late Utah Phillips heard him, and said that Raghu “writes songs like they used to a long time ago.” He toured across the country. Other artists began covering his songs. He wrote and wrote and wrote brilliant new songs, grittier than before, with radical experiments in song structure and point-of-view that always sounded natural, even inevitable.
Elena Yeung
Banjo - Voice - Songwriting
When you first listen to one of Elena’s performances, you will probably wonder from which old or folk record or songbook she dug her repertoire. Following the leads of Elena Yeung is an active contributor to the “new traditional” sound, echoing the folk, bluegrass and mountain traditions of Pete Seeger, Ola Belle Reed, and Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard, emphasizing her driving banjo style. Yeung’s debut CD, The Gravedigger’s Daughter, features 11 original songs that range from fast and furious picking to mournful lullaby. Her lyrical storytelling and haunting vocal style reflect upon hardship, longing and life lessons of the human condition, both past and present. Mixed and mastered by Nashville-based Miles Wilkinson, The Gravedigger’s Daughter includes a lineup of Greg Spatz (of John Reischman & the Jaybirds and Mighty Squirrel) on fiddle and mandolin, Mark Koenig (1992 Juno nominee for his song The Lonesome Kind) on guitar and vocals, Gary Snow on bass and vocals, and Caridwen Irvine-Spatz (Mighty Squirrel) on fiddle and vocals. Originally from the farming community of Carberry, Manitoba, Yeung has moved across Canada over the past 10 years in search of The Canadian Identity, living in Regina, SK, Kingston, ON, St. John’s, NF, Williams Lake, BC, and briefly in Inuvik, NWT, before settling most recently in the Creston Valley. The release of The Gravedigger’s Daughter is being followed by a nationwide tour, an opportunity for Yeung to promote her new CD as well as re-visit her many homes. Yeung’s song “On That Good Road” was recorded by the Vancouver bluegrass trio Redgrass and is featured as the title track on their 2007 debut CD. She was featured on CBC radio’s North By Northwest on August 17, 2008 and has since enjoyed airplay on CBC programs BC Almanac and Daybreak South, as well as local radio stations Creston Community Radio, Nelson Co-op Radio, West Kootenay-based KBS, and Williams Lake’s CKWL/The Wolf.
"Picking her way to the top of everyone's must-have music list...(Elena) has momentum to become a legendary creative artist in the Canadian music industry" - i love creston magazine
"(The Gravedigger's Daughter) is the sound that comes to you during a sleepless night...it is the freight train in a blizzard" - Rich Terfry, CBC Radio 2 Drive
Anne Lindsay and Jason Fowler Violin - Guitar
Anne Lindsay has established herself as one of the most engaging and versatile instrumentalists in Canada, adapting her unique violin/fiddle style to the eclectic sounds and musical languages of this country's rich cultural texture. Currently composing, performing and recording with her own band, Anne is also a much sought after side person, composer, arranger and background vocalist, performing with some of Canada's top musical acts: Blue Rodeo, Jim Cuddy, John McDermott - and she played a key role as folk fiddler in The Lord of the Rings stage show.
Anne began her musical studies at the age of five, specializing in violin, piano and voice. A graduate of York University, Toronto (BFA Special Honors Music), the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto and the Banff Centre, Alberta, she has received many awards and scholarships during the course of her training.
Her fluency is evident in her wide-ranging repertoire, encompassing jazz, rock, classical, country, old-time fiddle, Celtic, Cajun, and Klezmer styles.
Anne has performed and recorded with many major artists (The Chieftains, Led Zeppelin, Roger Daltry, Dionne Warwick and Natalie McMaster). Anne has also composed, arranged and performed music for documentary film scores, stage productions, CDs, radio and television commercials. In both 2005 and 2006 she traveled to the Canadian Arctic to teach music to Nunavut youth.
Anne's playing is incomparably expressive, capturing the violin's unique ability to sing like the human voice. With her innovative, yet down to earth compositions, and exquisite lyrics, Anne and her violin sing together in a universal language.
Jason Fowler
Toronto-born Jason Fowler is known across Canada for his
tasteful guitar playing and expressive songwriting. He has released four
recordings to date, produced albums for other artists, and has recorded
and toured with John McDermott, Nana Mouskouri, Murray McLauchlan,
Cindy Church, The Irish Tenors, Anne Lindsay, Marc Jordan, Amy Sky, The
Cottars, and Quartette.
Midwestern Lament (Temporary Ground) won Instrumental Composition
of the Year in the 2004 OCFF Songs From The Heart Competition.
He was the recipient of the CEC McEachern Award in 2003 for
Outstanding Musical Accompanist.
He is a two-time award winner at the prestigious Walnut Valley National
Guitar Championships (Fingerpicking 1997, Flatpicking 2000)
Jason’s interpretation of Shi Big, Shi Mhor (Big Hill, Little Hill), by Irish
harpist O’Carolan, appeared on Borealis Records’ Six Strings North of the
Border, a compilation of Canadian guitar music.
Jason started playing the guitar at age 7, spurred on by his father, himself a self-taught guitarist. Private lessons taught him theory, harmony and sight-reading.He started writing songs and performing in his early teens. In 1992, Jason graduated with an Honours B.A. in Classical Guitar Performance from McGill University.
Jason released his debut CD, Hiss Of Distance, in October 1995 to widespread critical acclaim. Billboard magazine called him “a gifted guitarist, singer, songwriter…a real gem”, and Nashville’s Performing Songwriter described him as, “Another accomplished writer and musician from Canada.”
Jason’s second album, Life Is Rich, released in January 1998, was also enthusiastically received. Walt Grealis of RPM Magazine
wrote: “Fowler is known for his exceptional finger work and his thought- provoking lyrics and he follows through with this release of Fowler originals.” The Ottawa Citizen succinctly summed up the albums’ impact, “At this stage of the game, ‘life is rich’ and it’s nice to hear somebody write about it so honestly.”
Sarah Noni Metzner
Singer, Multi-instrumentalist, Songwriter
BEST SOLO ARTIST - THE CANADIAN FOLK MUSIC AWARDS 2007
As Canada looks toward its rising stars, Sarah Noni Metzner stands strong on the front lines with sweeping acclaim. A multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Sarah has been making her mark in the music scene both nationally and internationally with a powerhouse voice and alternative pop sounds. This proficient young musician is currently working on her 3rd CD in 3 years, riding the strong momentum built independently with her first two albums. With a recent re-location from Vancouver to Toronto, she has been crafting her new collection of songs with Toronto producer and musician Maury Lafoy (Jann Arden, K-Os, the supers).
The latest release, Daybreak Mourning (dog my cat records- 2006) Has received critical acclaim earning recognition from the Canadian folk music awards for Best songwriter nominee in 2006 and Solo artist of the year nominee for 2007, as well as winning best multi-genre album with Colorado’s IAP, and the uni-songwriters award for best alternative rock single.
Sarah writes real and gritty pop music, flaring with the unpredictable mix of cabaret, blues and folk. Constantly roaming between piano keys, electric and acoustic guitars, her solo show also adds subtle live loops and electronics. Her band of magic musicians adds drums, bass electric guitars and mandolins.
Sarah has toured Canada extensively as well as multiple tours throughout the U.S, and a recent debut to the UK and Germany. This past September Sarah performed an official showcase at Popkomm’s festival conference; Europe’s biggest music industry gathering.
"Metzner is sweeping the continent by storm. Fastly becoming recognized as one of Canada's big up and coming songwriters she takes the stage with a powerhouse performance that's strangely addicting."
-terminal city, Vancouver
“There are so many good songs on Daybreak Mourning I couldn't decide which one to play so I played 4 of them. That doesn't happen very often. Sarah's take on Death kicks ass." - Brent Nielsen, CBC Radio.
"Metzner is such an original talent that it won't be long before new female artists are being compared to her" -- Scott Piatkowski, The Echo
Noah Zacharin
Singer, Guitarist, Songwriter, Poet
Noah Zacharin was born in Montreal and resides in Toronto. He was given his first guitar at age 9, wrote his first song at 13, began performing at 14, and is happy to say that he still loves playing music. He has been called "a wonderful songwriter and performer, and stunning guitarist" (Paul Mills, Borealis Records, Producer), a "wonderful, adventurous guitarist" (Blues Bytes), "a poet, a songwriter, a singer we have been waiting for" (Penny Lang), "a great guitarist/singer/songwriter...a wonderfully musical player" (Randy Finney, President and Founder Toronto Fingerstyle Guitarist's Association), "one of the best songwriters this country has produced" (the late, great Rick Fielding, recording artist, radio host).
Noah Zacharin's recently released 6th CD, "Waiting on Your Love", continues his tradition of literate well-crafted songs, while marking a significant departure in production as Zacharin makes his trademark leap between blues and jazz, folk and country, bluesgrass and pop. Where previous CD's have essentially been solo recordings (though often utilizing Zacharin's own overdubbed guitars, bass, voice, etc.), on "Waiting", instruments from tin whistle to tuba add just the right touch In a feature article, The Globe and Mail reported that the disc "wrests an improbable sense of order from a chaos of genres...built around his usual and unusual acoustic guitar style and literate lyrics.” Much sought after as a guitarist, he has recorded and performed with some of Canada's finest writers, including Penny Lang, Bruce Murdoch (with whom he has also co-written), Lucien Francoeur, Rick Fielding, Danny Marks, etc. As a soloist he has opened shows for the likes of Odetta, David Lindley, Dave Van Ronk, Jesse Winchester, Alex de Grassi, and Fairport Convention. He has twice been runner-up in the OCFF Songs From the Heart Contest, and has consistently short-listed in the competition.
Zacharin is also a popular radio and open stage host, and a prize-winning poet. He has published hundreds of poems, translations, and reviews in periodicals and anthologies worldwide, and is currently at work on two volumes of poetry and several children's books.
Cris Cuddy with Steve Briggs
Songwriting, acoustic guitar
Toronto-based Cris Cuddy is the leader of popular Canadian indie roots-rock-reggae band Max Mouse and the Gorillas, whose ranks have included such stellar musicians as Dennis Delorme (Prairie Oyster), Roly Platt (Ronnie Hawkins) and Hugh MacMillan (Spirit of the West).
His first solo project is "Come Along Carmelita", which features multi-instrumentalist Fats Kaplin (ex-Tom Russell) and members of Mary Margaret O'Hara and Big Sugar.
Cuddy's mentor, songwriting great Mickey Newbury, chose the album's title song for inclusion as a segue on his masterful "Long Road Home".
His latest solo release is a double CD "Keep the Change/Nowhere Town". Keep The Change was produced by guitarist Andrew Hardin (Tom Russell) and also features Fats Kaplin, legendary guitarist Albert Lee, and the great Gene Taylor (Fabulous Thunderbirds) on piano along with Keith Glass and Joan Besen (Prairie Oyster) and Kevin Breit (Cassandra Wilson, Norah Jones) and "Nowhere Town" was recorded in East Nashville with Fats Kaplin and Memphis George Bradfute (Paul Burch, Phil Lee, Webb Wilder, Jason Ringenburg).
In addition to his own critically-acclaimed projects, Cuddy has contributed songs to albums by fellow Canadians Prairie Oyster and Tracy Prescott-Brown.
Coincidentally the folk collector's LP "Jeremy Dormouse" featuring Cuddy has just been re-released by Void/Hallucination USA.
Cuddy has worked in Nashville with legendary producer Brian Ahern (Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash) and their recordings are being re-mastered for release next year.
Steve Briggs is a native of Powell River B.C.. Steve studied at Malaspina College, and then the Berklee School of Music in Boston. For more than 15 years, Steve has been a busy freelance guitarist and arranger in Toronto.
He has performed, arranged and recorded with both local and international artists including the Brothers Cosmoline, Gregg Lawless, Bill Usher, Russell de Carle and Carroll Baker. As a guitar/mandolin instructor, he has been featured twice in Toronto Life Magazine and has released two instructional CDs. Steve has recently toured with Russell de Carle, opening for Merle Haggard, and has just completed a North American Tour with Quartet.
Alan Rhody Acoustic Folk, Country
Born in Louisville and raised in central and southwestern Kentucky
as well as Meridian, Mississippi, Rhody's has been a life of constant
movement. His 30-year musical career has taken him to all corners of
North America. In addition to his songwriting, recording and performing
career, he is an accomplished painter and a scholarship graduate of the
Art Center School in Louisville and exhibits his work on a regular basis.
His music is the culmination of a life of staying true to one's belief's and to
one's art. He has spent three decades writing and singing with the passion
of someone who is not only highly gifted, but who is driven to create. In the
process he has released seven independent recordings, toured constantly
and built a devoted following. His poignant ballads and gutsy rockers have
also garnered over a hundred recordings by a long list of major artists in
country, folk, and bluegrass.
The new album, "Rhody In Black & White" (Ashwood Recordings),
is a 21 song retrospective ranging from his beginnings in the Canadian folk
scene of the early seventies through brand new material and his own arrangements of his hits by others including Del McCoury, Lorrie Morgan,
Murray McLauchlan, Kevin Welch, Hoyt Axton, The Oak Ridge Boys and
Tanya Tucker. This wonderful overview is a vivid illustration of one of the
best in the acoustic world today.
His previous album, "Journey" (2003), was included in the Top Twelve
Independent Releases of summer, 2004 in Performing Songwriter Magazine
and features duets with John Prine and Maura O'Connell, as well as guest appearances from the late John Hartford and son Jamie.
Now, for the first time, a book of his original material has just been made available!
"Rhody In Black & White" is a generous 21-song overview of this songwriter's
considerable skills, concluding with his charismatic rendering of
'Trainwreck Of Emotion', a hit for both Del McCoury and Lorrie Morgan."
--Robert K. Oermann, music critic, author, historian
"Rhody carries the resume to make any fan of solid songwriting sit
up and listen and his guest list of contributors is enough to get your
attention. All of that will bring you to this record, but it's Rhody's
heart-stopping songs and uncluttered playing that will grip you and
make you stick around. And fall in love."
--Performing Songwriter Magazine
"He has achieved a level of respect and recognition that places him
in the vanguard of the pioneers of the contemporary roots music movement."
--Toronto Star
"Always solid, tough, trim and clear as a bell. He is consistently head
and shoulders above the pack. I'm a confirmed fan and always have been."
--Kevin Welch
"Every once in a while an artist comes along who makes you feel optimistic,
even a believer again. Alan Rhody is a case in point."
--Edmonton Journal
Bill Colgate is a bar band singer turned actor - turned award winning singer/songwriter: 2nd Grand Prize Overall in The USA Songwriting Competition and 5th Place in the Gospel category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest for "Let It Be There” and a finalist in The Mountain Stage NewSong Contest for "Emperor's New Clothes".
Born in Welland Ontario and raised in Toronto, the arc of Bill's professional life begins in the early 70's, fronting such memorable bar bands as Uncle John's Dirty Secret and The All Star Disco Band. It was while playing The Nickleodeon that things took a left turn when he was approached by the artistic director of a fledging theatre company with the proposal that he might consider giving acting a try. 20 years later, when he recorded his first CD, Bill had appeared in every aspect of the profession: stage, screen (BIG and small), radio, cartoon and commercial voice work. He has performed the plays of Shakespeare, Beckett, Shaw and Ibsen but is most often recognized as both the "good old boy" on Relic Hunter or as The Singing Pirate from an episode of the children's show "Join In" recorded 15 years ago. Bill has worked with the following names you may find familiar: Tommy Lee Jones, John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Diane Keaton, Diane Lane, Virginia Madsen, Kiefer Sutherland, Liev Schreiber, Matt Dillon, Anthony Edwards, Tia Carrere, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Beau Bridges, Joe Mantegna, Sarah Polley, Kyra Sedgwick and Joanna Cassidy.
While with a small theatre company in Mississauga (Cyclos Theatre), the process of osmosis first affected Bill's artistic life. He discovered that all those years of singing in bar bands had given him an instinctive understanding of song structure. This came in especially handy as he was the only one in the company with any musical background and someone was needed to write original songs for their children's shows. Thus began Bill's education in songwriting. It proved to be an excellent training ground. The lyrics had to convey information and "further the plot" while the melody had to engage the notoriously fickle pre-pubescent audience. It was an apprenticeship that's advantages far outweighed the one disadvantage of having to "unlearn" a certain didacticism inherent in children's music as he later struggled to find his own "voice".
This struggle began during an hour long walk Bill would take every summer day from the hamlet of Port Ryerse to the town of Port Dover (where he was appearing at The Lighthouse Festival Theatre) along The Radical Road. It had been several years since Bill had been required to write a song but, for some reason, that summer they came fast and furious and, so far, the flood has not abated. Whereas once the osmotic process had flowed from music to theatre, the reverse was now the rule. All the experience Bill had acquired from his years as an actor - his understanding of imagery, the rhythms of speech, the relationship and responsibilities of performer to audience - informed his songwriting.
Bill does not play an instrument. (He has too much respect for musicians to call what he does to a harmonica "playing an instrument".) Nevertheless, with his principal musical collaborator, Cam MacInnes, he has successfully developed techniques for getting what he hears in his head “outta there”. At 3 critically lauded CDs and counting, it must be workin’.
Cam MacInnes
Cam’s had a diverse musical career. He’s performed in venues around the world including London, Cardiff, Nashville, New York City and all across Canada. Performing with such bands as: Sun, Franklin Stove, Hot Cottage, Destiny, Drastic Measures, RaRu, Perfect World, Lee Whalen, Mary Jo Eustace, Gayle Ackroyd, Melanie Doane, Melody Ranch, Besharah, Ana and Bill Colgate and the Urbane Guerillas.
Cam’s been a feature film and tv composer and performer and has played live on numerous television and radio shows. He also has extensive experience as a recording engineer and editor. Co-producing Bill Colgate’s CD “Waiting For Simon” and Mary Jo Eustace’s debut CD “Bone And Marrow”. Currently, he is producing Gayle Ackroyd’s new CD.
Rick Fines
Blues acoustic guitar
He has played for legendary blues piano player Pinetop Perkins, songstress Colleen Peterson, folk icon Penny Lang and many others. He has toured from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean, from B.C. to New England, France to Gr. Britain, bringing his understanding of blues, finger-style and bottleneck guitar.
With albums Arcadia, Out Of The Livingroom and Live At The Harvest, Fines received critical acclaim featuring mostly self-penned songs, but always there’s a tip of the hat to some of his mentors such as Brownie McGhee, Mississippi John Hurt and even the Rolling Stones.
The newest album, Riley Wants His Life Back, is an all-original collection. The songs were written specifically for his trio. With Rob Phillips on piano and Richard Simpkins on upright bass, the Rick Fines Trio shines with a playfulness and a level of comfort that shows their years of working together. A small cast of guests compliment the recording. Al Webster joins in on drums for half the album. Chris Whiteley adds his trumpet or cornet to three songs. Mathew Fines (Dobro) and Peter Andree (accordion) play on a song each. Alec Fraser steps up to the microphone several times in this, the third Fraser/Fines co-production. This new CD has quickly been hailed as Fines’ strongest yet and the trio is touring extensively to promote it.
2003 was a busy year with “Riley” recorded and released by April and tours in Ontario, Michigan and B.C. before playing a record eleven festivals across Canada! 2004 is in full swing with the trio performing at ten festivals across Canada, there’s a tour of Canada’s east coast in the fall and a trip to the Boston area in October.
In addition to a busy touring schedule, Fines conducts classes and workshops. For several years now he has taught fingerstyle guitar at the Haliburton School of the Arts in Ontario and instructed at the Hornby Island Blues Workshop in British Columbia. He also works with kids as part of the Blues In The Schools programs in Ottawa, Toronto and Fredericton. This year Rick has prepared a new songwriting program that will take place in his native Peterborough.
Norman Liotta
Musician, composer
If you enjoy great guitar playing combined with profound songwriting, you’ll like Norman Liota (www.normanliota.com). Acclaimed as “a real virtuoso”, it is evident from the first few notes that this musician is well worth hearing. His nimble fingers cover an expanse of non-standard tunings, cascading harmonics and many unusual techniques such as prepared guitar, often creating the sonic illusion that there are several musicians on stage. However striking his musical prowess may be, he never subjugates content to flash. This is why many fans comment that his songwriting is of singular depth and eloquence, inviting comparisons to Sufi poetry. Liota’s delivery and stage manner augment his performances with subtle humour and quiet humility. Plan to be enchanted and enthralled as he takes you on a sonic journey through a lush and varied landscape.
David and Ariana Gillis
Musicians, composers
It was a full house at Amazing Coffee in Madoc in mid-April as music fans were treated to the heavenly harmonies and superb fingerstyle picking of David Gillis and his daughter, Ariana Gillis.
On the guitar side, David’s work has been included in Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine, he has played on the main stage at the prestigious Chet Atkins Appreciation Society and won the Gamble Rogers Fingerstyle Guitar Competition in Florida. On the songwriting side, he has received the Colleen Peterson Award from the Ontario Council of the Arts and OCFF. Ariana Gillis, only in her mid-teens, brought down the house with a full set of her own original lyrics and compositions. This young woman makes her Dad truly proud and will thrill many more audiences. If you should see these two on a playbill, RUN, don’t walk, to get a ticket!
Linda Spalding
Author
In early-April, Linda Spalding read from her latest book and talked with guests about her writing. Linda is the author of three critically acclaimed novels, Daughters of Captain Cook, The Paper Wife and (with her daughter Esta) Mere, and a non-fiction work, The Follow. Her new book, Who Named the Knife, is based on her experience as a juror in a murder trial in Hawaii more than two decades ago. Her work, both fiction and non-fiction, focuses on cultural encounters/clashes, the environment, and motherhood. She is an editor of Brick, A Literary Journal. All of her books are available at the Madoc Public Library.
Ian Tamblyn
Musician, songwriter, playwright and producer
Ian Tamblyn has been a musician, songwriter, playwright and producer for many years. He has recorded several albums and countless soundtracks for theater and film. In recent years, Ian has had a close association with adventure travel and scientific expeditions. These travels have taken him from the icebergs of Greenland to the underwater world of Antarctica.
Some of these adventures have found their way into song and instrumental recordings. As a playwright, Ian has written nine plays and his most recent is called Dreamwalker, a true story about a very dramatic sleepwalker. His play "Legends of the Northern Swamp" is still on tour in Quebec and is produced by Geordie Productions of Montreal. He is currently working on several soundtracks.
As a producer, Ian has worked with many diverse talents. His projects include Terry Tufts, Chris MacLean, Kim Erickson and Kathryn Briggs. In the past he has worked with Beth Ferguson, Alex Houghton and grungers FurnaceFace.
James Lowrie & Sebastian Sallans
Back To Bach
Classical guitar and violin
Sebastian Sallans and James Lowrie met in 2006 when they were jointly awarded one of Hastings County’s most prestigious scholarships for cumulative accomplishment in the Fine Arts, Alpha Delta Kappa’s Orma Tipper Award. Both of these young performers began studying music while small children, the promise of their talent being proven over the years by an impressive list of awards and prizes.
James received the Quinte Rotary Music Festival Silver Strings Award four times, the Quinte Symphony Prize for excellence in Strings twice, and the Demeza Prize twice, as well as winning his class twice at the provincial level.
Sebastian’s prizes include the Tutti Muzik Award and the Musical Arts Scholarship from the Ottawa Kiwanis Festival, and from the Stirling Festival of Sacred Praise, the Quinte Symphony Book Prize for Orchestral Strings, the William D. Grant Award for Violin. He is also a pianist and three time winner of Stirling’s Dr.Tom Patterson Award for Solo Bach, the Grace Pitman Trophy for piano, and the Ioline Grant Award for piano duet many times over.
You don’t need to be a professional adjudicator however, to enjoy the fruits of this commitment to fine music making. A recent performance by James on the guitar, elicited the comment, “His Debussy brought the scent of lavender and the French countryside into the air.” Sebastian’s gypsy-style Monti Czardas regularly brings audiences to their feet while adjudicators comment on the warmth of his performances and the presence he brings to the stage. Audiences all over the Quinte area have enjoyed the music of both of these performers for years as they have grown into accomplished musicians. The Amazing Artists series offers the opportunity to hear them at their best.
Requests for seating at their August concert were so great, and their performance so well received, that they will be returning to Amazing Coffee in Madoc on January 17 for a second performance.
Penny Lang - Dave Clarke
Penny Lang
Penny Lang is a true Canadian folk legend. In her one-of-a-kind, earthy voice, she brings us old ballads, melancholy blues and hopeful love songs, both traditional and original. She has a way of making any song undisputedly hers; all she has to do is to sing it!. Penny has eight critically acclaimed recordings to her credit, and a JUNO-nominated restrospective CD called "Gather Honey". She is currently preparing her ninth recording with New York producer Roma Baran.
During her remarkable four decade career, this delightful 63-year-old singer/guitarist has evolved from being a coffeehouse draw in her Montreal hometown to being one of Canada's leading roots-based artists. Lang is also the subject of a 1999 documentary "Stand Up: On High Ground with Penny Lang" by Jocelyne Clarke. In 2003, she received the first Prix Folqui awarded by FOLQUEBEC.
In the early 1960s, Lang left school after grade nine. While working as a secretary at the YMCA, Lang became intrigued by the contemporary folk music scene and began listening to the recordings of Pete Seeger, Odetta, and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. She also began listening to such emerging folk songwriters as Bob Dylan, Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs, and Buffy Sainte-Marie. Lang soon decided to take a shot as a performer herself. She'd worked day jobs, completed high school through evening courses, and had attended Sir George Williams University for a year but was restless.
In 1963, Lang auditioned at Café Andre, a bar near McGill University that featured folk performers. Lang went on to work there for three years. For three weeks in a month, she set a grueling pace of 4-5 sets a night, 6 nights a week for only $5 per night.
Following her Café Andre stint, Lang became a full-time touring musician performing at major festivals, and countless coffeehouse, and clubs throughout North America.With help from friends, she broke into New York, working primarily at Gerde's Folk City but also appeared at The Bitter End. She played in New York about four times a year for about three years. Back in Canada, Lang played such prestigious folk clubs as The 5th Dimension, The Yellow Door, The Penelope and The Finjan in Montreal; L'Hibou in Ottawa; and The Pornographic Onion, The Riverboat, and The Penny Farthing in Toronto.
In the early-70s, as ill-health brought a series of interruptions to her personal life, Lang, now a single mother with her son Jason, retreated to Morin Heights, a small village in the Laurentian Mountains. Lang returned to Montreal in 1980 but performed publicly only rarely. In 1989, however, she picked up the guitar again when invited to play at The Golem coffeehouse. Soon she was back into the full swing of a musical career. In 2003, she earned her first Juno nomination - for Gather Honey, a collection of early live recordings.
Today, after returning from a stroke six years ago, Lang is leaning toward working at a different pace. She recently moved to rural British Columbia near Madeira Park. In the 12 months since then, she's toured Canada twice, garnered a stack of ebullient reviews – including several calling the album the best of her career – and been declared a "Canadian cult folkie" by no less than Time Out New York. And, of course, she took home two of the top awards at December's Canadian Folk Music Awards: Best Solo Artist and Best Album: Contemporary. Some change of pace! This year, Lang, embarkd on the most high profile summer festival tour of her career - including stops at the Winnipeg and Edmonton festivals, two of the largest folk fests in the world.
Meanwhile, Lang's music is being discovered by a whole new generation of musicians and music fans. Her song "Ain't Life Sweet" was covered by Nettwork recording artists Po'Girl on their new CD, Home to You.
Dave Clarke
Dave Clarke's interest in music stretches deep into his childhood in Montreal. He remembers taking naps with a beloved 78-r.p.m. recording of Casey Jones, and he played in a ukulele band with his brothers when he was in grade school. But it wasn't till he heard the strains of Mississippi John Hurt and Doc Watson that he fell under the spell of the guitar and began racing home at lunch time and after school to practise for hours on end. Dave has a music degree from Montreal’s Concordia University.
He got his start as a professional musician with the legendary Quebec group the White River Bluegrass Band in the late 1970s and later with the jazz-folk-swing band Soupe du Jour in the 1980s. He played with such performers as Barde and Theresa Doyle, but it was his work with the Montreal-based folkgrass trio Steel Rail, starting in the 1990s, that brought him to national attention.
Dave also played with David Francey from 1997 to 2004. During that period, his versatile and sensitive guitar arrangements provided a musical bedrock for Francey’s strong original material and powerful vocals. He co-produced three David Francey albums, including the Juno-winning Far End of Summer and Skating Rink. Since moving to Vancouver Island in 2005, Dave has joined forces with renowned singer-bass player Tammy Fassaert and hot young mandolinist James Whittall to form Shearwater. The band, launched in mid-2006, has already performed in several West Coast festivals and is building a reputation for fine singing and hot picking.
Apart from his band work, Dave’s tasty playing and his 1938 D18 Martin guitar have been featured on everything from bluegrass albums to television soundtracks. One of his instrumentals is featured on the album Six Strings North of the Border, along with those of such other guitar luminaries as Bruce Cockburn and Don Ross. Dave's playing figured prominently in the TV documentary series Four Strong Winds, which celebrated Canadian singer-songwriters.
He has appeared on many other recent folk recordings including those by Penny Lang (the 2006 CFMA contemporary album of the year Stone and Sand and Sea and Sky), Bill Garrett and Sue Lothrop, Eve Goldbergand Rosemary Phelan. Dave's first solo album, the all-instrumental CD Guitar Songs, was released in late 2002. It has been called "an exquisitely executed collection of original solo instrumentals from a Montreal master of the acoustic guitar."
Layah Jane, Brian Macmillan, & Oliver Johnson
Layah Jane
Twenty-five year old singer-songwriter Layah Jane is a exciting young musician with a mission. With soulful vocals and a poetic, articulate tongue, Layah’s sound recalls Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones and Ani Difranco, with a resonance all her own. Both piano and guitar became tools for writing and accompaniment as she began to create and perform original material at the age of thirteen. Since the completion of her first demo in 2000, Layah has been invited to play countless shows and festival showcases including Winterfolk Festival, North by Northeast Music Festival, Toronto City Roots Festival, Toronto Indie Music Week, New Music West, and the Rochester International Jazz Festival. In May 2005, Layah Jane won a showcase at the Ottawa Folk Festival and a CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award. In July 2005, her song "Reverence and Ridicule" won the political category in the Ontario Council of Folk Festival's songwriting competition, and in October 2005 it was nominated for an American Independent Music Award in the Folk/Singer-Songwriter category. In September 2006, she won a Toronto Independent Music Award for Best Jazz, and was also nominated in the Best Live Acoustic Act category.
Layah Jane has been seen and heard as a live and recorded back-up vocalist for a range of artists making folk, funk, soul, and hip-hop music in the Toronto area. Over the past ten years, she has also appeared as a lead and back-up vocalist on various commercials and Juno-nominated albums. Layah can be heard as the voice of the Dove Real Beauty/Self Esteem Fund’s 2006 “True Colors” TV Campaign.
Layah Jane is a spirited and natural performer who receives enthusiastic support wherever she plays. When she takes the stage we are transported to a place where emotion is raw, reflection is deep, and revolution is not only possible, but necessary.
Brian Macmillan
Brian’s music is rooted in the folk, pop and soul traditions of his heroes. He often draws comparisons to artists such as James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Bruce Cockburn and Stevie Wonder. Brian has recently released his second CD of original material entitled “Let The Darkness Go”. Approaching the stage like an old friend - excited, warm and ready to engage - Brian’s command of his guitar allows him to create a complete sound as a solo performer or as the focus in a duo or trio. The Ontario Council of Folk Festivals recognized his songwriting in 2005 by awarding him the Colleen Peterson Award. Brian has performed at such festivals as Home County, Mariposa, Shelter Valley, Winterfolk ,Toronto City Roots, NXNE, SXSW and Boston’s NEMO festival. He was recently a performer on the 2007 Barenaked Ladies Ships and Dips Carribean cruise tour. Outside of his solo career, Brian can be seen performing regularly with many local greats such as Lori Cullen and Kevin Hearn (Barenaked Ladies). He can also be heard on recordings by The Wailin’ Jennys, Lori Cullen, Kevin Hearn and Harmony Trowbridge.
Oliver Johnson
A musician from an early age, Oliver Johnson attended Humber College’s jazz guitar program, and has been recruited as a guitarist by some of Canada’s most exciting artists. He has contributed musically to the live and recorded work of Feist, Esthero, Ivana Santilli, Peter Katz, One Step Beyond, Wade O. Brown, Divine Brown, God Made Me Funky, Carlos Morgan, The Pocket Dwellers, Choclair, Layah Jane, and Brian Macmillan, to name a few.
Jayme Stone muses that he started playing banjo because the instruments’ quirky physics align with his quick thinking. Soon after his calling to the banjo, he followed the sound of an Indian sarod in a small California town to a chance meeting with revered Indian musician Ali Akbar Khan. “I spent the better part of the week soaking up these ancient songs,” remembers Stone. “You could say it was my first banjo lesson.” Stone’s musical path always finds him with one foot sinking deeper into land close to home while the other wanders onto new territory. 
John Paul Copeland's first interest in Art began as a child sketching caricatures from various sources. At nine years of age, he moved on to designing a patch for the Boy Scouts in his hometown Trenton. The sixties brought day glow paints and travel. The seventies and eighties became the study of the Primitive Soul. This gradually developed into studies of Myths in Primitive Lives and Animal Images based on dreams and synchronicity. After enrolling in the Liberal Arts program at Norwich University in the nineties, John was encouraged to study Art with Roy Levin and Charlotte Hastings. Professor Levin an international artist and former head of the Masters of Fine Art at Vermont College infused John with new insights and encouraged a large body of art work. John's course readings on cross cultural, native, and ancestral studies deepened his understanding of Art and Culture. This focus has since turned to expressions of the connections of humanity and its ecological responsibilities. John has exhibited in Vermont, Montreal, Toronto, Madoc, Belleville, and on the Tyendinaga Reserve plus various Federal events. John's chalk pastels, oil paintings, and charcoals are enjoyed in homes across North America and are shared around the world through the Internet. (
Jory Nash blends elements of folk, jazz, blues, soul and pop into an original stew of sound. He has recorded 6 critically-acclaimed CDs, including 2004's curiously titled "Spaz Loves Weezie" and 2010's award winning "New Blue Day". 
Jim Christy has travelled widely, reported on various wars and conflicts, discovered the legendary lost city of Olancho Viejo in the jungles of Honduras, lived in a remote native village in Brazil's Amazon, been a bit-part actor in dozens of movies and TV episodes, contributed segments about the classics of literature to CBC Radio. 
Eric Andersen first came to prominence as a performer in Greenwich Village in the early 1960s and immediately became part of the Village folk and songwriter scene along with Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan and became one of the founders of the singer songwriter movement. His first LP for Vanguard was released in 1965. Over the past 40 years he has released over 25 CDs of original music including titles such as Today is the Highway, More Hits From Tin Can Alley, Blue River, Ghosts Upon The Road, Memory of The Future, Beat Avenue, The Street Was Always There, and Waves. His poetical songs have entertained and captivated audiences worldwide.
At the age of four he sang for his grandmother who tossed him nickels and dimes while she sat at the kitchen table sipping her whiskey - laced tea. His mother bought him a harmonica when he was about 13. Shortly after that he saw Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee on tv and he was hooked for life. The soul of this timeless genre is deeply rooted in his psyche and he continues to nurture this passion.
"John and Michele Law's songs seem to be the lost essence of country music which has now become so commercial and formulaic sounding." Randy Bachman
It would be hard to argue that Tom Savage isn't one of the hardest working musicians in the country these days. Over the past four years Kingston, Ontario songwriter, Tom Savage, has released 3 recordings of original material, performed over 600 shows, and toured Canada several times. Country-rocker Tom Savage's newest release, Live at the Acoustic Grill is a continuation of the defiant, individualistic road-weary music that he made with his last acoustic CD , Never Shed No Tears. 
Kate Reid is a whip-smart wordsmith with a knack for candid story-telling and songwriting that is charged with humour and social-political commentary. A straight shooter but definitely not straight, she is as charming as she is in-your-face and is one of the most original, incisive and entertaining songwriters to appear on the scene in a long time.
Terry Tufts is a finger-style guitarist living off-grid with his wife and daughter in the bush in North Frontenac, Ontario. 
Yael Wand
When you first listen to one of Elena’s performances, you will probably wonder from which old or folk record or songbook she dug her repertoire. Following the leads of Elena Yeung is an active contributor to the “new traditional” sound, echoing the folk, bluegrass and mountain traditions of Pete Seeger, Ola Belle Reed, and Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard, emphasizing her driving banjo style. Yeung’s debut CD, The Gravedigger’s Daughter, features 11 original songs that range from fast and furious picking to mournful lullaby. Her lyrical storytelling and haunting vocal style reflect upon hardship, longing and life lessons of the human condition, both past and present. Mixed and mastered by Nashville-based Miles Wilkinson, The Gravedigger’s Daughter includes a lineup of Greg Spatz (of John Reischman & the Jaybirds and Mighty Squirrel) on fiddle and mandolin, Mark Koenig (1992 Juno nominee for his song The Lonesome Kind) on guitar and vocals, Gary Snow on bass and vocals, and Caridwen Irvine-Spatz (Mighty Squirrel) on fiddle and vocals. Originally from the farming community of Carberry, Manitoba, Yeung has moved across Canada over the past 10 years in search of The Canadian Identity, living in Regina, SK, Kingston, ON, St. John’s, NF, Williams Lake, BC, and briefly in Inuvik, NWT, before settling most recently in the Creston Valley. The release of The Gravedigger’s Daughter is being followed by a nationwide tour, an opportunity for Yeung to promote her new CD as well as re-visit her many homes. Yeung’s song “On That Good Road” was recorded by the Vancouver bluegrass trio Redgrass and is featured as the title track on their 2007 debut CD. She was featured on CBC radio’s North By Northwest on August 17, 2008 and has since enjoyed airplay on CBC programs BC Almanac and Daybreak South, as well as local radio stations Creston Community Radio, Nelson Co-op Radio, West Kootenay-based KBS, and Williams Lake’s CKWL/The Wolf. 
Anne Lindsay has established herself as one of the most engaging and versatile instrumentalists in Canada, adapting her unique violin/fiddle style to the eclectic sounds and musical languages of this country's rich cultural texture. Currently composing, performing and recording with her own band, Anne is also a much sought after side person, composer, arranger and background vocalist, performing with some of Canada's top musical acts: 
Jason Fowler 
He has played for legendary blues piano player Pinetop Perkins, songstress Colleen Peterson, folk icon Penny Lang and many others. He has toured from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean, from B.C. to New England, France to Gr. Britain, bringing his understanding of blues, finger-style and bottleneck guitar. 
If you enjoy great guitar playing combined with profound songwriting, you’ll like Norman Liota (
It was a full house at Amazing Coffee in Madoc in mid-April as music fans were treated to the heavenly harmonies and superb fingerstyle picking of David Gillis and his daughter, Ariana Gillis.
In early-April, Linda Spalding read from her latest book and talked with guests about her writing. Linda is the author of three critically acclaimed novels, Daughters of Captain Cook, The Paper Wife and (with her daughter Esta) Mere, and a non-fiction work, The Follow. Her new book, Who Named the Knife, is based on her experience as a juror in a murder trial in Hawaii more than two decades ago. Her work, both fiction and non-fiction, focuses on cultural encounters/clashes, the environment, and motherhood. She is an editor of Brick, A Literary Journal. All of her books are available at the Madoc Public Library.
Sebastian Sallans and James Lowrie met in 2006 when they were jointly awarded one of Hastings County’s most prestigious scholarships for cumulative accomplishment in the Fine Arts, Alpha Delta Kappa’s Orma Tipper Award. Both of these young performers began studying music while small children, the promise of their talent being proven over the years by an impressive list of awards and prizes. 
Penny Lang is a true Canadian folk legend. In her one-of-a-kind, earthy voice, she brings us old ballads, melancholy blues and hopeful love songs, both traditional and original. She has a way of making any song undisputedly hers; all she has to do is to sing it!. Penny has eight critically acclaimed recordings to her credit, and a JUNO-nominated restrospective CD called "Gather Honey". She is currently preparing her ninth recording with New York producer Roma Baran. 
Dave Clarke's interest in music stretches deep into his childhood in Montreal. He remembers taking naps with a beloved 78-r.p.m. recording of Casey Jones, and he played in a ukulele band with his brothers when he was in grade school. But it wasn't till he heard the strains of Mississippi John Hurt and Doc Watson that he fell under the spell of the guitar and began racing home at lunch time and after school to practise for hours on end. Dave has a music degree from Montreal’s Concordia University.
