THE ONTARIO COUNCIL OF FOLK FESTIVALS
ONTARIO'S FOLK MUSIC ASSOCIATION
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C o n f e r e n c e
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President’s Message Warren Robinson Welcome to our great Folk Smorgasbord! It is the conference’s first move out of Central Ontario, and in what better place than our Nation’s Capital. Many of us will have taken the time to enjoy the beautiful fall colours on the way to the conference. It occurs to me that the fall is a particularly appropriate time to celebrate Folk Music, Dance, and Craft Art, whether you represent a festival, organization or are an individual participating in folk culture. The fall is a time after the harvest has been gathered. Most of our year’s events have happened and, in most cases, the harvest was wonderful. Except for a few festivals who were unfortunate enough to encounter bad weather, virtually all festivals report increased attendance. Media attention has also been good, and there is a general feeling of health and (relative) prosperity. Many performers have played more widely than before and the sense of respect accorded veteran performers and the air of welcome offered to new performers has made a powerful dual dynamic. We hear increasingly from members of our audiences that every aspect of festivals seems to be improving. More attention has been paid in all areas, and it shows. The vibrant colours of the fall remind us that we have a colourful heritage to celebrate. A cursory examination of programmes from this past summer reveals an incredibly rich tapestry: old time, blues, singer/songwriter, world, and so on. The depth and breadth of the offerings is as breathtaking as the fall colours. These colours also remind us that we have a lot of life to take into the next year. The animals spend the fall gathering and storing and so do we. We learn new songs and revisit old one's. We gather to do our post mortems to figure out how to do our jobs better. We travel to Ottawa to communicate our joys and sorrows, pick each other’s brains (only steal from the best), and titillate our palates with glimpses of new acts and intriguing ideas of different ways of doing things. Did I mention party? Of course, like the animals we are most concerned to get through the winter in great shape for next year. This means we want to meet representatives of granting agencies (they are here), artistic directors (yup, they’re here too) and, for personal health, partake in a
few late night jams. Okay, animals don’t do that but you can only stretch an analogy so far! There are numerous thanks that need to be given. To our conference chairs, Chris White and Carolyn Sutherland, to Alex Sinclair for heading up the Songs From The Heart competition, to Randi Fratkin for managing the Showcase jury, and Eve Goldberg for spearheading the Estelle Klein Award, we cannot thank you enough. There are places reserved in Folk Valhalla for you all. We are awed by the vigorous efforts of the Ottawa Folk Festival volunteers, who are acting as hosts. You have our deeply felt appreciation. The success of this conference is your best tribute and may you get lots of hugs, you all deserve it. The best step the OCFF has ever taken, in my opinion, is in hiring Erin Benjamin. Erin, you are fantastic, fabulous and worth your weight in gold. Anyone in this organization who doesn’t know what Erin has done for us, ask the person next to you or take a moment to talk to our own natural wonder of the world. There is one regret that I need to express on behalf of the organization and personally. We are losing three of our board of directors: Al Rankin from Blue Skies, veteran performer Ken Whiteley and, from Harbourfront, Derek Andrews. All have made valuable contributions but I would like most especially to single out Derek. He has been our longest standing board member and has generously shared his expertise and connections to help nurse the OCFF through our growing pains. He has been there at all times and much of what the conference and OCFF have become is due to his guidance and vision. Derek has promised to keep up his connection with the OCFF, and for this we are grateful. Good l uck to all three on the various ventures on which they are embarking and a special welcome to the new board members. Have a great time. Learn lots and did I mention party?
Good Folk
THE 16TH ANNUAL OCFF CONFERENCE
Fall 2002
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Festivals at a Glance Photo's courtesy of: Ian Davies, Judy Fink or The Stewart Park Festival
Brampton Folk Festival Launches Last Chance Saloon To help celebrate their 5th anniversary, the Brampton Folk Festival is proud to announce that it will be hosting a “Last Chance Audition Showcase” (LCAS) concert on Saturday, February 8th, 2003, at Cyril Clark Lecture Hall, 20 Loafer’s Lake Lane, Brampton. The first 10 artists to register for this event will be given a 15-minute showcase to audition before 3 “celebrity” judges. The winner will be included in the line-up in the Brampton Folk Festival on Saturday, June 14th, 2003 To register, please mail a package, including artist name, band member list, tech rider, contact info, and a cheque for $25 made out to The Brampton Folk Festival, to LCAS, 39 Windermere Crt., Brampton Ontario, L6X 2L5. The first 10 artists will be contacted upon receipt, while the remaining artists will have their packages returned. For more information, please contact the Brampton Folk Festival at 905 796-9357, or visit our website at http:// www3.sympatico.ca/ bramptonfolk/.
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FALL 2002 OCFF 2002 Board Of Directors Warren Robinson, President celtic.festival@odyssey.on.ca Derek Andrews, Vice President derek@harbourfront.on.ca Alex Sinclair, Treasurer pmsinc@interlog.com Ian Davies, Secretary ian@iandavies.com Randi Fratkin, Executive fratkin@sympatico.ca Chris White, Executive cdwhite@cdwhite.com Ken Whiteley mrwhale@interlog.com Al Rankin as.rankin@sympatico.ca Lillian Wauthier lillianw@interlog.com Robin MacIntrye bellevue@soonet.ca Jennifer Ives cyberfolkie@hotmail.com Carolyn Sutherland csutherland@superaje.com Eve Goldberg patootie@interlog.com Liz Harvey-Foulds lizfoulds@red-rock.lakeheadu.ca Doug McArthur dugimc@sympatico.ca Executive Director Erin Benjamin ocff@icomm.ca P.O. Box 248, Station B Sudbury, ON P3E 4N5 Phone 1.866.292.6233 Fax (705) 674-5227 www.icomm.ca/ocff Design and Layout Joraphic Design Joe Stacknick Printed By Orion Printing orionpri@vianet.ca Deadline for Upcoming Editions December 1, 2002 (Winter) March 1, 2003 (Spring) June 1, 2003 (Summer) September 1, 2003 (Fall/Conference) AD Rates: $50 (+ gst) Business Card Size $100 (+gst) Quarter Page $150 (+gst) Half Page $200 (+gst) Full Page 10% discount for members
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Newest Members Since July Rick Charbonneau, Goulais River ON Christine Saunders, Kitchener ON Sheila K. Stene, Toronto ON Brian Blain, Toronto ON Missy Burgess, Kanata ON Brenna Rivier, Ottawa ON Allison Brown, Oldcastle ON Kevin Walters, Winnipeg MB Sleeping Giant Folk Music Society, Thunder Bay ON Anne Lindsay, Toronto ON Vince McNeil, London ON Michael Ball and Jody Benjamin, Ottawa ON Trevor Mills, Toronto ON Barbara Tose, Ottawa ON Borealis Records, Toronto ON Tony Turner, Ottawa ON Linda Fraser, Hamilton ON Alise Bowler, Wakefield QC Paul Loewenberg, Sudbury ON Mike Stack, Calgary AB Bev Mills, Toronto ON Paul Mills, Toronto ON Steve Schellenberg, Ste. Anne MB Jean-Marc Lalonde, Aylmer QC
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Tony Rees, Vancouver BC Live From The Rock Blues and Folk Society, Red Rock ON Susan Odle, Rudy’s Folk House, Ottawa ON Laurie Schneider, Belwood ON Mariposa In The Schools, Toronto ON Ronley Teper, Toronto ON Karen Taylor, Buckhorn ON Pierre Laframboise, Manitowaning ON Holmes Hooke, Toronto ON Jeff Gleeson, Ottawa ON The Niagara Folk Arts Festival, St. Catharines ON Jeannie Niokos, Toronto ON Tom Lips, Nepean ON Kat Goldman, Toronto ON Heather Kelly, Toronto ON Eric Uren, London ON Patricia Moore, Ottawa ON Patricia Barr, Gooderham ON The Orillia Folk Society, Orillia ON Linda Saslove, Toronto ON Blissfest, Harbor Springs MI Kevin Cardamore, Kanata ON Terry Farmer, Ann Arbor MI
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Sponsors
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Executive Directors Report Erin Benjamin Conference season, again. Wow. I remain stunned at how quickly the year is passing, and how much work remains to be done! But time spent obsessing over the pile on my desk was balanced this summer with a few trips out into the sunshine. July and August saw me in Regina for the Flatlands Festival, in Winnipeg for the Winnipeg Folk Festival, in London for the Home County Folk Festival and in Ear Falls catching the Trout. Since the last edition of Folk Prints I have traveled many zillions of miles to get to the music…even so, I was unable to attend as many events I had hoped to. But word travels too, and the word was OCFF member festivals had as successful a season as ever before. Congratulations to each member festival, and to all of you who worked so hard to make them happen. The OCFF thumbed a ride back to Manitoba in September to hang out at the second annual Folk Alliance Canada Conference. OCFF members Sam Baardman and Kevin Walters, along with the dedicated Folk Meet Team (Thom Sparling, Lee-Anne Peluk) put on a grand party from start to finish. The OCFF took it’s own compliment of extra-ordinary people to participate in Voices Carry, an OCFF market access initiative. We took many a moment to ballyhoo with
great enthusiasm about all of the OCFF’s celebrated member festivals and organizations. Madviolet, Michael Pickett, Serena Ryder and the Bebop Cowboys showcased for an audience of presenters, media and folk music industry people to great success. They did all of Ontario proud, as did Peter MacDonald from Nutshell Music, without whom I’d still be wrapping cords (to say the least). Special thanks also go to Sandra Bender and the Outreach Office at Canada Council, FACTOR and the Department of Canadian Heritage. The “lovin’-the-OCFF” list just continues to grow. We’d like to welcome back to the conference SOCAN, DOCH, Nutshell Music, MARIA, and the Ontario Ministry of Culture. “Hello!” to the Ottawa Folklore Centre, MFM, and Galaxie this year’s sponsor of the Songs From The Heart Award. “Welcome and thank you” to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade for affording us the opportunity of bringing some presenters from south of the boarder to the conference this year. Sonny Ochs, Charlie Hunter, Anne Sauders, Howard Randall, and Janice Hanson we are pleased to have you with us this weekend, thank you for partici-
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pating. To all the panelists, delegates, sponsors, and volunteers…have a wonderful time. It’s going to be a great conference with another exciting year ahead! To Chris White, Carolyn Sutherland, Sheila Ross, Randi Fratkin, Alex Sinclair, Eve Goldberg and the entire conference team of volunteers— thanks for letting me a part of the experience. That’s if for the thanks’ and hellos’ and now for one goodbye. To Derek. You have taught me the largest part of everything I have learned in the last year and a half. You are my friend and mentor, and though I know you’ll not be far away—I’ll miss you. We all will. Thanks for everything. It continues to be my great pleasure amiable members – happy day. erin
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Songs From the Heart Contest 2002 This year was the 8th season for Songs From the Heart and it took some big steps forward. There was a major increase in entries - 239 songs from 115 writers from all across Ontario. One disappointment was the loss of all of our nonanglophone writers, after last year’s cornucopia of tongues (whoa, what an image -it wouldn’t win any prizes in this contest, that’s for sure). The load on the judges was so great that we decided to split things up – we had over 16 hours of songs to evaluate. A panel of four judges was divided into two teams, each of which listened to half the songs. This ensured that every song was heard by at least 2 judges. After these judges had reduced the number to a short list of 20, we called in a 5th judge to help to choose our winners. For a year when there were so many good songs that the judges complained relentlessly that it wasn’t fair to ask them to pick a winner, we achieved a surprising degree of consensus. Dan Kershaw, who placed three songs in the top 20, was declared the overall winner for his song Motel 6. Dan is the first beneficiary of our new partnership with Galaxie – the Continuous Music Network. Galaxie donated a $1,000 Rising Star Award to our winner this year, and we look forward to a long and fruitful association with them. Dan also wins a showcase at this year’s OCFF Conference, which takes place in Ottawa October 18 - 20. And he will be given a concert at the 2003 Canadian Songwriters Festival in Guelph ON. The OCFF will award a $250 prize to Kristin Sweetland, who placed second with her song Clementine. Aengus Finnan, who won the Songs From the Heart contest a few years ago, takes Honourable Mention for his song Rollin’ Home. All three songs will benefit further from our association with Galaxie. Their songs will be placed
Our judges this year were: Terry Tufts - last year’s SFTH winner Holmes Hook - poet, songwriter, Artistic Director of Hugh’s Room in Toronto Sherry Shute - singer/songwriter/guitarist Tamara Podemski - singer/songwriter Roch Parisien - music journalist, Galaxie Folk/ Roots programmer Our thanks to all the entrants. It was a pleasure to hear so many fine songs, many by writers we’d never heard before. Thanks also to the judges, who worked so hard to make fair assessments of the songs. A special thanks to our partner: Galaxie has allowed us to increase the scope of the contest and to broaden the range of prizes. We have high hopes that next year will see even more growth for Songs from the Heart, and we’re already making plans for how best to benefit the Ontario in high rotation for the month of October on Galaxie’s songwriting community. Folk/Roots channel. And to Guelph’s Canadian Songwriter Festival thanks for putting your commitment up front and Here are some comments from the judges about Motel agreeing to showcase our winner. Long may you 6: run. - The lyrics are absolutely poetic, original, humorous, Watch for next year’s contest to be announced in and vivid. January. - The story of this woman is truly intriguing. The writer has depicted her with imagination, originality, and Alex Sinclair thought-provoking characterization. Songs From the Heart co-ordinator - The melody and composition are catchy, rhythmic and moody. The mood of the music perfectly matches the mood and style of the lyrics. They are blended beautifully. - Lyrically, melodically, structurally this song is great. This is by far the best song I’ve heard. This writer is a great storyteller.
JOIN THE OCFF! Annual membership fees: $25.00 (plus gst) individual $60.00 (plus gst) organizational (interested festival members should contact the office) Benefits of membership include the annual festival calendar, quarterly delivery of Folk Prints, and conference discounts and more. Membership in the OCFF supports education, development, communication and advocacy initiatives, programs and services on behalf of the Ontario folk community. Your support makes a difference. Please make cheque payable to: Ontario Council of Folk Festivals P.O. Box 248, Station B Sudbury, ON P3E 4N5 Phone 1.866.292.6233 Fax (705) 674-5227 Name: ______________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ City: ________________________________________________________ Prov: _______________________ Postal Code: ______________________ Telephone: ___________________________________________________ Email: _______________________________________________________ Web: ________________________________________________________
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Festivals at a Glance Photo's courtesy of: Ian Davies, Judy Fink or The Stewart Park Festival
David Bradstreet certified Platinum In the folk world this almost sounds like the impossible dream, but OCFF member David Bradstreet’s CD “Natural Stress Relief” has achieved Platinum Status in Canada (100,000 copies sold). David has created several Cds for the Solitudes label and all have sold in numbers far beyond the average folk release. He has also picked up two Juno nominations for these releases. David is, of course, primarily known for his singer-songwriter performances and CD’s. He won a Juno award in the ‘70’s. Congratulations. Info at www.davidbradstreet.com
Specializing in the production of folk music recordings in a home studio environment. The Millstream is a state of the art digital studio in a welcoming home environment in Toronto. It is owned and operated by Paul Mills, a respected producer and engineer of acoustic music for over thirty years.Artists produced by him include the late Stan Rogers, Tanglefoot, Natalie MacMaster, Sharon, Lois & Bram, Aengus Finnan, J.P. Cormier, Ron Hynes,Terry Kelly, Ron Nigrini and April Verch. Paul and The Millstream offer a full range of services to recording artists including budget preparation, assistance with grant applications, project planning, recording, mixing, mastering, graphic design and manufacturing. For more information visit our website or talk to Paul or Bev Mills here at the conference.
Email: info@themillstream.com
Web: w w w.themillstream.com
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Phone: 416 289 2777
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New “Winterfolk” Festival in Toronto’s Forecast by Brian Gladstone Like an incoming winter storm, Toronto’s new Winterfolk festival is suddenly on the radar, bringing new meaning to the phrase “festival season”. The brand new music festival will take place on the weekend of January 31st-February 2nd 2003 at four central Toronto venues including the Silver Dollar Room, Comfort Zone and University of Toronto’s Convocation Hall. The concept behind the event is simple. Rural summertime festivals are great, but wouldn’t it be fun to have an urban folk festival in the middle of the winter? It would appeal to city-dwellers (many of whom don’t own cars) and provide a dose of festival euphoria to beat the winter blahs. Folksinger-guitarist Brian Gladstone is the Festival Director of Winterfolk. Tony Quarrington is the Artistic Director and Bob Stevens (Mariposa in the City) is Executive Director. When Gladstone first proposed the idea, he discovered a huge amount of enthusiasm from both performers and presenters. East Coast songstress Laura Smith is confirmed as one of several nationally and internationally-known headliners. Brent Titcombe has just signed to appear at Winterfolk. As of this writing, (early Sept 2002) the bill includes (in alphabetical order): Danny Bakan, Daisy DeBolt, Wendell Ferguson, Brian Gladstone, Norm Hacking, Lynn Harrison, Jim Layeux, Jory Nash, Serena Ryder, Linda Saslove, Ryan Schneider, Alfie Smith, Suzie Vinnick and Noah Zacharin. Ultimately more than 40 acts will perform during the three-day event, which will emphasize roots music including folk and blues. For more information about Winterfolk 2003, including showcase applications, dates and ticket information visit www.winterfolk.com or contact Brian Gladstone at admin@winterfolk.com
Folk Under The Clock 17th Season, 2002-2003 In The Market Hall, Peterborough ON Autumn Series 2002 Stephen Fearing Danu (Ireland) Harry Manx Eric Bogle (Australia)
Sat. September 21 (Serena Ryder to open) Fri. October 4 Sat. October 26 Fri. November 29 (Maria Dunn to open)
Spring Series 2003 Martina Sorbara/Tim Harrison David Francey Oscar Lopez Archie Fisher w/ Garnet Rogers
Sat. January 25 Fri. March 21 Fri. April 4 Fri. April 11
All concerts at 8pm in the MARKET HALL (336 George St.) Peterborough, ON. A 350 seat, licensed, non smoking, wheelchair accessible, intimate venue. Info, tickets and season passes, avaialbe from Mike Barder (705) 743-3372 or folkundertheclock@cogeco.ca. Website for Folk Under The Clock at www.quidnovis.com
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SHOWCASE FRIDAY
ARTISTS
Madviolet (ON) Friday, Ontario Room 9:25pm www.madviolet.com
The Supers (ON) Friday, Ontario Room 7:45pm www.thesupers.com The Supers are really two guys: session bassist Maury LaFoy and guitarist Graham Powell. Together they form a songwriting team that consistently produces some of the freshest, most innovative, most affecting music today. No surprise, really. The pair have been writing together for years, gracefully evolving, and freely drawing on an array of influences. The Supers are diverse. They’re just as comfortable, and capable, of packing a dance floor with infectious power pop, as they are of enveloping a listener with a gorgeous, haunting soundscape. The Supers’ latest release is “Mystery on Pop Mountain”, a stunning collection of acoustic music that features some startling new arrangements of previous Supers track, as well as some neat surprises, like a ‘brilliant’ and intensely personal reworking of A-Ha’s 1985 ‘Take On Me’.
Madviolet is Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac, two young women who have the nerve and the sense of style to mix brand-new hip hop riffs with folk traditions and sparkling original songs. MacEachern, a one-time printing sales executive, created Zoe Bliss, a sparky band that caused a buzz on Toronto’s contemporary alternative rock scene, got to play Lilith Fair, and was a perfect vehicle for her unusual and hooky songs. In between band gigs, she toured Europe as a solo artist, released CDs, and began to move toward a new, more acoustic music. MacIsaac - related to the first family of Cape Breton fiddle players - had toured Canada and the U.S. with John Allan Cameron, Mary Jane Lamond, and her brother Ashley, and complemented Brenley’s solo work perfectly. The pair are in the final stages of completing their first album with British producer John Reynolds (Sinead O’Connor, The Indigo Girls).
Heather McLeod (ON) Friday, Quebec Room 8:00pm www.vizou.com/heather.htm
Mark Reeves (MB) Friday, Quebec Room 9:45pm www.markreeves.com
Heather paid her folkie dues at an early age, doing as many as 200 shows a year across Canada and New England, and more recently, her natural curiosity, well-honed people skills and boundless energy have led her to work as a freelance radio journalist with her assignments appearing regularly on CBC, for whom she has already delivered dozens of local and national broadcasts. In performance, Heather’s forté is her ability to effortlessly connect with listeners. A born communicator, her workshop repertoire includes improvisation, songwriting, jazz history and storytelling for audiences of all ages; she is bilingual (English-French) and can present or teach in either language.
Hailing from a musical oasis on the Canadian prairies, Mark Reeves has been capturing the musical souls of audiences from the first time he took the stage. Mark’s gripping style has been shaped by years spent honing his craft. As a kid, he turned heads busking on street corners, and the heads have never stopped turning. His first band played blues clubs, leaving a permanent stamp on his music. After 18 months on full scholarship at Berkeley College of Music in Boston, Reeves realized songwriting was his forté and with songs in hand, he hit the road. Mark Reeves’ performances are noted for their energy and intensity.
Galitcha (ON) Friday, Ontario Room 8:15pm www.galitcha.com
Allen Dobb (BC) Friday, Ontario Room 10:00pm www.allendobb.com
Since 1996, lead singer and percussionist, Kuljit Sodhi, has been building an ensemble which integrates the traditional styles of East Indian music with the sounds of popular western music. The songs are traditional or original compositions based on traditional Indian rhythms and scales, but the inclusion of instruments such as saxophone, guitar, dobro, banjo, dulcimer, violin and mandolin help to bridge the cultural expanse between East and West and between traditional and contemporary.
The path leading to Victoria-based musician Allen Dobb’s latest CD, “Bottomland” (Skipping Stone/Pacific Music), has been a long and varied series of adventures. His quest has led Allen from his youth in rural Alberta farm country, to several years in southern Africa using his agriculture degree from Washington State University and another land management stint on an Apache reservation in Arizona, to singer-songwriter showcases on stages of roots music hotbeds in Austin and Nashville. Allen has documented his path of eclectic experiences with several recordings including a pair of CDs with his brother Cameron as Dobb and Dumela and 1998’s “Horses and Hills” (Resource/Festival), his acclaimed solo debut.
Alfie Smith (ON) Friday, Quebec Room 8:35pm www.geocities.com/bigdumox The maturity of Alfie Smith’s commanding baritone voice belies his relative youth. His wide-ranging repertoire blends Blues, Folk, Rock and Bluegrass. Alfie is a multi-instrumentalist, accompanying himself on guitar, dobro and banjo. (And how many performers do you know that have the guts to do the Cab Calloway classic ‘Minnie the Moocher’ with just a banjo accompaniment, and can pull it off?) He has two CD’s to his credit. The most recent, “Dirt Simple” was recorded ‘live off the floor’ and is Alfie at his best: his voice, an instrument and a deep abiding passion for the music he performs.
Serena Ryder (ON) Friday, Quebec Room 10:20pm www.serenaryder.com Serena Ryder is 19. That’s the hook; that’s what people remember - she’s just a kid, hardly out of school. The reality is different. First of all, musically she’s the oldest 19-year-old you’ll ever hear. She’s got a voice that’s utterly distinctive. She’s a solid player. And she commands a stage like a veteran who’s learned her craft for 20 years. A resident of Peterborough, she writes her own material, but puts new spark into songs originally made by the likes of Hank Williams and Etta James. The last year has seen her make tremendous progress in a career that has really only just begun. She has already played a number of small and medium-sized festivals; she is, in some circles, the recipient of “buzz act” status - but that showbiz description is insufficient to describe the fresh new talent with which she is blessed.
Hadrian’s Wall (ON) Friday, Ontario Room 8:50pm www.hadrianswall.net Dynamic. Energetic. Unforgettable. Three words that only begin to describe the captivating energy of every Hadrian’s Wall performance. Take four strong voices, a rocking rhythm section, and a footstomping fiddle, and you have one of the best, most asked-for Celtic acts on the circuit today. With their unique blend of traditional Celtic roots and modern rock/pop beat, Hadrian’s Wall has quickly become a featured attraction at some of the most popular music festivals and Celtic music venues throughout North America.
Dawn Tyler Watson (PQ) Friday, Ontario Room 10:35pm www.dawntylerwatson.com
Anne Loree (AB) Friday, Quebec Room 9:10pm www.anneloree.com Anne Loree’s training is in classical piano, which she began studying as a teenager. She honed her craft as a guitarist and singer/song writer in coffeehouses around Calgary during the late ’80s and early ‘9Os. That was where Jann Arden heard her tune, ‘Insensitive’, and made it into a breakthrough hit which won Anne a Juno nomination. Each of Anne’s tunes has its own voice and touches the nerve endings of the emotional inner landscape that is part of living during these times. Her insight produces confident, melodic songs that alternate between reflective self-analysis and pointed criticism. She has just released “RoAr”, her second CD, and is busy performing in the Calgary-based female ensemble, The Collective, as well as with the Anne Loree Trio.
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Already an accomplished performer and a force on the Canadian Blues scene with the Dawn Tyler Blues Project, this singer/songwriter has a style that incorporates her many influences into a fresh new sound. She has just finished her debut album entitled “Ten Dollar Dress”. The long-awaited effort is chock full of personality, just like the artist herself. For although she has been dubbed the Princess of the Blues, her approach to singing that music is much more than the old “my mama done told me”.
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SHOWCASE SATURDAY
ARTISTS
Bobby Watt (ON) Saturday, Quebec Room 9:40pm www.rjwstonemasons.com
Dan Kershaw, Songs From the Heart Winner 2002 Saturday, Ontario Room 8:00pm www.deepbluefunk.ca/broscosmoline.htm See story on Page 9.
Ron Hynes (NFLD) Saturday, Quebec Room 8:30pm www.iandavies.com www.hynesite.nf.net Ron Hynes has had a lot of careers. However, he talks about songwriting the way you hear most people talk about their children: the love for it comes naturally to him. Ron is a fivetime Peoples Choice winner, a three-time East Coast Music award winner, a Juno and CCMA nominee and in 1992 was awarded the Nfld/Labrador Arts Council “artist of the year” award. Recent awards include the 1997 MIA awards for Song of the Year (‘Godspeed’) and Male Artist. Ron Hynes’ songs have been covered worldwide by Valdy, Terry Kelly, Prairie Oyster, The Irish Desendents, Susan Aglukark, The Good Brothers, The Ennis Sisters, John McDermott, Murray McLauchlan, Mary Black, Christie Moore and EmmyLou Harris.
Deux Saisons (QC) Saturday, Ontario Room 8:45pm www.c-show.ca Originally formed in the mid-90s by students from the University of Ottawa, Deux Saisons has evolved over the years into its current configuration of five talented musicians offering up an enriched sound that still gives off a traditional flavour. The group was nominated in six categories and won the coveted Trille Or at the first Ontario APCM (Association des professionnels de la chanson et de la musique) gala for Best Group and Album of the Year. Their 2002 album “Plus ça change, moins c’est pareil” (the more things change, the less they’re the same) is truly a cultural trip that you’ll want to take!
Bobby Watt is an unusual singer and songwriter who has kept at his music through more life changes than most. When he was a boy training to be a stonemason back in Scotland, he hung with the singers who touched his heart and made him smile. When he came to Canada, he became a Toronto beat copper, and formed a band called Cromdale - folk rock and roll with bagpipes and attitude. Following that, he joined the Toronto Police Force underwater diving squad (and you can figure what that job’s all about) and he became a solo singer-songwriter. His third solo album demonstrates his eclectic tastes, from covers of Bob Dylan and Eagles’ songs, to stunning originals, co-written with his friend Holmes Hooke. Singer, songwriter and stonemason, Bobby delineates the art of each with roughly hewed grace and joyous laughter.
Cheza (ON) Saturday, Ontario Room 9:55pm www.cheza.ca The music of Cheza is a blend of African styles with rock and folk influences - a new-world hybrid. The result is a collection of songs with strong choral harmonies and fluid inter-playing guitars, all unified by an irresistible dance beat. Song themes range from strong statements of the human spirit to Canadian history to hot spices. Lyrics are sung in English, French, Xhosa, Portuguese, Zulu and Swahili.
Kat Goldman (ON) Saturday, Quebec Room 10:15pm www.katgoldman.com Kat Goldman is one of those expressive spirits that draws you into her collection of songs like one jelly bean’s decadence coaxes you into eating the whole bag. You bite into the first song and you’re hooked. The attraction to the music found on her debut CD, “The Great Disappearing Act”, is the eloquence of Kat’s storytelling style. Escapism and the perpetual searching for one’s self are strong themes of Kat’s lyrical journey.
Taxi Chain (ON) Saturday, Ontario Room 10:30pm www.taxichain.com
Christine Fellows (MB) Saturday, Quebec Room 9:05pm www.christinefellows.com Christine Fellows’ skewed perspective on the possibilities of the three-minute pop song has charmed critics and audiences alike since the release of her debut CD, “2 little birds” (2000). Backed by an ever-changing array of instruments - cello, viola, piano, guitar and drums - her songs are alternately tender and terrifying. Described by some as avant-folk, by others as chamber-pop, her music is distinct. She has toured nationally and has appeared at several festivals, including the Winnipeg and Calgary Folk Festivals, North by North East, New Music West, the Halifax Pop Explosion and Canadian Music Week.
Anne Lederman (ON) Saturday, Ontario Room 9:20pm www.annelederman.com Fiddler, singer, composer, improviser and tireless crusader for Canadian music, Anne’s early passion for folk music while growing up in Manitoba started her on a lifelong quest to know her country’s traditions. Combining formal and informal learning from many teachers with her own creative inspiration, she has become both a respected traditional fiddler and an innovator. She has worked especially closely with Native and Metis players of her home province, and her fiddling is strongly rooted in the mixed traditions of the prairies - Metis, Celtic, French and East European. She also sings in several languages, including French, Gaelic, Yiddish, Ukrainian and Ojibwa, and has pioneered her own special combination of voice and fiddle.
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Taxi Chain is a tasty gumbo of homemade jigs and reels, songs and riffs, old-style American blues and funk, country, roots, world... with a sprinkling of Celtic fairy dust on top. This is ‘the Highland Bagpipe and Song’ seen from the quirky perspective of an Ontario rebel with some serious help from a ripe cast of characters. Headed by Grier Coppins, ex-Rare-Air bagpiper, Taxi Chain celebrates ‘Roots Music’ in the broadest sense of the term.
Mike Stack (AB) Saturday, Quebec Room 10:50pm www.mikestack.ca There’s a small, intimate and very music friendly café in Calgary called the Karma Local Arts House that over the past few years has acted as a beacon for the southern Alberta roots music scene. The venue has inspired both audiences and artists, and in the case of Mike Stack it acted as the catalyst that led to the recording of his new and very impressive debut solo disc, “I Need Wheels”. Until a couple of years ago, Mike’s focus had been on rippin’ up the roots-rock scene with high energy bands like The Grift, and before that The Burners, which was a mainstay on the Calgary campus scene in the late eighties. After The Grift called it a day out on the west coast, Stack returned to Calgary and found himself performing solo with just an acoustic guitar and a bag full of original songs.
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OCFF Conference Schedule Friday, October 18th
Songwriting Support – Writers’ Bloc
Tony Turner (host), Alex Sinclair, Beth Cahill, Jennifer Noxon, Ian Tamblyn, David Keeble 10:30am Registration Opens - Main Lobby ________________________________________________________________ 3:30 – 5:00pm Banquet Annex
Home Hardware: Power Tools for the Independent Musician Charlie Hunter (host), Beth Girdler 1:30 – 2:50pm Lady Elgin
On the level advice to keep your career on the straight and narrow. These masters of the management trade hammer home the essential elements of the DIY approach to the independent career. Folk Tales Estelle Klein, Richard Flohil 1:30 – 2:50pm Quebec Room Called “War Stories” by Richard or “Folk Tales” by Estelle, this session looks at collective festival experience by two veterans. The stories will be unbelievable, outrageous, joyous, sad and more. Some are learning experiences while others may teach only the need to avoid complacency at all costs.
Demo Evaluation – Songwriters Association of Canada Sean Mulligan (host), Blair Packham, Roy Forbes 1:30 – 3:30pm Banquet Annex
This Demo Evaluation session will provide songwriters, at all levels of experience, the opportunity to have direct and immediate feedback on their songs from recognized music industry professionals. Songs will be played on a firstcome-first-serve basis and due to time constraints only the first verse and chorus of each song will be played for the entire group. The panel will comment on the relative merits of each song from a craft and business perspective. Registration will begin at 12:30pm at the Banquet Annex. It is not necessary to bring a song to attend and hear what the panel has to say. Note: due to time constraints, some songs may not be reviewed. Songs must be submitted on either CD or cassette and accompanied by three printed copies of the lyrics. ________________________________________________________________ Selling Yourself: Marketing and Promotion for Artists Don Bird (host), Michael Wrycraft, Richard Flohil, Heather Kelly, Bruce Deachman 3:00 p.m. – 4:10 pm Lady Elgin
From cold calling to copying costs, there’s little glamour in selling yourself… only hard work. Six accomplished pros share secrets of their trade. From street smart marketing to high-end glossies, tips and techniques to help you walk the walk. What Makes Your Festival Tick? Share Your Stories
Writers’ Bloc: Who, What, Where, How and Why It Works. Learn how to set up a Writers’ Bloc in your own community and enjoy a “mini Writers’ Bloc” session featuring several Ontario songwriters. ________________________________________________________________ (Trans) MISSION: Getting Radio Play Angela Page (host), Sonny Ochs, Mike Regenstreif, Bill Stunt, Chopper McKinnon 4:20 – 5:30pm Quebec Room
Five formidable folk DJ’s from both sides of the border discuss the how-tos of accessing, managing, and making the most of the public, campus and community radio. Living Traditions at Festivals Dugg Simpson (host), Dana Whittle, Alfredo Caxaj 4:20 – 5:30pm Lady Elgin
Is there too much folk and not enough roots these days? Won’t it scare the kids? Is ‘living traditions’ an oxymoron? Troubling questions and inspirational tales of ancient traditions, contemporary programming and tomorrow’s audiences. ________________________________________________________________
Gene Swimmer (host), Margery Longstaffe, Gord Darrall, Hilary Martin, Janice Hanson 9:00 – 10:10am Banquet Annex
Experts from the Ottawa Folk Festival, Hillside and Blue Skies discuss finding, training and keeping staff and volunteers. The discussion will include information on what it costs to hire staff and funding programs you may be able to access for employees…as well as suggestions for creative and positive ways to keep your volunteer force coming back year after year. ________________________________________________________________ Granting: Tips for Taking It All The Canada Council and Artists Richard Davis, Gerri Trimble 10:20 – 11:30am Lady Elgin
Let these dynamic authorities on the “nonclassical” world of the Canada Council for the Arts give you the goods on their own portfolios and more! Come with questions for Gerri and Richard who lovingly oversee many key programs for artists including: Grants for Specialized Music Sound Recording, Grants for Specialized Music Distribution, Music Touring Grants, the Career Development Program and others.
4:30 – 7:30pm Exhibit Hall Open, Macdonald
SOCAN’s Songs and Stories (CKCU-FM Live Broadcast)
6:30 – 7:45pm SOCAN “Meet and Mingle” Sponsored Reception, Lady Elgin Room
Chopper McKinnon (host), Roy Forbes, Laura Smith, Ian Tamblyn, Serena Ryder 10:20 – 12:00pm Ontario Room
Saturday, October 19th
SOCAN, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, is proud to work on behalf of music creators and publishers around the world. In keeping with the tradition of supporting songwriters and their craft, we are also pleased to present SOCAN’s Songs and Stories, an up-close and personal opportunity to hear some master songwriters play some of their favourite original songs and tell stories about their own writing experience.
8:30am Registration Opens – Main Lobby ________________________________________________________________
Craft and Food Vendors at Your Festival
7:45pm Official Showcases, Ontario and Quebec rooms 11:00pm Music and Film in Motion “Think North” Sponsored Reception, Ontario Room ________________________________________________________________
Across the Great Divide: Gigging in the USA (and Getting the Most out of NERFA) Sonny Ochs (host), Kuljit Sodhi, Charlie Hunter, Howard Randall, Anne Saunders 9:00 – 10:10am Quebec Room
The Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) represents an ideal “next-door neighbour” region and market for Ontario artists to explore. Join Sonny Ochs and the panel as they examine the basics of touring in the US, discovering NERFA, and the challenges (and benefits) for Canadians heading south. Making A World… of Difference: Programming Culturally Diverse Artists
Alfredo Caxaj (host), Hugo Rampen, Derek Andrews, Eve Goldberg (host), Lloyd Romaniuk, Ian Boddy, Anne Michel Dozois Saunders, Howard Randall 9:00 – 10:10am Lady Elgin 3:00 – 4:10pm Quebec Room
Led by artist Eve Goldberg with members from the Trout Forest Music Festival, Summerfolk and Falconridge, this session will encourage the sharing of anecdotes, stories and reminiscences of memorable (good, bad and ugly!) festival moments. Come and share your stories.
Staffing your Festival: Office and Volunteers
Join this distinguished panel as they examine the building blocks of audience development, access to artists and rudiments of programming as they relate to cultural diversity. Explore what cultural diversity might mean in your region, and why it’s so important to the overall health and welfare of the folk community.
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Janis Book (host), Sandi Hogg 10:20 – 11:30am Quebec Room
Craft and food vendors supply an exciting dynamic to the festival experience. Sit in with Janis from Home County and Sandi from Summerfolk as they chat about the unique challenges of balancing food, music and visual arts at their festivals. Learn how to manage and maximize these important partnerships. The Ottawa Folklore Centre: A Community Partner Arthur McGregor (host) 10:20 – 11:30am Banquet Annex
Their mission “...to inspire, nurture and engage people’s natural musical potential and to foster a sustainable business adventure with our staff, teachers, students and customers.” How do they do it? Join Arthur for the incredible journey that is the Ottawa Folklore Centre. ________________________________________________________________
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Networking Lunches
takes audiences on an incredible journey. Recently, Mike has been traveling to communities in Labrador Any and all are encouraged to find your way to the (ArtsCan Circle Project) to share his music with kids. Lady Elgin Room at 11:30am sharp to join the On these visits, he has distributed hundreds of group of your choice for an informal lunch time harmonicas to help his young listeners discover music discussion on one of these key topics: for themselves. Estelle talks with Mike…an incredible and inspirational journey. Festival Site Coordinators Sean Monaghan ________________________________________________________________ Festival Hospitality Coordinators Sheila Ross Performers Ron Hynes The Long and Winding Road: Surviving Life on Tour ________________________________________________________________ Darlene (host), Dean Verger, Roy Forbes, Lynn Miles
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11:30 – 1:00pm Meet In Lady Elgin
3:50 – 5:00pm Banquet Annex
11:30 – 1:00pm Exhibit Hall Open, Macdonald 12:00 – 1:00pm Mentoring Sessions. Sign up sheets at registration area in main lobby ________________________________________________________________ OCFF Annual General Meeting Warren Robinson (chair) 1:10 – 2:20pm Ontario Room
Hear the real story from those who know: the truth behind the grind and glory of being on the road – there may even be a little ‘Van Repair 101’ or ‘How to Make Your Honda Your Home’ thrown in for good measure! Deals with Dignity: Win-Win Situations for Programmers and Agents Carolyn Sutherland (host), Jack Ross, Darcy Gregoire, Rob Zifarelli, Mike Barker, Mark Monahan, Sam Baijal, Joe Reilly 3:50 – 5:00pm Ontario Room
Stay informed and up to date on your organization. ________________________________________________________________ In this corner…weighing in at “30 main stage spots and a total budget of $15,000”… THE PRESENTER. In the other corner…weighing in at “I never said Joni…I 2:30 – 5:00pm Exhibit Hall Open, Macdonald ________________________________________________________________ said Johnny”…THE AGENT. We love the music remember? The cliché is passé and this panel, representing some of Canada’s most knowledgeable Is This Thing On?: The Essentials of Pre-Production for Recording agents and presenters, know it better than anyone. Let their experience and stories support you in your Bill Stunt (host), Paul Mills, Scott Merritt quest to advance your own relationships in the “ring”. 2:30 – 3:40pm Lady Elgin A power-panel if ever there was one! Bill Stunt, host of the CBC’s Bandwidth cranks the dial with Celebrating Traditional Music & Dance at Festivals Warren Robinson (host), Anne Lederman, Brad McEwen, some of Canada’s top folk and roots producers. Ann Downey, Janice Hanson Uncover the key to their success as they detail 3:50 – 5:00pm Lady Elgin their mix for quality in sound, performance, and The traditions of the world are reflected on festival precision…before the tape rolls. stages across Ontario. This panel of five, each dedicated to traditional music and dance, will share Brave New Waves: the ways in which they honour and celebrate New Horizons in Programming Sam Baijal (host), Dugg Simpson, Paul Symes, Mark traditional experiences. They will ruminate on the future and the ways we can continue to delight in and Monahan nourish traditions from all places. 2:30 – 3:40pm Ontario Room Folk, alt. folk, trad. folk, new folk, new alt. folk, The Internet␣ : Click Here hip hop folk, jazz folk, blues folk, world folk…whew! Thank goodness it’s ALL folk. The Jesse Kumagai (host), Dana Whittle, Randi Fratkin 3:50 – 5:00pm Quebec Room good folks on this panel are defining ‘cutting edge’ when it comes to programming at festivals. So you have a website - what now? We’ll go beyond From workshops to the main stage, this panel will the basics to help you build an Internet presence that works for your needs. Also up for discussion are new share how they have each cultivated culturally tricks and tools of the trade to keep you up to speed diverse, progressive programs, community with this ever-changing side of the industry. support and audience growth. ________________________________________________________________ The Kids Are Alright: 5:30pm Gala Dinner, Panorama Room at the Children’s Areas at Festivals National Arts Centre (Presentation of the Estelle Jennifer Wilson (host), Kirra Bordwell, Natalie Klein Award to Ian Tamblyn) Comeau 2:30 – 3:40pm Banquet Annex
What are the fundamentals of a great kids area at a festival? How can we ensure a steady supply and demand for festivals of the future? Connect with these three experts from Blue Skies, Stewart Park and the Ottawa Folk Festival and explore what kids want out of their festival experience, and what keeps them coming back for more. You Play the... What? For a... Living? Estelle Klein talks with Mike Stevens 2:30 – 3:40pm Quebec Room
8:00pm Songs From The Heart Performance: Dan Kershaw (Ontario Room) 8:30pm Official showcases, Ontario and Quebec Rooms 11:30pm Manitoba’s “From the Flatland to the Heartland” reception sponsored by MARIA, Ontario Room ________________________________________________________________
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Sunday, October 20
Hailed as an innovative musician and author, Mike 8:30am Erin Benjamin’s First Annual Folk Feet 5km Fun Run – Meet in lobby of Lord Elgin Stevens transcends the perceived limitations of the instrument in virtually every musical genre. 9:00am Registration opens – Main Lobby His aggressive soulful approach to the harmonica 9:30 – 12:00pm Exhibit Hall Open, Macdonald
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Voice in the Wilderness: A Musical Conversation with Ian Tamblyn Randall Ware (host), Ian Tamblyn 10:00– 11:30am Quebec Room
Ian Tamblyn is a respected musician, songwriter, playwright and producer. He has recorded several albums and countless soundtracks for theatre and film. In recent years, Ian has had a close association with adventure travel and scientific expeditions. Ian is this years recipient of the Estelle Klein award for outstanding contributions to the music community. In this session he will perform and chat with Randall Ware from the National Library of Canada. Funding Agencies Speed-Dating: Brother, Can you Spare Some Time?: Richard Davis, Gerri Trimble (Canada Council), Cindy Babyn (Canadian Heritage), Lucie Goulet (Ontario Trillium Foundation), Janis Lambrakos (Ontario Arts Council), Mark Smith (FACTOR), Marni Thornton (SOCAN)
10:00– 11:30am Ontario Room Speed dating… spend 20 minutes with each organization as we play musical chairs in the Ontario Room. Each funder represents different programs that you and/or your organization may be able to access. Bring questions or just listen in to begin, renew or build your relationship with these arts agencies. Government funding for the arts is at an all-time high – educate yourself on what’s available from whom. This panel is suitable for all conference participants: festivals, organizations, artists and others. ________________________________________________________________ Artistic Directory Assistance: A Presenter and Performer Q & A Richard Davis (moderator): festival and concert series presenters 11:45 – 1:15pm Ontario Room
Get the 4-1-1 on festival work: from how artistic directors book their festival and concerts, to what they like in music, this question and answer session is intended to de-mystify the ways in which these folks go about their business. Known previously as the “AD’s Bearpit” this panel, the last of the conference, offers artists and AD’s the chance to make it real. ________________________________________________________________ 3:30 – 7:00pm Wrap-up concert at the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield ________________________________________________________________
OCFF Mentoring Sessions: As a conference delegate, you have the opportunity to participate in the short mentoring sessions being offered between 12 – 1pm Saturday, October 19th. These tenminute, one-on-one sessions give you a chance to meet briefly with an expert and ask questions related to your specific goals. Sign up sheets available Saturday morning at the registration table in the main lobby.
MENTORS LIST Bruce Deachman Richard Flohil Beth Girdler Janice Hanson Charlie Hunter Mark Monahan Sonny Ochs Angela Page
Jack Ross Laura Smith Bill Stunt Paul Symes Ian Tamblyn Dean Verger Dana Whittle Michael Wrycraft
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Small But Vital OCFF Exhibit Hall Directory – Macdonald Room Exhibit Hall Hours: Friday 4:30 – 7:30 Saturday 11:30 – 1:00pm Saturday 2:30 – 5:00 Sunday 9:30 – 12:00 Table 1: ArtsCan Circle Mike Stevens info@artscancircle.ca www.artscancircle.ca Table 2: August Music Angela Haskill Box 117 Perkinsfield, ON L0L 2J0 705-527-1757 angela@angelahaskill.com www.angelhaskill.com Table 3: Clanterra Chris Daniels 18 Northmount Cres. NW Calgary, AB T2K 2V5 403-295-2193 contact@clanterra.ca www.clanterra.ca Table 4: Galitcha Kuljit Sodhi 12-190 Booth St. Ottawa, ON K1R 7J4 613-295-3724 music@galitcha.com www.galitcha.com Table 5: IDEA Entertainment Agency Ian Davies 17-1415 Commissioners Road West London, ON N6K 1E2 877-801-9458 idea@iandavies.com www.iandavies.com Table 6: Little Red Hens Darlene 330 Van Horne Street Sudbury, ON P3B 1H9 705-673-5432 moteldarlene@yahoo.com www.moteldarlene.com Table 7: Mike Stack Enterprises Mike Stack 2605 26 Street S.W. Calgary, AB T3E 2A8 403-246-6149 mcstack@telusplanet.net www.mikestack.ca
Table 8: Music and Film In Motion Dennis Landry 699 Frood Road, Unit B Sudbury, ON P3E 4A5 705-674-5154 dlandry@musicandfilminmotion.com www.musicandfilminmotion.com Table 9: Nutshell Music Peter MacDonald 58 Antares Dr. Unit 1B Ottawa, ON K2E 7W6 613-727-0123 Peter@NutshellMusic.com www.nutshellmusic.com Table 10: Ottawa Folk Acts Tony Turner 87 Java Street Ottawa, ON K1Y 3L3 613-798-0477 tturner@cyberus.ca www.cyberus.ca/~tturner Table 11: Ryan Schneider Music Ryan Schneider RR#4, Belwood ON N0B 1J0 519-843-1120 ryan@ryanschneider.ca www.ryanschneider.ca Table 12: The Searsons Erin Searson Box 236, Eaganville ON K0J 1T0 613-649-2573 searson@renc.igs.net www.thesearsons.com Table 13: Shelter Valley Productions Aengus Finnan 376 Nickerson Dr. Coburg, ON K9A 1A9 905-377-9556 info@aengusfinnan.com www.aengusfinnan.com Table 14: Songwriters Association of Canada Sean Mulligan 31 Madison Avenue, Suite 202 Toronto, ON M5R 2S2 416-961-1588 mulligan@songwriters.ca www.songwriters.ca Table 15: Winterfolk Brian Gladstone 8-601 Magnetic Drive Door Toronto, ON M3J 3J2 416-347-1639 admin@winterfolk.com www.winterfolk.com
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Panelists ONTARIO COUNCIL OF FOLK FESTIVALS PANELISTS AND PRESENTERS ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2002 Derek Andrews Derek is the music programmer at Harbourfront Centre responsible for the 12-week festival of jazz, blues, folk and world music, Rhythms of the World, since 1985. He is also involved in a range of non-profit organization as a board member or advisor including Toronto Blues Society, The Folk Alliance, Folk Alliance Canada, OCFF, Worlds of Music Toronto, Small World Music Society, Ontario Media Development Corporation, European Forum of Worldwide Music Festivals.
Cindy Babyn Cindy is an Arts Consultant for the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Sam Baijal Sam Baijal has been Hillside Festival’s Artistic Director since 1998. Entertainment programmer for the University of Guelph and Guelph Community and member of the River Run Centre Programming Committee, he is also a general music freak and concert junkie.
Mike Barker Mike Barker has been involved in folk music for over 25 years, both in Edmonton and for the past 17 years as director of Folk Under The Clock concert series in Peterborough.
Don Bird As the Artistic Director of the Summerfolk Music & Crafts Festival, Don has propelled the 27year-old festival into one of the top musically diverse presentations in the country. Now the city of Owen Sound hopes he can do the same for them as they have just signed him for a multiyear deal presenting their Celtic Festival each September.
Ian Boddy Ian Boddy is an Owen Sound lawyer and a Past President of the G.B.F.S. (Summerfolk). He has also helped␣ the budding careers of␣ Grey and Bruce County performers␣ Joel Morelli, Tyler Wagler, Tara MacKenzie, and␣ presently rock n’ rural performer Steve Dickinson.
Janis Book Janis Book is the coordinator for craft vendors and artists at the Home County Festival in London, ON. She is a strong advocate of celebrating these folk-based traditions at the festival and at the Home County Autumn Arts Show.
Kirra Bordwell Kirra Bordwell and Tara Hamilton are coordinators of the Children’s Area at the Stewart Park Festival in Perth, Ontario. They bring to the position extensive work and life experience with children.
Alfredo Caxaj Alfredo Caxaj, originally from Guatemala and now living in London, Ontario, is the founder and Artistic Director of Sunfest, Canada’s foremost World Music & Dance Festival, and its yearround multi-disciplinary global arts programme.
Natalie Comeau Natalie Comeau coordinates the Family Area at the Ottawa Folk Festival. Her enthusiasm and sense of fun are responsible for a delightful range of participatory activities for children and parents at the festival.
Darlene Originally from Sudbury, Darlene spends over 8 months a year performing Gypsy, Native American, Cajun and contemporary material at festivals and clubs across North America. A powerful solo artist who also performs with the Road Dog Divas, Darlene is a founding member of the Little Red Hens, a trans-continental support network for itinerant female performers based on friendship and the power of music.
Gord Darrall Gord Darrall is one of three volunteer coordinators with the Blue Skies Festival. The festival’s volunteer system has evolved over time to incorporate mentoring, public input and a high level of participation.
Richard Davis Just can’t wait to get on the road again? Life you love makin’ music with your friends? Call Richard Davis for ‘the full Nelson’ on the touring, festivals and career development programs at the Canada Council.
Bruce Deachman Bruce Deachman is an Arts & Entertainment writer for the Ottawa Citizen. When he was born, Connie Francis’s “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own” was #1 on the Billboard chart. Things have since improved.
Ann Downey Ann Downey is a singer and multi-instrumentalist in numerous traditional folk-roots ensembles in Ottawa. She has played and enjoyed festivals in Canada and the U.S. for years as a member of Finest Kind, the Old Sod Contradance Band␣ and the Toasted Westerns.
Michel Dozois Michel Dozois came from Montreal to the National Arts Centre␣ in the early Eighties, serving first as a␣ Technical Director, then as a Producer.␣ Now the Producer of the Community Production Department, he is responsible for all performing arts activities at the Fourth Stage, the Centre’s newest venue.
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Richard Flohil Richard Flohil is a 35-year veteran of the Canadian music business, continuing to work as a publicist, writer, editor, concert promoter, speechmaker, gadfly and super-mouth. He knows where many bodies are buried, but steadfastly denies carrying a shovel.
Roy Forbes Since the early 70s, Roy Forbes (formerly Bim) has been a thriving presence in Canadian music as a performer, songwriter, recording artist, producer, film composer and broadcaster. He has eight solo albums to his credit as well as two CDs with Ulrich Henderson and Forbes (UHF).
Randi Fratkin Randi Fratkin is an executive member of the OCFF Board and the conference showcase chair. She has been the artistic director of the Mariposa Folk Festival since 2000, the first year that the festival moved back to its original home of Orillia.
Beth Girdler Beth Girdler learned the ropes of the music business as fast as she could as her husband David Francey moved from carpenter to full-time performer and Juno award winner in four short years. She has been working as his manager, booking agent and partner in their own record label - Laker Music. In her other life, Beth is an artist, photographer, biologist and midwife, with 3 children, several pets, a neglected garden and very little spare time.
arts, literature and community arts and has in-depth knowledge of many of the OAC granting programs. In addition to her other responsibilities, Janice posts information to OAC’s web site and coordinates translation requests from all of OAC’s arts sectors. For the past two years, she has provided administration support at Ontario Contact, the OAC’s annual event that brings presenters and artists together.
Anne Lederman Anne Lederman is a fiddler/singer/composer who has performed with groups as diverse as Muddy York, The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band and Njacko Backo’s Kalimba Kalimba, as well as with her own group, Fiddlesong. A␣ long-time champion of traditional music in Canada, she did extensive recording work with Metis fiddlers on the prairies. She also founded Worlds of Music Toronto (a world music school) and teaches at York University.
Margery Longstaffe Margery Longstaffe has almost 20 years experience in the arts management field, and is currently on parental leave from her duties as Hillside Festival Manager. A staunch believer in Canada’s artistic heritage, Margery will bend anyone’s ear about the evils of mass marketed music.
Hilary Martin Hilary is currently the Acting Manager for the Hillside Community Festival in Guelph, ON. She has worked with volunteers in theatre, media arts and festival organizations for the past 10 years.
Eve Goldberg
Brad McEwen
Eve Goldberg is a singer, songwriter and interpreter of contemporary and traditional American roots styles. She is one of the organizers of The Woods Music and Dance Camp, a founder of Common Thread: Community Chorus of Toronto, and a member of the board of the OCFF.
Brad McEwen is a founding member and Artistic Director of the Mill Race Folk Society, which has been in existence since 1993. He has been a performer of traditional folk music for nearly twenty years, performing at numerous folk clubs and festivals and touring the UK twice.
Lucie Goulet
Arthur McGregor
Lucie has been a community grants officer, representing Eastern Ontario, with the Ontario Trillium Foundation since 1998.
Arthur McGregor started the Ottawa Folklore Centre in 1976 and is still at the helm. He is also known for his unusual national anthems and his skill at leading group singing.
Darcy Gregoire
Chopper McKinnon
Darcy is an agent and partner with LiveTourArtists which has become one of the country’s top respected agencies in two short years. As an agent,␣ Darcy␣ tries to keep a fine balance between working for the artist while still being␣ fair and␣ reasonable in meeting␣ presenters’ needs.
Janice Hanson
Chopper McKinnon is a fixture on the Ottawa music scene. He has managed the Toronto Folklore Centre, edited several music books, hosted countless live events and worked in the careers of notable Canadian musicians. Chopper created and still hosts the multiaward-winning folk/roots radio program Canadian Spaces which recently celebrated 22 years on Ottawa’s CKCU-FM.
Janice Hanson is the recent President of the Champlain Valley Festival in Burlington, Vermont — a weekend celebrating traditional folk music and dance in the region — and was instrumental in moving the event back to its original site on Lake Champlain. She works in the Marketing Department of the Flynn Center, a performing arts center in downtown Burlington, and is a novice mountain dulcimer player and singer.
Scott Merritt has worked as a producer for Fred Eaglesmith, Ian Tamblyn, Meg Lunney, Grievous Angels and James Gordon, among others. A Juno nominated songwriter and performer himself, he is currently under recording contract with mca in the U.S. and has just released his first project in twelve years,␣ the detOUr home.
Scott Merritt
Sandi Hogg
Lynn Miles
Sandi Hogg has been a volunteer with the Georgian Bay Folk Society since 1977. A former board member, she has worked in the areas of Festival Security and Performer Hospitality, and is currently the coordinator for Commercial Food Vendors.
Ottawa-based True North recording artist Lynn Miles is a great songwriter and outstanding performer who has been compared to Shawn Colvin, Lucinda Williams and Joni Mitchell. Known for her beautiful, clear voice, her impressive guitar playing and her delightful sense of humour, Lynn has toured extensively throughout North America and Europe.
Charlie Hunter Charlie Hunter of Young Hunter Management is a Vermont-based artist manager, concert presenter and visual artist, as well as a railway enthusiast who has crossed Canada by train nine times. For information about his upcoming cross-Canada “Roots on the Rails” festival featuring Fred Eaglesmith, see www.flyingunderradar.com.
Ron Hynes Newfoundland’s award winning singer/songwriter, is a true Canadian treasure with his classic compositions “Sonny’s Dream”, “Godspeed”, “Atlantic Blue” and many more. Dr. Hynes (recently awarded an honorary doctorate by Memorial University, St. John’s, for his contribution to the arts) is working on a new CD for Borealis Records, which will be released in the spring.
Paul Mills Paul is one of Canada’s most respected folk music producers and has produced awardwinning work for such artists as Stan Rogers, Tanglefoot, Sharon, Lois and Bram, Aengus Finnan, Terry Kelly, Natalie MacMaster and many more. He has over 30 years of professional production experience and operates his own home recording studio, The Millstream.
Sean Monaghan
Heather Kelly
Sean Monaghan has been the site operations manager for the CKCU Ottawa Folk Festival since 2000. With a background in design and production in theatre and a newfound love of music and festivals, taking the step into festival site operations seemed quite natural.
Heather Kelly is an award-winning marketing, publicity and community relations professional with 10 years experience. She has created successful promotional strategies for numerous organizations and artists, and has developed communications campaigns for over 150 cultural events.
Mark Monahan is the Executive Director/Artistic Director of Ottawa Cisco Systems Bluesfest, overseeing all aspects of the annual festival which hosts 200,000 people every year in downtown Ottawa.
Mark Monahan
Estelle Klein
Sean Mulligan
Estelle Klein is known for her innovative programming approach which began with the Mariposa Folk Festival and which continues to influence festivals in Canada and the U.S. Since resigning her Mariposa role as artistic director in 1980, she has chosen to work independently with community and arts events. The OCFF Estelle Klein Award was established to recognize her broad contribution and continues as a yearly achievement award in her name.
Sean Mulligan has worked in many facets of the music industry. A graduate of the Music Industry Arts program of Fanshawe College, he joined the S.A.C. staff in September of 1999, after spending three years working in the creative department of then Canada’s most active independent music publishing company, TMP-The Music Publisher.
Jesse Kumagai Jesse Kumagai works on the music programs at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto and runs the freelance promotional company Deep Blue Funk. Jesse’s adventures on the world wide web include content creation and extensive practical use of music industry and artist sites, providing a considered perspective on the use of the web in showbiz.
Janice Lambrakos Janice Lambrakos is long-time employee of the Ontario Arts Council, having started at OAC in 1985. She has been a program assistant in several sectors, including media
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Sonny Ochs Sonny Ochs volunteers at many festivals in the Northeast as stage manager, emcee, medical technician, or whatever’s needed. She hosts concerts and a radio show on WRPI in Troy, NY, and has been producing the Phil Ochs Song Nights for 20 years.
Blair Packham Blair Packham, former lead singer and songwriter for the Juno-nominated group The Jitters, continues to write and perform, and produces music for film and television. His solo debut CD, Everything That’s Good, was released in the fall of 2000 to critical acclaim. Blair is vice-president of the Songwriters Association of Canada.
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Continued from page 18 Angela Page Angela has presented folk music in various venues and forms for over 20 years. After helping to run the first Coffee House Festival in the Catskills in the late ‘70s, she moved on to create and manage the Speak Easy in Greenwich Village.
Hugo Rampen Hugo Rampen of Amok Artist Agency has been booking world music, roots music and music as art for 6 years. He has established a strong network of contacts within Canada and around the world.
Howard Randall Festival regulars know him as Bub; founder of the Winterhawk Bluegrass festival circa 1983 and later the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in 1988. Howard remained a limited partner in Winterhawk and ran FRFF until 1999 when both festivals came under the umbrella of Falcon Ridge Ltd. The renamed and revamped Winterhawk Bluegrass & Beyond celebrated its 20th anniversary this summer, and Falcon Ridge will celebrate its 15th anniversary next summer.
Mike Regenstreif Mike Regenstreif has been active in folk music for more than 30 years. He is host and producer of Folk Roots/Folk Branches on CKUT-Montreal and a music journalist for The Montreal Gazette and Sing Out! Magazine.
Joe Reilly Joe Reilly’s passion for Canadian music led him from being a volunteer announcer at CKCU-FM in 1982 to managing the Ottawa International Jazz Festival from 1987 through 1989. Since 1990 he has operated Wavelength Communications and Events Management, specializing in programming events and festivals and marketing the performing arts. Wavelength provides communications services to a host of clients including the Ottawa Blues Festival and the Ottawa Folk Festival.
Warren Robinson Warren Robinson is Artistic Director of the Goderich Celtic roots festival and the Goderich Celtic College. He is OCFF President and a board member of the North American Folk Alliance.
Lloyd Romaniuk Lloyd Romaniuk was born in Winnipeg and has worked in the Trout Lake Forest protecting the trees in the Ear Falls area of Ontario. Co-founder of the Trout Forest Music Festival in 1996, Lloyd writes a column called “In the Bush” featuring arts and culture in
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evolution of the Writer’s Bloc songwriting collective. Alex is the OCFF Treasurer.
Sheila Ross is the Hospitality Coordinator for the Ottawa Folk Festival. She and her committee provide hospitality services at 35 concerts throughout the year, as well as organizing the care and feeding of 700 performers and volunteers at the festival each August.
Laura astounded Peter Gzowski and CBC listeners across Canada several years back with her compelling rendition of “My Bonnie”. She is known for her powerful performances and her ability to convey rich inner landscapes with accuracy and passion through song.
Laura Smith
Jack Ross
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Jack Ross, Vice President of The Agency Group Canada Ltd., has been in the music business for eighteen years. He loves his job representing artists and currently helps steer the careers of Great Big Sea, Sarah Harmer and many other great Canadian recording artists.
Serena Ryder Serena is an exciting young performer from the Peterborough area who is attracting a lot of attention with her fluid voice and captivating stage presence.
Anne Saunders Anne is the co-owner of Falcon Ridge Ltd, which produces two outdoor festivals: the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and the Winterhawk Bluegrass and Beyond Fest. Having originally joined both festivals as a volunteer, Anne is now involved in several aspects of the business, including being Artistic and Publicity Director for both events. She also dabbles in management and booking consultation for contemporary folk artists and presenters, record production and related projects.
Dugg Simpson Dugg Simpson is a programmer whose work includes radio, cabaret and seven years as the Artistic Director of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. His work is based in a love of traditional music, social history, complexity theory, George Clinton and the writing of Lester Bangs and John Ralston Saul.
Alex Sinclair A founding member of the highly successful folk group, Tamarack, Alex Sinclair has transformed countless historical people and events into song. He has also written over two hundred songs of political satire for the CBC radio network. While living in Ottawa, Alex was a major influence on the
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for Folk Alliance Canada.
the northwestern region of Ontario.
Paul Symes
Mark Smith Mark is the Executive Director of the Recording Arts Industry – Yukon Association, and a regional representative for FACTOR.
Kuljit Sodhi A musician and entrepreneur, Kuljit Sodhi is the lead singer of the world music band Galitcha. Kuljit manages and books Galitcha gigs all over the world.
Mike Stevens Mike Stevens is known internationally for a unique approach to harmonica and for extraordinary musical abilities in every musical genre. Mike travels extensively, and his work in Canada includes regular volunteer trips to Labrador where he uses music to connect to troubled Native youth. He is the inspiration for ArtsCan Circle, a volunteer grass roots group that works to raise travel expenses to enable other musicians to join him.
Bill Stunt Bill Stunt is the host and producer of CBC Radio’s Bandwidth, heard Saturdays at 5.05 p.m. Bill is also a recording producer for CBC network shows like DNTO, Saturday Night Blues and Global Village and a freelance producer working on albums for Lynn Miles, Jim Bryson, Terry Tufts and many others.
Carolyn Sutherland Carolyn Sutherland is Artistic Director of the Stewart Park Festival in Perth. A board member of the OCFF, she has been the conference programming chair for the last two years. A singer and player, she has performed and recorded with the a cappella group, The Latest Rumour.
Gene Swimmer Gene Swimmer is a founding member of the Steering Committee for the Ottawa Folk Festival, and has been the festival’s Executive Director since 1995. He is the Treasurer
Paul Symes is owner of the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, Quebec, a self-described “divebar jukejoint cabaret and country dancehall janitor-in-chief”.
Ian Tamblyn Ian Tamblyn has many␣ albums,␣ plays and film␣ soundtracks to his credit, and has produced many fine albums for other musicians. His two current CDs will be released in Japan this fall and two more are in production. He is also an expedition leader and guide in Arctic and Antarctic travels.
Marni Thornton Marni is the Supervisor of Member Services at SOCAN.
Gerri Trimble Gerri Trimble says she has no sense of direction but in fact can be found managing the sound recording program at the Canada Council for the Arts. She will be making an inperson appearance at Saturday morning’s “Canada Council and Artists” panel session.
Tony Turner Tony Turner is an Ottawa based singer-songwriter, and the coordinator of Writers Bloc and events such as the Great Canadian Song Along. Tony’s 2002 CD A Matter of Time is a␣ melodically rich blend of tales that expose the extraordinary hidden within the ordinary.
Dean Verger Dean Verger, the owner of Rasputin’s Folk Café in Ottawa, has been promoting live music for 22 years both in his café and in a network of house concerts he developed. A performer who has appeared on TV, radio, and festival stages, he also designs and presents workshops on performance for artists.
Randall Ware Randall Ware is the Director of Public Programs for the National Library of Canada. A strong supporter of connecting musicians, writers and filmmakers with the community, he has received an award from the Writers Union of Canada for his “extraordinary service to Canadian writers and writing”.
Dana Whittle Dana Whittle is a designer, writer, musician, artists’ manager and visual artist. She is a member of the Folk Alliance Canada board and is a founder and board member of L’Association Folquébec, a Québec organization dedicated to promoting Québec’s folk music.
Jennifer Wilson Jennifer Wilson has been the “hat” for the kids’ area at Blue Skies for two years. She works in daycare in Ottawa and has been attending the festival for eight years.
Michael Wrycraft Michael “A Man Called” Wrycraft is a graphic designer who designs for his number one passion: music. With 4 Juno nominations in as many years and a Best Album Design Juno Award in 2002, his client list is a who’s who of North American Roots Music.
Rob Zifarelli Rob Zifarelli has been with the Paquin Agency for 6 years. Based in Toronto, he is responsible for the Ontario and Maritime regions.
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ONTARIO COUNCIL OF FOLK FESTIVALS
Presents the Estelle Klein Award Winner 2002 - Ian Tamblyn Ian Tamblyn has had, and continues to have, a long and illustrious career. As a songwriter, Ian has written some of the finest impressionist portraits of Canadian landscapes. As the Group of Seven sought to create a visual mythos of the Canadian north, Ian has worked to create a musical mythos, and in so doing has helped to define the Canadian voice. A multi-instrumentalist and singer, Ian is also a raconteur whose stage performances carry his audience into worlds of experience most of us can only dream about. He has released several albums of instrumental pieces that combine music and environmental sounds into mystical soundscapes. His compositional skills have turned out many fine scores for theatre and television productions (not to mention the plays that he has written for both adult and children’s theatre), and over the years he has become known as a talented producer of records for other artists, including Rodney Brown and Terry Tufts. His fascination with the Canadian landscape has led him through years of canoe tripping to scuba diving in the Arctic and Antarctic, to acting as musical/scientific guide on numerous environmental boat tours in the Arctic and lately in Ireland and Scotland. Musicians in Ottawa will know Ian as both inspiration and mentor, a ready source of information about any aspect of the music business (including a vast knowledge of capos and guitar pick-ups), a career counselor, a challenging and articulate critic of songwriting. He helped to found the ongoing songwriters circle Writers Bloc, and continues to serve as a beacon that illuminates the rock-strewn and mossy portage route towards a career that successfully intertwines music, creativity, and an active engagement with the wider world of politics, environmentalism, and social action. Ian is currently at work on a theatre score for Centaur Theatre in Montreal, a CD of hammer dulcimer music and packing for a month-long trip to Antarctica.
Folkus Concert Series Stephen Fearing Launches folkus Concert Series into its Second Year Saturday October 26tth: Renowned Puppeteers Noreen Young and Stephen Brathwaite to Provide Opening-act Entertainment Submitted by Nathan Rudyk Sept. 1, 2002: Four-time Juno nominee Stephen Fearing kicks off the second acoustic music-filled season of the folkus Concert Series at the Almonte Old Town Hall Sat. Oct 26th. In addition to Stephen Fearing, the folkus Concert Series brings traditional fiddler and stepdancer Kelli Trottier and her band Jan. 25th; the four-member African-inspired female a capella group Malaika March 1st, and April 26th welcomes back Toronto’s Dylan-esque folkie Greg Hobbs and his band after his standing-ovation performance as an opening act at The Ragged Flowers’ sold-out concert last year. Started as a three-concert series by a group of Almonte and Pakenham residents last fall, in its first year folkus consistently filled and even sold out Almonte’s 220-seat heritage theatre. With the objective of providing original Canadian music and culture in an intimate small-town setting, this year the folk music series expands to four shows going into April, including four opening acts from the Ottawa Valley. “We’re absolutely pleased and excited to be starting our season with someone of Stephen Fearing’s caliber,” says folkus Artistic Director and Almonte-based singer-songwriter Peggy White. “He’s been celebrated across North America for good reason as a superb example of the Canadian folk music tradition.” White also says that in the tradition of having regional opening acts at folkus, Order of Canada puppeteer Noreen Young and her artist/property developer/ puppeteer brother Stephen Brathwaite have agreed to spoof the music community with what we are sure will be an irreverent, hilarious skit. For almost 17 years, Stephen Fearing has been penning some of the most literate, stirring and emotionally charged folk music anywhere. Couple this with stunning guitar work, and a smooth intimate voice, and you have the elements of the unique performer that is also part of the Willie-P.-Bennettinspired Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. After a year of touring throughout Canada and the United States Fearing is back with a new studio album. “That’s How I Walk” is the sixth solo album for this four-time JUNO nominee, and follows up the critically lauded “So Many Miles”.
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