Featured Artists

SULTANS OF STRING
in Concert! Spread the word!

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Who: SULTANS OF STRING
What: Spirit of Rasputin’s biggest event ever!
When: 8pm Saturday May 12, 2012
Where: First Unitarian Congregation, 30 Cleary Ave.
Tickets: $25 online (click Add to Cart below) or at the Ottawa Folklore Centre. are still available at the door tonight!! Doors open at 7:30pm.

“Sultans of String’s latest album seems to be hoovering up Canadian awards and nominations like a Dyson on speed — a joyful melting pot of jazz, flamenco, folk and indeed anything else that takes their fancy.. energetic and exciting world music fest from a band with talent to burn. This is the sort of band and music that would rip up any festival in the country. Maverick Magazine

“An organic mix of rumba, Gypsy, jazz, Middle Eastern and Spanish flavours mixed together beautifully, and brilliantly executed.” Errol Nazareth, CBC Radio

“Chris McKhool and the boys are fantastic!” Bob Ezrin (Producer–Pink Floyd. Kiss)

“Sultans of String are one of Canada’s hottest new musical exports, dynamically embodying their homeland’s values of tolerance and respect for diverse cultures. Centred on the founding interplay between Chris McKhool – a six-string violinist of Lebanese/Egyptian descent – and Kevin Laliberté’s rumba-accented guitar, they weave a gorgeously-hued tapestry of Spanish, Arabic, Latin, French and gypsy strands.” Celtic Connections Festival, Scotland

Sultans of String

Sultans of String

On Sat May 12, raucous world-roots string wizards, 2x CFMA winners & JUNO nominees, Sultans of String, serve up their spicy stew of Gypsy jazz, Spanish flamenco, Global roots, and Cuban rhythms at The Spirit of Rasputin’s!

“Canada’s ambassadors of musical diversity” include 6-string violinist Chris McKhool (Pavlo), guitar wizard Kevin Laliberté (Jesse Cook, guested on tour with The Chieftains), bass master Drew Birston (Chantal Kreviazuk, Amanda Martinez), and the jaw dropping talent of Cuban percussionist Chendy Leon (Alex Cuba, Parachute Club)!

Seamlessly traversing diverse themes of heart, place and tradition, fiery violin dances with kinetic guitar while a funk bass lays down unstoppable grooves. Throughout, acoustic strings meet electronic wizardry to create layers and depth of sound.

Since their formation only 5 years ago, Sultans of String have been riding a wave of success, from their debut CD, “Luna”, and 2nd offering, “Yalla Yalla”, both hitting # 1 on world/international music charts in Canada, to their triple Canadian Folk Music Award nomination, winning Instrumental Group of the Year.

In the 2 years alone, they’ve acquired a JUNO nomination, representation from acclaimed promoter David Wilkes (Emmylou Harris, Bela Fleck, Melanie), and booking representation in the US, UK and Australia. They also took home 1st place in the International Songwriting Competition (out of 15,000 entries), placed as finalists for two 2011 International Independent Music Awards, garnered 2 awards from Festival & Events Ontario, and Ontario Contact’s Artist of The Year.

The band just released their new and 3rd CD, MOVE, a perfect hat-trick presenting, once again, an exhilarating celebration of world music styles.

“Canada is a real meeting places of musical influences from around the world” says bandleader/violinst McKhool. “At the same time, as a band we try to tell uniquely Canadian stories, putting forth our vision of the world as one family.” Chris’ paternal Makhoul grandparents immigrated to Canada from Lebanon in the early 1900s, and his Egyptian-born mother, an accomplished pianist, also has paternal Lebanese ancestry. “Growing up, I was taught the values of tolerance, respect for all peoples and celebration of culture.” McKhool’s unbridled passion for exploring the rhythms and melodies has led him to the far corners of the world, incorporating instruments and styles everywhere he went.

Anders, Kelly, and Adam

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NOTE: Tickets are still available for tonight’s show at the door. Doors open at 7:30.

Who: Anders Drerup with Kelly Prescott and Adam Puddington
Where: Westboro Masonic Hall, 430 Churchill at Byron
When: 8:00pm January 21st, 2012

Rumour has it that Anders, Kelly and Adam are now officially a band called the Clay Tones (sp?) although I can turn up no references on the Internet to support this assertion. The name is derived from Clayton, the quaint village the Prescott clan calls home. If true, this logical extension of years of friendly collaboration is a very exciting development. More and tighter collaboration among these three extraordinary musicians can only be a good thing.

Individually, they are all remarkable. Anders, a diversified musician who easily strides the boundaries among folk, blues, and rock ‘n roll, is one of the most naturally talented musicians I have seen in years. Kelly’s smoky alto works wonders on her audience whether she is caressing a song on her own, or filling the corners and niches behind another voice. Adam, with one foot in the Ottawa Valley and the other in The Maritimes, is one of our strongest local singer songwriters.

What a treat to have them all on the same stage. Tickets are $20 and are available online on our e-store, at The Ottawa Folklore Centre 1111 Bank St., or at the Rasputin’s Open Stage at Whispers on Monday evenings. And here are some interesting live concert videos:

Missy Burgess with Keith Glass: CD Release Concert

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What: Play Me Sweet (official CD release)
Where: Westboro Masonic Hall, 411 Churchill at Byron
When: 8pm, Saturday November 19, 2011
Who: Missy Burgess accompanied by Keith Glass

Nov 19, 2011

Few people have had the privilege of reviewing Missy’s fabulous new CD Play Me Sweet but I’m one of the lucky ones and it is clear this is a very polished production where Missy has produced some of her best vocal stylings.  I remember just a few years ago she struggled with a throat problem that threatened to curtail her career. But with a lot of hard work and expert vocal coaching she not only recovered, she learned to exceed her past abilities. Now she absolutely shines on Play Me Sweet.

If you follow her website (http://missyburgess NULL.com/), you’ve noticed she has been rotating a few teaser tracks for the last few weeks.  As I write this, the one that is on her home page is Sundown Blues,  written by Keith Glass. The CD has one other written by Keith, as well as a co-write by Keith and Missy. The rest are Missy’s own originals with a few of her trademark “easy listening” standards completing the program.

This will be a concert to remember. Joining Missy and Keith will be Alrick Huebener on bass.

Tickets are selling briskly and are available at the Ottawa Folklore Centre, 1111 Bank St; Collected Works Bookstore, 1241 Wellington St W; and online here (https://www NULL.paypal NULL.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=CDJ4F4UGKLETY).

Hollis Morgan
President, Spirit of Rasputins

The Echo Hunters – May 14
with Ball and Chain

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Who: The Echo Hunters
Opening Act: Ball and Chain!!
Where: Westboro Masonic Hall, 430 Churchill Ave at Byron
When: 8pm, May 14, 2011

Tickets available  at
The Ottawa Folklore Centre, 1111 Bank St,
Collected Works Bookstore, 1242 Wellington West,
On-line at the e-Store

“[The Echo Hunter's] shows have become the stuff of legend… Like the best southern barbecue, the best music often benefits from long, slow cooking (…) Cabin Fever, a collection of masterful folk-countryblues originals… has already scored major rave reviews and lots of airplay …” Greg Quill, Toronto Star

Ball and Chain, a.k.a. Jody Benjamin and Michael Ball, understand the beauty of a simple style, where melody and groove can carry the music all the way to your soul. When Michael gets going on the Cajun tunes with Jody on the triangle, you can almost taste the jambalaya.

The Echo Hunters, favorite sons of the Montreal folk/roots circuit, blend folk-rock with blues and country roots, layered with their signature dynamic vocal harmonies and deep soul grooves. CABIN FEVER has been described as. “a deliciously varied collection of twelve tracks revisiting the strengths of early America, CS&N and the ground-breaking Harmonium of years gone by, revamping the formula to give birth to something altogether fresh….Key ingredients in their sound include strong lead vocals, multiple acoustic guitars and jaw-dropping harmonies. The delicate application of flute, mandolin, piano, fiddle and percussion add a progressive edge to an age- old blend that, when coupled with exceptional songwriting, results in a novel approach, making theirs a quintessentially Canadian sound, distilled into an unforgettable evening’s entertainment. In their hometown of Montréal, they’ve gained a loyal and devoted following over the years, playing on the folk/roots circuit. Their sound features haunting vocal harmonies on thoughtful lyrics, driving acoustic guitars and an eclectic rock ‘n roll groove; it can be classified as folk-rock, but with blues, gospel and country roots. They also have a quirky side and will cause an audience much mirth in the course of an evening… or weekend (they’re great at jams). “.. taut harmonies and a wall of acoustic guitars that first gave wings to the seductive sound of ‘70s California yet advances the substantial groove through progressive elements that add the haunting quality first pioneered by Cano and Harmonium” Eric Thom, Exclaim

 

“Cabin Fever”, the follow-up to their 2003 debut album ‘’Twenty Years’’, features once again the collective writing and performing team of longtime friends Larry Cassini, Gordon Fleming, Kirk Fontaine, and percussionist Rob Couture, along with newcomers Sylvain Dancausse on violin, young bass player-singer Ben Griffin, and Alan Springer on resonator guitar, though Fontaine and Springer rarely tour with the band.

They have played festivals from Yosemite, California to Vancouver Island, BC to Lunenberg, NS, and clubs and showcases throughout Lunenberg, NS, and clubs and showcases throughout North America (NXNE, Folk Alliance, etc.), and along North America (NXNE, Folk Alliance, etc.), and along the way have opened for and backed up rootsman Jim Condie, roots darling Penny Lang, bluesman Rob Lutes and last summer, they toured in Ontario and Québec with Chris Jagger’s Atcha!, zydeco-funk band from UK. Their songs – such as the haunting Walking Home (http://echohunters NULL.com/echos/wp-content/audiovideo/EchoHunters_Cabin_WalkingHome NULL.mp3) – are dark reflections on life, love and the world in which we live. Bloody Big World is a comment on the environmental chaos surrounding us; Going Down (http://echohunters NULL.com/echos/wp-content/audiovideo/EchoHunters_Cabin_GoingDown NULL.mp3) a sombre and deeply personal ballad. Chester (http://echohunters NULL.com/echos/wp-content/audiovideo/EchoHunters_Cabin_Chester NULL.mp3)is about a larger-than-life character who lived near one of their favourite fishing spots: Second Chance (http://echohunters NULL.com/echos/wp-content/audiovideo/EchoHunters_Cabin_SecondChance NULL.mp3) is “a muscular jam eerily reminiscent of Cinnamon-Girl era Neil Young”

Ball and Chain have been making frequent trips to Louisiana since 1997 and the music from Southwest Louisiana and its cultural context continues to fascinate them. They were instrumental in bringing the first outdoor dance floor to a festival in Ottawa(OFF Dance Tent) and they have the band to make the dancing happen.  They play a mixture of Roots Country and Cajun music, always with the dancers in mind.

Jody Benjamin was the lead singer in the Toasted Westerns, Ottawa’s favorite singing sandwich, from 1988 to 2008.  She is a talented rhythm player and her triangle, rub board and rhythm guitar (as well as harmony vocals) can be heard on many recordings by various artists including: Juno nominee and Maple Blues award winner, Michael Jerome Browne,  Keith Glass, Finest Kind, Grouyan Gombo.  She currently directs the two Ottawa chapters of Georgette Fry’s community women’s choir, Shout Sister!.

A student of the violin since childhood, Michael Ball was first exposed to Cajun and Zydeco music when he joined Danielle Martineau’s band,Rockabayou in 1992. The band toured Europe, Canada and the U.S. and recorded three albums between ’92 and ’97.  Michael also plays with other musicians including party favorites, Zydeco Loco and (Prairie Oyster) Keith Glass’ band, Twister.  He can be seen playing bass every Sunday night at Irene’s with the popular bluegrass group, The Dusty Drifters.

Check out their website’s music page. (http://www NULL.ballandchain NULL.ca/albums NULL.html)

 

Fearing & White CD Release Tour!

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Spirit of Rasputin’s Presents Fearing & White in Concert

Stephen Fearing & Andy White!! Sold Out !!

Who: Stephen Fearing and Andy White
Where: Westboro Masonic Hall, 430 Churchill Ave at Byron
When: 8pm, April 9, 2011


Spirit of Rasputin’s is the last stop by Stephen Fearing and Andy White in their cross Canada tour to promote their new collaboration CD Fearing & White. The album, a first for the two individually talented and acclaimed singer / songwriters (who boast nineteen solo albums between them), offers up a unique listening experience.  Ten years of writing, three weeks of rich analog recording with Scott Merritt (Fred Eaglesmith) at his Guelph studio, The Cottage, and a whole lot of miles spent on the road together have gone into this album, aptly entitled Fearing & White.  This eponymous debut duo album is the happy result of a long friendship that has survived both the tyranny of distance and the travails of the road.  White now calls Melbourne, Australia, home, while Fearing has recently moved to Halifax on Canada’s east coast. Over the past eight years, the two well-travelled troubadours have juggled schedules so they can meet up at least once a year to hang out and write songs. Fearing & White is a collection of 13 of those tunes.

Fearing is well known within the international folk and roots music community as one of its most accomplished songsmiths, storytellers and guitarists. A double Juno award winner in his native Canada, he has experienced commercial and critical success, both in his solo career and with roots/rock supergroup Blackie and The Rodeo Kings. Along the way, Stephen has toured and recorded with everybody from Merle Haggard to Shawn Colvin.

Northern Ireland born and raised White has earned a global following for blending folk and pop stylings with a poet’s sensibility. Working with the great names of Irish music  - Sinead O’Connor, Van Morrison  - and writing with the likes of Peter  Gabriel and Neil and Tim Finn, Andy has won Ireland’s top songwriting awards and toured the world many times. A published author, his recent on the road journal/novel 21st Century Troubadour has scored rave reviews.

Fearing & White is the first album bearing the LowdenProud imprint, and it marks an auspicious beginning for the new label. Although a duo project, Fearing & White is not the sound of two singers strumming acoustic guitars round a campfire. It features adventurous sonic atmospheres that perfectly compliment the eloquence of the lyrics, and both artists distinguish themselves on instruments with which they are not usually associated. White contributes melodic bass parts throughout (as well as acoustic guitar), while Fearing’s resonant and fluent electric and acoustic guitars shine consistently. Guest drummer/percussionist Ray Farrugia (Junkhouse, Lee Harvey Osmond, Mary Gauthier) supplies a robust and rhythmic kick.

Fearing & White explores diverse lyrical terrain, though Andy reflects, “the album’s tone I find is one of yearning. It is emotionally bare, and coy and mysterious too. The songs will definitely keep you guessing.” Plus, as Stephen observes,  “there is plenty of humour in there too.”  For instance, the stream of conscious-psychedelia of the infectious ‘Silver Sky’, the breezy upbeat vibe of opening track ‘Say You Will’, the cod-Irish humour of ‘Heart O’ The Morning’, and the musically quirky yet haunting groove of ‘Mothership’.

Fearing and White have cleared their busy schedules to take these songs on the road. Duo tour dates take them from BC and Alberta to  Ontario through  March and April, after which Stephen will be active with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, who release their keenly awaited new album, Kings And Queens, in May 2011. Andy remains on the road for most of the year in Australia, North America and Europe, as a fully paid up 21st Century Troubadour.

Hammond is Back March 19 with Spirit!

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Marie-Lynn Hammond

The poster: click to enlarge

Who: Marie-Lynn Hammond with Tom Leighton
When: 8pm, March 19, 2011
Where: Westboro Masonic Hall, 430 Churchill
Listen to: Not Another Benefit (http://www NULL.marielynnhammond NULL.com/benefit NULL.mp3)

Advance tickets are still available on-line at our e-Store, at the Ottawa Folklore Centre 1111 Bank (613-730-2887), or Collected Works Bookstore 1242 Wellington St (613-722-1265).

Spirit of Rasputin’s is proud to host Marie-Lynn’s return to the Ottawa concert scene at our intimate concert venue. Marie-Lynn Hammond has been called one of Canada’s best songwriters by no less than Estelle Klein, a co-founder of the Mariposa Folk Festival, and Gary Cristal, founder of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. Herself a co-founder of Stringband, the seminal Canadian folk group and indie-record pioneer, Hammond’s known for her unique voice, her dynamic stage presence, and her brilliant songs, which range from wickedly funny to hauntingly personal—in both official languages.

While she was recording Pegasus, her most recent album, Hammond lost one of her sisters to cancer, and after the album’s release she withdrew from the music scene for several years. Just as she was about to start performing again, a major accident left her with a visual disability, forcing her once again to regroup. But Hammond is back performing and writing at the top of her form once again, with a new CD slated for summer or fall of 2011.

Stringband co-founder

In the early 1970s, Marie-Lynn and Bob Bossin founded the legendary and indie-pioneering Canadian folk group Stringband. Tirelessly criss-crossing Canada for 15 years, they also made international forays (see below). Their 30th anniversary was marked by two Stringband reunion shows on CBC’s The Vinyl Café, followed by appearances across the country in 2002–03.

Recordings

Four albums, one compilation CD (Stringband); five recordings, reissued as CDs (solo); plus several songs composed and/or performed for documentary films and television shows.

 

 

Other career highlights

INTERNATIONAL: Folk Alliance Showcase, Chicago; Expo 85 (Japan), Expo 86 (Vancouver); USSR tour (28 dates); Mexican tour for the Canadian embassy (30 dates)

TELEVSION & RADIO: Person 2 Person with Paula Todd, The Vinyl Café, Sounds like Canada, Swinging on a Star, Musical Friends, Morningside, The Ian Tyson Show, The Al Hamel Show, Variety Tonight, The George Hamilton IV Show, CBC Radio Canada Day Special from Lahr, Germany

CONCERTS: Canada Day shows, Parliament Hill and Harbourfront; opening for Pauline Julien, Paul Butterfield, Fairport Convention and others

FESTIVALS: Every major folk festival in Canada (Mariposa, Vancouver, Winnipeg, etc.)

In the early 1980s Marie-Lynn’s songs about her bicultural family grew into a critically acclaimed musical play, De Beaux Gestes & Beautiful Deeds, which has received several productions. She has written or co-written four more plays and a screenplay (all produced), hosted two national CBC radio shows and written articles for national magazines, and she currently works part-time as a freelance editor.

Presenting David Woodhead’s Coffeehouse Confabulation

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David Woodhead On Saturday, February 19th, at 8pm, David Woodhead — bass player for every roots JUNO winner you can think of — brings his fabulous Confabulation to the Spirit of Rasputin’s concert series. We expect the Westboro Masonic Hall at 430 Churchill to be filled to the chandeliers again. Joining David is actor, performer, poet extradinaire Cedric Smith, who adds more than his weight in atmosphere and drama. Some of you may have seen their performance at Blue Skies last summer. The Confabulation is now a regular treat at Hugh’s Room in Toronto. And that treat is coming here!!

To confabulate is to engage in conversation, to talk or to fabricate imaginary experiences as compensation for loss of memory. David Woodhead’s confabulation is a unique musical experience, a unique collaboration of adventurous performance veterans with like-minded stellar young players.

It’s about interplay – musical conversations and fabrications from an imaginary coffeehouse, not unlike Rasputin’s, late one night in a distant past or, perhaps, an imminent future.

Check them out at their website. (http://www NULL.davidwoodhead NULL.com/confabulation NULL.html)

Here are some audio files:
Coffee House Days – featuring Cedric Smith (http://www NULL.davidwoodhead NULL.com/Coffeehouse%20Days NULL.mp3)
Clap Your Hands, Charlie (http://www NULL.davidwoodhead NULL.com/Clap%20Your%20Hands%20Charlie NULL.mp3)
Bozeny Parasy (http://www NULL.davidwoodhead NULL.com/Bozeny%20Parasy NULL.mp3)

And a video!!

Jenny Whiteley Coming to Spirit of Rasputin’s

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The Spirit of Rasputin’s is proud to present, Juno Award winner, Jenny Whiteley, in concert January 15 at the Westboro Mason’s Hall, 430 Churchill Ave at Byron.  For this show, Jenny will be accompanied by her husband and musical collaborator, Joey Wright.

An accomplished, gifted, and musically rewarding singer and songwriter whose lyrics capture the soul of real-life experiences, Jenny Whiteley would have you believe she has decades of anecdotes to draw from. Her evocative, self-titled debut won the Juno Award for Best Roots & Traditional Recording: Solo in March 2001. The daughter of renowned blues musician Chris Whiteley, being a prodigy of a musical family meant her destiny was determined long ago. Her peers have recently recognized Jenny’s incredible voice. Prairie Oyster invited Jenny to sing on their re-released “Man In The Moon” (a song written by Jenny’s father Chris, incidentally), and that is Jenny singing background vocals on Sarah Harmer’s hit song “Basement Apartment.” Jenny has been awarded showcase opportunities at a number of exclusive North American festivals, including the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals, The North American Folk Alliance, and South By Southwest Music Festival & Conference.

For more about Jenny, please see http://www.jennywhiteley.com/bio/index.php (http://www NULL.jennywhiteley NULL.com/bio/index NULL.php) or http://radio3.cbc.ca/#/bands/Jenny-Whiteley (http://radio3 NULL.cbc NULL.ca/#/bands/Jenny-Whiteley)

Prescott with special guest Adam Puddington

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On November 20 at Westboro Masonic Hall, you’ll find a sweet distillation of family tradition with an alternative sound. Prescott is Kaylen and Kelly Prescott, a brother and sister duo, third generation musicians. They carry the tradition of performing through both sides of the family. Their young world was a revolving door of varied and talented musicians and songwriters, who came to ply their trade at their well renowned family recording studio. As children and grandchildren of musicians, they were part and parcels of the tour date life, rolling along in a tour bus, or streaking across the skies. It seems natural that they now embark on their own musical journey. The Prescott sound is distilled from a wide range of musical influences. Their new CD called “The Lakeside Sessions” is an impressive collection of songs textured with hillbilly, heartbreak, and love. Pooling their rich songwriting strengths and unique, beautiful harmonies, Prescott are performers who embody the beat of generations. Their strong 2008 performance at the Ottawa BluesFest opened the door for Kaylen and Kelly to go into the studio to create their first collaborative c.d., writing and co-writing all original tracks.

Read more about Prescott… (http://www NULL.myspace NULL.com/theprescottsound#ixzz13yJgOjST)

Adam Puddington is one of Almonte, Ontario’s golden sons, and he wears the legacy proudly. Rural Canadiana seeps into his songs, infusing his lyrics with the curious beauty of rivers, wildlife, rosaries and trains. Especially trains, for Puddingtons Canada is primarily two different worlds joined by a spine of railway; while his sensibilities are firmly rooted in Ottawa Valley soil, maritime themes in songs like Deer in the Headlights and Footprints betray Puddingtons affinity for the east coast. There he found kindred musical spirits in the Halifax scene, performing and recording with the citys most innovative musicians and having his deftly-crafted songs covered by many local musicians. Read more about Adam… (http://www NULL.adampuddington NULL.com/)

Terry Gillespie with Terry Owen
Sunday, May 2, 7pm

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Terry Gillespie (http://www NULL.terrygillespie NULL.ca/)

Terry Gillespie - photo by Susan Valyi

From England to Edmonton to Detroit to the Elmdale Tavern on Sunday, May 2, “musical shaman” Terry Gillespie has been testifying the blues for many a lonesome mile, and critics and audiences agree that he’s pretty damned good at it. A prophet of the southern blues in Eastern Ontario, and the recipient of many awards and much recognition, Terry is bringing Grammy-nominated Terry Owen and master hand drummer Jeffery Grosvenor with him to the Elmdale for what will no doubt be a memorable night of songs, storytelling, and, well, mojo!

Ian Tamblyn With Andy Mason Opening
Sunday April 18 at 7pm

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Ian Tamblyn

Ian Tamblyn

Ian Tamblyn, musician, wilderness guide, playwright, photographer, honorary doctor at Lakehead University, and Canadian folk scenester, stops at the Elmdale House Tavern on April 18th. Independent since 1972, he has recorded 32 albums, many of which have been released in the US, Japan, and Italy. Endowed with a great love for the lore and landscapes of our country, Ian will no doubt put on a great show. Joining Ian will be Andy Mason, a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter who’s been writing and performing for 20+ years, winning a Native-E Music Award in Albuquerque in 2008. Tickets are $15, available at the Elmdale and Ottawa Folklore Centre.

Lindsay Ferguson with Emily Fennell
Sunday April 4, 7PM

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Lindsay Ferguson
With a voice comparable to Joni Mitchell, Sinead O’Connor, and Kate Bush, Lindsay was voted 2008′s “Best New Artist” by Ottawa Xpress and has spent the year touring and writing, sharing the stage with Steve Earle, Kathleen Edwards, and Harry Manx, to name a few. Emily Fennell

She is pleased to share the stage at the Elmdale with Emily Fennell, who after five years, 1000 shows, three original acts and one baby, returns to her musical roots – performing solo. Self-accompanied on piano and guitar, Fennell performs an assortment of original songs from projects old (Emily Fennell Band, Sugarplum) and new (Miss Emily). Tickets are $15, available at the Ottawa Folklore Centre and the Elmdale.

Music for the Soul – A Conversation with Chris MacLean

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by Lynn Stevenson

“I want to be awake,” says Wakefield singer/songwriter Chris MacLean

explaining why music is not only a passion, but a necessity in her life.

Without being melodramatic, she adds, “I think if I didn’t have either music or painting, I would be dead – these things feed the soul”.

Many things feed the soul of this talented artist – from the rock and water

of her home in West Quebec, her dear friends, meditation or the memory of a special dog who passed away a year ago.  Chris MacLean sings about peace, hope and the importance of protecting the environment.

Her pure voice channels compassion on “Nightbird,” for a man she never knew who committed suicide after a struggle with mental illness. But she says she never sets out to write about specific things: “You write what you write – what the muse gives you.”

Her efforts have earned Chris MacLean recognition with awards such as the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award for “Feet Be Still’ and the OCFF Songs from the Heart Award in the historical category for “Sisters of Charity” – which tells the sad but inspiring tale of a Cree woman and her children struggling against racism and injustice in mid-1800s Manitoba.

Chris has had many struggles of her own in life, but music gives her

hope and makes her smile. Coming home from practice with Fred Guignion (guitar), Stuart Watkins (bass) and Beth Cahill (mandolin and vocals) she describes it as one of her happiest days in weeks.  While it hasn’t been easy, Chris knows that music is what she was meant to do.

Chris MacLean’s interest in music started at an early age. She composed and sang folk songs and played in a bluegrass band as a young adult before marriage and children took her away from it for well over a decade.  Coming back to it in her late 30s, she was struck by narrow attitude of the music industry. Despite considerable talent, she was told she was basically too old to make it in the business.  This was a frustrating aspect of the youth culture that she says dominates life here.  It is not something you find in eastern cultures, where experience is honoured and respected.

But Chris did not let that attitude stop her.  “I guess I am just stubborn,” she says.  Now at 53, with two CDs: Learn to Be Loved (2000) and Feet Be Still, (2009), many successful collaborations and awards to her credit – Chris has proved them wrong.  “I feel like life is just beginning.”  And for fans of this talented performer – that is a very good thing indeed.

Chris was a core member of world music ensemble GALITCHA as well as FRIDA’S BROW, which was nominated as Best Vocal Group in the 2008 Canadian Folk Music Awards. She currently performs solo accompanied by Fred Guignion and Stuart Watkins.  She can be seen

occasionally with The POMELOS, a collective of female songwriters; TLC (Tannis Slimmon, Laura Bird and Chris) and also as a backup vocalist with Ian Tambyln.

Chris will be joined on March 21st by Fred and Stuart along with special guest Beth Cahill as part of the Spirit of Rasputin’s concert series at the Elmdale Tavern.