Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

The talented troubadour's fifth album, and first since 2018's Starter Home, offers no big surprises—just more first-rate folk and country songs, many of which sound like they're destined to join such other Paisley classics as “Drinking With a Friend” or "No One But You." But consistency is a virtue worth celebrating. And Paisley's intimate songwriting, warm voice and crisp guitar work is never anything less than exceptional. He's like a modern-day Kristofferson or Lightfoot who keeps hitting it out of the park.  This time around, Paisley works with Afie Jurvanen (Bahamas), who produces and provides additional guitar, as well as sterling side players including drummer Don Kerr, guit...

It surprised no one who knew him that Mendelson Joe would choose to die entirely on his own terms. In a Feb. 7 post on his website titled “That’s It Folks,” the prolific, self-taught musician, painter and activist who had advanced Parkinson’s disease, wrote: “I have ended my job as multi-media artist with the provision of MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying).” Unable to resist a last chance to advocate his beliefs, he added: “I see MAID as a sign of a civilized society. To be born Canadian is a great blessing. We have free speech. We have healthcare. We have MAID. Thank you, Canada.” Mr. Joe was 78. Those closest to him remember a unique man, unwavering in his views and blunt in delivering the...

"Best of" lists are, frankly, silly. How can one possibly decide the finest work unless all works in that category are considered? When it comes to recordings, there simply aren't enough hours in a day (or even a year) to listen to everything that's been released. As the saying goes: so much music, so little time. Rather than declare these nine albums the best of the year, I'm calling them nine of my favourite recordings that I came across in 2022.        Warm Chris - Aldous Harding One of the most intriguingly inscrutable singer-songwriters working today, the New Zealand-born, Welsh-based Harding defies predictability, with a chameleon-like voice that changes in tim...