Gordy the Moose here.

At Roots Music Canada, we recognize that we’ve been fairly quiet of late, and that’s not easy for a moose. It won’t remain this way much longer.

We’re busy putting together a great new editing team and a dedicated Roots Music Canada radio station. As always, these things are done when we have the time to do them – RMC has always been a labour of love.

So bear with us (if I may borrow a pun from a neighbour), we’ll be right back.

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David Francey

This week on The Open Chord host Bill Garrett features new music from songwriter David Francey, fiddler April Verch and after a long absence, the wonderful Laura Smith. Mix that up with Pharis and Jason Romero, Rose Cousins and some hot picking from Clarence White and Doc Watson and what do you have…. Episode Eighteen of The Open Chord  That’s what! 11:00 AM, 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM EDT on rtds.ca

At 9:00 AM, 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM EDT Andy Frank presents two hours of double-shots of very new Canadian folk/roots songs, including George Meanwell, Belle Starr, Larra Skye and Juno nominee Danny Michel. Plus Del Barber, Graydon James and The Young Novelists, Maria Dunn and a triple dose of 2013 Juno Nominee, The Wooden Sky.

How to listen: Go to rtds.ca, go to Listen to RTDS, and select either LIVE 192 kbps or LIVE 128 kbps stream.

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We music fans can be a fickle bunch. All it took to be swept away by the talented Mr. McCord and his seven-piece band was an opportunity to see them perform live. Not only is McCord a human whirlwind of soulful energy but his band is rehearsed within an inch of their lives – and what they do simply has to be skin tight to be done well – which they’re adept at doing.

However, when Scott & Crew released their sophomore album – simply entitled Scott McCord and the Bonafide Truth – I didn’t even flinch. I had forgotten how good a band they are and how incredibly powerful a presence their front man possesses. Wisely, I got myself down to the Lula Lounge for their proper CD release to remind myself why I liked these guys so much. I wasn’t alone.

The best players, as proven time and time again, are those who truly love to play. Once the band kicked in with the opening notes of their theme, “Deploy the Bird”, sparks flew from the stage and there was no ‘warming up period’, given the high-energy serving: funk, R&B, fiery blasts of rock and a horn-driven groove compressed between a rhythm section (Ben Rollo/drums, Charles James/bass) capableof redefining the concept.

McCord seemed somewhat restrained with his entry for “Gotta Be Something” – and then, without warning, went airborne with one of his patented, quirky, always- unexpected Art Carney moves. This keeps you watching him and he never disappoints, unleashing 150% worth of energy and phenomenal lung power – all the more surprising for his seemingly slight build.

“This Heart is on Fire” upped the energy level asthe band’s other two secret weapons, B3 player David Atkinson and guitarist Simon Craig, alternated on both sides of a blistering horn section (Steve Dyte/trumpet, Christian Overton/trombone, Todd Porter/baritone sax).

Despite Craig’s impressive turn on guitar, the somewhat staid cover of the Beatles’ “Baby, You’re A Rich Man” seemed to pause the momentum. This only set up one of the new album’s loveliest ballads, “Where Did You Go?”, which – at its similarly slow pace – provided the band  the room to stretch out and reveal how truly tight their chops are, every nuance on display. A show highlight, in fact. Guest Jerome Godboo joined the slow-starting assault on “Turn Around”, his animal-showman instincts synching nicely with McCord’s, sending up blistering harp alongside Craig’s slippery slide.

The slo-mo take on “Much Better” demonstrated that, fast or slow, these horn players are good, transforming the song into a full crowd workout, completely involving them with the band as they willingly sung their hearts out, totally with them. With a propulsive series of solos on B3, Atkinson helped spin “Bad For You” into another signature piece, as McCord’s gut-twisting vocals and soulful delivery poured accelerant all over the stage.

The hard-hitting “Certainty” is pure Scott McCord and band – a powerfulblast that features all their musical strengths and focuses them into a pulverizing force of nature, the dance floor pulsating with people unable to control their desperate need to give something back. The set closed with the very different “Ocean” – a shimmering showcase of slide guitar revealing a thoughtful direction towards opening new doors of opportunity.  It was time for everyone to take a shower prior to the band returning for their second set.

New songs like “The Truth Is Out” brought the house – and dance floor – back in short order followed by a high-energy flashback to Van McCoy with “So Soon”. Another new number entitled “Give It Up” proved another of the evening’s crowning achievements – a hard-rocking arrangement with stand-out results and a special nod to Simon Craig’s searing contributions on guitar. Mac Rebennack’s night-tripping “Cold Cold Cold” proved another crowd-pleaser – more feathers in McCord’s cap for his ability to select whimsical gems reflecting his slightly bent sense of humour – always lurking beneath even the most heart-wrenching of soulful croons.

Guest guitarist and original Bonafide band member, ChrisMiller (of Bourbon Tabernacle Choir fame), joined the band for some searing leads as Jerome Godboo returned to the stage, adding even more fuel to the collective fire. Miller stayed in place for the duration, following with the title track from the band’s previous “Blues For Sunshine” – a track which hit a definite nerve for all present. A a lost classic by the too-soon-gone James “Baby Huey” Ramey brought the evening to a most-fulfilling climax as the rejuvenated band revealed plenty of soul-taut muscle over the long haul. A great night was had by all – as if to remind everyone that, because this crack Toronto fighting unit may not be accessible every weekend, when they do play, you’d best not risk missing them.

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The week on The Open Chord, it’s music from Vermont and Quebec. The Province of Québec and the State of Vermont share much more than a common border and the production of great maple syrup. On this week’s program host Bill Garrett features music both new and traditional from the Green Mountain State and La belle province. Artists include Kristina Stykos, Yves Lambert, Robert Resnik, Penny Lang, Dave Clarke and Michelle Choiniere. Also on this week’s show some vintage radio from the late great Max Ferguson with some classic Rawhide. 11:00am, 5:00pm and 10:00pm EDT on rtds.ca.

Also on Roots Radio Thursday, Andy Frank takes us coast-to-coast with two songs each from 2012/2013 Canadian releases, beginning in Saltspring Island and ending in St. John’s. You’ll hear music by Harry Manx, Annie Lou, Pharis and Jason Romero, (brand-new)Ruth Moody, Corin Raymond and The Sundowners, Jory Nash, Scott Cooper, Good Lovelies, Corinna Rose, Rob Lutes, Mary Jane Lamond & Wendy MacIsaac, and Amelia Curran. 9:00am, 3:00pm and 8:00pm EDT on rtds.ca.

Robert Resnik

Kristina Stykos

Yves Lambert

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Thursday March 28th at 9:00 AM, 3:00 PM, and 9:00 PM EDT on RTDS.ca, Andy Frank welcomes special guests Trent Severn.

When Canadian astronaut/singer-songwriter Chris Hadfield became the Commander of the International Space Station, he brought along some CDs that reminded him of home. Among them was the debut release of 21st-Century Canadiana by a trio who call themselves Trent Severn, and while theirs is a new name on the scene, its members, Laura C. Bates, Dayna Manning and Emm Gryner (pictured L-R) are no musical rookies.

The self-titled CD contains song-titles like Mulroney Times, Muskoka Bound, Snowy Soul, and Truscott (Hadfield’s favourite song by the band), stories that are deliberately about Canada, and about people other than the songwriters themselves (read Andy Frank’s review from November 2012 here). You’ll hear the whole album, and a great collection of short stories behind the music.

In hour two of the Andy Frank Show, he continues his preview of the 2013 Juno Awards with a focus on Roots and Traditional artist nominees with three songs by Old Man Luedecke from his CD Tender is the Night. And, you’ll hear three songs from the 2013 Junos’ Blues category by Steve Strongman from his CD A Natural Fact. Plus you’ll hear new music from Union Duke, The Wilderness of Manitoba, Jadea Kelly among other Canadian luminaries. Bill Garrett’s The Open Chord follows Andy’s show.

Trent Severn: Freedom

Trent Severn speaks with, and performs for, Commander Hadfield.

Tags: dayna manning, Emm Gryner, juno awards, laura c. bates, old man luedecke, steve strongman, trent severn
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While my FB status says I saw NQ Arbuckle last night, I didn’t. I saw Whitehorse at the National Arts Centre as part of their NAC Presents series. And I am disgusted by the complete (compleat?) act of entertainment I was forced to endure.

So you’ve got Luke Doucet. One of the best guitarists in Canada. And Melissa McClelland, who I only had the opportunity to see once before, when the Ottawa Folk Festival resembled a giant mud-wrestling match and she and Luke were working with Blue Rodeo.

And you’ve got a stage filled with:
9 guitars (Luke: Gretsch White Falcon, a number of Telecasters, what looked like a vintage Gibson acoustic, and some small-bodied acoustic which was totally unfamiliar to me; Melissa, an acoustic, a sweet-sounding double-cutaway hollowbody that I didn’t recognize, and a Fender short-scale bass)
6 amps
1 keyboard
A kick-drum and a floor tom
A djembe, shakers, pots, pans, an old kettle,
And enough looping pedals and cables to choke a giant squid.
With picks, with mallets, with sticks, with hands, with slides, the two of them create, repeat, and sing giant sediments of sound with the inevitability of a landslide.

This was a pair of superb musicians working at the top of their game. Did they swagger as they strutted the stage of the NAC Theatre? Yup. And they shoulda. Melissa strapped on her white bass and swaggered, knowing she was the one anchoring this dirigible of music to the ground, the only thing preventing it from shooting uncontrolled into the atmosphere. Luke swaggered to the front of the stage, pointing a finger to the sky like Babe Ruth pointing beyond the left-field fence, and knocking guitar-hero homers out of the park one after the other. Then he swaggered back to the amps to tease feedback out. Then the pair swagger to a condenser mic stage front to face each other and sing in unison or harmony, as if the fate of the world depends on that mic.

Luke: whippet-thin, fresh off a 2nd-place finish in a half-marathon (WHILE ON TOUR), looking vaguely Woody Guthrie-ish in a rolled-up shirt and jeans, with a voice that’s got a touch of harshness and a touch of whispery goodness. Melissa: in a filmy dress, asymmetrically hemmed, entirely modest but still sexy nonetheless, possessing a voice that could have overpowered her husband’s and the judgement to know how to avoid that.

The songs? Superbly crafted, built into layer cakes, rich trifles, Jackson Pollocks of sound, slathering instruments one on top of one another and then using the mound of sound like a launching ramp to send each other slingshotting up into the sky, then sticking the landings and bringing us all back to the ground safely.

Want to look for a complete show? How’s this: in the NAC, Luke breaks into French to express his appreciation for the venue and to thank the audience for being there. Or this: on their “Passenger 24″, an extended jam, bringing rhythms in and out to allow them to turn a straight-ahead rocker into a multiple-movement rocksonata. Or this: as part of the encore, the two grab acoustic guitars, unplug, walk to opposite sides of the stage, and walk into the audience to sing Melissa’s “When the lights went off in Hogtown” unplugged. Or this: a lovely song in French as another part of the show. Or this: the dance of boots on pedals, the slipping on and off of instruments with the energy of a lust-induced quickie. Or this: between songs, a plea to help the Ladybird Animal Sanctuary, a rescue operation for dogs and cats that Melissa runs “in her spare time”.

After the show, we were on our way to have post-concert drinks with friends. When we found two of them, one of them said (to a group of eight) “Oh my God, I just want to have sex after that show.” I understood exactly what she meant. Hope that worked out for her. I just came home and destroyed all of my guitars to ensure that they never have to suffer at my ham-like hands again, thanks to the seething pit of bile that only Whitehorse could create.

Tags: luke doucet, melissa mclelland, NAC, whitehorse
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This week on The Open Chord Bill Garrett looks back at the lives of three key figures that were lost to the Canadian folk community in the last few weeks. They’re Tam Kearney, who started and ran the iconic Toronto folk Club Fiddler’s Green as well as being a member of the incomparable and wacky Friends of Fiddler’s Green folk group, Chopper McKinnon a friend to folk musicians and songwriters for four decades and who hosted Canadian Spaces the longest running folk show in the country, and finally Max Ferguson who played all sorts of folk and world music on CBC Radio as well as creating the wonderful Rawhide. That, and a lot of great music this week on The Open Chord on rtds.ca. Listen at 11:00 AM, 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM EDT.

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This week on The Open Chord, Bill Garrett presents “Love Brings You Home” a full edition documentary on the life of Jack Hardy, singer-songwriter and playwright. (11:00am, 5:00pm and 10:00pm EDT on rtds.ca)

Based in New York’s Greenwich Village, Hardy was influential as a writer, performer, and mentor in the North American and European folk music scenes for decades. Songwriters in songwriter circles would gather at his Houston Street apartment one night a week to play their latest (and often unfinished) work. Fueled by pasta and wine, the weekly songwriters’ sessions were famous for the artistic and political conversations that flowed, and the large number of remarkable songs that emerged. Hardy suffered neither egos nor nerves, and when the introduction to a new song got too long and/or apologetic from a songwriter, Hardy would bark, “Shut up and sing the song.”

From those sessions, Hardy was cited as a major influence by folks like Suzanne Vega, John Gorka, Lyle Lovett and many others who emerged from that Greenwich Village scene in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

Jack Hardy was also the author of hundreds of songs, and toured tirelessly for almost forty years. He was the founding editor of Fast Folk Musical Magazine, a periodical famous within music circles for twenty years that shipped with a full album (and later, compact disc) in each issue. That entire catalog is now part of the Smithsonian Folkways collection. ”Love Brings You Home” was produced by Angela Page, host of Folk Plus on WJFF FM.

The Andy Frank Show (9:00am, 3:00pm and 8:00pm EDT on rtds.ca) welcomes Vancouver singer-songwriter Christa Couture for a very candid conversation, and a bunch of spins from her latest work, “The Living Record”. Christa has survived the loss of two infants, and a childhood cancer that resulted in drastic surgery. Yet her spirit, humour, and art are very much alive, as evidenced by her remarkable CD. Plus, we’ll look back at the 2013 ECMA with Andrea England, and feature music by category winners The Once, Dave Gunning, and Rose Cousins. And, we continue our look at 2013 Roots and Traditional Juno Awards categories with a spotlight on Cousins and Le Vent du Nord. Finally, Sue Peters drops in with Sue’s News where she encourages listeners to get out and catch a gig near you.

Tags: christa couture, dave gunning, ecma, jack hardy, juno awards, le vent du nord, rose cousins
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Transplanted Aussie native, Chris Altmann clearly enjoys the best of all worlds. Moving from Adelaide to Peterborough, the seasoned musician wasted no time finding out who was who, musician-wise, and, by early 2010, had recorded his first solo record, Que Paso. Now living in Hamilton (when he’s not in Nashville), he’s about to release another self-produced record and has taken the time to create his own label, Ridin’ High Records.

Somehow, he finds the time to return to Australia each year to play in still-familiar settings, staying in touch with friends and fans on both continents simultaneously. For those of us who sometimes have difficulty getting out of bed in the morning, people like Chris Altmann are hard to fathom. Boundless energy, a firm commitment to his craft and he’s only 30-something. He even married a local girl – Alysha Main, from Norwood, who manages and promotes his career, the label and their ridiculously busy lifestyle when she’s not touring Australia with him. She also finds time to promote the Peterborough-based, forward-looking music label, Seventh Fire Records, who have released a 7″ record of a pair of Altmann’s tracks.

On this occasion, Chris and his talented cast of friends and players were teasing the forthcoming release, Nothing But Nice Things. Hey. Isn’t that Washboard Hank on dobro? It is!  Rounding out the small Dakota stage is Rob Foreman (bass), Brandon Humphrey (acoustic guitar), Matt Greco (drums) and the delightful Peterpatch export, Grainne Ryan on backup vocals.

Now, you’re likely wondering what sort of music a globetrotting Aussie who has found the light in southern Ontario might play? You must first understand that Altmann is one of those people whose veins flow with equal parts blood and music. He plays everything instrument-wise, and what he hasn’t yet learned, he will. His first release was a fresh take on an old school – akin to the school that Leon Russell attended. Circa Mad Dogs and Englishmen, his music has a laidback, party feel that lays a warm, loose groove atop a rootsy collection of complementary instruments and like-minded players.

Originally in a Melbourne-based rock band called The Vandas, Altmann shifts to the lower gears and uses strong vocal chops and his signature piano sound to give birth to a soulful, good time. Mix in some pedal steel (Altmann) amidst lead piano parts, dobro (Hank), acoustic guitar (Brandon Humphrey), bass (Rob Foreman), drums (Matt Greco) and sweet vocal support from Grainne Ryan throughout and you begin to get the idea. Think of a drunken BBQ bash over at Doug Sahm’s summer house – with Leon manning the bar and T-Bone Burnett bringing dessert. Loose, laidback songs – built to last and fun to listen to – the title track to his new album, a case in point, with its pedal steel, piano and sturdy chorus.

The highly animated “Carrodus’ Mountain View Hotel” reads like a twisted love letter to a favourite watering hole – because
it is. Contrast this rowdy chant to the surprisingly delicate “I Told A Lie” to gain some perspective on the range of Altmann’s songwriting abilities – clothed as a rock’n’roll number driven by his piano style, underlining the value of his well-rehearsed band. The rootsy bent of “Living It Up” makes for a perfect, feel-good song while being, at the same time, a strong code to live life by.

The strong country bent to Altmann’s voice is revealed with the fiddle-free “Whole Wide World” while Grainne Ryan’s show-stopping, low-end support vocal on “Lukewarm Heart” proved a highlight of the night. “Love Like This” – clearly the front-runner track from Que Paso – provided Altmann with another chance to ply his prowess on pedal steel while the honky-tonkin’ “Who Knows Where” – also from the last record – drove home its solid hook while registering its hearty, rowdy chorus. “Zig Zag Rag” continues to pick things up with solid, rock’n’roll energy, pumped up by three singers and Altmann’s rollicking piano, ultimately bringing the evening to a close. Served up as a preview of the forthcoming Nothing But Nice Things proves to be a dramatic understatement – both this release and the one before it are loaded with great things. Altmann is clearly singer-songwriter enough for both countries to share.

Photos by Eric Thom

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This week, The Andy Frank Show welcomes Ian Sherwood of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, to spin his new CD, Live At The Hive.

In hour number one of the show, Andy begins a series of musical face-offs between Juno Nominees in the Roots and Traditional Album of the Year categories.  This week, it’s Amelia Curran and Annabelle Chvostek. Plus you’ll hear music from 100 Mile House, Stephen Fearing, Graydon James and The Young Novelists and more. The Andy Frank Show – Thursdays at 9:00am, 3:00pm and 8:00pm EST on rtds.ca .

The Open Chord follows at 11:00 AM, 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM EST on rtds.ca. This week, Bill Garrett features a global cornucopia of music. From Nova Scotia to British Columbia, the Cape Verde Islands to Vermont and back out to Cuba, from downtown Toronto to rural Québec and finishing off with a sneak preview of a fantastic new album from Laura Smith – her first in fifteen years.

How to listen: Go to rtds.ca and find the Listen to RTDS box (top left). Select the stream quality you wish to use (192 kb or 128 kb). A player will pop up. If you wish to listen to archives of these shows, you can find them in the same Listen to RTDS box under On Demand. Select Roots Music Thursdays, and the shows are listed there.

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