Tis The Season" #67 - Dec.14/08

Tis the Season. Yes, it's that time when we're all looking for that special gift for our loved ones, searching to find our own bit of whatever Christmas means to us. There's those family rituals that are followed to the letter until the loss of a loved one or
one's 'family' dynamics change. The innocent smiles on kiddy's faces satisfy parent's previoius month long frustrations, the festive food helps us forget those diets that will wait to the new year and those seasonal tunes flood our audio receptors.
My brother gave me an early gift last weekend that helped bring the Christmas spirit to my searching soul. He'd heard me rave about Andrew Craig’s Gospel Christmas Project we'd seen, along with many from Perth, last year at the Almonte Town Hall. Andrew Craig arranged, directed and sang, along with the Sharon Riley’s Faith Chorale Choir and featured vocalists Jackie Richardson, Kellylee Evans, Alana Bridgewater and Chris Lowe. This show was presented again; this year at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in the Distillery District in downtown Toronto and, since I was down for a meeting the next day, he got us tickets. For the second year the magic of music helped bring me to that festive place. Such amazing singers, all backed by Craig's tasty piano work, accompanied by bass, drums, percussion, keyboard strings and wonderful Hammond B3 swirlings which, I feel, is inseparable to any gospel offering.
Most of you have seen Jackie Richardson as 'Nanna' in last year's Rogers' television commercials. She's done many acting roles on television but she's most noted for her roles in musical theatre. I've seen her in Cookin' at the Cookery, Ain't Misbehavin' and Crowns. Her dynamic vocal range reaches from the depths of her toes up through several octaves, all with the solid, captivating emotion befitting the season. She brings tears to my eyes with her soulful presentations.
Kellylee Evans has performed in our area several times and lives outside Stittsville. She's finalizing her latest recording at Audio Valley Studio, here in Perth. Her sweet voice offered God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen in a stylization, arranged by Andrew Craig that had the audience hanging to every note of energy she offered.
I first was introduced to Alana Bridgewater last year in Almonte but since then have enjoyed her in a lead role in the successful Queen musical, We Will Rock You. She also recently was featured in the Toronto Blues Society's "Women's Blues Revue". You would understand why when you heard her version of What Child Is This. Her dynamic range can slam you in your seat or just as easily tenderly float you to the ceiling.
Together with supportive harmonies by Faith Chorale, led by Sharon Riley, we were offered wonderfully arrangements by Andrew Craig of seasonal favourites like O Come All Ye Faithful, The First Noel, Little Drummer Boy, Go Tell It On the Mountain and Amen. We were all carried to our Seasonal Bliss by the wonderful music. Since then, I've even bought some Christmas presents.
Thirty-four years after first seeing Neil Young, I again took him in, this time at Scotiabank Place. The young power band, Everest, opened, definitely showing their Neil Young influence. One of my favourite acts, Wilco, came on next, led by songwriter / lead singer Jeff Tweedy. They offered several tunes from their latest cd ‘Sky Blue Sky’ - Hate It Here, Impossible Germany, What Light - that highlighted their harmonies, their strong instrumentation of 3 guitarists and often 2 keyboards, besides others from their previous collections. Their diversity of styles from ballad to rocker to roots effectives, sometimes blended into the same tune showed the crowd why they've become so well received worldwide. As a point of interest and kudos, they were also the band who British protest folkie, Billy Bragg, chose to collaborate with in developing two albums, Mermaid Avenue – Volumes 1 & 2, music based on previously unrecorded lyrics written by the late musical icon, Woody Guthrie.
Then came 63 year old, veteran Canadian rocker, Neil, with his wife Pegi ably providing backup vocals and a superb back-up band, powering into one song after the other. Always offering some 'theatre', this time it was an artist creating canvasses at the back of the stage throughout the concert. Other than introducing the band and thanking us for coming, Young focused on his musical offerings, one to the next. His guitar work, both electric and acoustic showed us why he's earned his icon status. One song saw him switching to a pump-style pipe organ to add some variety. He offered many of the standards expected by the full house like Powderfinger, Cinnamon Girl, Hey Hey, My My, which, among others, all built to Rockin' In the Free World climax. We all were on our feet squealing our pleasure and our efforts were answered by a haunting version finale of The Beatles' - Day In the Life. Judging from the smiles I read on the faces of fellow concertgoers as we headed to the parking lots, I'd say Neil was successful, yet again. His unique musical energy just keeps the world wanting more.
Don't forget the Annual Foodbank Dance at the Perth Legion on Saturday December 20th, hosted by Tell Mama, with Keith Glass, PUSH and Guthrie House. Let's all get out and dance our way to supporting this worthy cause.
As 2008 draws to a close I'd like to offer Season's Greetings to one and all from myself and my family. I thank all who have stopped to offer their comments on my past articles and look forward to sharing the music offered about us. A Happy, Healthy, Music Filled, Safe Travellin' Holiday to you all and we'll see you in 2009.
Support Live Music Everywhere