| CD REVIEW (Also posted at www.thatscountry.com) |
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| GM Paterson has definitely got a knack for composing songs that appeal to good-natured, down-to-earth people who love to kick up their heels and have a good time but don�t mind a sweetly-chorded folk ballad once in a while, too. His music is billed as �high energy new country�, which could be loosely translated as �country rock�, but truth in fact, there are less uptempo songs here than not. Actually, though, I preferred the slower tunes that give his backing musicians (drummer Jay Burak, bassist Daryl Gray, keyboardist Jim Starchuk and guitarist Dan Jeffries) the opportunity to sweeten up the otherwise standard rhythms characterizing country music. In the �high energy� category, my favourites were �Baby, Get Ready�, which actually has an unusual rhythmic pattern, and �Georgia Overdrive�, featuring some great tinkling on the keyboard. �Ready, Get Set, Let�s Go� has a lot of potential as a �rocker�, but GM�s limited vocal capacity doesn�t really do it justice. Speaking of vocals, though, he is assisted in this regard by Cali Fever and Fabian Bortolotto. His talent, both vocally and instrumentally, is much more evident on the acoustic ballads, the prettier ones being �Thousand Miles from Tennessee�, �The Woman Within� and �Hell Came Down�, a tribute to the September 11 tragedy in New York. �Rain on My Parade�, co-written with his background vocalist Cali Fever, starts out as a gentle, flat-picked ballad (about being a truck driver) with a spoken-word intro that reminded me of Matt Minglewood�s version of the Marshall Tucker Band�s classic �Can�t You See�. Unfortunately, the pensive mood is shattered when he suddenly breaks out into a jumped-up �yee haw� stomp that perhaps stands better as a song on its own. Mr. Paterson is apparently highly-regarded in the country music industry and he has the support of CD Baby, Sarnia Service Centre, and the 5th Wheel Truck Stop franchise in Grimsby, Dorchester, Bowmanville, North Bay and Cornwall for the distribution of his CD. A long-time resident of Hamilton, GM Paterson hails from Manitoulin Island and his youth was spent playing hockey and guitar in Sudbury. He is managed by Blue Angel Productions in Stoney Creek, a company whose wide-ranging roster of high-profile artists includes Juno award-winners Jack de Keyzer and Paul James, Robbie Lane & The Disciples, the Dave Murphy Band, Mark Laforme, Robin Pauhl, LTM Connection, James Anthony, Sharon Musgrave, the Odyssey Blues Band, George Belmore, Victoria Boland and children�s performers, Kidz Kidding, and the list goes on and on! To witness country sensation GM Paterson �stirring up the dust� yourself, he�s performing live at the Gladstone Tavern in Hamilton on Saturday, August 29, 2003. For other gigs, go to www.gmpaterson.com. |
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