Description
Festival Folk Sing Gordon Lightfoot
CD review by Tony Smith
TN2351-84 – $25
TN176 Mar 26
This album of 62 minutes is the fourth in a series which has included compilations of the works of Judy Small, Eric Bogle, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell.
There is also one where Australian folk singers provide their versions of tracks from Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album.
Marina Hurley created the concept and produced the first four albums.
Andrew Pattison produced this one.
Revenue from the sale of the CDs goes to the Troubadour Foundation, which is dedicated to providing ‘assistance and encouragement for the sustainability of Australian folk culture’.
Recruiting a Canadian super star is good for the cause.
Gordon Lightfoot became a companion of the Order of Canada in 2003 and his songs have been recorded by numerous artists including Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Peter Paul and Mary and many, many others.
Whether you knew you were a fan of Lightfoot or not, there are many tracks here which you will recognise.
The album opens and closes with Cliff Ellery and Triptych singing ‘Affair on 8th Avenue’ and ‘Don’t Beat Me Down’ respectively.
There is ‘Song for a Winter’s Night’ by Tommy Leonard, Greg Champion gives his rendition of ‘Talking in Your Sleep’ and Penny Larkins provides a marvellously powerful and bluesy version of ‘For Lovin’ Me’.
Also along the way we hear ‘Early Morning Rain’ by Joe Dolce, ‘Steel Rail Blues’ by Scott Cook and ‘Rainy Day People’ given an earthy banjo laced treatment by Suzette Herft and Patrick Evans.
Enda Kenny does ‘Minstrel of the Dawn’ in his very distinctive style.
Duncan Chalmers follows with an anguished ‘The Last Time I Saw Her’ and Andrew Szery skips along the ‘Carefree Highway’.
‘Softly’ with Cloudstreet’s a capella harmonies provides stylistic variety and Fred Smith in a typically understated ‘Did She Mention My Name?’ is joined by Larkins echoing ‘For Lovin’ Me’.
There follow three more tracks with one word titles: ‘Miguel’ by Rod McCormack, ‘Shadows’ by Liz Frencham and ‘Sundown’ by O’Neill and Rodgers.
I will confess to a weakness for Mike McClellan’s take on ‘If You Could Read My Mind’.
His expression on this track seems to me to elicit Lightfoot’s skill with both tune and lyrics perfectly.
It might have been nice to hear ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’ included, but there are so many good tracks here, it might not be missed.
Perhaps any song so ubiquitous as to become a bumper sticker was disqualified.
This is a highly professional album by musicians rightly described by Pattison as ‘fabulous’ people who donated their time and talents.
He encourages listeners to support these musicians and I can only second his recommendation.
The sleeve notes include succinct biographies, printed white on green in an attractive sleeve designed by Martin Pearson and Ramona Tilley, featuring Heather McCormack’s painting of Lightfoot.
Technical production was by Steve Vella (Dog and Bear Studios Trentham) and David Briggs (The Production Workshop Melbourne).
The Troubadour Foundation has already supported numerous projects including recording and travel expenses for musicians, renovations to a hall near Port Fairy and re-flooring a dance surface at the National Folk Festival venue.
Gordon Lightfoot died in 2023, so this album stands as an excellent memorial to this phenomenal songwriter.
All the more credit then should go to the Troubadour Foundation and the contributing Festival Folk Sing artists.
ED. There are six Festival Folk Sing albums available on the Trad&Now website, all of which have been uploaded to Trad&Now Live! and can be heard there from time to time.
‘festival folk sing Gordon Lightfoot’ was launched at the National Folk Festival. Produced by Andrew Pattison and funded by the Troubadour Foundation and the generous time and effort of the amazing artists who recorded their tracks for this project.
