Perhaps no place, any place, is as proud of its musical traditions as the island of Newfoundland. The musical currents run deep there, as generations of great songwriters and musicians have proven. Kim Stockwood has earned her place among Newfoundland’s notable workers in song. Between her solo recordings, and her Juno-nominated work with East Coast [...]
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Speaking of roots, mine originate in this small, picturesque town on the St. Lawrence River, immediately south of Ottawa, just before you get wet. The opportunity to visit my Mom on the occasion of her birthday and take advantage of the chance to see this talented pair provided me with the best of all worlds. [...]
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Andrea Ramolo is a great example of the kind of artist that gives Canadian roots musicians a good name. She is articulate, highly educated, versatile, bold, funny, talented, shrewd, determined and in stereotypical Canadian fashion, well-mannered, even sweetly humble. She’s got a great work ethic, to boot: Andrea Ramolo is notorious for her incredible touring [...]
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The fortieth anniversary of the Juno Awards culminated with the customary awards show last evening, televised by CTV. We sat it out. Don’t get us wrong: we’re not boycotting. We were really “rooting” for artists who work in folk, roots, world, traditional and other genres we cover. We also recognize the importance of the televised [...]
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Here’s what Roots Music Canada was up to last week: Jadea Kelly may be young, but her sweet voice and country-tinged folk songs have an old-timey feeling. Jadea dropped by the Woodshed for a chat with Editor-in-Chief David Newland and to share a few of the songs from her latest album, Eastbound Platform. Thunder Bay [...]
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Manitoba Hal puts the I in independent. He’s released eleven recordings over fourteen years, many of them homespun at his own studio. He’s carved a well worn groove in the Canadian touring landscape, hauling his gear from house concerts to concert houses. It might even be argued that Hal Brolund puts the I in DIY, [...]
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The chance to see Nashville wunderkind Rodney Crowell in a setting as intimate as Hugh’s Room was, for me, a dream come true. Grammy-winning songwriting legend cult favourite Rodney Crowell. Accessible, in an intimate setting, no less. And as soon as I saw the block-length, touring RV obliterating the entire front of Hugh’s Room’s exterior, [...]
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Call me a cynic, but I was skeptical about War and Politics, Volume 1. The CD struck me as a tripod with three shaky legs: a compilation record, with twenty tracks, and every one of them a protest song. I respect the form, but that much pure protest pushes my patience. Of course, I’m a [...]
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Jadea Kelly may not be the typical young woman from Whitby, Ontario. With all due respect to that bedroom community northeast of Toronto, it’s not known as a hotbed for country-tinged female folk singers. Yet here’s Jadea Kelly, making major inroads on the roots scene in The Big Smoke. She’s been produced by David Baxter, [...]
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Veteran Thunder Bay songwriter Rodney Brown has a passion for the fur trade era of Canadian history. His brilliant album The Big Lonely explored the stories of the North West Company under the leadership of William McGillivray. Like many songwriters, Rodney takes his subjects seriously. He’s become a McGillivray fan, and he is currently working [...]
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