Folk Roots Radio Episode 377: Kevin Roy Live & New Releases

Winnipeg country roots troubadour singer-songwriter Kevin Roy joins us on Episode 377 of Folk Roots Radio for a chat about his music and three live songs. It’s a great session and definitely worth checking out. We also take a look at new music from Dana Sipos, Manitoba Hal, Gordie Tentrees and Jaxon Haldane, Ambre McLean, Vi Wickam and Justin Branum, Anne Janelle, Billy Strings, Norm Brunet, Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar and Marie Knight.  Check out the full playlist below.

Interview

Everyone loves a good story. Winnipeg country roots troubadour, Kevin Roy, shares his songs as if telling a story for the first time over morning coffee. He delivers poignant folk ballads, wry wit toe-tappers, and barnburners with the right balance of aw-shucks honesty and unbridled enthusiasm. Kevin released his very well received first full length long player “Heartworn Highways” in 2016.  Kevin Roy sat down with Jan Hall from Folk Roots Radio at the 2017 Folk Music Ontario conference. Check out Kevin Roy’s upcoming tour dates online at kevinroymusic.com.

Show Notes

Notes about some of the new music on our radar that made it into Episode 377 of Folk Roots Radio.

Highly regarded Canadian singer-songwriter Dana Sipos will release her fourth album “Trick Of the Light” in May on Miranda Mulholland’s boutique record label Roaring Girl Records. Dana Sipos grew up in Hamilton ON, and spent her formative years in Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, before heading out for a life on the open road in pursuit of her art.

Trick of the Light features ten songs that were developed during extensive travels across North America and Europe in support of her very well-received 2015 album “Roll Up The Night Sky”, which received a nomination for the Canadian Folk Music Awards in the Pushing the Boundaries category. In making Trick of the Light, Sipos worked with experimental Toronto producer Sandro Perri. The album also features Mary Margaret O’Hara, Jesse Zubot and Doug Tielli.

Ukulele bluesman Manitoba Hal’s latest album “Blues Is In The Water” was produced by Tim Williams and features ten songs that are all some how related to water, and feature Manitoba Hal on ukulele, banjo ukulele, resonator and cigar box guitar.

“This collection of songs was going to be called ‘Every Sin That I’ve Committed’. Sin was not the legacy that we wanted for this album. WATER is in just about every one of these songs. Water takes the role of cleansing, of baptism, of home, of escape and freedom. It is location, redemption, obstacle and hope. This album is defined by water and water is the unifying element in this collection of songs. Blues IS in the water

Gordie Tentrees and Jaxon Haldane have just released a new live album “GRIT” – recorded over five nights while on tour across Alberta in November 2017, the album includes the Haldane/Tentrees co-writes “Armand” and Junior”, a Fred Eaglesmith/Tentrees composition ”Craft Beards & Man Buns”, a Tommy Womack/Will Kimbrough cover “I Don’t Have a Gun” alongside the Willie P Bennett classic “Willie’s Diamond Joe” and live versions of some Gordie Tentrees songs from earlier albums. Using a variety of instruments – banjo, dobro, cigar box guitars, musical saw, acoustic guitar, porch board bass, harmonica, snare tam & mandolin and brotherly harmonies the duo capture the magic of a Tentrees/Haldane live show.

After a 15-year break from recording, the Ottawa-based singer-songwriter Norm Brunet is back with a new album “It Don’t Get Better Than This”. A country-rock leaning singer-songwriter Norm is an accomplished musician known for his distinctive vocals.

“The first thing people usually comment on is the raspiness of my voice,” Norm says. “I guess that came from years of performing night after night in clubs!”

“I have been silent in my songwriting as I am one to not speak unless I have something to say. I took a hiatus for that reason but was still actively performing, mostly in the States, waiting for the inspiration to come. It did last February and I wrote this new album, which I started recording in May.”

It Don’t Get Better Than This remains true to Norm Brunet’s signature style of writing, featuring some traditional country, southern rock, and a good dose of rootsy Americana.

There is a new live album out featuring the music of a Marie Knight, the musical partner of Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The new album, “The Gospel Truth Live”, features a 2007 concert recorded in North Adams MA. Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who died in 1973, was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. Marie Knight passed away in 2009.

And that’s all we have time for, this time around. Thanks to all the artists who share their music with us, and thank you for listening. We have a lot of great music and interviews to bring you on future shows. I hope you’ll join us!

Listen

You can listen to this episode again on Soundcloud by following the link below. You can also listen to episodes of Folk Roots Radio, on demand, via iTunes, Stitcher and Tune-in Radio. (Click on the highlighted link to reach your chosen platform.)

Playlist

Nicolas & The Iceni (Theme)
Lucy She Rises (Demo)
Roll Right (Pre-release, self)

Dana Sipos
Blue Ridge
Trick Of The Light (2018, Roaring Girl Records) CDN

Manitoba Hal
Blessed By Love
Blues In The Water (2018, Hal’s Kitchen) CDN

Gordie Tentrees and Jaxon Haldane
Holy Moly
Grit (2018, Greywood Records) CDN

Ambre McLean
I Can Tell
My Heart (2017, Northwood Records) CDN

Vi Wickam and Justin Branum
Whiskey Before Breakfast
Armadillo On A Hot Tin Roof (2018, Wickam Music)

Kevin Roy
The Mighty River (Live)

Interview: Kevin Roy recorded at the 2017 Folk Music Ontario conference.

Kevin Roy
Taller Than The Trees (Live)

Kevin Roy
Gone With The Wind (Live)

Anne Janelle
Friend Of Mine
I Didn’t Want To Break It (2017, Self) CDN

Billy Strings
On The Line
Turmoil And Tinfoil (2017, Apostol Music)

Norm Brunet
It Don’t Get Better Than This
It Don’t Get Better Than This (2017, Self) CDN

Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar
Chasing Dreams
Run To Me (2018, Gypsy Soul Records / Fontana North) CDN

Marie Knight
I Belong To The Band
The Gospel Truth Live (2018, M.C. Records)