| CD REVIEW |
| This eighth release by this extraordinary folksinger-songwriter-guitarist from Burlington, Ontario, encapsulizes his fans' most frequently requested compositions of the last decade, the original pressings of which were all snapped up and are no longer available, in some instances, except on this compilation CD. Anyone who has copies of his 1993 d�but cassette release, The Wooden Hill, or the subsequently-released The Adrian Gail, In the Land of Giants, 1999 Plus Shipping and Handling, or Steel (a.k.a. Steal) Town, released in 2000, is very lucky indeed! The latter CD is historically important in that he covers songs written by Hamilton artists such as Ray Materick, Tim Gibbons (solo artist and with Little Red Blues Gang and The Shakers), Richard Keelan (Perth County Conspiracy) and Lynne Bebee (of Buckshot Bebee and the Poisoned Aeros). Ray Materick, in turn, has performed material by Shawn Brush (also known as The Krooked Cowboy). Along with earning highly favourable repeat reviews in the Hamilton Spectator, Burlington Post and Hollow Bodies (an Ontario folk festival guidebook) as well as two Central Canadian Bluegrass Awards, he has gained the respect and opportunity to gig with music notables Natalie MacMaster and David Essig. I think it's safe to say he is determined to make his mark in Canada on a national basis, although strictly on his own terms. His live performances are quite rare, but with the state of live entertainment these days, coupled with Internet communication, that fact is irrelevant but nevertheless disappointing to a live music junkie like me. (continued on next page) |
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| YOUASKEDFORIT - SHAWN BRUSH (August 2003) |
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