Canada's Best Songs. Every One Is Listening. And Every One's Awake.

The heights of perception and depths of empathy required

to touch souls with the healing comfort of music 

would seem to have been distributed to the sons and daughters of our country most generously.

In honour of a very different & difficult Canada Day...

Here. Have some of this.

These are the best of the greats.

Made with glowing hearts.

Listen live 5-7 p.m. Friday @ Radio Regent

and 9 p.m. Tuesday and midnight 

Wednesday @ Blues & Roots Radio

Acadian Driftwood ~ Canada's 150th Birthday ~ Our 17 Best Songs ~ Ninth Post

Deportation Sculpture in Grand Pre in Nova Scotia

Burnished by Robbie Robertson's robust imagery and his flair for nuanced incident, 

The Band's Acadian Driftwood 

from 1975's Northern Lights Southern Cross LP presents an episodic insight into the historic disgrace known as the Expulsion of the Acadians.

"They signed a treaty and our homes were taken..."

  From 1755 onwards, Maritime French settlers were uprooted and forced from their land by Charles Lawrence and the British government because of their language and allegiances, transformed into refugees by a harsh political environment. 

"Loved ones forsaken, they didn't give a damn."

There was no claim to neutrality permitted: all were removed. Racial and religious motivations expedited British political and military goals. Roman Catholicism was unwelcome, and the Mi'kmaq alliance with the French needed to be dismantled as well.

The pathos of this epic song is enhanced by Byron Berline's haunting fiddle and Garth Hudson's synthesized military fifes, by the lyrical coda of nostalgic patois and by the retrospective knowledge that this would be the last great song produced by this country's most musically significant rock ensemble ever.

A Worthy Musical Wednesday in Ottawa

Wednesday March 4 at The Schenkman Arts Centre, Ottawa…

Lance Anderson’s acclaimed tribute performance of The Last Waltz comes to The Schenkman Centre in Ottawa, Wednesday March 4
An all-star Canadian cast of award-winning blues and roots musicians will perform a celebration of The Last Waltz - The Music of The Band,
Under the direction of producer and musical director, Lance Anderson, the March 4th appearance will be the first in the Ottawa area of this crowd pleasing show which has previously sold out in Peterborough, Orillia, Collingwood, Cobourg and at Hugh’s Room in Toronto. In addition, the show topped the bill at The Southside Shuffle, The Wasaga Beach Blues Festival, and The Kitchener Blues Festival.
The performance features an all-star line-up including Chuck Jackson (lead singer of the Juno Award winning Downchild Blues Band) and Maple Blues Lifetime Achievement award winner Paul James. Jerome Levon Avis (Levon Helm’s godson) is on drums and vocals, the multi-talented Jimmy Bowskill and the always entertaining Johnny Max are guest singers. The performance will recreate the atmosphere of The Band’s final concert, which was captured in Martin Scorsese's award-winning concert film, “The Last Waltz”.

On the American Thanksgiving of 1976 at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom, The Band performed what they called their “Last Waltz,” and invited many of their friends to join in the celebration. These friends included Bob Dylan, Ronnie Hawkins, Van Morrison, Neil Young and others who performed with The Band on this special night.
In this homage to “The Last Waltz”, Anderson’s special guests will perform the songs played and sung by these artists at the memorable 1976 concert.

Backed by a 9 piece band that includes Jerome Levon Avis on drums and vocals, Terry Blersh on guitar, Dennis Pinhorn (The Hawks) on bass, Rob Gusevs (Blood, Sweat and Tears) on organ and Anderson (Shakura S'Aida) on piano and vocals, this is an all star group of seasoned veterans who love the music. Anderson’s band also features a stellar four-piece horn section including David Dunlop (Boss Brass) on trumpet, Gord Meyers (Blood, Sweat and Tears) on trombone and tuba, Chris Murphy (Maple Blues Band) on Tenor sax, and Simon Wallis (Lighthouse) on Baritone sax.

Avis’ dad, Bill Avis was The Band's road manager from the early days with Ronnie Hawkins through the Bob Dylan years, right up until The Last Waltz. Bill was especially close to Levon Helm and he has a wealth of stories about times on the road with The Band. Dennis Pinhorn is an ex-Hawk, who joined Ronnie Hawkins some years after The Band left to tour with Dylan. And Anderson himself produced a piano and vocal recording, 'Live at the Wolf', with Garth Hudson, The Band’s mercurial genius on the organ.

“What makes this performance special is the connection 

these musicians have to the music,” says Anderson. “They

 love the music and perform these tunes from the heart.”

How I spent the weekend

As the sun set last Saturday night in a breezy gondola above the Beaches, in a decorated turret atop Fitzgerald's, eleven musicians with a handful of the faithful in attendance cranked up a noisy harmonica to begin A Portrayal of The Band, Canada's most strategically placed eclectic cultural beacon, who refracted country, blues, soul and gospel music shining in the pure light of 60's and 70's revivalism through the hand polished lens of two major albums: Music from Big Pink and The Band. This was the beginning of a new form of music called Americana.

The harmonica in question brought forth Don't Wait, a song from their final album, Jubilation (1998), recorded after the death of Richard Manuel of Stratford, Ontario, and before the passing of Rick Danko of Simcoe, Ontario. Masterpieces and retooled classics followed, drawing out the wattage and funkage of the crowd and the musicians, as well as a few moments of crystal serenity. Mark Burkiett brought Wheel's on Fire to life in an unbridled ska arrangement. John Stainton created a howl of anguish on The Heptones' arrangement of I Shall Be Released and Stage Fright. Arch bassist Dan Mock worked the emotionally raw Don't Do It into a lather of confession, and Brad Sales provided a sincere reading of Robbie Robertson's lullaby to his daughter, All La Glory, as his own daughter Alicia looked on. Paul Corby played exultant ringleader to Life Is A Carnival and the seldom heard Yazoo Street Scandal, both of which gave Joyful Sinners' soloists Alan Zemaitis on bonfire keyboards, Adam Beer-Colacino on lava lead guitar, and Leland Whitty on the brimstone saxophone free rides through the tunnel of images and rhythms that The Band's music excels in evoking. Keyboardist Gary Baumgartner stepped up to the centre ring in the last set for a romping blast at Ophelia, followed by drummer Kyle Sullivan on the early anthem Stones That I Throw. Maggie Stainton got involved with a group effort on Acadian Driftwood, and more ensemble singing closed the night with an overwhelming version of The Weight. Encores happen. And so, Dan let loose with Alan's clavinet, growling "When I Get Off Of This Mountain..." and we all felt our hearts throb to the bottom of our feet.