North By East West

Ottawa's Jim Bryson may not be a household name but just about every Canadian under 50 will know his work. Byrson is a touring and/or studio member of the Weakerthans, the Tragically Hip and Kathleen Edwards backing band (among others). He is also celebrating his 10th anniversary as a solo performer.

There is an article in the Ottawa XPress that does it more justice than I can:

What a banner year 2009 was for Jim Bryson. After developing something akin to hidden-treasure status following years of gigs supporting the likes of Kathleen Edwards, Sarah Harmer and The Weakerthans, Bryson can add supergroup The Tragically Hip to his ever-growing list of admirers after joining the Kingston legends as a tour musician since mid-April.

Such good news, while certainly appreciated locally, was likely also greeted with little surprise in the Cap, where Bryson's reputation as a musician of note has been ironclad for many a year - perhaps even a decade? Yes, in fact, a decade is accurate (it's true, my team of crack researchers left no stone unturned). Look no further than the evidence: Bryson's hugely popular holiday gig at Wakefield's Black Sheep Inn celebrates 10 big ones in 2K9.

read the whole thing here

And of course they are celebrating at Jim's home at Kelp Records. Head over to http://kelprecords.com/blog/2009/12/jim-bryson-10th-anniversary-the-black-sheep/ for info on Jim's two shows this weekend at the Blacksheep in (with special guests a plenty) and you can download a free, previously unreleased live track from the birthday boy himself.

Labels: Events, Free Download, Jim Bryson

This is the weekly thing where I tell you what's coming up on Canada Live, or rather I pass it along. Every weeknight Canada Live on CBC Radio 2 brings you live concerts recorded all over Canada. Someone at Radio 2 passes the list on to me, and I pass it on to you.

November 30 to December 4: Canada Live goes unplugged, with solo and acoustic concerts you can't hear anywhere else!

Monday, November 30, 2009
concert 1: Daniel Lavoie
recorded at the Lion d'Or in Montreal
For the past four decades, Daniel Lavoie has been active in Quebec and in France, performing his own songs as well as taking part in very popular rock operas, such as Notre-Dame-de-Paris. His latest album -- his 19th! -- is Docteur Tendresse, an opus meant to bring some comfort in our complicated world. Canada Live was there to record the first event of his Canadian tour. In this intimate solo concert, Daniel Lavoie's amazing voice and piano playing are sure to bring warmth to every music lover's heart. Tune in for a dose of Dr. Tenderness, recorded last fall at the Lion d'Or in Montreal as part of the Coup de Coeur Francophone Festival.
concert 2: Jim Bryson
recorded at The Great Canadian Theatre Company, Ottawa as part of the Ottawa Folk Festival's Acoustic Waves Series
The always hilarious, always original folk-rocker Jim Bryson goes solo for an intimate soft-seater evening at the Great Canadian Theatre Company. He debuted some new songs and took the old favourites for a spin in a new, unadorned way. Filled with Jim's stream-of-consciousness banter, it was a memorable night to be sure.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009
concert 1: Joel Plaskett
recorded at The Capitol Theater in Moncton, NB
Joel Plaskett wears many hats as a songwriter and touring artist. When he is fronting his band 'The Emergency' his shows are pure high energy pop / rock. But Joel has another side - that of the solo, unplugged performer, and as witnessed on his most recent recording 'Three' -- aptly titled as it is a triple CD release in one package -- he is quite comfortable writing with the solo, more acoustic performance in mind. But, with whatever performance style he has in mind, the one thing Joel does is to write good songs - songs with strong lyrics and melodies that can stand on their own, whatever the instrumentation.
concert 2: Scott Nolan
recorded at the Great Western Roadhouse in Brandon, MB
Singer/songwriter Scott Nolan is a roots rocker with a country twang. Sometimes laid-back and kinda smoky, always witty, Nolan won second place in the International Song Competition in 2008 for his song Bad Liver/Broken Heart. A chance encounter with Nashville mega-producer, Miles Wilkinson, led to a live recording. 'This is exactly the type of music I want to record," Wilkinson is reported to have said. Scott Nolan performs solo for this acoustic/rockin' set and offers a mix of songs from his recent recordings plus some brand new never-recorded material.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009
concert 1: Rufus Wainwright
recorded at the Jackson-Triggs Estate Amphitheatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Hot off of the debut of his first opera, "Prima Donna," at the Manchester International Festival, Rufus Wainwright embarks on a solo tour, and the first date is this intimate Jackson-Triggs Estate Amphitheatre performance for Canada Live. Over the years, Rufus Wainwright has established himself as one of the great male vocalists and songwriters of his generation. This performance features his favourite songs and stories as he performs solo, alternating between a grand piano and acoustic guitar.

Thursday, December 3, 2009
concert 1: RootStock
recorded at the Jackson-Triggs Estate Amphitheatre in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario
RootStock shines the spotlight on five of Canada's top singer/songwriters. The show features Tom Cochrane, Steven Page, Jim Cuddy, Kathleen Edwards and John Mann from Spirit Of The West, in an intimate, informal outdoor setting. All five talk about their influences, and how certain genres and themes became part of their music. As well, they share stories about how they met and influenced each other. The onstage banter is hilarious and, of course, there's great music performed by all.

Friday, December 4, 2009
concert 1: Jets Overhead
recorded at the Telus Theatre, Vancouver
Jets Overhead are a Victoria based band that has slowly but surely established itself as a player in the west coast indie scene. Their new album was recorded on Hornby Island, a quintessentially west coast location away from the fray. They played a special acoustic set for this concert at Telus Theatre. It's an intimate theatre that perfectly suited this unplugged version of their songs. Find out why people are falling in love with Jets Overhead.

CBC Radio 1 broadcast, Fridays at 2:05 PM
Friday, December 4, 2009, on CBC Radio 1
concert 1: RootStock
recorded at the Jackson-Triggs Estate Amphitheatre in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario
RootStock shines the spotlight on five of Canada's top singer/songwriters. The show features Tom Cochrane, Steven Page, Jim Cuddy, Kathleen Edwards and John Mann from Spirit Of The West, in an intimate, informal outdoor setting. All five talk about their influences, and how certain genres and themes became part of their music. As well, they share stories about how they met and influenced each other. The onstage banter is hilarious and, of course, there's great music performed by all.

Canada Live podcast, released on Fridays
Friday, December 4, 2009 on the Canada Live podcast
concert 1: Jets Overhead
recorded at the Telus Theatre, Vancouver
Jets Overhead are a Victoria based band that has slowly but surely established itself as a player in the west coast indie scene. Their new album was recorded on Hornby Island, a quintessentially west coast location away from the fray. They played a special acoustic set for this concert at Telus Theatre. It's an intimate theatre that perfectly suited this unplugged version of their songs. Find out why people are falling in love with Jets Overhead.

Labels: Canada Live, CBC Radio 2, Jets Overhead, Jim Bryson, Joel Plaskett, Rufus Wainwright