Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

The home of music journalist Nicholas Jennings, author of Lightfoot, the definitive new Gordon Lightfoot biography from Penguin Random House.

The Parachute Club - Rising up to stardom

Toronto’s Queen Street, with its clothing jobbers, alternative art galleries and fringe music clubs, has become a major source of brave new musical talents. No group reflects that community’s diversity better than the Parachute Club, whose seven members mix radical social messages with eclectic musical styles. And lately the group’s daring formulas have reaped unexpected rewards. Its self-titled debut album has become a gold record in Canada, and its single, “Rise Up,” an infectious, carnival-style anthem of liberation, has earned the band nine awards and an international audience. This week the Parachute Club launches a second album, which promises to carry its fortunes to even greater heig...

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Billy Bryans, a cultural bridge builder who changed the sound of Canadian music

Billy Bryans was best known as the drummer and founding member of the Parachute Club, the Juno Award-winning political rock group famous for its anthemic hit “Rise Up.” But his credits and contributions ran much deeper and he may ultimately be remembered as a cultural bridge builder who changed the sound of Canadian music. As a musician, Bryans performed and recorded with bands across the musical spectrum, from rock and blues to punk and African styles. At the height of the new wave era, playing in several groups at once, he was often seen pushing his drum kit on a trolley from club to club along Toronto’s Queen Street. His work as a record producer was equally eclectic, working with everyon...

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Liner Notes: Various artists - All Canadian Classic Pop

Canadian pop has clearly come of age. Gone are the days when Canadian musicians had to leave the country to achieve success. Today, our finest, homegrown artists stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world, and their records regularly top the international charts. In the 1970s and '80s, Quebec produced several homegrown stars with exceptional voices. Gino Vannelli, a robust singer with a dynamic stage presence, won an ardent following--especially among women. Two other Montreal vocalists scored major breakthroughs: Luba, with her lush, gospel-inflected style, and Corey Hart, with his defiant stance and infamous pout. The late '70s and early '80s saw the rise of Canrock, a genre of ...

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Lorraine Segato - Invincible Decency

The “Rise Up” singer has always crafted uplifting rhythmic music. Her latest solo album is no exception, featuring the joyous “Only Human” and the feel-good funk of “Who You Are (Be What You Be).” She also pays tribute to her late Parachute Club partner Billy Bryans on the moving ballad “Times Like This.”

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