Miss Joyce, with but a brief “Deviation” into the world of heavy metal back in the ‘80s has been crooning and belting out the Blues for over a decade now, wowing audiences with her power and vocal control and with her poised and entertaining between song expositions on life, love and family.

“Life is too short” maintains Miss Joyce. “Life is too short no matter how long you live! We will make mistakes; have regrets, sadness, happiness, lonely times and times of great revelation and exuberance”

And that’s the theme which links the nine songs on this album. Needless to say I felt very fortunate to have been invited to the launch of “Life Is Too Short” at the The Carleton in Halifax, Nova Scotia on October 4th.

The songs speak to many different aspects of our time on the earth being much too brief. “Rolling in Sugar” tells us that life’s simple pleasures should be relished and enjoyed. Maybe we should give into temptation once in a while!

In the catchy, upbeat “Just Me and the Boys” Eileen revels in the camaraderie and good times she finds in her music career. Speaking of which, “the boys in the band” include Dr. Bill Harvey at the keyboard, not only Eileen’s husband and an able and compassionate family physician but a major talent in the music world. Bill often jokes that he studied medicine so he could afford to be a musician. Among Eileen’s “other boys” are Ken Mackay, sax, Steve Preeper, drums, Bruce Timmins and Al Macumber on guitar and Chris Churchill on bass.

In “Ain’t It Sad Sister” Miss Joyce speaks to the “loss of my sister and the knowledge she is still with me.” In fact the album is dedicated to two of her siblings, sister Anet Elizabeth Williamson and her brother Louis Rossi Williamson who were recently and tragically lost. Special guests on this cut are Jackie Richardson and Lela Coles. Jackie is an award-winning vocalist who gained renown singing back-up with Ray Charles.

Other songs deal with inspiration, both religious and secular and the concept that life is too short to waste, as Miss Joyce puts it, “on these who don’t love us and those we can’t fix.” One Vision” touchingly points out that life too short to allow us to neglect those less fortunate.

Ironically Miss Joyce is currently dealing with a serious lung condition, herself, though you’d have doubted it from her vibrant performance. Her songs, her voice, her demeanor all reflect the sincerity and passion she puts into the album’s profound message, which is to simply treasure life and the good things in it, deal with the bad and most of all revel in the love of family and friends.

Enjoy ‘Every Shade of Blue’ by Eileen Joyce

Visit Eileen Joyce’s Website

Miss Joyce’s albums can be downloaded at I Tunes.

Photo Credits

All Photos © Eileen Joyce – All Rights Reserved

Cesária Évora – better known as the “barefoot diva” because she liked to perform without wearing shoes – became famous for singing in the blues-style of Cape Verde, known as Morna. Achingly beautiful, these melodies are said to be influenced by the country’s history owing to Portuguese occupation from the middle 15th Century to 1975.

Placed in an orphanage at ten years old, Évora’s is a rags-to-riches story, particularly when she was persuaded to sing in a sailors’ tavern at the age of sixteen, and from there began singing on Portuguese cruise ships stopping at Mindelo, a port city on São Vicente. She spent her younger years on Cape Verde working and singing on local radio.

In 1985, when Évora (Cise to her friends) was 44, she was invited to accompany another Cape Verdean singer to perform in Portugal. While singing in Lisbon, her rich contralto vocals entranced musician José da Silva, who invited her to record her first album “La Diva Aux Pieds Nus” in Paris.

Renowned for pausing her concerts for a smoke and a draft of beer, Évora never wandered far from her island roots. In 1992 she sold 300,000 copies of her fourth album, Miss Perfumado, and went on to release a total of ten albums in all. In 2004, she won a Grammy Award for her album Voz D’Amor.

Described by Cape Verdean President Jorge Carlos Fonseca as “one of the major cultural reference of Cape Verde”, Évora died on her native island in December 2011, sparking two days of national mourning.

Photo Credits

Cesária Évora – Wikipedia Creative Commons 

Guest Author Bio

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Notorious for playing rural towns as well as big cities, Johnson saw years of commercial success in Canada and abroad with Big Sugar.  However, during the mid-2000s Johnson grabbed the reigns in all facets of his career.

Drawn to the lifestyle and music of the Southern United States, Johnson set up shop in rural Texas while using Austin as home for his power trio Grady.

Getting the Rush

Johnson was originally born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and grew up between Alberta and Ontario. As  a youth in the border town of Windsor, Ontario, Johnson absorbed a balance of Canadian and American culture. “I can remember as a teenager going to see Rush in Detroit in ’77 and I remember thinking ‘THIS is what I want to do!'”  Ironically, years later it would  be Alex Lifeson of Rush who would give Johnson his first double neck Gibson guitar.

Big Sugar

In its early incarnations, Big Sugar played as a back-up band for many Toronto jazz musicians, including singer Molly Johnson. She would eventually help the band secure a record deal. Big Sugar’s self-titled debut was released in 1991 as Johnson and the band began to establish themselves by consistently delivering powerful live shows. The band’s is its delivery of sound was also remarkably consistent.

“We play way too loud. You shouldn’t be able to hear yourself think. I don’t want people thinking. I want them focused on what’s going on up on stage,” says Johnson.  While most guitarist opt for a single pick, Johnson’s weapons of choice are several finger picks to combine with his signature slide guitar style.

As the bandleader and key songwriter of Big Sugar, Johnson tried many line-up changes with the band. By the 1996 release of Hemi-Vision, which included tracks recorded in English and French, he had acquired the r&b and blues touch of harmonica and saxophone player Kelly Hoppe.

Rastaman Garry Lowe had also became an official member on bass, solidifying the reggae and dub ingredients.

The band’s next release Heated went on to platinum success in Canada, firmly establishing the unique reggae roots rock sound that is Big Sugar.

Music Man

Johnson is not only diverse when its comes to his own projects. His diversity is also evident in his collaborative efforts as producer, mixer, songwriter, and session player, keeping him extremely active in both Canadian and American scenes.  He has had a hand in producing and creating with some of Canada’s most notable rock artists including Joel Plaskett and The Trews. He is also currently working with Canadian blues rockers Wide Mouth Mason on their new record.

South of the border, Johnson’s studio of choice is Willie Nelson’s Perdenales Studios just outside of Austin. In addition to recording his Grady records there, he has also invited other Canadian artists down to record. Since moving to Austin, Johnson has worked with many other artists including Taj Mahal, The Black Crowes, and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. Through his work with Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers, Gov’t Mule) he produced the most recent Gov’t Mule record.

The Loudest Canadian band in Texas

With a desire to start from scratch, a do–it-yourself mentality and love of rock and roll, Johnson and former Big Sugar bassist “Big” Ben Richardson set their sights South in 2003. After words of encouragement from Chris Layton (Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble) to settle in Austin, Texas, the duo would ultimately bring him in as the first drummer in Grady.

Southern lifestyle and eclectic musical immersion have inspired the truthful sounds coming from Grady. Austin, Texas exists as a melting pot of all varieties of music. While blues, country, folk, and rock were already elements in Johnson’s sound, a chance to live it and breathe it nightly was the gravitational force.

“Regionally where we live and where the music is coming from, there are a lot of influences that never would have probably reached my ears living in downtown Toronto. I live out in the country in a little town in Texas so I hear Mexican radio stations and heavy metal bands coming through San Antonio and Austin. There’s lots of blues and country. I work out of Willie Nelson’s studio so a lot of that music drifts across my plate too,” says Johnson.

The influence works both ways. “We did a song a while back called “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide”… it could have very well been about Grady and Big Sugar, especially since Canada is so big,” says Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.

Good As Dead

Fans north of the border were met with a sharp departure from the Big Sugar’s familiar sound when Grady toured Canada. Grady is straight-ahead, heavy, gut-bucket rock and roll with Southern sensibilities.

After holding auditions for a new drummer in 2007 in Austin, Grady acquired Nina Singh for duties on drums. Once welcomed as an official member, it would ironically turn out that Singh was also Canadian.

The trio’s latest effort, Good As Dead, is a streamlined Southern rock gem. Grady has cut a unique sound, described by the British press as “Cowboy Metal.”  This is music made for dark, sweaty  bars and nightclubs where inside you’ll find the good and the bad. Grady resonates at a low frequency with sounds of Southern hard rock laced with traditional folk and blues melodies.

Good As Dead captures the dry darkness and heat of the American Southwest. Reminiscent of Black Sabbath and Motorhead, Johnson delivers an utterly crushing Gibson double-neck and SG guitar sound. Throughout, Johnson’s strengths as a songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist shine.

On The Road Again

In the spring of 2010, Gordie “Grady” Johnson reunited Big Sugar. In addition to his work with Grady and Big Sugar, Johnson is also on call for touring bass duties with The Trews and Wide Mouth Mason (who Johnson played with this summer opening for ZZ Top’s Canadian dates.)

Recommended Recordings

To experience some of Gordie Johnson’s music, seek out and have a listen to these select tracks which are standouts in an extraordinary career. These songs are an excellent starting point for new listeners and a glimpse at Johnson’s large body of work. Below that, you will find two excellent videos for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

“Diggin A Hole” on Hemi-Vision (Big Sugar)

“If I Had My Way” on Hemi-Vision (Big Sugar)

“Groundhog Day” on Big Sugar

“If I Was King” on Good As Dead (Grady)

“Good As Dead” on Good As Dead (Grady)

Gordie “Grady” Johnson On Video

href='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWB8RrGmfyQ

href='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykEpCbQ7cAM

Additional Reading

http://shadygrady.net/

http://www.bigsugar.com

What Do You Think?

Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts on the music of Gordie Johnson. What are some of your favorite songs or albums? How have they affected you? If you have seen Grady or Big Sugar in concert, please share some of your comments about the shows.

Photo Credits

“Gordie Johnson Main” Shayne Kaye @ Flickr.com Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.

“Gordie Johnson 1”      Kashmera @ Flickr.com Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.

“Gordie Johnson 2”     Scott Penner @ Flickr.com Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.

“Gordie Johnson 3”      Shayne Kaye @ Flickr.com Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.

Jammin’ the Blues is a 1944 short film in which several prominent jazz musicians got together for a rare filmed jam session. It featured Lester Young, Red Callender, Harry Edison, Marlowe Morris, Sid Catlett, Barney Kessel, Jo Jones, John Simmons, Illinois Jacquet, Marie Bryant, Archie Savage and Garland Finney.

The film, quite simply, looks like Jazz itself.

Smoke curling from the cigarettes, to the ceilings of dark rooms, the simplicity and purity of the music endures, it speaks for itself, to anyone who will listen. What it says and the why of it are for each listener to discern, because as much as each player brings his life to the instrument and the music, so too each listener. A communion of sorts, a moment in the dark becomes a path to a light of recognition; of pain and loss and above all else, of enduring, surviving, carrying on, of love.

The movie was directed by still photographer Gjon Mili, He was the first to use electronic flash and stroboscopic light to create photographs that had more than scientific interest. “Time could truly be made to stand still. Texture could be retained despite sudden violent movement.” he once said.

The film, shot by his friend Robert Burk, employs these techniques to enhance the music. Norman Granz was the technical producer for the session as he was for so much of what has become the music we know as jazz.

href='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v_Y3Pbiims