When: Sat Sep 29, 2012 8:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Where: Le Michel-Ange Café at the GCTC Studio
Presented by the Spirit of Rasputin’s Art Society
Gerry Griffin and Heather Houston
What: Cabaret Concert Series
Who: The Gerry Griffin Trio
When: Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, 8-10pm
Where: Le Michel-Ange Coffee Roasting Café, 35 Laurel Street. Ottawa. Doors open at 7:30 pm
Admission: $12.00 per person
Please note: Tickets are general admission at the door the night of the concert. Advance tickets are not sold.
Gerry Griffin is a performing songwriter whose hard earned authenticity can be heard in every note. His songs are intensely poetic and presented in a dramatic and highly original musical style. His material ranges from simple observations of life, its eccentricities and its humour, to tender songs of love and relationships, separation and loss. Gerry’s insightful lyrics are supported by an esoteric melding of musical styles and influences: folk, country, blues, rock, celtic, and elements of North African music.
He calls it, “Music for humans and other people …”
Press quotes:
“An instantly likable artist … puts many of his contemporaries to shame.”
Maverick UK
“In short, he’s the real thing …” Rock’n'Reel UK
“Lyrically perfect …” Blues Matters! UK
“… the entire record, from start to finish, was a joy to listen to.”
Sound on Sound UK
“… it is the sound of a man being true to himself.” Flyin’ Shoes Review,
Scotland
Heather Houston contributes vocal harmonies, African thumb piano and Appalachian dulcimer that seem to heighten the emotional intensity of Gerry’s wonderfully “whiskey- soaked” vocals.
Andy Robert accompanies them on upright bass. His playing is both energetic and dynamic and brings another level of drama to the musical presentation.
Additional artist information:
Born in Vancouver and raised in Deep River, Ontario, Gerry Griffin first learned to play the harmonica at the age of 7 then the guitar and vocals at age 15 when he formed his first band. He has been performing as a professional musician ever since.
Gerry has released two full length CDs. His first album “Hour Glass” is a collection of songs that form the incredible diary of his wrongful incarceration for two and a half years in the early 1990′s in the North African and Spanish prison system. The album was produced by Jeffrey Lesser who has worked with Lou Reed, The Chieftains and Barbra Streisand.
Gerry’s second CD, Moment to Moment, is a humble offering. This time around, he really honed his musical vision, paring things to their bare essentials. It was released in 2010 and is self-produced. It was recorded and mixed by Corey Macfadyen (Sue Foley, Bevacqua, and Serial Joe) at Gerry’s studio in Val-des-Monts, QC, which co-owned with his life-partner and agent, Heather Houston.
More information on the website: www.gerrygriffinmusic.com (http://www NULL.gerrygriffinmusic NULL.com)
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Andy Roberts is a native of Chicago, who graduated with a Bachelor in Music with honours from Northwestern University in 1975. He came to Canada to play with the Winnipeg Symphony and has played with many major artists such as Yehudi Menuhin, Seiji Ozawa, Maureen Forrester, Emmanuel Ax, Pinkas Zukerman, Angela Hewitt and Leahy. He is a regular member of the Ottawa Symphony and former principal bass and founding member of L’Orchestre de Chambre de Hull. Since moving to Wakefield, Quebec, Andy has branched out from his classical roots into the jazz and popular music world playing with various groups in the Ottawa region.