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JMI News
May 7, 2009
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| Pete Seeger at Madison Square Gardens on May 3rd, 2009 |
Jensen Music International has had the immense pleasure and privilege of booking American Folk icon, Pete Seeger, who has been championing causes of the environment, organized labour, the peace movement and civil rights for many decades. Pete Seeger learned songs directly from Leadbelly, rode the rails with Woody Guthrie, marched with Dr. King and famously tried to unplug Bob Dylan when he went electric at Newport Folk Festival. There is currently an international movement to have him nominated this year for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Mr. Seeger celebrated his 90th birthday with a sold-out concert at Madison Square Gardens in New York on May 3rd. All profits from the concert will go to Seeger’s pet charity, The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. Headliners included Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, Joan Baez, John Mellancamp, Arlo Guthrie, Ben Harper, Michael Franti, Emmylou Harris, Richie Havens, Taj Mahal and many, many others. Some 50 artists in all participated, and there was a letter of congratulations read from President Obama.
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Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Morello |
Also on hand, were a number of clients and friends of JMI, including Guy Davis, Bruce Cockburn, Martha Wainwright, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, Tom Chapin and Kate & Anna McGarrigle, in an historical concert that lasted 4 ½ hours. The show, which was produced by music mogul Michael Cohl, was filmed for a television special, release date TBA.
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Martha Wainwright, Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, |
Some of the many highlights of the evening included a rendition of False From True featuring Steve Earle, Warren Haynes and Guy Davis, an all-star version of The water is Wide with Emmylou Harris, Teddy Thompson, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Rufus and Martha Wainwright and New York City Labor Chorus, and a brilliant duo with Bruce Cockburn and Ani DiFranco singing Which Side Are You On.
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Bruce Cockburn and Ani DiFranco perform Which Side Are you On |
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Guy Davis and Steve Earle perform to the 18,000 in New York |
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Bob Jensen, Guy Davis and Emily Jensen backstage at Madison Square Gardens |
The most moving moment of the evening came when Bruce Springsteen delivered a heartfelt speech about his friend, Pete Seeger. He spoke passionately about how Seeger’s journey had taken him through many difficulties, and eventually to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, where Seeger and Springsteen recently performed at the inauguration of America’s first black president. He concluded by saying, “Pete, you outlasted the bastards, man.” To view video of the entire Springsteen speech, please click here.
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“You outlasted the Bastards.” |
JMI wishes Pete Seeger a happy birthday, many more. Thanks for music, and for the inspiration.
For more photos, visit JMI’s Caught in the Act page
April 7, 2009
Archie Fisher Enlisted for Celtic Cruise
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Archie Fisher will join Liam Clancy, The Makem & Spain Brothers and other Celtic artists aboard the Ms Noordam from January 24th through February 3rd, for The 2010 Irish Music Cruise, featuring 7 nights of concerts at sea in the Caribbean. The event is a private party, and will require I.D. Badges from Irish Music Cruises for all performances. This will be a great opportunity for Archie Fisher fans to combine a number of live performances with a Caribbean vacation. |  |
Liam Clancy |
The Cruise:
10-night Southern Seafarer Cruise
Roundtrip Ft Lauderdale
Ms Noordam
Deep in the Southern Caribbean, just off the Spanish Main, lie the Netherlands Antilles, an archipelago of three idyllic islands : Aruba, Bonaire, & Curacao -- The famous ABC islands, Dutch culture, and the Southern Cross.
Aruba - has both natural wonders, curiously bent Divi-divi trees, and colorful coral reefs.
Bonaire - pink flamingos and world class dive sites such as Lac Bay, one the top dive spots in the world!
Curacao - Floating markets and Amsterdam like canals, world famous liqueur distillery, and intriguing coral reefs.
Turks & Caicos - enchants us with underwater worlds so seldom visited that the reefs have no names. A pristine place of simple pleasures....
Dominican Republic - Rich in amber, Indian culture, and breathtaking natural scenery. Also mating and birthing grounds for the humpback whales.
Half Moon Cay - 1,700 acre island - only 2 % developed - is a private island featuring a huge interior lagoon & a two mile crescent of perfect beach rimmed by blue water.
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For more information Also see the official |
Grand Finale – 2008 Irish Music Cruise |
March 31, 2009
Bellowhead Set for Canadian Tour
England’s hottest festival act, the nearly indescribable Bellowhead, will embark on a Canadian tour in July, after tearing down the house at the Edmonton and Regina Folk Festivals last summer. Their new release, Matachin has been garnering rave reviews across Europe and North America. We like to say if Cirque du Soleil was a group, they would probably be Bellowhead. |
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Here is where you can catch them next July:
9 - 10 |
London, ON |
Sunfest |
11 - 12 |
Winnipeg, MB |
Winnipeg Folk Festival |
15 |
Edmonton, AB |
Festival Place |
16 |
Harrison, BC |
Festival for the Arts |
17 - 19 |
Vancouver, BC |
Vancouver Folk Festival |
20 |
Vancouver, BC |
Rogue Folk Club |
22 |
Victoria, BC |
Butchart Gardens |
24 - 26 |
Calgary, AB |
Calgary Folk Festival |
March 18, 2009
JMI Artists to Play Madison Square Gardens
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JMI artists Guy Davis and Kate & Anna McGarrigle will join Bruce Springsteen, Kris Kristofferson, Dave Matthew's, Emmylou Harris, John Mellencamp, Steve Earle and dozens of other artists in a special concert at Madison Square Gardens on May 3rd, in celebration of Pete Seeger's 90th birthday. Mr. Seeger, who rode the rails with Woody Guthrie during the Great Depression, has influenced generations of musicians, and has been active in the peace movement, with environmental causes and in helping organized labour for decades. In typical Seeger fashion, the concert will be a benefit for his pet environmental project, the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, a non-profit organization created to defend and restore the Hudson River. There is international movement to have Mr. Seeger nominated for the Nobel Peace prize in 2009. For more information on the New York show, and a complete list of the entertainers, please visit this story in Billboard Magazine online. |
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January 21, 2009
John Wort Hannam Tours Western Canada
John Wort Hannam has had a busy year, and he will be warming up some western venues in the coming weeks with his trio. Here is where you can catch him. Here is the list of dates; |
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| January | |||
| 24 | Calgary | AB | Bow Valley Folk Club |
| February | |||
| 13, 14 | Fort Macleod | AB | Empress Theatre |
| 20 | St. Albert | AB | The Arden Theatre |
| 21 | Banff | AB | Margaret Greenham Theatre |
| 22 | Josephburg | AB | Josephburg Presents |
| 27 | Westlock | AB | Moyer Recreation Center |
| 28 | Calgary | AB | Nickelodeon Folk Club with Terry Morrison |
| March | |||
| 01 | Grande Prairie | AB | Second Street Theatre |
| 03 | Lloydminster | AB | Vic Juba Theatre |
| 04 | Daysland | AB | Palace Theatre |
| 05 | Beaupre | AB | Beaupre Hall |
| 06 | Leduc | AB | Maclab Theatre |
December 17, 2008
Borderlanders to Tour Western Canada
in New Year
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JMI’s Borderlanders package, featuring songwriters Sylvia Tyson, Ron Hynes, Gretchen Peters and Graham Isaacson will perform dates in Manitoba and Alberta in late January and early February. This is where you can catch a show in 2009. |
| Jan 29 | Thompson | MB | R.D. Parker Letkeman Theatre |
| Jan 30 | Edmonton | AB | Festival Place |
| Jan 31 | Cochrane | AB | Cochrane Valley Folk Club |
| Feb 03 | Calgary | AB | The Ironwood |
| Feb 04 | Red Deer | AB | The Memorial Theatre |
| Feb 05 | Airdrie | AB | Bert Church Theatre |
| Feb 06 | Prince Albert | SK | E.A. Rawlinson Centre |
| Feb 07 | Virden | MB | Aud Theatre |
December 9, 2008
Alison Brown Announces New Album
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2008
Alison Brown, GRAMMY-award winning banjoist, "ground-breaker" (USA Today) and co-founder of Compass Records announces new album, The Company You Keep (March 3, 2009)
To sample tracks from The Company You Keep and to watch
Alison's newly released EPK, click here.
To play track 1, "Crazy Ivan", click here.
To play track 5, "Under the (Five) Wire", click here.
Nashville, TN (December 9, 2008) - Alison Brown has achieved success in many areas: a Harvard graduate, record label co-founder and owner, mother, and, the role that most people know her in: banjo virtuoso. With her tenth release, The Company You Keep, the usually soft-spoken Brown is speaking up for independent music. "The Company You Keep isn't solely a statement about me or my band, or about Compass Records, it's about independent music as a whole. The fact that we are all still here when you see closures, mergers and percentages down everyday is a testament to real music, good music, music that matters. We're into our 15th year with this business model at Compass and we're not struggling, we're thriving."
The title of Brown's new studio release The Company You Keep was originally inspired by the words of Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes (Don Quixote): "Tell me the company you keep and I'll tell you what you are." But it wasn't until the project began to develop that Brown realized the title actually held two separate, but equally important, meanings for her and for her music. "I've been writing, recording and performing my own tunes for nearly 20 years now," Brown reflects. "And as I thought about the progression of my sound - our band sound - I began to think about what a collaborative effort this musical journey has been. After 15 years of recording, performing and philosophizing about music with (pianist) John R Burr and (bassist) Garry West, I really wanted to draw that collaborative spirit to the forefront on this album." The Company You Keep features the musicians she has spent most of the past 15 years performing with: John R. Burr (piano), Garry West (bass), David Grisman Quintet alum Joe Craven (fiddle/mandolin/percussion) and Larry Atamanuik (drums) alongside guests John Doyle (guitar), Stuart Duncan (fiddle) and Kenny Malone (drums) on a set of engaging, upbeat and melodic tunes, many of which were co-written by Brown and Burr, in some cases right before the recording sessions.
According to Brown, The Company You Keep is also a tip of the hat to her approach to business as one of the co-founders of the Compass Records Group. "I co-founded Compass with Garry West the same year that I began touring with my own band so the development of the label and the development of the band have grown up in tandem, even though I didn't release an album on Compass until 1998." At a time when the record business is being turned upside down the Compass Records Group has continued to grow and today boasts nearly 600 releases across the Compass, Green Linnet and Mulligan Records catalogs. "Our artistic aesthetic is very well described by the idea that the company we've built and sustain (both in our roster and our staff) reflects our values and musical priorities. We take a very long tail approach to our business and feel a great sense of pride in having built a business model that is scaled to be successful with records that may only sell a few thousand units. Some of our smallest records say more about us as a label than our biggest selling records do."
Alison Brown is a Harvard alum, received her MBA from UCLA and worked as an investment banker before joining Alison Krauss and Union Station for a three year stint in 1989. She has received 3 GRAMMY nominations for her solo recordings and a GRAMMY award in 2001 for Best Country Instrumental Performance as well as the International Bluegrass Music Association's award for Banjo Player of the Year. Praised by both fans and critics alike, her take on the traditionally Appalachian instrument has earned Brown features on CBS Sunday Morning, NPR's All Things Considered and in The Wall Street Journal as well as numerous other honors and recognition. Brown tours internationally with the Alison Brown Quartet, and her new holiday album, Evergreen, is available in stores now. The Company You Keep will be available everywhere March 3, 2009.
Press Contact: Stephanie Fields
615.320.7672 / Stephanie@compassrecords.com
www.compassrecords.com
www.myspace.com/compassrecords
www.myspace.com/abonbanjo
November 19, 2008
Danù's Irish Christmas Tour
Ireland's Danù will cross Canada in December with their Christmas show, which features the band performing their own arrangements of Christmas favourites, as well as some more obscure Gaelic songs of the season. The group will also be joined by traditional dancer, Ciara Dunne. Here is where Danù will be performing this December. |
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| December: | |||
| 03 | Fredericton | NB | The Playhouse |
| 04 | Saint John | NB | Imperial Theatre |
| 05 | Peterborough | ON | Showplace |
| 06 | Port Dover | ON | Lighthouse Theatre |
| 07 | Smith Falls | ON | Trinity United Church |
| 10 | Ottawa | ON | St. Brigid's Church |
| 11 | Cochrane | AB | Live at Beaupre |
| 13 | Edmonton | AB | Festival Place |
| 14 | Athabasca | AB | Nancy Appleby theatre |
| 15 | Peace River | AB | Athabasca Hall |
| 16 | Fort St. John | BC | North Peace Cultural Centre |
| 18 | Kamloops | BC | Kamloops Alliance Church |
| 20 | Vancouver | BC | Rogue Folk Club |
November 5, 2008
Shooglenifty to Tour Western Canada
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Scotland's ever popular Shooglenifty will be back in Canada for a western run in November. The dates for this tour are as follows; |
| Nov 2009 | |||
| 18 | Banff | AB | Banff Centre |
| 21 | Edmonton | AB | Festival Place |
| 22 | Bragg Creek | AB | Bragg Creek Centre |
| 23 | Sundre | AB | Sundre Arts Development Centre |
| 25 | Penticton | BC | Dream Cafe |
| 26 | Kelowna | BC | Minstrel Cafe |
| 27 | Abbotsford | BC | Duke of Dublin |
| 28 | Salt Spring Island | BC | Mahon Hall |
| 29 | Vancouver | BC | St. James Hall |
| 30 | Victoria | BC | University Centre |
November 4, 2008
Guy Davis & The High Flying Rockets
to Tour Maritimes
| Veteran New York City bluesman Guy Davis has been coming to the Maritimes for more than a decade, but fans will be in for a special treat when he comes through in November with his band, The High Flying Rockets. The trio will feature Mark Murphy on bass, and “Professor Louis Hurwitz” on piano and accordion. Guy has toured all over North America with the Rockets, but this will be the first time he does so in Atlantic Canada. |  |
Davis, who maintains a busy schedule touring in Europe and Australia, as well as North America, recently completed a number of tours with legendary American folk icon, Pete Seeger, including a performance earlier this month on Late Night with David Letterman.
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Guy’s special guest on this tour is another American, Portland, Maine’s Graham Isaacson. To categorize Graham Isaacson as a typical singer-songwriter would be missing the point. On his debut, Memories in Shadows, Isaacson sounds like an old soul. His Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen-inspired music evokes feelings of intimacy, truth, and heartfelt emotion and his straight-from-the-heart lyrics would make most think he's been around the block more than the rest of us. And yet at 24 years old, it's clear his gifts have only just begun. |
It's exactly those qualities that contributed to Graham landing Second place honors in the 2006 International Songwriting Competition (ISC), no easy feat considering the who's who panel of judges: Tom Waits, Norah Jones, Joss Stone, and LeAnn Rimes. It's also worth mentioning that the ISC received close to 50,000 entries from 82 countries throughout the world, of which Graham's was one. For a sample of Graham's music, please click here;
| Nov 6 | Truro | NS | Marigold Centre |
Nov 8 |
Halifax | NS | Bearly's |
| Nov 11 | Chester | NS | Chester Playhouse |
| Nov 12 | Liverpool | NS | Astor Theatre |
| Nov 13 | Sydney | NS | Membertou Trade Centre |
| Nov 14 | Sackville | NB | George's Roadhouse |
| Nov 15 | Port Hawkesbury | NS | Civic Centre |
November 4, 2008
Ray Bonneville Returns to Maritimes in October
Red House Recording Artist and Juno Award winner Ray Bonneville will return to the Maritimes in October of 2009. This will be his first tour of the region in two years. Bonneville, who is well known to Maritime audiences, will be performing solo this time around. |
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His latest recording, Goin' By Feel is his second release on USA based Red House Records. Ray will tour the Maritimes from October 15th/25th, 2009 |
November 4, 2008
More Upcoming Maritime Tours
Some additional tours we are currently working on for The Maritimes include;
Rankin, Church & Crowe
April 24 - May 2 inclusive, 2009
| Friends and colleagues Raylene Rankin, Cindy Church, and Susan Crowe, all award winning recording artists, bring their varied musical signatures to the stage in a mix of elegance and accessibility. Folk, country, jazz, contemporary singer-songwriter are blended with a confident ease that makes for richly textured harmonies and a welcoming rapport that invites audiences in, and makes them want to stay. |  |
To hear Rankin, Church & Crowe in concert, please CBC Radio's Concerts on Demand. A CD from this concert will be released in the coming months, details to follow.
You can also see live video of the ladies in concert in the JMI Theatre.
Juan Martín
April 1 - 15, 2009
In November of 2007, Juan Martin undertook a cross country tour with dates from Halifax to Vancouver, Whitehorse to Yellowknife. Response was overwhelming to the Canadian shows, and Juan will be coming back for a month long tour of Canada in October, 2009, which means that there will be a full two years between the tours. |
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JMI will also be producing a great double header of East Coast talent in the fall of 2009;
Who? Ennis & The MacKenzie Project
Where? Maritimes
When? November 5 - 15, 2009
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The MacKenzie Project is fronted by former Cottars fiddler and step dancer, Rosie MacKenzie, who is joined on piano by Howie MacDonald of Rankin Family fame. Ireland's Pauline Scanlon will be handling vocals, while Ireland's top Celtic guitarist, Donogh Hennesy, is the fourth member of the group. The MacKenzie Project brings together two of Ireland's top Celtic musicians in an exciting collaboration with a pair of Cape Breton's very finest proponents of traditional music. |
| As a member of The Cottars, Rosie played to sold out houses across Canada, toured with The Chieftains and performed at Carnegie Hall in New York. She has also performed solo dates across Canada, and received four standing ovations when she headlined Musique du bout du Monde Festival in Quebec last summer. See for yourself what you can expect by listening to this mp3 from Rosie's upcoming CD with The MacKenzie Project. |
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| Joining The MacKenzie Project on this tour, is Newfoundland's Ennis, formerly known as The Ennis Sisters. The Ennis Sisters sold over 50,000 copies of Red is the Rose and toured with the likes of The Chieftains, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Jan Arden. They also won a Juno Award and had two gold records. Teresa Ennis recently left The Ennis Sisters to pursue a solo career, but Maureen and Karen continue to work as a duo, with a band backing them. Currently based in Nashville, they are preparing to release their latest CD, Be Here for a While in both Canada and the US, and the first cut, Give Me Love has done very well at radio in America. A video from the first single has recently been released, and the second single being planned from the new CD is the title cut. |  |
Also see the Ennis web site. |
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Routing so far for this tour is;
| November, 2009 | ||
| 06 | Truro | |
| 07 | Glace Bay | |
| 08 | Mabou | |
| 09 | Liverpool | |
| 13 | Fredericton - Hold | |
| 14 | Summerside | |
Black Umfolosi Christmas Tour
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| December, 2009 | |
| 12 | Peterborough, ON |
| 13 | Fredericton, NB |
| 14 | Open |
| 15 | Open |
| 16 | Truro, NS |
| 17 | Charlottetown, PE - Hold |
| 18 | Saint John, NB |
| 19 | Open - This is a Saturday |
| 20 | Open |
October 3, 2008
Christmas in Ireland: An Nollaig in Éireann
The acclaimed Irish ensemble Danú celebrates a traditional Irish Christmas with An Nollaig in Éireann. Celtic music lovers around the globe have been thrilled by the ensemble’s virtuoso players on fiddle, flutes, button accordion, percussion and the gorgeous voice of Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh. Winner of major awards from the BBC and Irish Music Magazine, Danú returns to the US in December 2009 with special guests and a glorious celebration of Christmas from their homeland.
In Ireland, the festival of Christmas has for centuries been celebrated by traditional Irish music and song. There are many musical tributes that pay homage to early Irish traditions such as The Laden Table, placing a candle in a window, and touring from house to house on St.Stephen’s Day. Adding another dimension to this beautiful program, Danú has also created a set of songs to be performed in each community with a local choir. An Nollaig in Éireann is a Celtic music celebration that warms the heart.
Listen to songs from An Nollaig in Éireann
September 25, 2008
Guy Davis & Pete Seeger to Appear
on Letterman
| Guy Davis will appear with Pete Seeger and Pete’s grandson Tao on David Letterman on this Monday night, September 29th singing Pete’s new song, “Take It From Dr. King” from Pete’s latest album. |  |
August 29, 2008
JMI Signs France's Gabriel Yacoub
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JMI is very pleased to announce an exclusive Canadian signing for France's legendary Gabriel Yacoub. Yacoub first came to the fore as teenage back-up guitarist and singer with Brittany's pioneering Celtic harpist, Alan Stivell. In the early 1970s Stivell's blend of rock and the Old World inspired Yacoub to form Malicorne, who were a French contemporary of Fairport Convention at the time. Indeed, Yacoub occupies the same lofty position in French folk music as Richard Thompson does in England, or as Stan Rogers did in Canada. |
While Yacoub's early career concentrated on traditional French material with his trademark harmonies and Old World instruments such as the smallpipes and hurdy gurdy, he is a also a brilliant songwriter, with a dozen solo recordings to his credit.
For a taste of Gabriel's haunting music, please check out this short sampler.
For a sense of what the live performance is, please visit see this YouTube video.
Also see Gabriel Yacoub's official web site.
Yacoub will be available for Canadian festivals for the first time in many years in 2009, and a western tour will be announced at a later date.
JMI continues to search the world for the very finest roots performers. With this signing and the recent addition of Kate Rusby, we are working hard to maintain our reputation as Canada's Folk & Blues Agency.
- 30 -
August 6, 2008
Oysterband to Tour in 2010
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Oysterband's spring 2008 tour of Canada was a huge success, with many sold out shows and rave reviews everywhere. We are announcing today a tour for the spring of 2010, which will be two full years from the previous tour. The guys will start east and work their way west, on the following dates; April 8 - 25 Inclusive, 2010 |
You can visit Oysterband at their official web site and you can also view performance video of the guys in the JMI Theatre.
Please contact us if you would like to look at a date.
We hope to have more tours to announce soon, including Kate Rusby.
July 15th, 2008
Lightfoot, Tyson Attend Seeger Family Shows
JMI's Seeger family shows caused somewhat of a sensation when they toured Quebec and Ontario in early July. All five shows (Montreal, Kingston, Ottawa and two performances in Toronto), featuring Pete Seeger, Guy Davis and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, sold out very quickly, with promoters having to turn away hundreds of fans who were not lucky enough to get tickets. Three of the shows sold out instantly.
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The Toronto shows were recorded and video taped, and attended by a who's-who of the Toronto music scene and media. Gordon Lightfoot, Sylvia Tyson, CBC's Stuart MacLean and Rolling Stones business manager, Michael Cohl were just some of the people in attendance for the two shows at Hugh's Room. Cohl produced the PBS special, Power of Song on the life of Pete Seeger and is an unabashed fan. The National Post, The Toronto Star, Globe & Mail and MacLean's Magazine were also in attendance. |
 Music mogul and Rolling Stones business manager, Michael Cohl attended one of the Toronto shows |
 JMI's Bob Jensen, Willie Jensen & Gordon Lightfoot at Hugh's Room |
In typical Seeger fashion, all five of the shows served as fund raisers for USC Canada, an NGO located in Ottawa, and raised over $70,000.00 to help farmers in Ethiopia through their Seeds of Survival program.
Seeger is a Grammy Award winner who is also known for his work as a peace activist, an environmentalist and a champion of organized labour. His career has spanned decades, from the early years, when he made records with Woody Guthrie and The Weavers, to the present. Bob Dylan cites him as a major influence, and Bruce Springsteen recorded The Seeger Sessions in 2006. He continues to have a huge impact on popular music, and there is currently an international movement to have him nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.
 Sylvia Tyson performing with Pete Seeger |
Seeger dug deep into his incredible well of music, dusting off old gems such as Turn, Turn, Turn, The Midnight Special and Where Have all the Flowers Gone. One of the highlights of the first Toronto show was when he invited Sylvia Tyson to join him for the anthemic If I Had a Hammer. Guy Davis, who has known the Seeger family for most of his life, played both guitar and banjo, and also dug deep into the well of blues standards, while Tao Rodriguez-Seeger delivered some obscure gems, as well as sing along standards such as Guantanamera. At each show, the audiences sang along for the entire performances. |
Despite his 89 years, Mr. seeger was a vital and engaging performer, and received long and heartfelt standing ovations each night as he took to the stage, and then again as he left it. |
 Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, Pete Seeger and NYC bluesman, Guy Davis in Toronto |
June 27, 2008
Pete Seeger Tour Completely Sold Out
Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, Pete Seeger and Guy Davis at the Clearwater Festival, June 21, 2008 |
Response to the Pete Seeger tour has been overwhelming, with all five dates now completely sold out. The two Toronto shows were sold out before the official announcement even came out, and we have learned that Kingston sold 200 tickets in the first hour. Those lucky enough to get tickets are in for a rare treat. More information about this tour can be found in this JMI news item. |
June 26, 2008
Announcing the Extraordinary
Kate Rusby
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JMI is very pleased to announce an exclusive Canadian signing for England's extraordinary Kate Rusby, who is widely considered to be the UK's preeminent traditional female vocalist. Rusby comes from a proud tradition of artists like Archie Fisher and June Tabor, and has become a headliner in Europe, not only on the festival circuit, but also in theatres. Kate has released seven solo recordings, and has also collaborated with many diverse artists. |
To view some excellent video of Kate performing, please follow these links:
The Wild Goose
Who Will Sing Me Lullabies
Fare Thee Well
Kate will be available for a very limited number of dates in the summer of 2009, and we also hope to announce a Canadian theatre tour for 09/10 in the near future. You can also visit Kate at her web site. |
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June 26, 2008
McGarrigles Finalists for
Canadian Classic Album Award
The Canadian Folk Music Awards has announced five finalists for the first annual CFMA Classic Canadian Album Award. They are :
“Fogarty's Cove” |
Stan Rogers |
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Following public voting at www.canadianfolkmusicawards.ca, the winner will be announced at the Canadian Folk Music Awards November 23, 2008 in St. John's, Newfoundland.
June 25, 2008
Quartette to Bring Their Christmas Tour
to the Maritimes in 08
| Quartette has recorded two Christmas CDs, and their Christmas shows have been well loved and well attended wherever they have toured them. The group usually does some Ontario Christmas dates, but this December (2008), the ladies will also bring the show to the Maritimes for a brief tour. Here are all the dates so far. |  |
| Nov 28 | Bracebridge, ON | Rene M. Caisse Memorial Theatre |
| Nov 29 | Elliot Lake, ON | Lester B. Pearson Civic Centre |
| Dec 11 | Glace Bay, NS | The Savoy |
| Dec 12 | Truro, NS | Marigold Centre |
| Dec 13 | Charlottetown, PE | Confederation Centre |
| Dec 14 | Moncton, NB | The Capitol Theatre |
| Dec 16, 17 | Toronto, ON | Hugh's Room |
June 22, 2008
Archie Fisher Releases New Album
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Windward Away Featuring The Missing Master bonus tracks from 1980! RHR-CD-124 • Release Date: July 22, 2008 |
“one of Britain’s finest song interpreters”
- Sing Out!
“Fisher’s quietly poetic ballads…haunt like a shadowy specter”
- St. Paul Pioneer Press
Windward Away: 10 years in the making
Red House Records announces the July 22, 2008 release of Windward Away, the long-awaited album from Scotland’s folk master Archie Fisher. Known the world over as one of the finest traditional singers, he is also the famed host of BBC Radio Scotland’s award-winning “Travelling Folk” show, which he has been presenting for over 25 years. Recognized for his significant contributions to Scottish folk music, he was inducted into the Scots Traditional Music Hall of Fame and in 2006 was awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire), a prestigious honor nominated by his peers and bestowed by Queen Elizabeth. Now, the Scottish icon releases a new album more than 10 years in the making. A haunting collection of introspective ballads, the CD evokes the wild and rough beauty of the Scottish Border country.
It all began in the mid 1990’s, when Archie was touring the United States with John Renbourn. He met the late founder and president of Red House Records Bob Feldman, who was a huge fan of Archie’s music. He licensed Archie’s album Sunsets I’ve Galloped Into and signed him to Red House for his next recording. Archie went into the studio with engineer Roy Ashby and began recording some of the tracks, but writing and production was slow, and the project did not reach its final fruition until this past year. As a result, the songs represent more than a decade of Archie’s life.
Windward Away features songs of sea and land, love and loneliness. Although the album is made up mostly of originals, Archie, known as one of the finest song interpreters, does cover a few songs, including the “Surge of the Sea.” The song was originally written in Gaelic by D. MacVicar, when he was exiled from Scotland and living in Canada, but Archie sings it in English—a translation he credits to his family. Whether he sings of love for country (“Borderland”), women (“Bonnie Border Lass,” “Every Man’s Heart”) or his beloved horses (“Ontario Dust,” “Ride Through the Rainbow”), Archie sings honestly from the heart. His voice combines with thoughtful acoustic production, conveying the sweetness and raw emotion of a life that has spanned decades and continents.
The Missing Master: A classic recording unearthed
While working on Windward Away, Archie discovered a copy of an old recording he made in the late 1970’s while he was working with Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy. Although several songs on this missing master had been recorded on other Archie Fisher albums, these particular recordings had never been released and had gone missing. Archie had been looking for these tracks for years but never had any success until Neil Ross at REL Records sent Archie a CD with a note saying, “Is this the missing master?” Upon hearing this recording from over 20 years ago, a flood of memories returned to Archie, and he knew he needed to release these songs to the world. He felt it right to include The Missing Master on the CD with his new collection Windward Away.
“The blend of nineteen traditional and contemporary tracks now seems like a backdrop to a large section of my life not only for the material but also for the musicians who played on the sessions,” says Archie. “Songs are like friends, they revive memories of times and places. They come and go and it’s always good to meet up again.” Although three people vital to the album are now gone—Red House Records president Bob Feldman, cellist/bass player Francis Cowan and the legendary Tommy Makem—the music they helped create lives on in this new album, finally available to the world.
June 16, 2008
Pete Seeger to Tour in July
American folk icon Pete Seeger will perform in Central Canada in July of this year. The 89 year old musician and activist has decided to do a small tour with his grandson, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, with each of the dates acting as a fund raiser for USC Canada. Long time Family Friend Guy Davis will also appear at three of the performances. Davis learned to play banjo from Seeger when he was in his early teens. There will be five shows in total.
| July | |||
| 05 | Montreal | QC | River's Edge Comm. Church (w/ Guy Davis) *Matinee *** SOLD OUT *** |
| 06 | Toronto | ON | Hugh's Room (with Guy Davis) *** SOLD OUT *** |
| 07 | Toronto | ON | Hugh's Room (with Guy Davis) *** SOLD OUT *** |
| 08 | Kingston | ON | The Grand Theatre *** SOLD OUT *** |
| 09 | Ottawa | ON | National Library Theatre *** SOLD OUT *** |
 Seeger with Bob Dylan at Newport Folk Festival, 1963 |
Pete Seeger is arguably the greatest living folk legend in the world. His career has spanned decades, from the early years, when he made records with the likes of Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly, to the present. Bruce Springsteen recorded The Seeger Sessions in 2006, and toured the music with a special band he put together for the occasion. |
Seeger was also a founding member of the Weavers, who enjoyed extensive success until being blacklisted for being Communists during the McCarthy Era. Seeger himself refused to testify in the McCarthy hearings, citing that it would violate his first amendment rights. He released dozens of records during the course of his fabled career, and has received the Kennedy Center Honor Award, National Medal of Arts, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. |
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He is also well known for his work as a peace activist, and with the labour movement and environmental issues. JMI has been privileged to work in various capacities with The Chieftains, Bruce Cockburn, Tommy Makem, Jerry Jeff Walker, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Sylvia Tyson, former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor and many other important artists. It was a particular distinction for the agency to be asked to book a tour for Pete Seeger. |
June 10, 2008
First JMI Tour for
Rankin, Church & Crowe
JMI is very pleased to announce the first tours of Rankin, Church & Crowe, comprised of three of Atlantic Canada's finest female vocalists.
Friends and colleagues Raylene Rankin, Cindy Church, and Susan Crowe, all award winning recording artists, bring their varied musical signatures to the stage in a mix of elegance and accessibility. Folk, country, jazz, contemporary singer-songwriter are blended with a confident ease that makes for richly textured harmonies and a welcoming rapport that invites audiences in, and makes them want to stay.
To hear Rankin, Church & Crowe in concert, please follow this link to CBC Radio. A CD from this concert will be released in the coming months, details to follow.
You can also see live video of the ladies in concert in the JMI Theatre.
Rankin, Church & Crowe will tour the Maritime provinces from April 24th though May 2nd inclusive, 2009, and Ontario from October 15-25, 2009 inclusive. For more information, please contact Jensen Music International.
JMI HEADLINES: • JMI Welcomes Karine Polwart (June 15, 2009) • Sylvia Tyson to Perform May Dates in Ontario (May 20, 2009) • JMI Artists Help Pete Seeger Celebrate 90th Birthday in New York (May 12, 2009) • Archie Fisher Enlisted for Celtic Cruise (April 7, 2009) • Bellowhead Set for Canadian Tour (March 31, 2009) • JMI Artists to Play Madison Square Gardens (March 18, 2009) • John Wort Hannam Tours Western Canada (January 21, 2009) • Borderlanders to tour Western Canada in the New Year (December 17, 2008) • Alison Brown Announces New Album (December 9, 2008) • Danù's Irish Christmas Tour (November 21, 2008) • Shooglenifty to Tour Western Canada (November 5, 2008) • Ray Bonneville and Other Maritime Tours (November 4, 2008) • Danu: Christmas in Ireland (October 3, 2008) • Guy Davis & Pete Seeger to Appear on Letterman (September 2, 2008) • Announcing Gabriel Yacoub (September 2, 2008) See News page for more JMI news. |