Press Play> Vol.10 Transit - Hip Hop

There is so much to like about Transit and his video Calgary (above). Where to begin? I can't remember who tweeted the YouTube link or what was written in the tweet that inspired me to click on it but I did. And as soon as the video kicked in, I was hooked.

• The song - It's a great song - pure and simple - with a great groove. It does what every good song in any genre does; it tells a story. 
• The visuals - Calgary looks amazing. It looks like a real honest to goodness cool beautiful city. People who visit our burg notice that but I don't think many of us who grew up here realize how big and cool it's getting until we see it reflected in a video like this.
• The stereotype - It takes an immigrant (!) like Transit to come out and say it - we're not all cowboys - even though many of us have known that for years. When I lived in Ontario, people would find out I was from Calgary and assume they knew my politics, attitude and taste in music. They assume Calgarians are anti ... uh.. well.. anti a lot of things that suggest sophistication or tolerance. And I would have to educate them. In this video Transit just comes out and says it. He sings "We're not all cowboys" because we're not.  
• The mayor - How cool is it that Transit thought to ask and how cool is it that the Mayor @nenshi said yes.
• The voice - Jann Arden's appearance in this video is the icing on the cake. What a treat to hear her voice like honey dripping through the beat and then soaring above it. It just works so well. @jannarden is a Calgary icon, a Canadian star, an old school voice next to an up-and-comer singing. She sings the praises of a city not usually know for its arts and music.Plus there are images and names dropped of a whole bunch of indie and hip hop artists that are buzzing in YYC.  

I chased down Transit @transitrants on twitter and I asked him to Press Play> and I am happy to post the results. 

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? 

Wale featuring J.Cole – Bad Girls Club



WHAT IS THE RECORD OR MAYBE TWO, OR THREE OR FOUR THAT INFLUENCE YOUR MUSIC THE MOST?

Atmosphere - You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having and Shad - T.S.O.L

WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU BOUGHT? 

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Actually I didn't buy it, I stole it from my older sister and ended up playing it too much and I wrecked it.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE COVER TUNE? (SONG AND COVERED BY WHOM?)

Elise Roller

When I Grow Up by the Pussycat Dolls covered by Elise Roller. She completely slows it down and adds a different feel to it and it makes a normally garbage song enjoyable.

WHAT IS THE RECORD YOU COUNT AS YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE?

Any Young Jeezy record is a guilty pleasure for me. It’s definitely not my style of rap but every now and then I like listening to it and pretending I’m a thug.


CURRENTLY WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE RECORD TO LISTEN TO ON THE ROAD?

Manchester Orchestra - I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child



WHICH OF YOUR RECORDS IS YOUR FAVOURITE ?

My latest CD 22. It’s not out yet though…

WHAT IS A RECORD YOU BOUGHT THAT YOU WISH YOU DIDN'T?  

Jay-Z  - Kingdom Come --- It’s not even that it was that bad of a record but after coming out of retirement and all the hype behind that, I got so excited for it to drop. When it came out, I skipped school (I was in grade 12) and walked 45 minutes each way in the rain to HMV. As soon as I got home and heard that track he did with Usher I wanted to cry.

Transit on Facebook 

Find him on MySpace  

Press Play> Vol.9 Russell Broom, Guitarist, Producer

guitar player at the Jann Arden concert

In the mid 90s I was living in Windsor, Ontario. They announced Jann Arden from my hometown of Calgary was coming to town for a concert. My friends from home had been telling me about her and her new single Insensitive was getting to be a hit. That show in Windsor was poorly attended because Detroit media dominates which makes it tough for Canadian stars to get noticed. I will quickly point out that the next time Arden came to town her Windsor show sold out faster than any of the others on the tour and they added a second show.
 
I dragged my friends to see "the girl singer from my hometown with the voice." Of course we were extremely impressed with her humour, her songs, that voice. We were also raving about Arden's killer band. We all agreed the stand-out was her guitar player. He was simply amazing.

 
I have since found out that Russell Broom is much more than a killer guitar player. When you visit his website you'll see evidence of his musical experience, talent and knowledge.

He describes himself as "a music guy, I produce, engineer and mix records, write songs and play guitar. I’ve also performed, written, and or engineered a whole bunch of music on film and TV."

His list of projects includes Ms. Arden and an eclectic mix of terrific musicians including Chixdiggit, Dojo Workhorse, SheDaisy, Terri Clark, Sierra Noble, Emm Gryner, Martin Page, Robbie Williams, Doc Walker, Tariq, Clayton Bellamy, Jason McCoy, Josh Groban, Ron Sexsmith, Sam Roberts and many more. You can get a detailed look at the projects he has worked on and the stack of awards he has won on the "credits" page on his website.

I knew I would get some interesting and eclectic answers from Russell when I asked him to Press Play > and he didn't disappoint.

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

Music I'm working on for a client! I am just wrapping up projects for Lynzie Kent, Chris Austman, CMT and a bunch of others. 

As far as listening for enjoyment, the new Bon Iver record - Bon Iver, records by Laura Marling, William Fitzsimmons, I Blame Coco and Cream - BBC sessions.

WHAT IS THE RECORD (OKAY MAYBE TWO OR THREE OR FOUR) THAT INFLUENCED YOUR MUSIC THE MOST?

These are some records that inspire me, that I have no interest in copying but simply enjoying and being enveloped by.

Jimi Hendrix - Band of Gypsies

Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball

U2 - Unforgettable Fire

American Music Club - Mercury

Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden

Talk Talk - Colour of Spring

Joy Division - Permanent.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST RECORD YOU BOUGHT?

Elvis Costello - Armed Forces --- I heard the song Oliver's Army when I was 8 or 9 and loved it, not really understanding the political content, but I loved the melody and the song itself. Still one of my favourite records.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COVER TUNE (SONG AND BY WHOM)? 

Goodbye by Steve Earle, covered by Emmylou Harris --- A heartbreaking song, a heartbreaking version of a heartbreaking song. Gosh, nuff said!

WHAT IS THE RECORD THAT YOU COUNT AS A GUILTY PLEASURE?

Madonna - Music --- I like the production on the Madonna's Music record. I dig the energy of it. She's not the most musical person in the world, but I respect what she draws out of producers a lot. And any of John Mayer's records --- John Mayer writes some great songs, and I'll listen to Steve Jordan and Pin Palladino any day of the week. As a guitar player I'm supposed to dismiss him. I ain't gonna. He's great at what he does.

 

CURRENTLY WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE RECORD TO LISTEN TO ON THE ROAD?

Amos Lee - Mission Bell  --- I mixed a live show of his for CMT and fell in love with the songs, especially Violin. Great travelling music and  Arvo Part - Sanctuary --- No matter what is going on around me, this record can pull me out of whatever environment I am in and totally captivate me. I love his work and this record is a great representation of the beauty and simplicity in what he does. As a guitar player, that would be my ultimate goal, to play simply and beautifully.

WHICH OF YOUR ALBUMS (SOLO OR A BAND) IS YOUR FAVOURITE?

All of them dammit! Like having to choose your favorite child - ha ha. Each one has a large part of my sanity, heart, soul, and love in them. They each draw out different things, and I learn so much on every project.

WHAT'S THE RECORD YOU BOUGHT THAT YOU WISH YOU DIDN'T?

Too many to list!

Follow Russell Broom on twitter @russellbroom

Find Russell on My Space here

Hire Russell to work on your record here

Press Play> Vol.8 Matt Masters, Country, Alt. Country, Folk, Roots, Americana

I tell anyone who will listen to me that the best music being made today is what a lot of people call alt.country, roots or Americana (?). I don't much like any of those labels. There are two reasons behind them: 1) to distinguish edgy country music from more mainstream country played on most radio stations and 2) when hipsters try to say the words "country" followed by "music" it gets stuck in their throat.

Matt Masters is a Calgary based musician. He plays country music. Kick ass country music. Here's a bit of his bio from his record company Saved By Radio.

The Montreal Gazette says he was ʻborn to sing country music.ʼ The Red Deer Express says he wields a remarkable voice, they call him a ʻtrue country and western singer in the traditional sense.ʼ They go on, ʻA historian with a keen sense of the modern era, Masters intertwines his western heritage with a forward-looking vision.ʼ

With his new album, ALL-WESTERN WINNERS, Matt Masters lays out the blueprint for what is coming in Canadian country music. He has grabbed the sounds of the prairie by their roots and used the future as a fertilizer to grow a crop of Canadian songs that will serve to feed a generation. The sound is heavier than ever before as Masters carries his voice to new heights. Traditional 21st century western Canadian folk music. World and Canadian music, Alberta style.

Here is a song from Matt's latest record.

I asked Matt if he would like to Press Play> on my blog and he said yes and he answered my questions ... sort of. 

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

My friend and bandmate Craig McCaul is playing guitar in the room next to me.

Craig's bio -- A master guitarist by trade, Craig's prowess as a bass player is equally formidable. His rich sense of musicality is enhanced by the diversity of projects he has spearheaded or been a part of in past years. A graduate of the Music Diploma Program at Calgary's Mount Royal College, McCaul is a veteran of the touring circuit. His impressive resume of projects display diversity such as as African folk group Doundounba, singer/songwriter Adrienne Pierce, and jazz violinist Karl Roth

WHAT IS THE RECORD (OKAY MAYBE TWO OR THREE OR FOUR) THAT INFLUENCED YOUR MUSIC THE MOST?

All three of these were really big for me

Marty Robbins - Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs

Roger Miller - Robin Hood 

Willie Nelson – Greatest Hits and some that will be





WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU BOUGHT?

Sting – Dream of the Blue Turtles

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COVER TUNE (SONG AND COVERED BY WHOM)?

Changes all the time. I am quite fond of It's A Heartache by Bonnie Tyler (written by Ronnie Scott & Steve Wolfe also covered by Juice Newton and Ronnie Spector) 

I am also rather fond of a song I cover on my new record. It's called Snake Farm written by Ray Wylie Hubbard.

SEE THE NEW VIDEO FOR SNAKE FARM AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE. (Jan 4, 2012)

WHAT IS THE RECORD YOU COUNT AS A GUILTY PLEASURE? 

Pump by Aerosmith and then about another 100.

CURRENTLY, WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE RECORD TO LISTEN TO ON THE ROAD? 

Usually the newest one I have. My current faves include the new album (Tonight, Tonight) by The Heartbroken



WHICH OF YOUR RECORDS IS YOUR FAVOURITE? 

My newest one, All-Western Winners for sure!

WHAT'S THE RECORD YOU BOUGHT THAT YOU WISH YOU DIDN'T? 

I never really regret a record purchase. I have some pretty weird ones, but I wouldn’t call them regrets.

Follow Matt on Twitter @MastersMatt 

Like Matt on Facebook here 

Find out when and where Matt is performing here 

Press Play> Vol. 7 Mike Stevens, Harmonica Innovator

At a very early age Mike Stevens found a harmonica. Actually it found him. Living in Sarnia, Ontario he couldn't help but hear the sounds of Motown and the Blues over the airwaves from Detroit. At 16 something snapped and Mike started to practice up to 12 hours a day. Creating and refining a very original and often copied style of playing.

This approach to music led Mike to audition for a bluegrass band; he didn’t realize that the harmonica was not an accepted instrument in bluegrass. In fact some people turn their backs or re-tune their instruments so the harmonica would not fit in only strengthened Mike's resolve and made his playing even more explosive and expressive.

In the 1980’s Mike was playing the Carlisle, Ontario bluegrass festival when Little Roy Lewis from the world-famous Lewis Family invited him on stage. The crowd went nuts and afterward Little Roy said "look if you’re willing to follow us around for no pay I’ll let you play with us."  So Mike would sit in the audience and Little Roy would start a tune then stop and say "What this song really needs is harmonica." (the audience would gasp – a harmonica ) That was Mike’s cue and he would jump on stage and they would burn down the house to thunderous applause.

In 1988 while appearing at a bluegrass festival in Georgia, Mike met bluegrass legends Jim and Jesse and the Virginia Boys. Once they heard Mike play they invited him up sit in. After the performance Mike heard the words "You need to be on the Grand Ole Opry" and that’s what happened. Mike has performed more than 300 times on the world famous Grand Ole Opry stage and can count the late Roy Acuff, the king of country music as one of his biggest fans.




Mike toured the world as a featured performer with Jim and Jesse for close to 15 years playing all the major bluegrass festivals solidifying Mike’s position as a true pioneer of bluegrass harmonica. Meanwhile the awards were rolling in: In 1990 Mikes first release Harmonica won Recording of the Year at the Central Canadian Bluegrass awards.

1990-1996 Mike was awarded the Entertainer of the Year award at the Central Canadian Bluegrass Awards and was retired from the category after six wins in a row.

In 1991 Mike's recording Blowin up a Storm was the highest selling release on Pinecastle Records.

In 1994 Mike was named a Kentucky Colonel by the Governor of Kentucky for his contributions to bluegrass.

In 1995 Mike wrote the book Bluegrass Harmonica detailing his unique harmonica technique - available through Hal Leonard Publishing.

In 2001 Mike signed on with Borealis Recording Company, one of the most prestigious folk and roots music labels in Canada. Both Old Time Mojo and The World is Only Air were released on Borelis.Mike continues to play many styles of music incorporating his influences and experiences.He plays solo shows involving looping with mouth percussion creating otherworldly sound paintings. 


Some of the highlights have been Avante-garde multimedia performances with world famous photographer Larry Towell

He also performs with duo partners - with legendary bluegrass musician Raymond McLain and blues shows with Matt Andersen.

Matt and Mike recently won an East Coast Music Award for their duo recording Piggyback. They prepared a second duo record during a recent songwriting residency at the Banff Centre. The new record is expected to be for sale soon through Mike's website as well as Matt's.

Mike Stevens' music is always evolving and reflects all of his influences, always pushing the envelope while respecting the past.

I have known Mike for about 15 years. You can read a bit more about our connection and why I like his music elsewhere on the Musical Immigrant blog.

Meanwhile I asked Mike to Press Play> and he did.

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

Inuit throat boxing that I recorded in the Arctic

PARDON?

Inuit throat boxing is a wild combination of throat singing and beatboxing. I don't think there is a term to describe it yet. It's too new

Mike recently performed at the Rockin Walrus Festival in Igloolik, NU, Canada

WHAT IS THE RECORD (OKAY MAYBE 2 OR 3 OR 4) THAT INFLUENCED YOUR MUSIC THE MOST?

Everything I hear everyday sneaks in somewhere. Maybe Tom Waits - Bone Machine

WHAT IS THE FIRST RECORD YOU BOUGHT?

A 45 rpm single by Harlow Wilcox and the Oakies - Groovy Grubworm I think I bought when I was 11 or 12. I probably bought it with my grass cutting money.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COVER TUNE?

Richard Thompson's version of Donovan's - Season of the Witch. Killer version



WHAT IS A RECORD YOU COUNT AS A GUILTY PLEASURE?

Bad Company - Runnin with the Pack

CURRENTLY, WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE RECORD TO LISTEN TO ON THE ROAD?

I don't listen on the road much usually stuff I'm working on or talk radio.

WHICH OF YOUR RECORDS IS YOUR FAVOURITE?

Probably the first one, Harmonica because it shook up the bluegrass folks a bit.

WHAT IS THE RECORD YOU BOUGHT THAT YOU WISH YOU DIDN'T?

Could have been Groovy Grubworm, I don't remember



Mike Stevens and David Lindley jamming on Mercury Blues - Sarnia, Ontario, Canada 

www.mikestevensmusic.com 

Find Mike Stevens on Facebook

Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeStevensHarp

Find Mike on MySpace 

Press Play> Vol.6 James Keelaghan, Singer Songwriter

Called Canada’s finest singer-songwriter by one of the most respected music journalists of the last 50 years, James Keelaghan is an artist who has proven to be a man for all seasons.

His masterful story telling has, over the course of nine recordings, been part of the bedrock of his success, earning Keelaghan nominations and awards - including a Juno Award - and acclaim from Australia to Scandinavia.

Possessed of an insatiable appetite for finding the next unique story line, Keelaghan forges his pieces with brilliant craftsmanship and monogrammed artistic vision, making him one of the most distinctive and readily identifiable voices on both the Canadian and international singer-songwriter scenes.

His journey has attracted fans of literate and layered songwriting to join him on his artistic expeditions, some of which weave their way through marvelously etched historical stories with underlying universal themes, others of which mine the depths of the soul and the emotional trails of human relations.

Compadres - Oscar and James

"I’ve always had the urge to write," says Keelaghan. "Some things weren’t being said in the way I wanted to say them, some thing were not being written about at all. That's why i started to write the historical material. That led me to writing my own personal narratives as well.”

I've know James for a long time and watched him go from sideman, to strumming tunes to tiny crowds at the Kensignton Delicafe in Calgary to filling concert halls and playing to thousands at the biggest music festivals in the world. I also had the pleasure of booking him to play solo at Windsor Folk in Windsor, Ontario and as a duo with his partner in musical crime Oscar Lopez - as Compadres.

I am pleased to report that when I called on James to take some time away from his busy schedule to Press Play> he said "sure."

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? 

Rose Cousins - The Send Off  -- Rose is a brilliant writer and a fine performer

Listen to Rose Cousins - CBC Radio 2 Concert

WHAT IS THE RECORD (OR MAYBE TWO OR THREE OR FOUR) THAT INFLUENCED YOUR MUSIC THE MOST? 

Liam Clancy - Liam Clancy -- The art of the ballad. Nobody did it better.

Oliver Schroer - O2 -- A solo violin record. Who would have thought? It's like the Clancy album, an unadulterated pure solo performance,

WHAT WAS THE FIRST RECORD YOU BOUGHT? 

John Denver - Poems Prayers and Promises

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COVER TUNE (SONG AND BY WHOM) ?

David Lindley - Mercury Blues -- Best rock track ever.

(written by K.C. Douglas and Robert Geddins and originally performed by Douglas) 

WHAT IS THE RECORD THAT YOU COUNT AS A GUILTY PLEASURE?

Lagaan - Original Soundtrack. -- A Bollywood film about a historic cricket match, what could be better?

CURRENTLY, WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE RECORD TO LISTEN TO ON THE ROAD?

Finest Kind - For Honour And For Gain

Ian Robb is one of the best singers, of any genre, ever!

WHICH OF YOUR RECORDS IS YOUR FAVOURITE?

House of Cards





WHAT IS THE RECORD YOU BOUGHT THAT YOU WISH YOU DIDN'T?

Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens) - Roadsinger

Truly, not a way to reconnect with a hero

www.keelaghan.com or KEELOWEB 

Find out where James Keelaghan is performing 

This is where you can buy his music. 

Find James on Facebook

Follow James on Twitter @jimmykeelo

Musical Immigrant In Love

They say your first love is always the one that's unforgettable. My first love in the digital age of music is and will forever be emusic.com.

It was 2003 and I had purchased my first MP3 player. It included a coupon for some free downloads/songs, I'm not sure how many. I was expecting some crap pop music. I was pleasantly surprised to plug in the URL and find myself at emusic.com, a Website devoted to independent music, at least that's what it was back then. I quickly became a subscriber and it has forever changed the way I buy music.

Why do I love it? I will often hear or read about an artist, usually a new roots or folk act, or obscure indie band, and I plug in the name at the emusic search engine and there's a good chance I'll find them there. For example, last month I went to a club show at the Sled Island Festival in Calgary. The headliner was Alejandro Escovedo, one of my all time favourites. The other two bands on the bill were The Lusitania, an alt country punk outfit from Texas and Orgone, a soul funk outfit from Los Angeles. They were both new to me.
Emusic offered music by all three artists.

I also first heard of  Antibalas and The Bad Plus at the dearly departed Calgary Jazz Festival. After that show I got home and checked on emusic and there they were.

Another treasure I found on emusic is a eight-song ep of demos by the the late Canadian singer-songwriter Bob Carpenter. He died about 15 years ago. His one full recording Silent Passages which has also been hard to find is available on emusic as well. (not to be confused with this American singer Bob Carpenter)

What is emusic?

They call themselves the download service for the music fan who is independently minded. Funny because they used to call themselves an indie music service and while they do offer mostly indie music, they also sell music from companies such as EMI which is definitely not indie. And don.'t go thinkin' emusic is some mom and pop operation. It's owned by a hedge fund called JDS Capital. You can read about the company and the people behind it here: Bloomberg

It may be just as easy to explain what emusic is NOT. For one thing, it's not iTunes. All the downloads are MP3s which means they can be ripped into your iPod or any other file player and can also be burned onto CDs in an unlimited fashion. They also don't sell TV shows, video or apps. They do sell audio books though.

They also won't sell you just one song. They are a subscription service with a minimum of $11.99 a month. Once you give them that you can indeed download single songs from artists at a cost of .49 each.

I have an extremely sweet deal because I signed up in the early days. My arrangement was originally for 90 songs a month. I pay $23.99 U.S. a month which means I pay 27 cents U.S. a song. What makes it even better is the fact that the U.S. dollar is worth less than the Canadian dollar these days. When I signed up the exchange rates was not in my favour.

Don't expect to get the same deal. New subscribers pay 49 cents a song, which is still about half of what they charge at iTunes. In fact Emusic upped its prices and changed its pay structure and it pissed off a lot of people. Here's an article with that point of view. Have a look. All I can say is, I am still getting my sweet deal and the selection of alternative and minority taste music is still pretty darn good.

Where emusic shines is in its roots, folk and Americana selection and in its indie pop and rock selection. Jazz and blues are pretty good. It also has a lot of spoken word and obscure movie and TV soundtracks.

Is this Zombie sing-a-long crap or not? You decide.

It also has some of the crappiest music known to man. It seems that as long as you have set up some kind of record label or belong to one, they'll release your music. There is no quality control of any kind so it's always buyer beware. For example, they lump the country music in with the folk roots so you have to wade through some of the worst, most horribly cheesy country music you will ever hear. They also put out music by some pretty weird labels which offer re recordings and K-tel style collections that are either NOT the original artist or a substandard rerecording by sorta the original artist.

Sometimes it can be very entertaining to look at all the bad record covers and to listen to the horrible recordings. One other peeve of mine is, for a company that claims to be all hot and bothered about music, they make a lot of mistakes in how they present music. If you are looking for Roy Rogers the blues guy, you'll also find Roy Rogers the cowboy guy and they don't seem know or care that their music is quite different (to say the least.) Sometimes they will put records by two bands with the same name next to each other and if you're not careful you can end up with the wrong record. So, ALWAYS LISTEN BEFORE YOU CLICK THE DOWNLOAD SWITCH.

I am not a shill for emusic. I suggest you browse and check it out yourself and please grab the link above and read about why some people hate it. Also, since I started downloading music, a lot of the indie music previously only available from emusic is also available through iTunes and through other sources. And, on top of that, I love to buy CDs directly from the artists at shows to keep as much money in their pockets as possible.  

I will tell you this though, I have 90 songs a month and I've usually bought mine within three or four days of renewal and I have something like 500 titles saved.

Press Play> Vol. 5 Rick Fines, formerly Jackson Delta, Acoustic blues, Singer songwriter

Rick Fines is a veteran of the folk and blues circuits in North America. In October 2005 Rick went to Alabama where he took first place in the Sweetgum Bottom Acoustic Blues Competition. His song Riley Wants His Life Back won first place in the blues category of 2003 International Songwriting Competition, with B.B. King one of the judges!

He won the Maple Blues Award for Songwriter of the Year, Acoustic Act Of The Year twice (98, 99), and has received eight additional nominations. His work with Jackson Delta for 15 years brought nominations from both the Juno and the Handy Awards.

He has played for legendary blues piano player Pinetop Perkins, songstress Colleen Peterson, folk icon Penny Lang and many others. He toured from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic, from B.C. to NYC  bringing his understanding of blues, finger-style and bottleneck guitar.

I met Rick in the 90s when I was one of the organizers of the Windsor Folk Music Society. I booked his trio Jackson Delta and then Rick as a solo artist a number of times. His guitar playing is superb and his whiskey tinged voice is terrific, whether he is covering an old acoustic blues tune or singing one of his own impeccably written originals. Rick is often criss-crossing the country solo or with his duo partner Suzie Vinnick. Make sure to catch him when he's in your area.

And I am extremely happy that Rick answered the call when I asked him to Press Play >

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? 

A bunch of Bluegrass albums, having just been the only blues act at the Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival in the Yukon Territory. I'm reminded of how much I like the sincere lyrics and fabulous vocal harmonies.... Claire Lynch, Jim Hurst, Michael Cleveland, Dale Ann Bradley and the Gibson Brothers (and their fantastic mando player Joe Walsh {no, not that Joe Walsh}). I bought a bunch of CDs and swapped a few.

WHAT IS THE RECORD (OKAY MAYBE TWO OR THREE OR FOUR) THAT INFLUENCED YOUR MUSIC THE MOST?

I'd say Mississippi John Hurt - live and Leon Russell - Carney. 

Tomorrow I'll have a different answer.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST RECORD YOU BOUGHT?

The Rolling Stones More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies)

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE COVER (TUNE AND BY WHOM)?

Maybe You Don't Know Me covered by Ray Charles... tomorrow?...

WHAT IS THE RECORD YOU COUNT AS A GUILTY PLEASURE?



Amy Whinehouse?

CURRENTLY, WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE RECORD TO LISTEN TO ON THE ROAD?

Los Lobos Tin Can Trust

WHICH OF YOUR RECORDS IS YOUR FAVOURITE? 

My collection? or MY records? Either way, that's just a tough question... How do you choose between Ray Charles' Modern Sounds In Country Music and Muddy Waters' Hard Again (for example)?

Check out Rick's discography

Sign up for his newsletter

Buy his music

Like Rick Fines on Facebook