Words and Music H

20 21

John Leeder, Review Editor dancing at the fall fairs. As Sid Marty says on the offers are, to say the least, challenging. My Books cover, this community music of Alberta "was and particular favourites are "Big John McNeil" and remains more than anything, a music from "The St. Anne's Reel", whilst his version of "The everywhere on earth, melded and coupled to the Clarinet Polka" is truly a tour-de-force. His playing George W. Lyon. Community Music in vigorous pulse of the Alberta countryside". on "Reel de Point-au-Pic" reminded me of the style Alberta: Some Good Schoolhouse Stuff! The book suffers marginally from the chapter of ragtime harmonica player Robert Cooksey, whilst Calgary, Alberta: University of Calgary Press, themes, which seem forced and sometimes lacking on "The Unreel Breakdown" I hear images of Jean- 1999.156 pp. in continuity, but, that said, the subject is a difficult Jacques Milteau, the legendary French bluegrass one to organize. This is an interesting book to player. Apart from the digital musical content of very province in Canada should have a book browse and follow how music has evolved in the this CD, there is an excerpt from a biographical similar to George Lyon's Community Music in E communities of Alberta. Those roots, and the shift Alberta. What Lyon appears to have done is to documentary. The CD booklet is also packed with through time, make it of interest to anyone, scour the local histories of Alberta for anecdotes detailed information, including the types of whether an Albertan or not. A recommended and photos showing how, when and sometimes microphones used to record the instruments and addition to the library of anyone interested in why music was used in their communities. even the phone number of Joe Felisko, the famous music, it is the kind of book we all can hope will be George Lyon has been researching the harmonica "mechanic" guru, whom Mike has had written for our own province. vernacular culture of Alberta since 1984. He "tweek" his harps. With each track Mike has given teaches English at Calgary's Mount Royal College a short description of the key of harmonica used and had been co-editor of the Canadian Folk Music Richard T. Wright and a brief discussion of his playing of the piece — Williams Lake, British Columbia Bulletin. The book is published by the University of welcome fodder to all harmonica players. There's Calgary, but has been sponsored by the Rocky also the promise of a tablature book to follow. Mountain Folk Club. Listening to the complexity of his playing, I'm not In collecting this material, Lyon has wisely Recordings sure how simple this would be to write, and then stayed away from labelling the music as anything I'm sure it would prove daunting to most players, but "Community Music", the music a community so with a limited market I hope he isn't expecting il Gerald Laroche. Rubato. TIS GARS 100. played. So we savour a rich stew of what some to be a best-seller. Musique Tis Gars, 546, rue Cherrier, St- would call folk or traditional, blues, ragtime, Unlike Mike Steven's CD booklet, which is Boniface, Man. R2J 0M4; sacred, dance music, music of various ethnic packed with details, Gerard Laroche has given us Words and [[email protected]]; groups, Native Peoples' music, nonsense songs and virtually no personal information, but has instead [home.ican.net/~mabord] popular tunes and songs. The emphasis is on used the space to provide us with some original Music community bands, orchestras and groups rather poetry and stories in association with the music of than solo performers or singer/songwriters. Many Mike Stevens. The World is Only Air... the CD. This CD is a product of Gerard Laroche th of the stories and photos revolve around the BCD 132. Borealis Recording Co., 67 Mowat artist, as opposed to Gerard Laroche the musician. schoolhouse or church, for, as the book points out, Ave., Suite 233, Toronto, Ont. M6K 3E3; He has forsaken his paintbrushes and has used his these two buildings were "one of the First orders of [[email protected]]; playing abilities on the harmonica, penny whistle, the day" in forming any community. [www.interlog.com/~brc] jaw harp, Indian mouth-bow and just plain "Community Music" covers local music from breathing rhythms to paint "music-scapes". The ere are two CDs by renowned harmonica the 1890s to the 1960s but, as with local histories, booklet of poems and stories is, I believe, an players, but that's where the similarities end. the focus is on the 1920s to 1940s. An interesting H attempt to weave the same environment as he The differences are striking, in that the feature of the photos is seeing where, and how creates live, combining narration with his music t music contained on The World is Only Air... is all early, some instruments were being used. lead people into his imagination. A valiant goal. wholesome Canadian fiddle tunes, though to claim Mandolins were obviously very popular with many However, while Gerard's visual paintings include it as a world's first on this point seems a litle of the ethnic groups. Cowboys are seen with their much detail, his musical paintings have been esoteric. Meanwhile, Rubato is an offering melded banjos, Fiddles and guitars, and in an 1892 photo of performed with broad brush strokes. Though out of what seems to be the confluence of new-age a Salvation Army Band we see a guitar, a accompanying photographs show Gerard with an and Northern Manitoban Indian music. These concertina, a string bass and an autoharp, abundance of many and varied harmonicas, there polar differences even continue through into their accompanied, naturally, by lots of brass, drums and are only brief interludes where we see his individual treatments of the packaging. Mike's CD tambourines. We also find a hammer dulcimer, particular brand of diatonic and chromatic is jolly, and will have your toes tapping, while bagpipes, a faux resonator guitar, a bodhran, a harmonica mastery percolate through, such as Gerard's CD is in a more sombre mood, and would tsymbaly, a bandura, and a feast of fiddles and a within the tracks "Automne pour Florence" and be best listened to late at night when you want to clutch of mandolins, amidst the more common "The Wizard". A fleeting bluesy section is found empty your mind and float away to somewhere brass, wind and string band and orchestra "Northern Lights", and an outright "blues jam" else for a while. instruments. "Last one to leave please turn out the lights" Mike Stevens is a bluegrass harmonica appears to be there to provide some light relief Generally this book shows how important afficianado who spends most of his time playing music was, not only for entertainment but also in south of the border, though he is in fact a native of from the rest of the content. Whilst he is picture drawing a community together after a harvest Sarnia. Mike's playing of the diatonic harmonica with a chord harmonica (an impressive beast at during the long winter, for church services and for (commonly known as the "blues harp") is near 3 feet long), his usage of the instrument is 1 technically very good, and some of the pieces he rudimentary (such as on "Cabin Fever"). In man pieces he relies on various rhythmic breathing

The Canadian Folk Music BULLETIN de musique folklorique canadienne The Canadian Folk Music BULLETIN de musique folklorique canadienne 20 21

The Canadian Folk Music BULLETIN de musique folklorique canadienne The Canadian Folk Music BULLETIN de musique folklorique canadienne 22 23

patterns, with or without a harmonica on his lips, Lorne Brown as on "The Hunter". At times I found these rhythm e wrote a mere handful of songs, perhaps patterns rather mundane — they would not be out Hsixteen or so. He rarely gave concerts. Of the of place in a beginner's "How to Play Blues songs he did write, most people figured they Harmonica" book. Not that I require something to were traditional folk songs and never suspected be complicated to be good, but I would have who the writer was. He was a Canadian national expected more intricate weavings from a player of treasure. Gerard's stature. I think my definition of a Canadian national The production on Mike's CD very much gives treasure is very Canadian: a treasure whom few one an impression of being in his kitchen with a Canadians know. bunch of friends (all but one of the tracks were Wade Hemsworth was a treasure. recorded in one long session). Depending on your Two of his songs were made into films by the stance, this either enhances or detracts from the National Film Board. One, The Black Fly Song, is subject. I have to say that a tighter, more produced sung in every summer camp in Ontario, and most sound and the chance to re-take a couple of minor of Canada, I'm sure. His songs, as the McGarrigle points would have suited me better. On the other Sisters once said, were to Canadian music what the end of the scale, Gerard Laroche's CD gives the Group of Seven paintings were to Canadian art. His impression of having had a wealth of high-tech songs were the children he never had; he once said studio time available, with a fair amount of multi- he'd send them out on their own to see how they tracking, though I am assured that this is came back. reproducible live (I hasten to add that I know this, Hemsworth was born in Brantford, Ontario in not from info on the CD itself, but from an the middle of World War I, 1916, the oldest of three ancillary source). Well, a reasonable facsimile children. His father was a banker. probably is producible, but only with the assistance His first love, though, was art, and he studied of various electronic effects. Though I can painting at the Ontario College of Art until he appreciate the artistry of Gerard Laroche's offering, In Memoriam graduated, just in time to serve in the RCAF in I am afraid it's too much navel-gazing for me, and I World War II. While with the RCAF he was would have to pump for Mike Steven's CD as being stationed in Newfoundland, one of those the more entertaining choice for my palate. Wade serendipitous events that gave him his first Peter Johnson exposure to traditional folk music, as well as to Calgary, Alberta recordings of Burl Ives. After that, writing songs Hemsworth became his avocation. "Writing songs has always been an avocation for me," he said later, "And I've 1916 - 2002 never gone out of my way for recognition." After a brief stint as a graphic-design artist, Hemsworth spent time as a surveyor in the wilderness of North Ontario and Labrador. That was when he wrote The Black Fly Song. "I was in Labrador, not North Ontario," he once told John Leeder. "What's the difference? I wasn't with Black Toby ... that was another expedition. I was writing a song; I wasn't writing literature." In 1952 Hemsworth moved to Montreal to work with the Canadian National Railways as a design draughtsman. While he was active in the Montreal music scene, he said, "I am not in the music business. The songs are a hobby. If I was in Get Well! the business I'd be so preoccupied by the business I wouldn't be able to think about the music." Laurie Mills, who writes our bluegrass It is hard to pinpoint the "Hemsworth style" reviews, is recuperating from a brain in his songs. There was a calypso rhythm to some, aneurysm. His son, Matt, reports that he an old folksong feeling to others; one song was has stabilized and is showing signs of written in 5/4 time. His lyrics were in English, improvement, including flashes of his sense French, Yiddish, even Mohawk. "Well, I lived in a of humour. big city!" he said. All of us in the CSTM are pulling for your Merrick Jarrett recalls Wade Hemsworth. "I recovery, Laurie! Get well soon. first met Wade Hemsworth in 1961 at the first Mariposa Festival in Orillia, Ontario. I remember

The Canadian Folk Music BULLETIN de musique folklorique canadienne The Canadian Folk Music BULLETIN de musique folklorique canadienne