Road veteran Jay Aymar was one of many acts showcased this past weekend at Winterfolk’s 10th anniversary festival in Toronto, held for the first time at the Delta Chelsea Hotel. Jay’s keen eye makes this post, from the performer’s perspective, a charming capsule of the weekend. There’s more where that came from on his excellent [...]
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I play if you have the money Or if you’re a friend to me But the one man band By the quick lunch stand He was playing real good, for free. -Joni Mitchell, Real Good for Free Despite my best aspirations as a performer and a songwriter, I have more in common with the one [...]
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With all the excitement following the Canadian Folk Music Awards this past weekend, we’d like to share a piece written by Roots Music Canada’s Editor-in-Chief, David Newland, for the CFMA gala’s programme. Imagine a place where children can run and play without fear of traffic or threats; where nature’s beauty is the perfect backdrop for [...]
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It’s that time of year again – when the late Bobby ‘Boris’ Picket’s greatest hit, “The Monster Mash” comes back to life for its annual appearance on radio playlists across the land. But aside from the ritual revival of the odd novelty tune, airplay for scary songs is a rare thing these days. That’s a [...]
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I really enjoyed reading Steve Fruitman’s piece on singles [Get Into the Singles Game] and why it makes sense that an artist should gear their music towards releasing individual songs in today’s market. I would like to share a couple of points of view that came to mind on this rainy autumn day in my [...]
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At the heart of almost every folk festival I’ve attended is the idea that all are welcome. In practice, though, making everyone welcome can be a tough goal to attain, for various reasons. On the basis of programming alone, some folks will feel welcome and some less so. And actually making a festival fit for [...]
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Here’s a strange fact: John McDermott had never played a major* folk fest in Canada until Mariposa 2011. What’s with that? Maybe it’s a branding issue. Sure, McDermott made his name singing “Danny Boy”, a folk song in the truest sense of the term, but some may feel “folk” these days is a little less [...]
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Dear Mother Maple: I know this is going to happen this summer, because it happens EVERY summer. I love Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, my girlfriend loves Mighty Popo. They’re doing separate workshops AT THE SAME TIME. How do we have a good time together without undercurrents of resentment? BARK at the moon Dear BARK: [...]
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Dear Mother Maple: I can accept that roots musicians are never going to be the rich, powerful jetsetters of the music world. But wouldn’t a little recognition once in a while be nice? — Left out. Dear Left out: Well, you’re right. Recognition is a good thing. For example, my granddaughter came running downstairs [...]
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I was 10 in 1967 when the Rolling Stones released Satanic Majesties Request and I don’t know how he did it, but Sam had it on the wall for a buck ninety. It wasn’t the concept or the content I was drawn by. And while I knew I should, I didn’t really know much about [...]
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