Perth’s losing one of our musical friends, one who’s made a significant impact on the musical life of our fair community.  Prairie Oyster’s guitar wizard, Keith Glass has moved to Kars, where he and his partner Erin will be raising their darlin’ rugrat, Ivy Jane.  Imagine, just a few months old and already a cd named in her honour.  Brock Zeman titled his last cd, released November 2006 “Welcome Home Ivy Jane”. 

 

There are many memorable moments I’ve enjoyed thanks to Keith but the most significant one that expanded my musical tastes forever was his demanding I attend an acoustic concert he put together with Russell DeCarle on bass, Denis Keldie on accordion and Johnny Allen on fiddle.  This acoustic roots – country quartet won over my appreciation of country, a notable adjustment to this previously “anything but country” snob.  The naturalness of the sweet harmonies raised from this different instrumentation and their quality, no nonsense musicianship captured my ear.  I’ve been seeking out and enjoying variations of this style since then. Thanks Keith for your insistence I attend.

 

Over the years, Keith has kindly shared many of his musical friends with us by inviting them to share the stage or organizing concerts for them locally.  I’m sure many will still remember Willie P. Bennett playing the Maple Drop Bakery, backed by Keith, as a wonderful evening many years ago.  He first brought us Kevin Welch from Nashville to the Links O’ Tay Golf Course, where he backed Kevin and later, from the audience, Randall Prescott joined them on stage adding some magical harp.  Kevin Welch later returned, gracing the Stewart Park Festival stage two different years. Carrying on with Keith’s sharing tradition, more recently, Kevin shared some of his Nashville musical friends, Fats Kaplan and Kieran Kane, when they locally promoted the album they’d recorded with our own David Francey at a concert at PDCI. 

 

Some other people he’s shared locally at different times are Steve Pineo and Mike Stack from out west, besides the Oyster gang several times, to name but a few.  Remember when he hosted the Australian musician, also named Keith Glass and they played several concerts together?  Always memorable.

 

Thanks to Keith and Jon Van Wingerden’s partnership in Audio Valley Recording Studio we’ve been introduced to several performers who started their recording careers in our midst … Craig McIntyre and Brock Zeman being two.  Those Tuesday nights at O’Reilly’s when Keith accompanied Brock were musically what got me through many a grueling week.  Keith’s stellar guitar work shone every night giving us a more substantial taste of his abilities.  T. Bruce Wittet, describes Keith’s playing when backing Brock or with his local Twisters or Mainsqueeze groups in Canadian Musician Magazine as … “When blasting an electric guitar through a Vibrolux (sounds like a line from a John Hiatt song!), Glass takes it out - way out!  We're talking Miles Davis territory.  We're talking long phrases and notes stretched out of shape.” Somehow though, it works.  He manages to always bring the music back home, but in the meantime he’s provided the soundscape for a creative musical journey.  Living proof of all those guitar player awards he’s won.  Though Brock and friends carry on beautifully on Tuesday nights at O’reilly’s, I miss being spoiled weekly by the combination of Brock’s stellar writing and Keith’s guitar mastery.

 

Yes, Keith has given back to our community, many times over.  Several thousands of dollars have been raised through his generosity, playing for countless fundraisers in many band configurations.  The Annual Food Bank Fundraisers he hosted for many years brought together so many unique local and visiting musician match ups that I feel were not recognized, nor realized by most of the public… but dance we did, always a broad cross section of Perth’s personalities, “cutting a rug” to support one deserving charity or another.  You’ve been so good to us.  It’s never been about the money…. he just loves to play …. Whether on countless others recordings, at O’reilly’s, the Perth Fair, the old Open Stage at the Crown, Code’s Mill, McDonald’s Corners, Stewart Park Festival stages or my living room on many an occasion ,  … he just loves to play.

 

One doesn’t have to spend much time watching TV to see the amount of ego crap that entertainers often portray.  It’s always been refreshing to me that for someone who has played world wide, been recognized nationally many times for his playing abilities, when here in town I always felt welcome on his porch, just like pretty well everyone else.  He stepped up to be the key to a random act of kindness we put together for an old high school friend of mine and I know neither my friend or myself will forget him for it.  That’s just the way he is …

 

I’m know we haven’t seen the last of Keith in our local shire (he’ll be still around, helpin’ Mom) but we want you to know we wish you and your new family all the best in your new community. Prairie Oyster’s new album “Last Kiss” sounds wonderful and we wish success for you all from it.  You’re welcome back anytime ….  (oh … and bring the guitar).