And the music just keeps comin’. After performing a guitar workshop at The Crown, arranged by Reg of Frontline Music, seven time Canadian Country Picker of the Year, Wendell Ferguson and a favourite on CBC, Katherine Wheatley entertained a full house at Music on McLean recently. Barry Crampton, a long time friend, recognized Wendell’s local roots during a necessary restringing pause. As they shared, putting a comical writer together with a serious songwriter doesn’t sound workable, but judging from the positive response they’ve received after performing together for the past 10 years and the local audience here, it works wonderfully. After splitting a gut hearing Wendell’s “Fiddle on the Fire” or a song about excrement like “Barnyard Two-step”, Katherine would have you deep into your heart with tears coming down your cheeks within 10 or 12 bars. Her wordsmith mastery, her delicate use of silence building from soft entries with her strong soothing voice crescendo’s all combined to touch anyone with a pulse. The bonus came after the show when local, Jamie Campbell, who went to Queen’s with Katherine and a few years ago was an acoustic player for Roch Voisine, stayed back and sweetly jammed with both Wendell and Katherine. A very entertaining evening.
My far better half and I lucked into tickets for Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Café Christmas
Show, presented by PPAC. I’m one of those 700,000 listeners who tune in every week to hear what’s happening to Dave, Morley, their family and friends. To hear several new stories live, all in one sitting, like most in the capacity audience at PDCI, I felt blessed. Stuart uses his show to present wonderful Canadian musical talent to his live and radio audience and this show’s western swing sweethearts, the Bebop Cowboys and Gatineau’s young blues sensation, Roxanne Potvin were a delight to hear again. Piano player John Sheard’s compilation of familiar tunes brought back memories for many. Vinyl Café is always a crowd pleaser.
After our Tranna – livin’ kids surprised us by arriving during the power outage to celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary, we enjoyed the weekend together and sent them on their way back to ‘da big smoke’. We then started our own commemoration at a quaint house concert outside Carleton Place where Stacey Earle and her husband Mark Stuart shone with their down home charm and talented musicianship. We last saw them in our own living room in February and they were telling me they played over 40 house concerts this year all over the world. Mark was also telling me they’ve organized a showcase room at the Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis, Tennessee in February 2007 which will feature 6 duo acts, of which one pair is Canadian and from nearby Seeley’s Bay … The Laws. We hosted them in September, also saw them at the Barrie Folk Festival in November and are glad to see they’re getting the opportunity to showcase their harmonious style. Good luck to them.
We ended off our Anniversary night by attending the fundraiser at the Studio Theatre where the Peter Brown Blues Band performed. Peter’s keyboard skills shone as did David Lintaman’s harmonica and singing. Larry Wayne Church on guitar played some nice licks. Grant Tomkinson’s solid bass and Tom Martel’s steady drumming together gave a nice backbeat to keep things together. Sounds like things are starting to gel nicely as they’ve only been playing together for the past 3 months.
Get your dancin’ shoes out!!! The Night Before The Night Before Christmas Fundraiser for the Food Bank / Interval House is happening again this year at Farrell Hall on Saturday December 23rd. Tell Mama, Mostly Harmless, Keith Glass & Friends plus special guests are donating their talents to keep us groovin’ on the dance floor. Tickets are at Shadowfax and let’s get into the givin’ mood by bringing a food donation as well. This has become an annual affair and has become a major part of my Christmas Season as it’s a great time to see old friends, home for the holiday.
On behalf of our family and myself I’d like to wish everyone a safe, happy and healthy Holiday Season. Remember to support live music wherever you are and to support all those struggling musicians out there who share their gifts with us all year long. God Bless.