2 Astonishing Musicians gracing the same stage
Stephen Fearing
& Andy White
Saturday, March 18, 2011
Hermanns Jazz Club, 753 View St., Victoria BC
...Doors 6:00pm - Show 8:00pm
Tickets: $23.00 Advance + s/c / $25 Door
Available at: www.hightideconcerts.net, Lyle's Place 770 Yates St. and Ditch Records 635 Johnson St..
Stephen Fearing website: www.stevedawson.ca
Andy White website: www.andywhite.com
STEPHEN FEARING
It has been 20 years since songsmith Stephen Fearing released his self-titled debut. Over the following two decades, he has built up a very loyal and committed international audience, one sure to be delighted by his beautiful new recording.
Yellowjacket is Fearing's eighth solo album and as always it features a potent combination of powerful and affecting lyrics, pure... vocals and masterful musicianship. Yellowjacket also marks something of a breakthrough in Stephen's approach to recording as he assumes the mantle of producer for the first time since his early albums. The result is a relaxed fluency vocal and guitar work and a unique sonic palette, which make this album distinctly different, again, from his previous releases.
Over the course of his career, Fearing has been able to learn from some of roots music's finest producers. English folk star Clive Gregson (Any Trouble, Gregson and Collister) produced his acclaimed 1989 album, Blue Line; Steve Berlin (Los Lobos) was on hand for 1994's The Assassin's Apprentice (a disc featuring fans Sarah McLachlan and Richard Thompson), whilst Stephen's close friend Colin Linden manned the console for 1997's Industrial Lullaby, 2000's So Many Miles - LIVE and 2002's That's How I Walk (which Fearing co-produced).
To record Yellowjacket, Stephen set up shop in the Guelph studio of noted musician/producer, Scott Merritt (Fred Eaglesmith), who engineered and mixed the sessions. Together, they have crafted a richly diverse collection of songs. These range from a rollicking guitar "march" that could have been written by John Phillip Sousa and Dr. Seuss ("Whoville"), to intricately arranged pieces featuring strings and female backing vocals ("Yellowjacket," "Like Every Other Morning"), poignant ballads suffused with Salvation Army-style horns ("Johnny's Lament", Love Only Knows) to full band workouts reminiscent of Blackie and The Rodeo Kings ("One Flat Tire")
This diversity also reflects changes in Fearing's perspective on songwriting, and his ongoing experimentation with co- writing. "Writing songs with another person allows you to be a little more objective, a little less critical and a lot more productive and surprisingly, I've found that it really informs the material I write on my own". "Collaborating opens up a whole other vista, it's like taking a walk outside of my own stuffy little brain"
Fearing's songwriting partner on four of the songs in this collection, is Josh Finlayson, from much-loved roots-rockers The Skydiggers. After one brief phone call they met at Fearing's home and immediately tapped into a rich creative connection, trading lyrics and melodies in an instantly productive "crazy rush of ideas". This rapport is vividly illustrated on "Love Only Knows," a tender portrait of a parent coming to terms with a child's burgeoning maturity - "Love only knows what happens now, Yesterday turns under the plough, Only a fool would not allow You to stand on your own."
Yellowjacket's title song is a co-write with Stephen's close creative comrade, Tom Wilson. Spawned during a long drive in the rain from Nashville back to Ontario, a trek fuelled by 'yellow jacket' caffeine pills, it depicts a restless soul out there "following the big beat." The protagonist is one of those young Jam-band disciples, a Deadhead perhaps, escaping some decaying Midwestern town and running out of youth.
As is customary on Fearing's records, the supporting musical cast is of the highest order. The list includes Dan Whiteley Heartbreak Hill), Jeff Bird (Cowboy Junkies), backing vocalist Suzie Vinnick, Josh Finlayson, and Stephen's B&RK bandmates, Colin Linden, Gary Craig, John Dymond and Richard Bell.
The consistent quality of work produced over Stephen Fearing's two decades plus career has earned him a West Coast Music Award for Best Folk Music Recording and five Juno Award nominations as a solo artist and a faithful international fan base.
Born in 1963 in Vancouver, he spent most of his boyhood and teenage years in Dublin. There, he picked up the guitar and traces of the Irish and English musical traditions that have informed his music ever since. After a short stint in the U.S. Midwest, he returned to Canada, and is now long-established as a regular and popular fixture on the folk club and festival
circuit in North America and the U.K. Successful appearances at the prestigious WOMAD and Reading Festivals in the U.K. confirmed Fearing's ability to engage large audiences with his onstage charm.
Like most contemporary songwriter/performers, Stephen is not bound by any particular musical genre or category and the release of Yellowjacket continues this exploration of various musical forms, as does his continued participation in the highly successful Canadian roots rock super trio, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings. Over the past decade, B&RK have released three
highly praised and award-winning albums including a Juno Award for their most recent release "BARK". "It's wonderful to be able to work as a solo artist and to be active in such a powerful ensemble as The Rodeo Kings. These guys are my friends and there is no doubt in my mind that my continuing work with them influences my solo playing very deeply".
With two more Blackie records on the near-horizon plus an ongoing collaboration with Irish singer/songwriter Andy White, Stephen has never been more prolific. In his own words, "Yellowjacket feels like a new beginning."
ANDY WHITE
Irish singer-songwriter ..ANDY WHITE.. carries a 12 string guitar under his arm and wears his particular brand of Irish magic and charm on his sleeve. With the political edge of the young Bob Dylan, the romance of David Gray and the Celtic influences and lyricism of the Waterboys, an Andy White concert is a special experience..... Belfast-born Andy has nine internationally released solo albums, two compilations and a book of poetry to his name. He has worked and played with some great musicians and writers Peter Gabriel, Sinead OConnor, the Finn Brothers amongst others. He won Irelands Hot Press Songwriter of the Year a few years ago, beating Bono and Christy Moore to the finishing line..... Although all of Andys albums are still available through his website, current releases include the latest album ..SONGWRITER.., his previous studio album ..GARAGEBAND..; a live album released by WOMAD/Real World entitled ..SPEECHLESS.. which includes his best-known songs Religious Persuasion, Looking For James Joyces Grave, Street Scenes From My Heart; and a collection of rarities compiled from out-takes, B sides and live recordings - ..RARE....... As well as a solo performer who travels the world a couple of times a year, Andy was the A of folk supertrio ..ALT.. along with Tim Finn (T) and Liam O Maonlai (yes, L). The threesome toured the globe and released a studio album ..ALTITUDE.. and a live recording ..BOOTLEG... After Tim introduced Andy to Australia, he returned to write songs with Christine Anu, including Coz Im Free which became Cathy Freemans Olympic theme song. He eventually relocated to Melbourne in early 2002..... Andy’s new album, ..SONGWRITER.., released on Floating World this September 28, was recorded live in the studio in Vancouver, Canada, with members of Po'Girl, the Be Good Tanyas, and Neko Case's band. It’s a new, rootsier musical direction for Andy, and reflects writing collaborations he has been working on for the past few years. The band features Andy's long-standing tour companion, virtuoso pianist and accordion player Radoslav Lorkovic, and the Real World session was once more overseen by oldfriend John Leckie. There are songs co-written with Canadians Allison Russell from Po' Girl and Stephen Fearing from Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Australian writer Sean Sennett, and one-man Scots hit factory Stuart Crichton. .... Since his very first release ..RAVE ON ANDY WHITE.. in 1986 Yer mans a genius commented Melody Maker featuring Religious Persuasion, Andy White has released a series of beautiful albums. He is a singer-songwriter of and for our times, documenting the world and its current chaos and beauty with remarkable insight..... Andy's Facebook fan site is ..here.. and he has recently claimed he will use Twitter ..here.. when he's on the road. ........ .. .. .. show more
For physical events that happen at a specific time. For example a concert, or dance performance. If there are multiple shows, you can still duplicate your event to cover them all.
In-Person Event
Fri. March 18th 2011 + Add to Calendar
Hermann's Jazz Club
8:00pm - 10:30pm Doors at: 6:00pm
$23.00 Advance + s/c / $25 Door
