Piano tracks done today!

Today, Easter Monday, was a special day in the recording studio. It was the day Susan Reininger, Director of the Pot Pourri Choir (of which I am a member) came in to add piano tracks to two of the new songs.

Susan is a very busy lady who not only directs the choir part-time, but also plays organ for Emmanuel United Church, and teaches privately. I am both honoured and touched that she would make the time to learn these pieces and to write out the musical notation for me to keep.

"Angels in Her Pockets" and "Beautiful Dream" are both now graced with her tasteful and tuneful piano playing. Thanks Susan!

'God and Dog' , the song by Wendy Francisco

At the beginning of the process of making my new CD, there was one song I knew I wanted to include. It wasn't one of my own, however. The song was brought to my attention by my friend Christa Wilde. She sent me the link to a song called 'God and Dog' by Wendy Francisco.

When I heard it my heart just went BOOM! If you're not a dog lover, then it won't resonate with you, but it hit me hard. So when I started putting songs together for the CD, I contacted Wendy and asked for permission to record the song. (www.godanddog.com).

She granted me that permission, so one of the first songs I recorded early this year was 'God and Dog', a simple guitar and vocal done live. I didn't want to add anything to it because the song is so simple and pure. Little did I know when I recorded it that I would soon be facing the loss of my own beautiful little dog, Whimsey.

Whimsey passed away this morning in our arms after a sudden worsening of heart and kidney problems. She would have been 15 in August. I think now that it was a miracle I recorded 'God and Dog' before today as I certainly would not have been able to do it now.

And so the new CD will be dedicated to our darling girl. Good-bye my Whimsey...until we meet again, I hope!

Good times with Douglas Cameron at Hugh's Room

Hugh's Room in Toronto is a fabulous restaurant and entertainment space catering to those who love primarily acoustic music. While in that city this past weekend, my hubby Ted and I along with our son Ryan and his gal Lisa and our good friend Barbara checked out the 'Neil Young Tribute' night at Hugh's.

One of my oldest and dearest musical friends, Douglas Cameron, was on the bill. He opened the night solo, playing his exotic-looking banjola. Later he came back to prove his incredibly versatile skills by playing piano and mandolin. There's really no instrument he can't play. And his voice...well, there's nothing he can't sing either.

For those of you who've read this far, here's a secret: Douglas has agreed to do the final mix-down of my new CD at his Toronto studio. I'm thrilled and can't wait to get the basic tracks done so we can start working together...

'Beautiful Dream' now in print

I just got my copy of 'Mitre', Bishop's University's creative magazine and was thrilled to see the lyrics for my song 'Beautiful Dream' right near the top of the list of poetry entries. This song is my quintessential Canadian love pastoral.

Here are the opening lines...

I'm dreaming of a river, and an old birch-bark canoe
Paddles split the surface, and water-drops like jewels
Trees that line the shore all standing straight and tall
Somewhere in the distance a whip-poor-will's call...

I ask you, how often do you get to sing 'whip-poor-will' in a song?

'Shy' Di adding her sweet soprano to the mix!

This CD is really about collaboration. I want to get as many of my friends on it as possible, and that's why I've asked my good friend Di Plant of Knowlton, Quebec to lend her talents to two of the songs. The two we're working on together are 'Little Stone' and 'Lullabye for Baby Boy'. Sweet and simple, these two songs are my two little pearls. Not flashy but precious anyway.

Di is a multi-talented whirlwind on the local entertainment scene. She has starred in several musical theatre productions at Arts Knowlton, and is also a co-member of the Pot Pourri choir. She's also the consummate hostess and is famous for her generosity in opening her home to friends. Thanks Di!

An old friend steps in to play drums...

My old friend Kid Carson, a 'player' on the music scene in Toronto for decades, who once starred in that city's production of 'Hair', has graciously offered to add drum tracks to five of the songs on the new album.

We're going to be sending the songs to him in Toronto from here in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, where he'll add the drums tracks to the existing rhythm guitar, bass and lead vocal tracks.

I met Kid in the early 80s at Fat Albert's Coffee House in T.O. where he used to take time out of his busy schedule running his own 'back-line' musical equipment rental company to play guitar and sing some original tunes. He's still in business and still playing drums with some of his hundreds of musical friends and acquaintances.

You can find Kid on Facebook and at his company website www.kiddiecarmusic.com.