Victoria Rootsfest Performers 2002

Confirmed Line-up For 2002
Check out the full schedule and Rootsfest Revival - a column written by the Artistic Director of Victoria Rootsfest, Doug Cox. You can read more about performers featured August 16th to 18th at Victoria Rootsfest.
Dave Alvin and The Guilty Men featured in Rootsfest Revival #2	Out In California is a perfectly appropriate title for Dave Alvin's newest record. Born in Los Angeles, the 47 year-old Alvin has been an longtime proponent of the state's sunny dales, both through stints in seminal cow-punk bands such as The Blasters and X and with his most recent band, The Guilty Men. Alvin's most recent accomplishment was winning a Grammy Award for his 2000 album, Public Domain: Songs from the Wild Land.
Geoff Berner	It’s hard not to love a guy who once said, "People who make fun of the accordion can kiss my Jewish ass." He's harder to hate when you consider this same accordion-playing guy wrote the incomparable Light Enough To Travel, a cult hit that was recently made famous south of the border by his friends the Be Good Tanyas. Berner travels the world with his accordion and his three-piece suit, playing music he calls "anarcoustica." Sometimes beauty comes in divinely odd packages.
Billy Goats Gruff	The members of this three-headed folk band met while studying jazz in high school, but it's their love of folk music that keeps Phaedra (bodhran), Heather (fiddle) and Jenny (guitar) going full tilt these days. A popular attraction on the streets of Victoria, thanks both to their lively busking sessions and their debut CD, The Million Dollar Tip, Billy Goats Gruff perform with a youthfulness that belies their two short years together.
Tim Brown and Peter Gilmore	Fiddler Tim Brown and guitarist Peter Gilmore may be decades apart in age, but the Celtic music these Cumberland residents create together is of the same mind, body and spirit. The union of these two inventive performers is highlighted by Gilmore's steadfast experience (he began playing professionally in the early 1970's) and the prodigious fiddle talents of 23 year-old Brown, who was twice named the BC Fiddle Champion. The pair are currently working on their debut recording.
Todd Butler	Todd Butler, the author of delights like Canadian Spy, B.C. Bud Man and Lucien, The Guy's Retiring, is known for writing heartfelt odes to the country that houses him. But this fine and varied performer is also an irreverent comic and veteran contributor to CBC Radio and Television. The mind wanders when guessing what the song Butler wrote specifically for Rootsfest 2002 will involve, but we're sure it'll be funny.
Guy Clark featured in Rootsfest Revival #1	Guy Clark must have been sent to us from some otherworldy place. Some place where words are precious. Where guitars are like lightning. And where voices are made out of gold. That's the only way to explain his uncanny guitar ability and his exceptional songwriting gift. He ranks so high on the list of legendary singer-songwriters, in fact, that country music stars like Johnny Cash, Jerry Jeff Walker and Ricky Skaggs have all covered his songs. High praise indeed.
Holly Cole	The chameleonic Holly Cole has thrown caution to the wind more times during her 17-year career than most artists do in a lifetime. Be it her choice of cover songs (her smokey versions of Johnny Nash's I Can See Clearly Now and The Beatles' I've Just Seen a Face were both crossover hits) or her ability to shapeshift with the best of what Canadian music has to offer, the 39 year-old cabaret singer is anything but predictable.
Cousin Harley	Cousin Harley leader Paul Pigat is blessed with an embarrassment of riches. The guitarist's uncanny knack for everything from jazz and swing to rockabilly and country has made him one of the most respected players in B.C.; Pigat is also one of the province's most engaging personalitites. As a result, the dust bowl symphonies the former Victorian (he now lives in Vancouver) kicks up under the Cousin Harley moniker are second-to-none. When he's not paying spiritual homage to the Stray Cats and Dick Dale with his current band, Pigat also finds the time to lead his own self-named jazz trio.
Allen Dobb	What began as a casual writing session five years ago quickly matured into a full-time career for Victoria-based Allen Dobb. It's not surprising the down-to-earth singer, formerly of the acclaimed duo Dobb and Dumela, has steadily become one of Canada's most respected singer-songwriters. There's evidence galore on his latest CD, 2002's Bottomland, considered by many to be a roots rock gem.
The Duhks	The Duhks clearly aren't a folk band; folk bands aren't supposed to profess to being kick ass. Nor are they fit for the Discovery Channel; such a group would never mock Mother Nature by calling itself a rare breed of "Unflappicus Notyournormalduhkus." Clearly, The Duhks - an incarnation of Scruj MacDuhk - aren't your average Celtic-inspired band of Winnipeggers. Mixing traditional tunes with Marx Brothers antics, theirs is a duhk soup that boils far more often than it simmers.
David Essig	They say everybody is good at one thing in life. They must not have ever met David Essig. More than 30 years after he started playing bluegrass and country-inspired blues, Essig is still unbeatable when it comes to the guitar - all types of guitars. He can coax beauty, passion and heaven-sent histrionics out of his chosen instrument, a talent which definitely shows up on his latest CD, Declaration Day.
Stephen Fearing	Juno Award nominations are apparently a snap for Stephen Fearing. Practically every time this acclaimed songwriter brushes his teeth the Canadian music industry showers him with either a nomination or an award. Thank God he's earned them every single time through grit and determination that has never wavered in close to 20 years, all the way up to his latest CD, That's How I Walk.
Archie Fisher	In the '60s Archie Fisher became known as a songwriter of immense talent. During that same period the Glasgow native began writing original songs for the BBC (on topics like rural island communities, no less). The relationship blossomed in 1983 when he created the weekly Travelling Folk program, which he still hosts to this day. His solo music lives on through legend, though plans are in the works for a new set of Fisher music, his first since 1995.
David Grierson	If you're worried that a radio guy running loose with a microphone will get in the way of the music at Rootsfest this year, you clearly haven't seen David Grierson him work his magic on stage before. David is smoother than butter. He's also the only emcee Rootsfest has ever had, which says a little something about the talented and storied member of the B.C. arts community. David has been the host of CBC Radio's 'On the Island' in Victoria for nearly two years, the latest feather in the cap of this likable multi-tasker whose experience as a writer, broadcaster and music fan comes into play when he's on stage.
Joe Hall	A Hitchiker's Guide To the Galaxy. The Twilight Zone. Joe Hall. All are all creative forces cut from the same cloth. The thing is, singer/songwriter/madman Joe Hall is a living breathing entity here to haunt audiences not with sci-fi weirdness, but inspired lunacy instead. Once the leader of Joe Hall and the Continental Drift, a seminal Canadian outfit, Hall has been travelling the creative war path by himself for decades. Take cover. Now.
Jeff Healey's Jazz Wizards	If there's one thing Grammy Award nominee Jeff Healey makes his own, it's a guitar. So when Healey started to gain fame for his passion for jazz as well, that he would one day fuse the two was a no-brainer. With Healey's collection of 25,000 78 rpm recordings as a guide, Jeff Healey's Jazz Wizards have been known to feature a range of talented players, including its namesake on trumpet, lead vocals, valve trombone and a little instrument called the guitar.
Ivonne Hernandez	Victoria fiddle sensation Ivonne Hernandez has played stages across the world, won countless awards, and performed with artists such as Natalie MacMaster, Ashley MacIsaac and Jann Arden - all before she was legally able to have a drink in a bar. Her recent debut, Playing With Fire, proves that this one-time prodigy, who started taking violin lessons at 3, is a student no more.
Tish Hinojosa	A lot of what Tish Hinojosa knows she learned while growing up in San Antonio. The youngest child in a family of 13, her mix of ethnic folk and pop reflects an upbinging which saw her spend equal time with Latin R&B and AM radio in the early '60s. Hinojosa's compassion also comes into play often, be it singing on behalf of the United Farmworkers of America or the National Association of Bilingual Education.
Martyn Joseph	Ever since Welsh singer-songwriter Martyn Joseph chose music over sport as a teen, the golf world's loss has been roots music's gain. There's not a bone of contention in this perceptive visionary, who has never waived his DIY ethics in order to procure radio airplay. Joesph still gets major mileage from his certifiable 1992 hit, Dolphins Make Me Cry - but it's just one of the strong songs in the arsenal of this freewheeling independent artist.
Los Lobos	Los Lobos aren't just another band from East L.A. - they are, simply put, a musical institution unto themselves. One of the most original groups ever to emerge from the American music landscape, the fact that Los Lobos is most widely known for their hit contributions to 1987's La Bamba soundtrack is criminal. This is a band made up of talented friends, musicians and producers who've been releasing consistently stellar albums - from 1990's The Neighborhood to their latest (and best?) effort, Good Morning Aztlan - during what has been an unblemished 25-year career.
Corb Lund Band	Corb Lund used to be heavy - not as in He's Not Heavy, He's Just My Brother, but heavy as in hard rock heavy. The chameleonic Lund, who was for 11 years the leader of popular indie rock band The Smalls, is now a little bit country and a little bit rock 'n' roll. This trio from Alberta originally formed in 1994 as a hobby, but has progressed into a blazing alt-country band fresh off a record deal with revered label Stony Plain. Now that's heavy.
John Mann	There were people crying in their beer when Spirit of the West first went on hiatus a year ago, but good things have came of it, namely John Mann. There was a John Mann before then, of course; he was a founding member of the legendary band. But the John Mann we know now is like John Mann Version 2.0. Now a solo singer-songwriter, now a television actor with credentials, now a singer with one of the best voices the west coast has ever had. Actually, he was all those things before. Maybe it just took his forthcoming solo album Acoustic Kitty to remind us of it.
Carolyn Mark's Hootenanny with Steve Lang, Christina Woods, Dave Lang, Clay George and J. McLaughlin	Carolyn Mark has been called Victoria's Queen Bee of country music for reasons only those who've seen her perform will understand. Most of it stems from her weekly Sunday Hootenanny, which often welcomes some of the finest musicians in the city, including a handful who will be playing with her at this year's Rootsfest. She's fast becoming a national treasure as well with albums like 2000's Party Girl and her tribute album in honour of Robert Altman's Nashville. Carolyn's new CD called Terrible Hostess was officially released on Canada Day!
Mae Moore	Former Victoria resident Mae Moore could tell you a thing or two about driving. She's zig-zagged across Canada more times than she cares to remember, yet her odomoeter's mileage nowhere near matches the number of times her music has been played on the radio. Moore's a veteran of five studio albums, many of which have won awards and enjoyed tremendous radio play. Her latest, It's a Funny World, was released independently in May.
North Island Invasion with Sam Hurrie, Gordon Carter, Sue Pyper and Rodrigo Figueroa	The North Island is known for being many things: Beautiful; rustic; friendly. Yet it's also home to some divinely great musicians. In fact, lots of divinely great musicians. A gaggle of excellent players will be representing the North Island at Rootsfest this year, from Sue Pyper, a London native who moved to Courtenay 2 years ago, to Chilean guitar virtuoso Rodrigo Figueroa and Powell River bluesman Sam Hurrie.
Reggae Cowboys	Veterans of the Toronto music scene since 1993, The Reggae Cowboys' love of cowboy culture is as strong as their passion for down-home reggae music. Bird "Stone Ranger" Bellony and "Click Masta Sync" Rabess - childhood friends from Dominica in the British West Indies - lead an airtight five-piece that not only kicks up dust wherever they play, but educates audiences as well.
Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys	If there's one group whose raison d'etre is synonymous with the state of Louisiana, it's Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. The group, which got its start in 1988, plays Cajun music for the modern set, though the band does anything but ignore the genre's illustrious past. The outfit's eighth release, 2001's Happytown, uses old field recordings to perfection as keenly as it does programmed drum loops. Though potent, the record gives just a taste of the gumbo that Riley - who plays three different accordions - and his band cook up in the live setting.
Amy Sky	Once a back-up singer for Ronnie Hawkins, Toronto siren Amy Sky is now a decorated solo performer whose songs have been recorded by everyone from Anne Murray to Reba McEntire to Diana Ross. Her last album, Phenomenal Woman, was a conceptual effort that explored and celebrated womanhood, with the help of a poem written by author and poet, Dr. Maya Angelou.
Alberta Slim featured in Rootsfest Revival #3	Alberta Slim was an RCA recording star when it meant something to be an RCA recording star. He started his singing career at CKCK radio in Regina in 1937, inspired by country gentlemen like Wilf Carter and Hank Snow, who ruled Canada and country music at the time. Slim, now 92, still preaches the country gospel to a generation of fans, all who love to hear Slim sing the praises of Canada in songs like Apple Blossom Time in the Annapolis Valley and Red River Waltz.
Eugene Smith	Not many performers can top Comox-based musician Eugene Smith when he's on. And he's often on. Stories of this dreadlocked dynamo touring with performers such as Ronnie Hawkins, B.B. King and Gordon Lightfoot in the '60s are duly impressive, but they're nothing compared to the sounds his tenor guitar makes or the mojo he gets working on his own and with his band of six years, The Valiants.
The Stomp Club	The Stomp Club is a Victoria quartet specializing in kitchen-sink symphonics; if it's out there, this Tin Pan Alley jazz band can play it. Well. Their music may come with a classic swing or steamy Latin feel, yet whatever its wide-ranging influences, The Stomp Club knows how and when to play it cool. Featuring some of the city's hottest musicians, including a number of high-ranking local instructors along with a former member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, The Stomp Club's talent level never dips below top-notch.
Third World	The crossover appeal of Kingston, Jamaica's Third World has enabled them to become one of most enduring reggae bands in the world. Formed in 1973 by Stephen "Cat" Coore and Michael "Ibo" Cooper, then veterans of Inner Circle, the band has gone on to be considered a leader in the genre, ranking as the first reggae rousters to incorporate synthesizers, dub poetry and hip-hop into their traditional mix.
Linda Tillery and The Cultural Heritage Choir	San Francisco's Linda Tillery has had an impressive four-decade career, from drumming on over 40 different albums in the '70s, to being a well-regarded solo artist in the '80s; she even scored a Grammy Award nomination in the '90s. The Cultural Heritage Choir is Tillery's priority nowadays, feeding souls worldwide with everything from work songs to field hollers as told through African-American spiritual music.
Valdy	22 singles, 14 albums, 4 Gold Records and nearly half a million copies sold worldwide. 7 Juno nominations, 2 Juno awards and a lead role on The Beachcombers, one of the best TV shows of all-time. While impressive, these stats are not what Valdy wants to be known for. Instead, the 55 year-old Valdy (real name: Valdemar Horsdal) would rather be respected both as a person first and a performer second. Methinks the Saltspring Island resident earned such regard a long, long time ago.
The Valiants	The Valiants are a nine-piece R&B and soul band that have risen to great heights in and around their homebase of Comox. With producer and acclaimed solo artist Eugene Smith on vocals and at the helm of their studio recordings, the group branches into other areas as well, with songs such as Sea Cruise, Walkin' on Sunshine and Amen, Amen. A new studio album is also in the works for this hard-working band.
Victoria Folk Society in concert	Virgo Rising (Tracy Summers, Karen Gilmore, Sharon Hazelwood). These guys tend to reflect a feminist and social justice outlook in their material. Garden City Blue Blowers (Ian Johnston, Dave Klassen, Rick van Krugel). Their focus is on swingy vocal jazz songs from the 20's and 30's mostly. Rick, of course, adds a blaze of instrumental virtuosity. OpenHeart (Jake Galbraith, Beth Woodland, Joy Kruger, John Grazley). This group is comprised of four strong singers. They tend to do songs from the pop end of folk (UHF, for example) and the folk end of pop (Shawn Colvin, for example, and ballads from Eva Cassidy and Sting). Denis Donnelly Songwriter, choir director, arranger, producer, teacher, former executive director at the Victoria Conservatory. Denis will likely perform at least one of his own songs, maybe one of Becky Bernson's songs, and a folk chestnut or two.
Victoria High School R&B Band	The first step is to discard what you think a high school band sounds like. The next is to get out of your seat, because what transpires when the Victoria High School R&B Band is playing simultaneously smashes preconceptions and packs dancefloors. "For a high school band, it doesn't get any better than this," says band instructor Eric Emde. "They are red hot." And busy it would seem, having played 33 shows since January. Up to 90 kids audition each year for a spot in the 11-piece band, which is also fully choreographed. Keep your feet ready.
Jeremy Walsh	Up-and-coming singer-songwriter Jeremy Walsh often comes across like a Vancouver Island version of Mike Scott of The Waterboys, from his accent-tinged lilt right down to his fisherman's cap. Though schooled at the renowned Esquimalt High jazz program, the 29 year-old Walsh sailed out for the open sea on his recent debut, the aptly-titled Self Titled Debut, an engaging entry into the longstanding folk tradition.
Andy White	Belfast singer-songwriter Andy White has a rare and innate ability that allows him to be accepted by punk, alternative rock and folk audiences all at once. Though he's worked with stars such as Liam O'Maonlai of Hothouse Flowers and Tim Finn of Split Enz and Crowded (as part of the trio ALT), White is most at-home on his own stellar recordings, which rose to great heights on his acclaimed 2001 self-titled effort.
NB: Performances are subject to change.

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