This record was a joy to make. Jamie Robinson was the studio producer. When I speak of his work, I can’t praise him more highly. Great players:      Kim Dunn, Jamie Gatti, Kevin Breit, and Jamie R., too. Solid song choices.

The star of the show is Raylene’s voice, though. Mature, expressive, closer, more intimate. The whole thing feels natural, and the real character of         her voice in evident from the first notes.

This is a great CD. I’m proud to have been involved in it. Nice cover, too. Kelly Clark took the photo Jason (Evul) Otis did the design.

Hope you buy it. Hope you like it.

My recent happy experience at the Sherbrooke Songwriter’s Camp was enough to get me through the summer with a sense of satisfaction and joy. Well needed.

My fellow “instructors” – facilitators, really – were James Keelaghan, David Francey, Clary Croft and Craig Werth. All great songwriters, all lovely men. Lovely in the complicated, interesting, funny, tender way that makes you fall in love with them, even if you are gay. I learned a lot from each of them.

We started every day with an hour long talk from one of the instructors.

Clary: the history of song, the folk tradition, folklore, pulling examples from the Helen Creighton Collection, interspersed with songs delivered in the most beautiful tenor I’ve ever heard. He’s a singer’s singer. Also, he’s a great songwriter.

James: performance. One of the best performers in the country (many countries, in fact). Great talk about the hows and how nots. Most memorable for me? The question ” what is the one word you should never say on stage? “. Lot’s of suggestions as to what it might be. Turns out it’s this: sorry. I need to be reminded of that from time to time. Also, he’s a great songwriter

David: time and place, and evoking them. Great example of how he took a trip, kept his eyes open, listened to the place, imagines and created. He’s a master at it. His talk was transporting. Also, he’s a great songwriter.

Craig: an open hearted, enlightened and enlightening talk becoming a songwriter, about being a songwriter, and retaining one’s humanity in the face of a difficult business that sometimes does as much to separate us as it does connect us. Seems to me he got to the very heart of what it is to be an artist. Also, he’s a great songwriter.

I talked about making a lyric sing. Nut and bolts to smooth it out and “use your words”….and I sang some songs. Also, I’m an ok songwriter.

But the vitality of this camp is what the participants bring. Not just the songs (of which there were many good ones this year) but the pure willingness to cast off ego, help each other, pass the salt and pepper, leave the last cookie on the plate for someone else.

Here’s to leaving the last cookie on the plate for someone else.

This works well, to my mind. I like hearing from people via this site. It reassures me that someone’s reading. Other than some of my family.

Today, on my page, I posted an upcoming event at the Carleton. Rankin, Church and Crowe will be performing there on October 19th. While posting it, I remembered the event invitation I sent before my show at the Carleton on March 14th. I think I had about 30 responses from folks who checked the “will be attending” box. A few “maybe attending”.  the night came, and I was very happy with the capacity turnout. But, in thinking about it later, I realized not one “will be attending” or “maybe attending” person attended.  Odd. Just sayin’.

I see where Rose Cousins is playing The Company House on September 3rd and 4th. Go see her…she’s good. Very good. Here’s the scoop on the venue:

The Company House
2202 Gottingen Street
Halifax, NS B3K 3B4

Phone: (902) 404-3050

The hope of owning that book is lost to me now – I forget the title, the writer and have no guess as to how to search for it, even in this age of the search engine.  I remember its charm and whimsey, the delicate nature of the records, the tiny observations that verged on precious, but I can’t find it.

I have my own lists now – not obsessive, not orderly, but I have them.

On-paper, I refer to these: to-do; grocery; travel; wine; birthday cards. Off-paper, there are: likes; dislikes; fears; loves; hates; grudges; things I should have said; things I should not have said; things I should have taken back after I said them (impossible); bad shows; good shows; no-shows; performance invitations I declined that I should have accepted and vice versa; secret material wishes; things I would change physically – character flaws, too; huge gaffes both professional and personal; long harboured bad deed guilts; lies I wish I hadn’t told; truths I wish I hadn’t told; animal names for when I again have a dog; letters I didn’t answer; favourite chip flavours in descending order; regrets.

These come off the top of my head at the moment, of course – there are many other lists I have missed. Of the above, however, regret stands out. It’s the one I least regret.

I could list many bad decisions, but given the richness of my life right now, I feel that I’ve made only a few mistakes. Others might disagree. If necessary, they could make a list of the dozens of stumbles and almost purposeful missteps that turned me away from opportunity, took me down the path of stupid.

For now, I’m sticking to my own list of lists. A fellow songwriter once wrote “my face is a map of my time here”.  My face is not so poetic. My lists are a map of my life. So far.

Here’s a tune. Hope you like it.

06 Boy on a Bicycle

http://www.cbc.ca/atlanticairwaves/