(APRIL 21, 2001) by Dianne Wells, Journalist, To-Nite Magazine, April 2001
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Brian Gladstone ("Back to the Dirt"), this year’s Earthday Canada Benefit Concert was a great success! He managed to recruit some very awesome musicians to volunteer their time and talent in this worthy cause to preserve the earth’s natural resources.
Starting off the event was Jim Bearden (a regular in Norm Hacking’s "Living Room" gig) who had the unfortunate task of "warming up" the room (both literally and figuratively). He performed mostly original roots-folk songs from his self-titled CD. While he seemed a bit nervous at first, he carried on bravely and eventually hit his stride to produce a welcoming response from the "early" attendees.
The next performer was Clela Errington (on harmonica and acoustic guitar), accompanied very proficiently by Steve Paul Simms (alternating on lead/rhythm acoustic guitar, as well as harmonica). Clela, while relatively new on the performing scene, is a very engaging, humorous performer with Canadian East Coast roots, who performed most of the original tunes from her debut CD, Lace Curtains, and included various covers from Roseanne Cash, Duke Ellington and Stonewall Jackson. The carefully chosen selection of songs evoked images of an Acadian oceanside resort or even a Parisian street café. Great vocals as well from both of them!
By this time, the room was filling up nicely, just in time for Julian Fauth, Mike Robertson and Ken "Kenny" Yoshioka, who comprise the band that’s creating a "buzz" around town called Dark Holler. Apart from being a talented keyboardist, Julian shows he’s equally adept with a fretboard, but has a curious technique of plucking the strings on the guitar as if they were on a harp instead, producing quite a unique sound! Mike was playing a National Steel slide guitar, which instrument I just can’t hear enough of. I mean, this is an instrument that demands attention! Kenny completed the ensemble with some haunted, soul-searching harmonica. Billed as "raw old-time blues", it also conjured up images of escaped criminals being tracked by the hounds through the bayous and backwoods. For such a soft-spoken man, Julian has no problem projecting his voice into a crowd when necessary. Julian tells me they are working on a new CD, as they have exhausted their supply of demo CDs and feel it’s more worthwhile to just continue on with some new material to record.
Norm Hacking, whom I had met previously in the Kew Beach area of Toronto, then took the stage and continued to amaze me with his brilliant storytelling lyrics, while playing fairly simple chords, to produce absolute radio masterpieces. And, in fact, his songs have been covered by numerous Toronto musicians over the last two decades. I was immensely amused by a song about a former girlfriend called "She Had a Smile That Would Make Hobos Wear Tuxedos" (and little boys put away frogs) concerning an incident which took place in Toronto’s own Silver Dollar. Apparently Norm has finally been officially acknowledged in industry circles and has been offered several "deals", to be announced shortly, thanks to a happy coincidence where a news article found its way into the right hands. Congratulations, Norm!
Brian Gladstone, the promoter and organizer of the benefit, was the finale act of the evening, backed by Tony Quarrington (on guitar) and Annelise Norohna (on vocals and kazoo). Brian performed original tunes from his CD, Back to the Dirt, a uniquely Canadian (and sometimes Toronto-centric) collection of songs composed of clever lyrics and simultaneous flatpicking and finger picking, for example, the "Don Valley Parkway Blues" (which strangely reminded me of Arlo Guthrie’s "Alice’s Restaurant" and would make a great official anthem for Toronto), "Icy Northern Town", and "Children of the Son". "Save the Wolverine" (written for the Predators’ Conservation Authority) contained some "giggling guitar" which made me think of bubbling streams. He also played some catchy tunes, which were not on the "Back to the Dirt" CD, called "I like Me" a ragtime boogie-woogie dealing with the importance of maintaining a good self-image, with Annelise on back-up vocals and kazoo ("so that people can appreciate the sound of a "real" flute), although I personally don’t mind the kazoo sound itself.
Brian got into raunchy carnival mode with "Blackbearded Wonder", a "high-falutin’ boogie" and also performed the excellent Celtic-flavored "The Highwayman".
Speaking of flutes, Ron Korb made a special guest appearance playing both a regular flute and an eerie-sounding Cambodian flute, personally acquired in that region, which sent shivers down the spines of more than a few people.
Robert DiGioia generously donated his time volunteering as sound engineer (great job!) as did Brian’s son and daughter, Michael and Lindsey. There were numerous volunteers whose names I missed, but your willing participation was surely well appreciated by the performers and audience alike.
