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Another Cape Breton native is coming to the Vernon Performing Arts Centre, but this time famed sibling Jimmy Rankin is making the trip as a solo artist.

The Family Resource Centre presents Rankin at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre March 31. Opening the show will be local favourites Lent, Fraser, Wall and Gordie Sampson, a solo guitarist on this Canadian tour with Rankin.

"(Rankin's) live show is touted as one of the best on tour in Canada - a show that musicians will love," said Michelle Blais, executive director of the Family Resource Centre, who has previously brought in other East Coast and Celtic acts such as the Barra MacNeils and Leahy to Vernon.

"If story telling and wanderlust are the twin pillars of the troubadour tradition then Rankin is certainly a charter member."

The singer-guitarist-songwriter has been in the music business for a decade selling more than two million albums and winning five Junos as a member of The Rankins, Canada's most decorated musical family who excelled both at traditional Gaelic music and Celtic-influenced pop. Purveyors of hits such as Fare Thee Well Love, The Rankins called it quits in 1999.

In 2001 when Rankin's brother and bandmate John Morris died in a tragic automobile accident, Jimmy released his fist solo record, Song Dog. Despite his heavy heart, he recorded the CD with an upbeat blend of folk-rock and pop, which won him rave reviews and garnered two Juno nominations and a Canadian Radio Music Award.

In September, he released Handmade, an album with a rustic roots-rock vibe and lyrical themes of motion and travel.It is recorded with primarily acoustic instruments -banjos, mandolin and dulcimers - and a live off the floor feel that recalls magic moments.

There's a restless spirit inherent in songs like Sweet Wheels, One Last Ride and Morning-bound Train, charging each with a sense of urgency and momentum, said Blais.

"His videos are a favourite on CMT and the album is receiving a great deal of attention and buzz for Juno nominations."

Tickets to see Rankin are $26 at the Ticket Seller box office (549-7469). The concert is a fund-raiser for counselling programs at the Family Resource Centre.

Who's hot at the ECMA's

With the awards being handed out on Sunday night, The Herald's Stephen Cooke predicts the winners

February 12, 2004 - Halifax Herald

By Stephen Cooke

HANDICAPPING horse races has never been a strong skill of mine, and my record in the annual Oscar pool is usually a few points over abysmal.

When it comes to awards shows, there's always that split between voting with the head or the heart - I coulda sworn Lauren Bacall was a shoo-in for The Mirror Has Two Faces - and never the twain shall meet, unless it happens to be named Shania.

On Sunday, the 16th annual East Coast Music Awards take place at St. John's' Mile One Stadium, and after what has been a decent year artistically - if not commercially - the field is one of the most varied in years. Of course some of the usual suspects - names like Sampson, MacMaster, MacIsaac and a band that shares initials with George Bernard Shaw - are conspicuous by their near or total absence from the nominees, but that just makes for a more interesting horse race.

Looking at the major categories, starting with male artist of the year, we've got a fairly strong lineup with Newfoundland singer-songwriter Barry Canning, international beatnik hip-hop star Buck 65, blues-infused Nova Scotian Charlie A'Court, veteran Nova Scotian performer Jimmy Rankin and Dartmouth roots rocker Matt Mays.

Keeping in mind that ECMA voting tends to lean towards the traditional side, Rankin would appear to be the favourite here, especially since his second solo CD Handmade is such an artistically satisfying follow-up to Song Dog. Buck 65's success beyond Nova Scotia's borders is exactly the sort of thing the ECMA endeavours to promote, but one suspects his beats and rhymes are too wicked and weird for staid voters.

The female artist of the year category would appear to be a close race between another Rankin, Jimmy's sister Raylene making her solo debut with Lambs in Spring, and longtime ECMA favourite Damhnait Doyle, who won four awards in Charlottetown in 2001.

The other artists include Halifax-transplanted Newfoundlander Amelia Curran, Toronto-based Melanie Doane and Halifax country queen RyLee Madison. But Doyle's successful Davnet CD Davnet - with airplay worthy tracks like Another California Song and Traffic - will likely put her back in the driver's seat (and she's also looking good in the pop category).

In the group category, Halifax-based Crush has the edge thanks to the ubiquitous single King For a Day from Face in the Crowd and the support of manager Louis Thomas's Quay Entertainment which has had an impressive track record at the ECMAs.

New Brunswick bluesmen Glamour Puss, Toronto-based Haligonians Sloan, Newfoundland's the Fables, and Nova Scotian road warriors the Jimmy Swift Band are also in the running, and I'd like to see Sloan finally win for the less mock/more rock approach of Action Pact. But this category tends to go mainstream/traditional: think Ennis Sisters, Great Big Sea, Barra MacNeils, Rankins, and Crush has the mainstream angle all to itself.

The entertainer of the year award - a.k.a. the Great Big Sea Award - doesn't have its unofficial namesake in the running this year, so it's down to Acadian band Blou, Crush, Damhnait Doyle, Jimmy Rankin and Melanie Doane.

Even when Great Big Sea aren't in the running, Newfoundlanders tend to have the edge; the Fables are one of the few other acts to have won this in the past decade, so Crush are the strong favourite here. Then again, Natalie MacMaster picked up this fan-voted award in 2002, so don't count Jimmy Rankin out, but I suspect that Crush's Cory Tetford and Paul Lamb should be prepared to install some shelving.

Album of the year is another toughie, with five distinct quality releases in Jimmy Rankin's Handmade, Matt Mays's self-titled debut, Ron Hynes' Get Back Change, Sloan's Action Pact and the Jimmy Swift Band's Onward Through The Fog.

This is where that heart vs. head dilemma comes into play. The award tends to go to veteran singer-songwriters like Bruce Guthro and Lennie Gallant when Great Big Sea isn't in the running, so logic would indicate a win for Rankin. But former Guthries member Mays has made great strides this year on the strength of his CD, and his following has picked up a lot of steam thanks to heavy touring and harder rocking shows with the band El Torpedo. He's also part of the Quay Entertainment stable, which can't hurt, so I'll go out on a limb and pick this for top album.

Mays is also my choice for front-runner in the new artist / group category. Newfoundland's Brothers in Stereo are a fine pop / rock duo, but probably a little too new at this point, Cape Breton jam band Slowcoaster is a bit far out on the fringe for most ECMA voters, former Jive Kings member Mike Ross hasn't made that much impact outside of jazz circles and the Trews are still building up a head of steam from their debut CD The House of Ill Fame.

If anyone was going to unseat Mays for new artist, it would be Halifax hip-hop squad Universal Soul, although I wonder how much sway it has with voters outside of the immediate metro area. (It also stretch the definition of "new" since it's been around for over a decade, but the quartet's a safe bet in the African-Canadian and urban music categories.)

Buck 65 is a lock for alternative recording, none of the other acts - Ermine, Slowcoaster, Shyne Factory, the Jimmy Swift Band and Tyler Messick and the Museum Pieces - have had the same kind of impact, fine though their records may be.

And the SOCAN songwriter award will likely be a competition between Gordie Sampson and Gordie Sampson; his collaborations with Crush's Cory Tetford on King For a Day and Damhnait Doyle on Another California Song were both successful singles, although at the end of the day I think it will be King that gets crowned.

Although in my heart of hearts, I'd like to see Sloan's The Rest of My Life take the prize, it's just a great pop song, pure and simple. As a Dartmouth boy, born and bred, I also have a soft spot for Matt Mays' City of Lakes, but as I said at the start, sentiment and awards show forecasting don't mix.

Nova Scotia's Raylene Rankin getting ready to tour solo project

February 12, 2004 - Halifax Herald

By John Lewandowski / Canadian Press

HALIFAX (CP) - If the musical muse feeds on joy and sorrow, Raylene Rankin has set her a lavish banquet.

The birth of a son, the tragic death of a brother, the loss of her mother and problems with her own health have helped shape the tone and feel of her first trip into the recording studio in a couple of years. Rankin's solo debut, Lambs in Spring, takes its name from a tune penned by her late brother John Morris Rankin, who died in a tragic crash in Cape Breton in January 2000.

Although admittedly terrified about going back into the studio after a couple of years away to care for her son Alexander and herself, Rankin has no doubt it was all meant to be.

John Morris had written Lambs in Spring for the last Rankin Family album and it was recorded, then relegated to a storage box.

But Rankin says the song was never far from her mind as she toyed with the idea of doing her own CD.

"I said, 'You know, I'm going to look that up and revisit it,' and went looking for it in a big box of rehearsal tapes, none of them labelled, of course," she said in an interview.

"Well, it was the first one I pulled out, the first one I found. I thought that was a very positive omen," she laughs, leaning back in a big chair and sipping a cup of tea.

Energized and clear of the breast cancer that she now lends her voice to cure, she describes her return to recording as an emotional evolution.

The CD, released quietly last October, has already garnered the Nova Scotia singer and former member of the Juno-award winning Rankin Family an East Coast Music Awards nomination for female artist of the year.

"John Morris was always good at writing songs for the female members in the group, and I thought the song fit," Rankin says. "We were all in our early 30s when things really started to move for us and, as I look back on it, the song kind of captures that whole feeling of innocence lost."

Rankin will begin a 10-date solo tour this April to promote the CD and has already signed on for a couple of summer music festivals.

Although Rankin left the band in 1998 after touring the world and selling two million albums, she has continued to work some dates with sisters Cookie and Heather.

In the fall of 1999, pop superstar Carly Simon invited the sisters to her home studio in Martha's Vineyard to add their harmonies to her CD Bedroom Tapes. The trio appear on five tracks of the album, released by Arista Records.

Now the sisters are also talking about doing a project together, moving beyond the popular Do You Hear Christmas concert they've toured for the past few years.

From traditional arrangements like Banks of the Lee, to Alasdair Beag (Little Alexander), the lullaby she wrote for her son, to the jazzy feel of Someone Like You, written by guitarist friend George Antoniak, there is a warm, relaxed feel to the music that stretches Rankin's vocal range.

"This is a more reflective point in my life," she says of the way it all came together at Toronto's Inception Sound Studios and Lakewind Sound Studios in her native Cape Breton.

She said her level of comfort in returning was enhanced by producer Chad Irschick, who worked on several Rankin Family albums, including their first in 1989.

"The 10 years with the Rankin Family is a blur, a blip. But as I look back on all that's happened, maybe I am more reflective. Maybe that's what gives this album its serene quality.

"And also I'm happy. I'm happy," she says with a laugh, her face breaking into a broad smile. "Sometimes people don't welcome getting older, but I find my life just gets better.

"I welcome experience."

Rankin books in at Playhouse

February 13, 2004 - The Daily Gleaner

For more than a decade, Jimmy Rankin has won the hearts of Canadian fans as part of The Rankins, Canada's most decorated musical family, and as an award-winning solo artist.

Now, following the release of his anticipated sophomore album, Handmade, the six-time 2004 ECMA nominee is on the road again, making a tour stop at The Playhouse on Thursday, Feb. 26.

"We are always excited when Jimmy Rankin comes to town," said Tim Yerxa, Playhouse executive director.

"He characterizes what today's East Coast music scene is all about. His songwriting is rooted in Celtic Tradition, but it has a definite rock and pop appeal. His music is fresh, moving and always exciting."

Rankin's appeal and talent as a singer/songwriter has certainly not gone unnoticed by industry types.

This year, he's been nominated for an impressive six East Coast Music Awards. The ECMAs will be held Sunday in St. John's.

"Jimmy is not only loved by music fans, but he consistently wins over the critics as well," Yerxa said. "He's definitely found a unique place in the Canadian music scene. His solo material goes beyond the strictly Celtic sounds of The Rankins into a wonderful type of musical storytelling.

"Jimmy's last performance here at The Playhouse was a sell-out, and we anticipate tickets will sell quickly again."

Tickets to see Rankin live in concert on Feb. 26 are available now at The Playhouse box office, 458-8344, or online at www.theplayhouse.ca

ECMA weekend kicks off

February 13, 2004 - The Daily Gleaner

By The Canadian Press

ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. - You couldn't swing a guitar in Newfoundland without taking out the tooth of a struggling musician.

But in the days leading up to the annual East Coast Music Awards on Sunday, you'd be hard-pressed just to find a guitar that isn't in use.

Hundreds of Atlantic musicians and industry insiders are in Newfoundland for the East Coast Music Association conference, which wraps up Sunday with the annual awards gala.

"I think it says a lot about the culture of where we're from. Music is such a part of the culture here," said Steve Horn, executive director of the association.

"It produces a lot of talented musicians."

And while the region has built an international reputation for its traditional Celtic music, this year's list of nominees highlights the diversity of the East Coast music scene.

"For a few years the whole Celtic thing was so popular worldwide that (the awards) kind of centred around it," said Matt Mays, a Nova Scotian whose debut CD - a decidedly un-Celtic rock 'n' roll collection - received six ECMA nods.

"But it's starting to come around a bit now," said Mays, adding he loves good fiddle music, but just doesn't play it.

The list of top nominees reflects the varying musical notes on the East Coast.

Newfoundland songstress Damhnait Doyle, now a member of the folk-rock group Shaye, received six nominations for her solo album Davnet.

Jimmy Rankin, who rose to fame as a member of the Rankin Family, is also in the running for six awards along with the alternative band Sloan.

"I'm sure I'm getting up there towards the most-nominated of all time," said Sloan's Chris Murphy, who went to his first ECMAs in 1989 as a member of the Halifax band Kearney Lake Road. "But I never win.

"We have definitely got a one-for-25 kind of record."

That's been the bittersweet reality of many musicians whose repertoire doesn't include a jig or reel.

But Horn said there has been a real effort in the past few years to showcase every genre of music being made on the East Coast.

The Newfoundland duo Crush is nominated for five ECMAs while the Jimmy Swift Band, Melanie Doane and Universal Soul each garnered three nominations.

Members of the association vote on winners for the 26 music and 16 industry categories. But it is the public that will decide among nominees Crush, Blou, Jimmy Rankin, Melanie Doane and Damhnait Doyle for entertainer of the year.

Although Murphy doesn't seem to expect Sloan to win any awards, he'll be in the Newfoundland capital for the show.

"I love going there, even though we've been beer-canned off the stage in St. John's," he said.

Crushing the competition

Band returns to Rock roots to gather up five ECMA's

February 16, 2004 - Halifax Herald

By Stephen Cooke / Entertainment Reporter

Crush's hit single King for a Day came true on Sunday night, as the pop / rock quartet picked up five East Coast Music Awards at Mile One Stadium in St. John's. The Halifax-based band - featuring native Newfoundlanders Paul Lamb and Cory Tetford - swept all five categories in which it was nominated, including entertainer of the year, group of the year and rock recording of the year for the CD Face in the Crowd.

Its song King for a Day earned the band single of the year and SOCAN songwriter of the year for Tetford and co-author Gordie Sampson.

"Getting entertainer of the year is the most special of all, because it's picked by the fans," said a visibly pleased Tetford backstage. "You can't judge your career by the number of awards you win. We take our success from the energy we feel from the crowd and their reaction to the music."

The St. John's setting - and a sold-out Mile One audience 5,400 strong - was also a good luck charm for Newfoundland singer-songwriters Ron Hynes and Damhnait Doyle, who won two awards each, while Nova Scotians Jimmy Rankin and Dutch Robinson also picked up a pair of pewter treble clefs for their records Handmade and Only Me.

"It means a lot to me because I made this record on my own," said pop and female artist of the year Doyle of her Davnet CD, to reporters backstage.

"It was very independent, I paid for it out of my own pocket, and I couldn't have done it without the help of FACTOR (the Fund to Assist Canadian Talent on Record) and the support of my parents," she said.

"We're living in an age where people are not physically going into stores and buying records. Hopefully events like this will encourage people to buy these records because we need people to support this music."

Doyle also opened the show as a member of the female vocal trio Shaye - singing On and On with Tara MacLean and Kim Stockwood - circled dizzyingly by a pair of Steadicams on the open floor of the downtown St. John's arena.

The program also featured soulful new tunes from Canadian Idol star Gary Beals and Cape Breton's Gordie Sampson, whose long-awaited second CD Sunburn is expected later this spring. The crowd also got a charge out of high energy performances by Antigonish lads the Trews, Halifax's Melanie Doane (trading her trademark fiddle for a Fender electric bass) and Dartmouth's Matt Mays and El Torpedo, who rocked out on City of Lakes pumped up by the shaggy singer's win for best new artist.

The award caps off a hectic year for Mays that saw him sign with manager Louis Thomas (also the man behind Crush), get his self-titled solo CD distributed by Warner Music Canada on Thomas's Sonic Records and tour the country at a whole new level.

"There's more publicity stuff, more shows and more rehearsals, so it's more work," said Mays, who added that he's now excited about getting further into the United States and the U.K. "But it's fun work, because we get to play for thousands of people. It doesn't really seem like a job,."

Halifax rock band Sloan had the lowest batting average, with six nominations leading to a lone win for video of the year for its charming The Rest of My Life clip. Singer / bassist Chris Murphy stepped to the podium at centre ice to accept wearing a blue Chickenburger jersey. Backstage, he took the opportunity to lament his loss to the home team at Friday night's ECMA Stars With Sticks hockey game in Mount Pearl, where he played against a team that featured Crush's Tetford.

"The whole thing was stacked against us," he said defensively.

"We were like the Washington Generals to their Harlem Globetrotters."

Murphy also joked about the fact that the two times Sloan has won video of the year, it's been for promo clips directed by people other than himself.

"And I want to apologize to our director Wendy Morgan for forgetting her name when I accepted, especially because she did such a good job."

Male and roots / traditional solo artist winner Jimmy Rankin thanked his hometown of Mabou and later told reporters that he thought he had tough competition in those categories from Mays and Creignish fiddler Wendy MacIsaac.

"Winning one of these never gets to be old hat," said the ECMA veteran. "You always like getting awards, you want to be appreciated."

Amherst-based soulman Dutch Robinson dedicated his wins for African-Canadian artist and urban recording of the year for his Only Me CD to his family.

"My father's 94 and he's loving (following my career)," Robinson told reporters. "All the songs from the CD mean something, based on all the things I've experienced in my life. Like the song Long Road Home, that's about a daughter I hadn't seen for 10 years."

Emotional high points of the show included a reunion of Newfoundland Irish folk trio Ryan's Fancy, who capped their acceptance of the Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award with a spine-tingling chorus of the Tyree Love Song that sent a palpable thrill through the entire building.

Powerful feelings were also sensed when both Doyle and instrumental recording winner Richard Wood dedicated awards to Canadian peacekeeper Cpl. Jamie Murphy from Conception Harbour, killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul two weeks ago.

In total, Nova Scotia-based acts picked up 19 out of 26 awards, including Halifax's hip hip-hopper Buck 65 for alternative recording of the year, Clare's Acadian combo Blou for francophone recording of the year and Cape Breton rock legend Matt Minglewood's Live at Last for blues recording of the year.

The Burkes' Family Christmas was named gospel recording of the year, children's recording of the year went to Donna and Andy's Computer Cat.

Cape Breton Mi'kmaq group Forever won for aboriginal recording of the year and had some fun at the podium mocking Janet Jackson's recent Super Bowl "mishap" by staging a wardrobe malfunction that exposed member Peter Christmas's nipple to the crowd during the pre-broadcast portion of the show.

"We have no apology for our shenanigans out there," drummer Keith Dawson, laughed backstage, still grinning from the stunt and the thrill of winning his first ECMA. "It means a lot because we made the record ourselves, we distributed and promoted it ourselves, and it feels great as we finish our next album. It'll be a double CD - half instrumental, half vocal - for the price of one. Hopefully that will encourage people to pick it up."

Eastern Shore sextet Birchmountain Bluegrass Band won its third bluegrass recording of the year for The Shores of Nova Scotia, thanking the ECMAs for helping it boost its audience and double the demand for its performances. The jazz recording honour was picked up by HavanaFax Live, a project featuring saxophonist Jeff Goodspeed and Cuban guitarist Jorge Chicoy, designed to help young musicians get instruments and training in Cuba, and come to Canada and play as the Latin jazz ensemble Los Primos.

"It's great to me, because I came here just for the pride of Los Primos, and to help my country," said an excited Chicoy. "Making the CD was amazing, we had no idea it would take us this far."

The awards show marks the end of a successful four days of performances around the harbour city and a whirl of music industry hubbub during the annual conference, but outspoken singer Hynes cut through all the glitz and glamour with the message that the importance of the event pales in comparison to the body of music the artists create.

"You have to be able to go to bed at the end of the day knowing you've done good work," the country artist and album of the year winner told reporters. "You've got to love what you do because there's no big money, there's no big pension.

"You either love it or you die poor."

With freelance reporter Laura Graham.

Crush tops East Coast Music Awards

February 16, 2004 - Canadian Press

By Dene Moore / Canadian Press

ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. (CP) -- The Newfoundland duo Crush did just that to the competition at the East Coast Music Awards on Sunday, winning all five categories in which they were nominated.

Cory Tetford and Paul Lamb, the two creators of the pop-rock band, won group of the year and rock recording of the year for their second CD Face in the Crowd.

The band won songwriter of the year and best single for King for a Day and they were also chosen entertainers of the year.

The group said they were most thrilled with entertainer of the year -- the only award decided by the public.

"We've always said entertainer of the year is the one because it's voted on by the fans," Lamb said.

Tetford, the son of a Pentecostal minister, and Lamb, who was playing in Newfoundland bands by the time he was 17, met in 1994. But it wasn't until 2000 that the two formed the group, releasing their first CD to critical acclaim in 2002. They now live in Halifax.

Newfoundland singers Ron Hynes and Damhnait Doyle each visited the podium twice Sunday night.

Hynes picked up pewter trophies for FACTOR best album and country recording of the year for his latest, Get Back Change, his first album in several years.

"I really didn't expect this," Hynes said after accepting his second of the night. "It's nice to get one. It's really nice to get two."

Doyle, now a member of the group Shaye, was awarded female artist of the year and best pop recording for her CD davnet.

The Newfoundland songstress recently returned from Afghanistan and dedicated one of her awards to the family of Cpl. Jamie Murphy, the Newfoundland soldier killed by a suicide bomber in the Middle East country.

The band Forever, winners of the aboriginal recording of the year, had the sell-out crowd at Mile One Stadium cheering with their parody of Janet Jackson's Superbowl strip down.

Band mates whisked Peter Christmas off the stage during the pre-show after tearing his t-shirt open to expose a flat, nipple-ring-free right breast.

Newfoundland comedian Shawn Majumder later promised a clean show, while his co-host Mark Critch warned Prime Minister Paul Martin, seated near the front, that there would be no pierced nipples allowed.

Nova Scotia's Jimmy Rankin took male artist and roots/traditional solo recording of the year with his CD Handmade.

And Dutch Robinson was the only other multiple award winner, taking home honours for African-Canadian recording of the year for I Took the Long Way Home and best urban single track recording.

Other winners included Buck 65 for alternative recording of the year, the Birchmountain Bluegrass Band for best bluegrass recording and Matt Minglewood for best blues.

The Ennis Sisters were named roots recording of the year and Sloan took the honour for the best video of the year.

Meanwhile, Jeff Goodspeed and Jorge Chicoy with HavanaFax won the jazz recording category; Richard Wood won the instrumental category, and classical artist Jasper Wood received an award for his recording of violin and piano works by Stravinsky.

During the awards some of Atlantic Canada's best-known musicians performed, including Crush, Great Big Sea and Jimmy Rankin.

Newcomer Matt Mays, who was named best new artist of the year, performed with his band El Torpedo, along with Melanie Doane, A Crowd of Bold Sharemen, Shaye and The Trews.

Mays, whose award came with a $5,000 cheque, said he was "freaking out" as he accepted his award.

Backstage the young Nova Scotian said the band will buy more gear with his winnings.

Over the past 16 years the East Coast Music Awards have outgrown the tiny Halifax club where they began, bringing the East Coast's musical stylings to the rest of Canada and beyond.

The Newfoundland group Ryan's Fancy, whose television shows in the 70s and 80s helped revitalize the region's traditional Celtic sound, received a lifetime achievement award at the gala, which was to be broadcast live on CBC.

Group member Dennis Ryan said they had no idea at the time that they would influence so many future musicians.

"We were just doing something that we totally loved," Ryan said backstage.

The show ended with a performance by Crush.

WINNERS

Aboriginal recording: -- Forever, Welcome to Forever

African-Canadian recording: -- Dutch Robinson, Only Me

FACTOR Album of the year: -- Ron Hynes, Get Back Change

Alternative Recording of the year: -- Buck 65, Talkin' Honky Blues

Bluegrass recording: -- Birchmountain Bluegrass Band, The Shores of Nova Scotia

Blues recording: -- Matt Minglewood, Live at Last

Children's recording: -- Donna & Andy, Computer Cat

Classical recording: -- Jasper Wood, Stravinsky: Works for Violin and Piano

Country recording: -- Ron Hynes, Get Back Change

Female artist: -- Damhnait Doyle

Francophone recording: -- Blou, Blou Blanc Rouge

Gospel recording: -- The Burkes, A Burke Family Christmas

Group of the year: -- Crush

Instrumental recording: -- Richard Wood, Infectious

Jazz recording: -- Jeff Goodspeed & Jorge Chicoy, HavanaFax Live

Male artist: -- Jimmy Rankin

New artist/group of the year: -- Matt Mays

Pop recording: -- Damhnait Doyle

NewCap rock recording: -- Crush, Face in the Crowd

Roots/traditional group recording: -- Ennis Sisters, Can't be the same

Roots/traditional solo recording: -- Jimmy Rankin, Handmade

Single of the year: -- Crush, King for a Day

SOCAN songwriter: -- Cory Tetford and Gordie Sampson, Crush's King for a Day

Urban single track recording: -- Dutch Robinson, I Took the Long Way Home.

Video of the year: -- Sloan, The Rest of My Life

Entertainer of the Year: -- Crush

Crush rules at East Coast Music Awards

February 16, 2004 - Victoria Times Colonist

By Mark Vaughan-Jackson / CanWest News Services

ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. -- Jokes about "crushing" the competition were flying thick and fast Sunday night at the East Coast Music Awards as Halifax-based Crush hauled away a load of trophies.

Fronted by Newfoundlanders Cory Tetford and Paul Lamb, the band won all the categories in which it was nominated, including group of the year, NewCap rock recording of the year and single of the year for the song Face in the Crowd, a song which earned Tetford and co-writer Gordie Sampson the SOCAN songwriter of the year trophy.

Crush also walked off with the coveted entertainer of the year award, which is voted on by fans.

"We've had overwhelming support from home. We've said it in just about every city across this country: we are a rock band from Newfoundland, we're a Newfoundland band and extremely proud of our musical heritage that comes from here," said Tetford, who is now based in Halifax.

The awards were presented in a long, four-hour show, the later half broadcast live on TV and radio.

Nestled among the 5,400 fans at the show was Prime Minister Paul Martin, seated next to Premier Danny Williams. The prime minister seemed to enjoy the show despite the political turmoil he had faced earlier in the day -- promising to resign if the facts proved he had prior knowledge of the federal sponsorship scandal that was the subject of an auditor general's report last week.

The prime minister's presence wasn't lost on show hosts Shaun Majumder and Mark Critch -- who made a few friendly swipes in his direction.

The show also featured a hilarious pre-taped segment, featuring a guitar-slinging Martin, MPs chanting like rock groupies and pro-Newfoundland Commons security personnel, all playing it up for the cameras.

On a more sombre note, Newfoundland singer/songwriter Dammhnait Doyle, who won female artist of the year and pop recording of the year, dedicated her win to the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan, whom she performed for late last year.

In particular, she dedicated it to Cpl. Jamie Murphy, the Newfoundlander killed by a suicide bomber last month and who she had had the chance to meet while she was in Kabul in December.

Crush smashes the competition at music awards

February 16, 2004 - CBC News

ST. JOHN'S, NFLD. - Though the 16th annual East Coast Music Awards showcased the diversity of Atlantic Canadian music, rock reigned in St. John's as hometown favourite Crush took home five awards, including best group, best rock recording, best single and the fan-selected entertainer of the year.

Crush member Cory Tetford shared the songwriter of the year award for King for a Day with prolific songwriter, producer and solo artist Gordie Sampson.

In his acceptance speech, the Newfoundland and Labrador-born Tetford recalled watching past ECMA ceremonies and seeing Sampson accept multiple awards. "I thought, 'I'd be honoured just to write a song with that guy,'" he told the crowd filling St. John's Mile One Stadium.

Damhnait Doyle, the best pop recording winner and ECMA female artist of the year, dedicated her award to the friends and family of Cpl. Jamie Murphy, and thanked the CBC for including her on a recent trip to Afghanistan to entertain Canadian peacekeepers.

"All the Canadians there…I've never met so many Newfoundlanders as I did when I was in Afghanistan," she said in her emotional acceptance speech.

Great Big Sea presented the ECMA lifetime achievement award to Ryan's Fancy, the trio from "away" who gained fame by seeking out and celebrating traditional Newfoundland music.

Irish-born band members Fergus O'Byrne, Dermot O'Reilly and Denis Ryan thanked Atlantic Canada for opening its doors and sharing its music with the rest of Canada and showed their gratitude with a brief a capella performance.

The evening showcased music ranging from pop to Celtic-and-Cuban- flavoured jazz, featuring performances by pop trio Shaye, Canadian Idol runner-up Gary Beal, perennial favourite Great Big Sea, francophone singers Les Muses, jazz ensemble HavanaFax and Jimmy Rankin, who took home ECMA awards for male artist of the year and best roots or traditional solo recording for Handmade.

Hosts Shaun Majumder and Mark Critch, of CBC-TV's This Hour Has 22 Minutes, entertained the crowds between acts and acceptance speeches with jokes about censorship, friendly jabs at, and a pre-taped skit with, Prime Minister Paul Martin.

"There'll be no pierced nipples on this show…Paul Martin," Critch and Majumder said at the beginning of the show, pointing to Martin, who was present for the show and laughed along with the audience.

Other ECMA award recipients included:

Matt Mays for best new artist of the year
Ron Hynes won album of the year for Get Back Change and the title song also won country recording of the year award
Jasper Wood's Stravinsky: Works for Violin and Piano took classical recording of the year
Blou's Blou Blanc Rouge won francophone recording of the year
Dutch Robinson's I Took the Long Way Home won urban single recording of the year while Only Me was the African-Canadian recording of the year
Ennis Sisters Can't be the Same for best roots or traditional group recording of the year

Rock band Crush are kings for a day at East Coast Music Awards

February 16, 2004 - Vancouver Province

By Dene Moore, Canadian Press

ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. (CP) - The Newfoundland duo Crush did just that to the competition at the East Coast Music Awards on Sunday, winning all five categories in which they were nominated.

Cory Tetford and Paul Lamb, the two creators of the pop-rock band, won group of the year and rock recording of the year for their second CD Face in the Crowd. The band won songwriter of the year and best single for King for a Day and they were also chosen entertainers of the year.

The group said they were most thrilled with entertainer of the year - the only award decided by the public.

"We've always said entertainer of the year is the one because it's voted on by the fans," Lamb said.

Tetford, the son of a Pentecostal minister, and Lamb, who was playing in Newfoundland bands by the time he was 17, met in 1994. But it wasn't until 2000 that the two formed the group, releasing their first CD to critical acclaim in 2002. They now live in Halifax.

Newfoundland singers Ron Hynes and Damhnait Doyle each visited the podium twice Sunday night.

Hynes picked up pewter trophies for FACTOR best album and country recording of the year for his latest, Get Back Change, his first album in several years.

"I really didn't expect this," Hynes said after accepting his second of the night. "It's nice to get one. It's really nice to get two."

Doyle, now a member of the group Shaye, was awarded female artist of the year and best pop recording for her CD davnet.

The Newfoundland songstress recently returned from Afghanistan and dedicated one of her awards to the family of Cpl. Jamie Murphy, the Newfoundland soldier killed by a suicide bomber in the Middle East country.

The band Forever, winners of the aboriginal recording of the year, had the sell-out crowd at Mile One Stadium cheering with their parody of Janet Jackson's Superbowl strip down.

Band mates whisked Peter Christmas off the stage during the pre-show after tearing his t-shirt open to expose a flat, nipple-ring-free right breast.

Newfoundland comedian Shawn Majumder later promised a clean show, while his co-host Mark Critch warned Prime Minister Paul Martin, seated near the front, that there would be no pierced nipples allowed.

Nova Scotia's Jimmy Rankin took male artist and solo recording of the year with his CD Handmade.

And Dutch Robinson was the only other multiple award winner, taking home honours for African-Canadian recording of the year for I Took the Long Way Home and best urban single track recording.

Other winners included Buck 65 for alternative recording of the year, the Birchmountain Bluegrass Band for best bluegrass recording and Matt Minglewood for best blues.

The Ennis Sisters were named roots recording of the year and Sloan took the honour for the best video of the year.

Meanwhile, Jeff Goodspeed and Jorge Chicoy with HavanaFax won the jazz recording category; Richard Wood won the instrumental category, and classical artist Jasper Wood received an award for his recording of violin and piano works by Stravinsky.

During the awards some of Atlantic Canada's best-known musicians performed, including Crush, Great Big Sea and Jimmy Rankin.

Newcomer Matt Mays, who was named best new artist of the year, performed with his band El Torpedo, along with Melanie Doane, A Crowd of Bold Sharemen, Shaye and The Trews.

Mays, whose award came with a $5,000 cheque, said he was "freaking out" as he accepted his award.

Backstage the young Nova Scotian said the band will buy more gear with his winnings.

Over the past 16 years the East Coast Music Awards have outgrown the tiny Halifax club where they began, bringing the East Coast's musical stylings to the rest of Canada and beyond.

The Newfoundland group Ryan's Fancy, whose television shows in the 70s and 80s helped revitalize the region's traditional Celtic sound, received a lifetime achievement award at the gala, which was to be broadcast live on TV.

Group member Dennis Ryan said they had no idea at the time that they would influence so many future musicians.

"We were just doing something that we totally loved," Ryan said backstage.

The show ended with a performance by Crush.

Rankin to perform Feb 26

February 18, 2004 - The Daily Gleaner (Fredericton, NB)
By Everton McLean

Nova Scotia's Jimmy Rankin will take The Playhouse stage Feb. 26 during a Canada-wide tour to promote his latest album.

Rankin says he built the album, titled Handmade, around acoustic music, life experiences, emotions and political themes.

He had been nominated for six East Coast Music Awards this year. At the ceremony Sunday in St. John's, Nfld., he won two ECMAs: male artist of the year and roots/traditional solo recording of the year for Handmade.

"It's very important to me to win awards like the ECMAs," Rankin said in a telephone interview.

"Awards don't necessarily change a person, but it's nice to be recognized for what you do."

Rankin has won many awards, both as a solo artist and as a member of his family's band The Rankin Family. The group disbanded in 1999, and Rankin began his solo career in 2001 with the album Song Dog.

Rankin said winning awards as a solo artist is a "different game" but he values experiences both as a group member and a solo artist.

The songwriter said he had worked his way into the country music scene.

"(But) I don't think I'm really country, to tell you the truth," he said. "Maybe I'm Canadian country music, but there's a difference."

Rankin said he was lucky to get his music on air, as there are few venues for East Coast music.

"I'm fortunate to have a place to actually have my music played," he said. "I think there should be other formats to play East Coast music."

He said he likes to play live on the East Coast.

"Some places on the East Coast are reserved, but normally the East Coast is lively."

Rankin said he enjoys performing at The Playhouse, which is "well run."

"I remember playing there years ago," he said. "We always get a good crowd there."

The tour will go until June, when Rankin will finish at the Saint John jazz and blues festival.

Rankin's Handmade Tale

Fresh from two ECMA wins, Mabou's tunesmith heads out on tour

February 19, 2004 - Halifax Herald

By Stephen Cooke / Entertainment Reporter

Jimmy Rankin could change his last name to Rockin' after his ECMA weekend performance at St. John's Club One in Newfoundland.

As a solo act or with his brother and sisters in the Rankins, he's played everything from a local church hall to London's Royal Albert Hall, and this week Rankin launches a Maritime soft-seater tour that starts on Saturday in Port Hawkesbury. The special guest for the tour is talented Toronto-based folk-pop duo Madviolet, featuring fiddler Lisa MacIsaac (a.k.a. Ashley's sister).

But that Club One show, for a packed house of rowdy Newfoundlanders and hard-partying conference delegates was a true test of strength for the double ECMA award-winner - male artist and roots /traditional solo artist - and his band. As you might expect, they passed with flying colours (not to mention patrons, many of whom were also flying pretty high by the time the midnight show started.)

"I arranged my set for the nightclub crowd," says Rankin the next day, sitting by a huge window in St. John's Fairmount Hotel overlooking the city's harbour mouth. "We didn't get offstage until about 2:30 in the morning. We actually hadn't played together in a while, but we had two days of rehearsal, mostly working on the new stuff.

"You can't really play the quiet stuff in a venue like that, everybody's drinking and smoking, but I like that gig. It's a different kind of show, you have to turn everything up. I remember seeing Ron Sexsmith at the Marquee, he had a three-piece, and it wasn't a good place to see him - I like to listen to the lyrics - but I think we did pretty good. It was a two-and-a-half hour show, we tried to play as much stuff as we could."

Rankin's show ranged from uptempo material off his latest CD Handmade to older Rankins favourites like Movin' On, although the sardine-tight crowd also swayed in time to the new ballad Butterfly. As long as the music kept coming, it didn't matter much to the audience which was feeling, for lack of a better description, quite festive.

"You mean they were drunk?" chuckles Rankin. "People like to drink here. The club owner told me with some acts people like to drink, with others they don't, it depends on the age group. But we had a good mixed crowd, I was happy.

"It brings you back, I'll tell you. I played the Legion for many years."

The audiences become a bit more sedate starting this week on Rankin's theatre tour, which wraps up March 11 at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, followed by a Western tour with fellow Cape Bretoner and good friend Gordie Sampson. The past few months have turned out to be some of the most performance-heavy times for the son of Mabou since he went solo a few years ago, including the weeks that he traveled the country with his songwriting idol John Prine.

That experience turned out to be the definition of a dream come true.

"John asked me on the second night if I wanted to come on and do the encore with him," Rankin recalls. "He asked me if I could sing Paradise with him and I said 'Suuuure . . . do you have the lyrics?' I thought I knew all of his stuff, but I didn't know that one. I get the words, and it turns out the song is really Muhlenberg County, and everyone knows that.

"But every night I'd stick around and watch his set, and it was pretty much two-and-a-half hours every night. Considering the guy is 60 and he's had some health problems, you'd think he'd do his 90 minutes and get out of there, but every night he'd do it all, and he varied the lineup of tunes every night too, throwing in obscure things you wouldn't think you'd hear."

The Prine tour opening slot was arranged through Rankin's and Prine's management. Although the folk music icon was familiar with the Rankin Family's music, he hadn't heard much of Jimmy Rankin's solo material, but it didn't take long for it to make an impact.

"On the second night he caught my set, and apparently he called his manager up and said it was great, putting us together was a good deal.

"Then they asked me if I wanted to be on their record label in the States, Oh Boy Records. There was an open invitation there, and Prine told me he had some dates coming up in the States, and I could come along if I wanted."

For a roots music singer-songwriter, there's no greater compliment.

TOUR DATES

Saturday: Port Hawkesbury, SAERC

Sunday: Liverpool, Astor Theatre

Feb. 27: Wolfville, Festival Theatre

March 5: New Glasgow, Glasgow Square

March 6: Glace Bay, Savoy Theatre

March 7: Mabou, Strathspey Place

March 10: Chester, Chester Playhouse

March 11: Halifax, Rebecca Cohn Auditorium

Top Photo: Darren Pittman / Herald Photo - Hitting the road - Jimmy Rankin heads out on tour after ECMA wins.

Bottom Photo: Darren Pittman / Herald Photo - Halifax-based singer / songwriter Jimmy Rankin begins a cross country tour with stops throughout the Maritimes this week. He has just returned from a successful weekend at the East Coast Music Awards where he won male artist and roots / traditional solo artist of the year honours.

Rankin is flying on his own

February 28, 2004 - Abbotsford News

East Coast Music Awards 'Male Artist of the Year, Jimmy Rankin along with Gordie Sampson, will appear live in concert in Abbotsford on April 1.

Rock.It Boy Entertainment is bringing this great act to the Abbey Arts Centre.

After a decade in the business, well over two million albums sold and armloads of industry awards (including five Junos), The Rankins, Canada's most decorated musical family, called it a career in 1999.

Jimmy Rankin, singer, guitar player and principal songwriter, went on torelease Song Dog in 2001.

Song Dog was nominated for two Junos that year, and Jimmy Rankin won Single, Songwriter and Country Artist of the year at the 2002 East Coast Music Awards.

His second solo album, Handmade, released in 2003, was co-produced and co-written by Tim Thorney and primarily features acoustic instruments - banjos, mandolins and dulcimers - and a live off the floor feel.

It was honoured Feb. 15 in Newfoundland as the Roots/Traditional Solo Recording of the Year at the 2004 East Coast Music Awards.

Rankin is, above all, a great songwriter. In 1994 The Rankins won four Junos including Single of the Year for the breakthrough song Fare The Well Love, a song that he wrote. That song has since been featured in a recent television documentary entitled Songs That Changed The World.

Get on down and spend time at home with Jimmy Rankin plus Gordie Sampson on April 1.

Advance tickets are $20 from Ticketmaster (online at www.ticketmaster.ca or charge-by-phone at 604-280-4444) or at the venue (604-583-0966).

Tickets purchased at the door on the night of the concert are $22.50.

Doors open at 7 p.m. with the show kicking off at 7:30 p.m

"Handmade" in the house: Jimmy Rankin hits the Playhouse with award-winning album

March 4, 2004 - Bridgewater Bulletin

By Angie Zinck

Jimmy Rankin is back and better than ever. Hot off the heels of two big wins at the East Coast Music Awards for Male Artist of the Year and Roots/Traditional Recording of the Year, Mr. Rankin is bringing his new show to theChester Playhouse on March 10.

"Handmade" is this Cape Breton native’s second solo recording since his famous family act, The Rankins, said goodbye in 1999. "Song Dog" was his first."For ‘Song Dog,’ going out there initially with that record it was kind of uncharted ground for me, and I think a lot of people were coming out to the shows out of curiosity to see what I had to offer," he says.

"It’s three years later, and I have another record out so people are coming out to the shows to hear my new material, they know my old stuff. It’s not a curiosity thing now. They know what I can do and they’re coming out because they’re fans."

The "Song Dog" tour was successful. Audiences responded well and Mr. Rankin got his feet wet in solo waters. "Although it was nice the first time around with ‘Song Dog,’ it’s even better now, it feels more comfortable and more natural," he says about the "Handmade" tour. The new album has been described as "raw, stripped down and acoustic." Complete with 12 new tracks, the work reflects what Mr. Rankin and his friend and musical partner Tim Thorney were feeling when they got together last year to write and play music.

"At the time there was a lot of unrest in the Middle East, and they were deciding whether or not to go in and go to war with Iraq," he recalls. "The media was inundated with it at the time so I think some of the songs that we wrote kind of came out of that hole thing that was going on at that period of time."

The chorus of the title track "Handmade" reads "give me something real/give me something I can taste/show me someone who can feel I’m sick and tired of this place/but everybody must get paid/give me something handmade."

Mr. Rankin says his words continue to reflect a need for a simpler, calmer world.

"I think the world is very out of whack right now," he says. "Politically things are very out of whack, environmentally things are very out of whack, so I think we need to do some straightening out. I think it’s going to take some time but I think definitely people need to re-evaluate a lot of values and the world in general."

Mr. Rankin himself has had to do some re-evaluation of the music industry he has called home for well over a decade. "The music industry has changed so much since The Rankins started making records that it’s a lot harder for even an established artist to go out now," he says.

"I had to revise my whole method and my plan of getting out there and making records and now that I’ve done that, I’m on my second record and I’m enjoying it. It’s a lot of hard work but I like it, it’s what I like to do." Mr. Rankin says there are times when the profession gets trying, but the music always carries him through.

"There are days when I’m frustrated with the music industry because it’s not in great shape now, but I’m just singing through it," he says. "I’m like anyone else. I always like to get recognized for what I do and my work so it feels really good," he adds of the recent ECMA wins.

Mr. Rankin, who recently returned from a sold-out tour of Canada with Keith Urban and Carolyn Dawn Johnson, says he is looking forward to playing along the South Shore. He says the East Coast crowds are unlike any other in the country.

"They tend to be a bit rowdier," he says. "I think that has something to do with the tradition of music in this part of the world."

Mr. Rankin, who himself grew up in a very musical family, believes that one’s roots lend themselves to a love of music. "People tend to break out acoustic instruments, or break out and play music at their homes or in their kitchens. I think it’s just kind of a natural tradition we have here, and I think that really carries through in shows. When you go out and play, people really respond to music," he says. "Handmade" is now available at music stores and Mr. Rankin encourages fans to give it a second listen because it is so different from "Song Dog."

"I don’t think there are any duds on the record and I try and make sure of that when I make an album," he says. "I don’t like to put any filler on it." The songs have translated well to the live show and audiences have been enjoying themselves. Although he doesn’t have a favourite song on the album, he does say that "Colorado" and "Sweet Wheels" have been great to perform.

For this Cape Breton boy who has found success not only once, but twice, making music has treated him well. "I don’t think we ever had any aspirations of being celebrities or being famous or anything like that, we just really wanted to make music," he says of his earliest days with his brothers and sisters.

"I’m doing what I love to do," says this well-received singer/songwriter. "Sometimes I have to kind of pinch myself, you never can really tell where you’re going to wind up."

Jimmy Rankin performs in Abby sans family

March 5, 2004 - Abbotsford Times

By Times Staff

An East Coast musician is bringing his talent to Abbotsford.

This year's East Coast Music Awards Male Artist of the Year Jimmy Rankin will appear with Gordie Sampson in concert on April 1 at the Abbey Arts Centre [2329 Crescent Way, Abbotsford].

After a decade in the business, well over two million albums sold and armloads of industry awards including 5 Junos, The Rankins, Canada's most decorated musical family, called it a career in 1999.

Jimmy Rankin, a singer, guitar player and principal songwriter went on to release Song Dog in 2001.

Song Dog was nominated for two Junos that year, and Rankin won single, songwriter and country artist of the year at the 2002 East Coast Music Awards.

His second solo album, Handmade, was released in 2003.

It was co-produced and co-written by Tim Thorney and primarily features acoustic instruments - banjos, mandolins and dulcimers - and a live 'off the floor' feel.

It was honoured Feb. 15 in Newfoundland as the Roots/Traditional Solo Recording of the Year at the 2004 East Coast Music Awards, the same award show that saw Rankin take home the Male Artist of the Year award.

Rankin is, above all, a passionate songwriter.

In 1994 The Rankins won four Junos including 'Single of the Year' for the breakthrough song Fare The Well Love, a song that he wrote.

That song has since been featured in a recent television documentary entitled Songs That Changed The World.

Advance tickets to see Rankin and Sampson perform are $20 each.

Purchase tickets from Ticketmaster, online at www.ticketmaster.ca or charge by phone at 604-280-4444 or $22.50 at the door.

Doors open at 7p.m.

Jimmy Rankin gives his fans a labour of love, something truly Handmade

March 10, 2004 - CanWest News Service

By Greg Kennedy

WINNIPEG - You're not going to catch Jimmy Rankin getting hitched in Vegas to Britney Spears - even though such a publicity stunt would help his music reach the wider audience it deserves. No, there's none of that oops-I-did-it-again aura about this gifted Canadian songsmith and performer. He's just not a headline-grabbing, Ben-J. Lo., American-Idol, celebrity-scandal, Paris-Hilton-sex-video, instant-sound-byte Entertainment Tonight TV kind of guy.

For one, the Cape Bretoner already has a wife, Mia Nishi, who looks after both his heart and his business affairs. But more importantly, the boy from Mabou, N.S., is made of deeper, more thoughtful, more magical stuff. He's the real deal. His second solo album, Handmade, radiates an earthy charm, laid out over a bed of acoustic guitar, banjo, dulcimer and mandolin. It's becoming clearer that Rankin's a fresh chip off the same treble clef as Canadia icons Ian Tyson or Gordon Lightfoot. Like them, Rankin, too, pens his muscular, sinewy songs with ink draw straight from the soul.

"I'm a singer-songwriter. I'm just sticking to my guns. Trying to be true to what I do. I wanted to make an album that was essentially acoustically driven. In this day and age, it's a very pop-driven market. An acoustic album is probabl the 'anti-thing' to do. But it's being well-received. People are liking it."

While he faces a tougher sell to get his unique Celtic-tinged roots rock and ballads onto the airwaves these days he frets not. Country and adult contemporary radio stations love his stuff. Two new videos shot in Cuba in January - the subtly honky-tonk California Dreamer and the delicate Butterfly - can be seen on CMT and MuchMore Music. Sucking up to the whims of musical fashion is simply not his style.

"This is cyclical.... I think we're just going through a time right now where television stars are the thing of the moment. People will get tired of that and want something different," says the 39-year-old who has played
everything from church halls to the Albert Hall and penned platinum such as Fare Thee Well for The Rankins, who sold in the millions in the '90s.

Handmade, also the hard-driving title tune, reveals a philosophical Rankin who vents his disgust at our throwaway plastic-fantastic culture of convenience, and who cries out for a return to the honest, hard-working values our Information Age has lost.

Reached at his Halifax harbour home, on the heels of two big wins at the East Coast Music Awards (Male Artist o the Year and Roots/Traditional Recording of the Year), Rankin is asked what he hates about radio today.

"Probably most stuff, to tell you the truth. I'm very picky about what I like to listen to. I think that people in my age group are being denied the music they like to listen to. I think there's a market out there for people who want to hear the singer-songwriters. Or want to hear what I call real music."

In his rare moments away from music - "If I'm not creating something - and you hear a lot of artists say that you're usually miserable - that's me" - he sketches and paints what he calls "thumbnail watercolours." Despite his music, he sees himself first as a visual artist, and holds a fine arts degree from the Nova Scotia College of Art.

Rankin also cares about the environment. His Baby Taylor backpack-sized guitar is always with him. When he went down the wilderness of B.C.'s Dease River last August to support the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and David Suzuki Foundation's Boreal Rendezvous - to draw attention to the boreal forest - he soon found himself strumming by the campfire for other prominent Canadians.

Since The Rankins called it a day in 1999, his sisters Raylene, Cookie and Heather have gone on to record as a trio and delight Maritimers with their annual Christmas tours. His brother John Morris died in January 2000 after his vehicle hit a pile of salt in the middle of a highway. From the dark days of his family's loss, however, Jimmy Rankin has embraced the challenge of a solo career.

"It's been a metamorphosis for me. My first album Songdog was in the infancy of my being a solo guy. In three years I think I've really come into my own. I've grown as a performer. I'm a lot more relaxed now. It's a lot to do with people coming out to hear me. They're not there now to hear the Rankins. They know they're going to hear m songs."

Rankin's dedication to his fans, too, was put to the test when the power went out at the Savoy, an historic theatre in Glace Bay, N.S., on March 6.

"So I was sitting in the dressing room in the dark and we had to decide what to do. The people who were running the theatre asked me if I'd mind doing an acoustic set. And there's, like, 800 people in this old theatre. And it's packed. And I was thinking, it's like being thrown to the lions. You could go out there and sing half a song and lose your voice. We're so used to being amplified. I had to make the decision to go out there and do a half an hour worth of material before the lights of the generator completely died.

"Finally I went out, and I went to the front of the stage, and you could hear a pin drop. I sang a bunch of songs.... Soon people were singing along. They all knew the words. They're hollering out requests. They're shouting out solos. Nobody left. Nobody complained. I think that's probably one of the most special things I've done in a long time."

The thought that any Rankin would worry about losing their voice seems absurd. Especially when Jimmy can snarl out a lyric with the grittiest of them. Rankin laughs. He's quick to give snarl-credit where it's due. ""I picked that up from my (late) father, Buddy.... When he was telling us to get to bed."

Rankin reels 'em in with new, old tunes

March 12, 2004 - Halifax Daily News

By Sandy MacDonald

Jimmy Rankin was clearly revelling in his music last night. Forget the fiddles, boys. Jimmy Rankin's come to rock.

The East Coast troubadour returned last night to Halifax's Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, a favourite soft-seater he played countless times with the Rankin Family, and lit it up.

"I've got the house gig here," joked a relaxed-looking Rankin. Last time in the Cohn, he opened solo for folk legend John Prine, a tough gig for anyone.

This time, he brought along his excellent four-piece band, and was ready to roll. From the opening strains of Midnight Angel, Rankin looked more confident than I'd seen him in ages - he's toured with this band, and they've jelled into a tight unit.

The band roared into Roving Gypsy Boy, a little gem from the Rankins' first album a decade ago, and set the tone for the night - delivering spankin' versions of some tightly crafted pop songs.

The near two-hour concert moved seamlessly through material from his two solo albums, sprinkled with a few Rankin Family nuggets. Hey, he wrote 'em, he can play 'em.

Rankin paced the show nicely, cranking up the band for a few spirited numbers, then reeling it in for his quieter songs. He sang a lovely take on Butterfly, his new single to AC radio.

The near-capacity crowd cheered the new material, including the title track from his latest Handmade album. Rankin continues to have success on radio, keeping his music in the public's ear.

The crowd was calling out requests all night, and most from his post-Rankin Family days. He responded with much of both albums, including You And Me, Colorado and the solid hit Morning Bound Train.

Dressed in brown jacket, dark jeans and classic snoot boots, Rankin delivered near note-perfect version of his recordings. The songs are so tightly arranged, however, there was little room to let the musicians run. Guitarist Jamie Robinson and keyboardist Kim Dunn stayed close to the charts, and too-rarely soloed. Drummer Charlie Cooley drove the band with his dynamic playing, and bassist Ed Wordsworth anchored the whole show.

Rankin wasted little time chatting between tunes, simply sharing a few words of introduction before Cooley counted in each song. The celebrated songwriter was in a singing mood last night, frequently tilting back his head and just wailing. He stomped happily around the stage between verses, revelling in the music.

He closed the set with a rocking version of Followed Her Around, and brought the crowd to their feet. The encore featured a lovely new acoustic tune, One Last Ride, and a Van Morrison-like version of Tripper.

Rankin may not have the richest or most resonant voice, but he's not afraid to go for the big note. He just pours himself into his singing, and commands you to pay attention. Maybe that comes from growing up in a house with 10 siblings.

Rankin drives away wintery blues

March 12, 2004 - Halifax Herald

By Stephen Cooke / Entertainment Reporter

Concert Review

At the end of an East Coast tour that's had its share of weather-related headaches, from postponed shows during the mighty blizzard to an onstage power outage in Glace Bay, Jimmy Rankin wasn't about to let a little freezing rain or giant snowflakes get him down at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium on Thursday night. "Thanks for coming out on such a miserable night," he congratulated the near-capacity Halifax crowd. "Now let's try and make it a better one."

It didn't take long, after opening with the moody Midnight Angel from his solo debut Song Dog, audience members were shouting out requests and joking with Rankin between songs like we were all around a big campfire.

A song like Roving Gypsy Boy only helps further that feeling, with its upbeat sense of joy and singalong chorus, as one of Rankin's best expressions of the rambling wanderlust that runs through his work. Steve Earle said it most succinctly in I Ain't Ever Satisfied, and Rankin taps into that itchy, questing spirit so well in his finest songs.

His band of drummer Charlie Coolie, keyboardist Kim Dunn and bald bookends guitarist Jamie Robinson and bassist Ed Woodsworth went into overdrive on You and Me, which Rankin noted was written on a similarly miserable night. The song's driving groove is probably as close as he's ever got to alternative rock, underlining the desperation in the lyrics as a rejected lover tries to get back into the good books of the object of his affection (although the words hint that his restless feelings may be what caused the break in the first place).

A flash of skin during a guitar change led the Mabou native to joke he was wearing his midriff shirt for the occasion, to which one female audience member implored "Bring it on!"

"You have a dirty mind," he deadpanned back.

Even so, the next song, Butterfly from the current Handmade CD, praised free spirits, using the title metaphor to denote the freedom of a short but vibrant life. That CD's title track also fell in line with the dissatisfaction theme, harkening back to a simpler time, even though times have never really been as simple as one would like to imagine. Still, it's hard to argue with a song decrying the falsehoods, fake flavours and artificial feelings that are fed to us every day.

Other emotional high points included a fierce We'll Carry On, built on Coolie's jungle drums and Robinson's chiming bouzouki, and an encore performance of Tripper, with its heart-rending tale of the dark side of going down the road.

Rankin was joined in his encore by opening act Madviolet, lending sweet harmonies to Lighthouse Heart, and reminding more than a few listeners of how the Rankin sisters' voices would give Jimmy's songs a little extra lift.

But despite the well-known Celtic roots of Creignish fiddler/singer/guitarist Lisa MacIsaac, she and singer-songwriter Brenley MacEachern - whose parents also came from the Ceilidh Trail - are going in a different direction with their music.

The songs off Madviolet's Worry the Jury CD are modern folk-pop that have a certain restlessness in common with Rankin's uprooted themes, but lean melodically more towards the alternative. Mid-tempo numbers like Wake Up and Light It Up are buoyed by the singular harmony that comes from the blend of MacIsaac's clear high pitch and MacEachern's warm copper sound with a hint of rust around the edges.

The lyrics have an air of small town dreams about them, with hopes of finding unfamiliar places in Save a Song, and images of New York and San Francisco in Light It Up and Haight Ashbury, but the pair is rapidly making those visions become reality, and the rest of the world is in for a treat.

Jimmy Rankin gives the west a taste of the east

March 15, 2004 - Chart Attack

Cape Breton's Jimmy Rankin has just wrapped up a tour of Atlantic Canada, but he's not about to stop performing any time soon.

The former Rankin Family member is continuing his cross-Canada tour by heading west, to cities in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia before returning to the east next month. Rankin is on the road in support of his second solo album, Handmade, which was released late last year and was the follow-up to 2001's Song Dog.

Not only is the alt.country singer-songwriter keeping himself busy lately, he’s also being recognized for his work. Last month at the East Coast Music Awards in St. John's, Rankin was honoured with two trophies — Male Artist Of The Year and Roots/Traditional Solo Album Of The Year for Handmade.

And if you live in Toronto, you may even run into Rankin around the city this week. Before heading out to begin the Western leg of his tour, he will make a promotional stop in Toronto. Check him out on Canada AM on Thursday (March 18). Or, depending on where in Canada you reside, you may be able to check him out live.

Keeping things simple is a challenge for Jimmy Rankin

March 18, 2004 - Winnipeg Sun

By Rob Williams

The former member of family group The Rankins has struck out on his own as a solo artist and has to work hard making sure things don't get out of hand.

"It's more difficult to make an (acoustic) album than you think because it's so easy to rely on electricity to produce power in a song," he says.

On his sophomore solo recording, Handmade, Rankin wanted to record a strictly acoustic roots-rock album, live off the floor, without resorting to any of the tricks used by so many musicians these days.

"Maybe it's my statement about how music is recorded these days, but it was a challenge to me to throw a song at these musicians and record it in a couple of takes, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't," he says.

Well, it seems to have worked. Rankin won two of the six awards he was nominated for at the East Coast Music Awards last month for male artist and solo recording of the year.

Not that he is a stranger to winning awards. He won countless trophies as a member of the Rankin family, including five Junos, and his first solo album, 2001's Song Dog, won four ECMAs, but this one was extra special since it was his own project from start to finish, he says.

"It was different going out by myself. I was so used to touring with my family but going out on my own, I basically had to start from square one again and re-establish myself as a solo artist and I'm doing that very well, I think."

Because Rankin's songs fit adult contemporary and country radio formats, he's sent different singles to different stations and is starting to see results, with the video for Butterfly added to MuchMoreMusic and California Dreamer on CMT.

Rankin is touring the album with his full band and plays several songs from his days with his siblings.

Jr. Rankin sings his own tune

March 19, 2004 - Saskatoon StarPhoenix

By Cam Fuller

If the reception he got recently as a mere opening act says anything, Jimmy Rankin might need earplugs on his headlining tour.

Opening for Keith Urban and Carolyn Dawn Johnson last September at the Centennial Auditorium, Rankin whipped up the crowd in the few minutes he had on stage -- and that was with only two acoustic backing musicians.

"It was a singer-songwriter show and the great thing is you never know what to expect when you go on as an opening act,'' Rankin said this week.

"I'd been in that situation when I was the headliner, but going out in that kind of form I find it quite refreshing, especially if you're playing for people who normally wouldn't hear your music, winning people over.''

At the time, Rankin's new CD Handmade was only a few hours old. But his debut album as a solo musician, Song Dog, had clearly made an impression thanks to songs like Follow Her Around and Midnight Angel.

Rankin, who returns with a full band and full-length show, says his audience is split between those who remember him as part of the Rankin Family and others who've come aboard more recently.

"They're past the curiosity phase, and they're coming out to see me.''

Although he still does a couple of old Rankin songs, his music has changed from Celtic flavoured folk to roots rock.

What remains is his strong sense of melody ("I think it's the way my brain works.'') What you won't find are simplistic moon-June-spoon lyrics.

"I think there's a place for that kind of song," Rankin allows.

"But I'm a singer-songwriter and I come from a storytelling tradition and that's what I'm drawn to.''

Opening for Rankin is multi-East Coast Music Award winner Gordie Sampson, who wrote the Ashley MacIsaac hit Sleepy Maggie and has produced albums by Damhnait Doyle and Natalie MacMaster.

His second solo album, Sunburn, will be released this year by Maple Music.

Rankin will be doing a few songs from Handmade at 1 p.m. Monday at McNally Robinson Bookstore.

No-nonsense Rankin offers glimpse into creative mind

March 23, 2004 - Saskatoon StarPhoenix

By Cam Fuller

Is he country? Is he pop? Is he folk? You could drive yourself crazy trying to categorize the many facets of Jimmy Rankin.

Better just to sit back and let him do his thing -- whatever it is -- as he did Monday night at the Broadway Theatre.

On his first headlining tour through these parts with his Handmade album, Rankin and his four-piece band staged a show that wasn't just entertaining in its own right but which provided a fascinating glimpse into a creative mind.

Rankin started off with Midnight Angel from his previous album Song Dog, and it was a perfect choice.

Not just a tuneful, catchy song but one which helped define the performer himself. It wasn't slow, it wasn't fast, it wasn't country or folk or rock, it wasn't smooth and it wasn't rough. There you go. Simple, eh?

Rankin clearly takes his music seriously. He doesn't smile often. His banter isn't warm -- more factual than friendly. He quickly exchanged his guitar when it didn't sound right.

"It was in tune when I bought it,'' he deadpanned. He got one of the sound guys to make tweaks to the mix on at least two occasions.

He's obviously both a perfectionist and a stern task master. But it's equally obvious that he holds himself to high standards as well, never writing two songs that sound alike, balancing the audience's need for tunefulness with his urge to deliver a thought or feeling.

Rankin's song introductions were revealing. Handmade was inspired by the pre-war hysteria last year regarding Iraq. Colorado came from a jilted friend licking his wounds in Jimmy's kitchen.

Always on the look-out for an idea, Rankin once noticed a dog out in the rain. He wrote a song about it. It's called Dog Out In The Rain.

Things were cooking right up to press time. Almost every song was a highlight. Butterfly -- a likable, memorable tune with a summery feel. Handmade -- both forceful and melodic. Moving On -- a groovy stride rocked up with brio by the band. Morning Bound Train -- already sounding like a classic.

Rankin is definitely a star, but a distant one, too.

Gordie Sampson opened the show with a short acoustic solo set that hinted at his versatility -- pop, country and traditional.

The East Coast Music Award winner for songwriter of the year previewed some songs from his upcoming album Sunburn, including the title track with the clever lyric "You're the lesson I never learned, you're my sunburn."

Sampson finished with a medley on guitar of Cape Breton tunes that showed his picking prowess and impressed the crowd.

Jimmy Rankin performs March 23 at Cowboys Dance Hall
Rankin a Handmade man

March 20, 2004 - Calgary Sun

By Mike Bell

Jimmy Rankin is in a good place, albeit a vague one. And we’re not speaking physically, as the East Coast artist is calling from Toronto we’re talking musically.

Since the split of his acclaimed sibling act The Rankin Family in 1999, Jimmy has done his best to build a name and career for himself that’s removed from the Celtic sounds of his clan.

"People ask me what my show is like and what my record is like and how to classify myself," says Rankin. "I would categorize myself as a singer-songwriter-storyteller."

Tours with artists such as the one with Carolyn Dawn Johnson and keith urban have helped spread the word, as have a pair of albums including his latest release Handmade. Slowly but surely people are getting to know the new Jimmy Rankin.

"I find that people aren’t coming to my shows out of curiosity any more," says Rankin, who performs March 23 at Cowboys.

"They’re coming out because they want to hear the songs and they want to hear me."

Other than by picking it up or by catching him live, outlets for the songwriter’s rootsy, folky sound are limited.

CMT has been extremely helpful and MuchMoreMusic has also added the video for the song Butterfly, but, like most people calling themselves a singer-songwriter, radioplay hasn’t been easy to come by.

That’s something Rankin was aware of when he completed Handmade and saw that it was far from the world of pop that he sees as still driving the airwaves.

"For me it’s not a commercially driven record, it’s basically an acoustically driven record and that’s probably not the route to go today if you want that kind of mainstream success," he says.

"But for me it’s the kind of record I wanted to make and I’m pleased with the reception it got."

That warm reception included six nominations and three wins at the past East Coast Music Awards, although Rankin was virtually ignored by the Juno nominating committee this year (the graphic designer for Handmade was the only nomination the album picked up).

Having already won five in his career, he admits he’s not too concerned by the oversight and certainly not undeterred.

"I think they passed over a good record, is all I can say."

Jimmy Rankin's back at home under bright lights

April 1, 2004 - Victoria Times Colonist

By Mike Devlin

Jimmy Rankin thought he’d done pretty much everything during his 10 years with The Rankin Family. He thought wrong.

In fact, just last month the 39-year-old native of Mabou, N.S., added yet another accomplishment to his overflowing resume. He performed completely in the dark.

Midway through a March 6 concert at the storied Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay, N.S., Rankin left the stage at intermission to a wave of cheers. Seconds later the lights went out — for good.

The ice storm raging outside had cut all power to the theatre shortly after Rankin and his band walked off the stage at intermission.

“We had to make a decision whether to go back on and do an acoustic set or start giving people their money back,” Rankin remembers.

“We went on and it went very well. My sound guy taped some of it on his (portable) computer, and you can hear everybody in the house singing along. It was a pretty unique experience.”

Ironically, darkness and light are emotional themes that have permeated Rankin’s two solo records, 2001’s acclaimed Song Dog and last year’s Handmade.

The latter is a considerably happier record, which is understandable given that Song Dog was written after five unrelated deaths in the Rankin family tree, including the accidental death of his brother, John Morris Rankin, in 2000.

The death of John Morris crippled Jimmy, and ultimately left him wary of playing music again — something he and his brother had done for decades together in The Rankin Family.

His debut solo effort was indelibly well-received, eventually winning single, songwriter and country artist of the year for Rankin at the 2002 East Coast Music Awards. But after testing the roots-rock waters with Song Dog, Ranking says he wanted to strip his sound down for Handmade.

“For this record I wasn’t thinking of any kind of radio play at all. I was just trying to make a record with a bunch of musicians playing acoustic instruments.”

Aside from California Dreamer, which was penned in the late ’90s, the songs on Handmade were written after Rankin spent the better part of a year on the road. The writing process helped heal the wounds incurred by the death of his brother, although there is evidence of the emotional toll Rankin suffered on Morning Bound Train, which includes the line, “I go through dark to see daylight.”

The song is among many on Handmade that further ensconce his position as one of this country’s finest songwriters. Rankin has been well-rewarded for his talent:

In February, he won two more East Coast Music Awards, including male artist of the year and roots/traditional recording of the year.

There is little about Rankin’s solo records that recalls the Celtic-driven — not to mention very successful — days of The Rankin Family. While the music he grew up with is hibernating at this point in his career, it is far from forgotten, Rankin says.

“I come from an acoustic background, but I also grew up with a lot of other kinds of music. I had a pretty eclectic record collection; I still do. But I always find that at the end of the day, I go back to acoustic music when I’m at home. In a way, this record was going back to where I started.”

Those same roots are what bailed Rankin out during his in-the-dark concert last month. Playing without amplification wasn’t the tough part, Rankin admits. The most troublesome part was coming up with stage antics fit for the intimate setting.

“I’ve done enough of that kind of playing in my kitchen and at parties, but to actually go out in a concert hall and have to project yourself to 800 people, you’re definitely relying on your vaudevillian training. It’s not something I want to do every night.”

Rising Stars interestingly bizarre

Hip-hop rubs shoulders with Cape Breton fiddles

April 2, 2004 - Halifax Herald

By Stephen Pederson - Arts Reporter

Concert Review

The efforts of the Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia to market all of our musicians, with the province's blessing, might revolutionize the concert hall. Wednesday night in the Rebecca Cohn the MIANS Rising Star tour ended with one of the most bizarre finales on any concert stage.

Country/blues singer-songwriter Ian Janes, Cape Breton fiddlers Wendy MacIsaac and Mairi Rankin with their guitarist Patrick Gillis, and Universal Soul's Voodoo, Tacktishion, F.I.Z. and turntablist DJ IV surrounded tiny emcee Heather Rankin who delivered a Gaelic rap to ring the curtain down on the show.

To see hip-hop rubbing shoulders with Cape Breton fiddles warmed the heart. Not too long ago, on the street at least, unkind things were being said about the Celtic wave that swept the music industry in the '90s. And here they were, just a clutch of our own rising stars getting jiggy and doing the Nova Scotian - we are a friendly bunch are we not?

For one reason or another, the fans were thin on the ground - fewer than 200 - and looked even sparser when the lights went up in the 1,000-seat auditorium.

But they made enough noise to fill the place. Universal Soul roused the most fervour, but that fact speaks more to the turn-out - mostly young - than to the quality of the music, all of which was first-rate. Janes and Beolach (as MacIsaac/Rankin/Gillis call themselves) were also warmly appreciated.

Heather Rankin opened the show with an enchanting folksong, Hush the Waves, from the Helen Creighton collection, and opened the second half with one of her own songs, sung every bit as sweetly.

It is hard to define Janes, mostly because he is wholly absorbed in the process of defining himself. During a half-time visit backstage he offered Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Waylon Jennings, and others as influences, but couldn't come up with a name for himself.

That's good. Because what I heard in his half-hour set was his total commitment to music, not to image. When I first heard Janes a several years back at the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival he seemed to be imitating a style. Now, with strong influences from Ray Charles, he's creating one.

Driving his love songs with urgent bursts of bluesy rhythm, he demonstrated his perfect integration of accompaniment, lyric, melody and musical imagery in songs like Get Closer, No Love As True, Takin' Back My Love, The Other Side of Goodbye and You Had Your Chance.

Obviously, Janes is no rising star. His star has already climbed above the horizon, and we are all beginning to feel the heat.

Beolach, of course, are familiar territory - strathspeys, jigs, reels, both Irish and Scots. What distinguishes them is their taste. Their tunes have a vintage feel, an authenticity as persuasively ancient as weathered wood and Lone Shielings.

MacIsaac has begun to play banjo, picking out the tunes in unison with Rankin's fiddle, which gives a tang to the Beolach sound. Both women step-dance and both are first-rate fiddlers. Their intertwining duet on the opening slow air was concentrated and intense, and when they did play a lively traditional set at the end they showed their roots: years of playing kitchen parties and community dances. Gillis accompanied easily, sensitively, and inventively.

Universal Soul put on a great show. Their rap is meant to be heard - the words are clear even to the aging ear - but what makes their performances fascinating both to hear and to watch is the balance they strike between choreography and spontaneity.

F.I.Z. (Finley Tolliver), Tacktishion (Tracey Williams), and Voodoo (David Akedayode) are chamber musicians. Their rap is layered and textured with unison duets, solos and trios, while their voices change register in as intricate a dance as their physical stage-striding and hand gestures.

Adekayode is a dancer, striking and holding positions, and breaking into little physical asides that parody formal dance with irony, good humour and exuberance.

With DJ IV (Brian Perllerine) working the turntables against the same beat, a complex rhythmic texture arises that is both modern and straight out of the heart of Africa. I'm not a hip-hop camp-follower, but I love what these guys do. Their joy in performance reflects the joy they find in the beat and it is impossible not to be moved by it.

Having already played Liverpool, Yarmouth, Chester, Halifax and Pictou, the Rising Star tour concert comes to Mabou's Strathspey Place tonight and ends Saturday in Glace Bay's Savoy Theatre.

Next project for MIANS is their Bringin' It Home Tour over three consecutive weekends, April 15 to 17, 22 to 24 and 29 to May 1, featuring 18 artists. Seventeen communities from North Sydney to Digby will take part. With acts as strikingly different as Shyne Factory, Blou, Peter Allen and Ardyth & Jennifer on tap, the mix is likely to be as bizarrely interesting and as interestingly bizarre as the Rising Star Tour.

Series reveals our country's undiscovered talent

April 4, 2004 - Toronto Star

By Greg Quill

A few years ago, Calgary documentary-maker Joel Stewart was shooting a concert film of the fabled Canadian family folk band Leahy, and was struck by the affection the group members bestowed on a man in the crowd, whom they asked to come on stage to accompany them.

"His name was Colum Quigley, and he had played accordion with the Leahys when they were kids," says Stewart. "It was clear that he was an inspiration to them, and yet to most people he had achieved nothing ... he wasn't rich or famous. He was a nobody."

That incident stuck with Stewart for quite a while. An "unknown" musician himself, who had made his way directing performance films and videos for the likes of roots and country music stars Fred Eaglesmith, Terri Clark and Paul Brandt, as well as the National Geographic documentary The 100 Dollar Taxi Ride, Stewart had always wondered what impulses compel musicians. He was especially intrigued by those against whom the odds are severely stacked, but who continue to compose and perform in anonymity, often under appalling circumstances and for no tangible rewards.

"What keeps the people in my record collection going?" he asked himself a year ago, when he came up with the idea of a documentary series chronicling the personal tales and art of Canadian musicians who function well below the media and music industry radar.

"They're people no one has heard of, or very few ... (they're) cult objects. They never sell more than a handful of records, they rarely get a decent gig or any publicity. So how do they sustain it ... this passion?"

With The Undiscovered Country, a seven-part series of 60-minute documentaries beginning this Tuesday at 9 p.m. on CMT, Stewart finds some of the answers.

"What I learned is that there are as many answers to that question as there are musicians out there," he says. "One thing I'm sure of: It's not about fame or money. These songwriters — and most of the artists we shot are songwriters, because that's the field I'm most familiar with — find something insanely precious in the act of composing. One of them says in one episode that writing a song is harder than writing a novel ... and I suspect that the effort is its own reward."

Loosely divided into geographical and thematic bundles, The Undiscovered Country is less a glimpse into the lives of struggling artists than a lengthy socio-anthropological essay on the elusive meaning of success.

Profiled in the premiere episode, "In A Bar Near You," hosted by Maritimes roots star Jimmy Rankin, are Toronto vampire cabaret artist Kevin Quain, Kensington Market street urchin-turned-saloon balladeer Shaun Santalucia, and Astrid Young, sister of Neil, who finances her art with fees she earns as a wine consultant for collectors.

With a handful of exceptions, the artists in Stewart's documentary can't live off the proceeds of the songs they write, the music they make, yet the songs and the music are their life's blood, their reason for being, their spiritual sustenance.

In subsequent episodes, Guess Who's Randy Bachman takes in Port Dover, Ont.'s, Eaglesmith, and British Columbia's The Laws and Carolyn Mark, all independent artists and canny business operators who have built dedicated and substantial "underground" audiences across North America. Canadian guitar hero Colin James hosts "Local Heroes," profiling Edmonton rock legend Mike McDonald and Calgary's "great bespectacled grump" Lorrie Matheson — both of whom work part-time in record stores to support their musical adventures — as well as Fort McMurray's Ken Flaherty, a mining industry safety expert by day and a lyrical, fingerpicking honky-tonk folk poet come sundown.

East Coast fiddle star Natalie MacMaster hosts "Kitchen Party," profiling her neighbourhood legends Andrew Doyle, Fred Lavery and her uncle, Buddy MacMaster. Donnell Leahy looks at practitioners of disappearing musical traditions in "Old School," focusing on the work of accordionist Quigley, step dancer Gilles Roy, and champion fiddler Frank Leahy, a member of Donnell's own enormous Lakefield, Ont., clan.

Later in the series, Toronto rocker Kim Mitchell, in "Been There, Done That," examines the work and personal decisions of formerly successful Canadian musicians who are busily reinventing themselves — metal rocker Lee Aaron as a jazz chanteuse, former arena rocker Michael Hanson (Glass Tiger) as a record producer and composer of custom wedding songs, and Calgary-based 1960s popster and recovering alcoholic Billy Cowsill now on the alternative music trail. And Blue Rodeo front man Jim Cuddy, in "The Three Jennys," profiles sub-radar Toronto songwriters Jenny Orenstein, Jenny Allen and Jenny Whiteley.

To Stewart's credit, the series is a riveting tale about sacrifice, choices, chance and change. The documentary allows its subjects ample time to deliver the goods, both in song — each artist gets to play two or three complete pieces — and in personal narratives unimpeded by rapid edits that would turn these compelling yarns into trivial sound bites. The director's method gives these musicians substance and nobility, attributes they are rarely afforded in their normal performing lives — in Matheson's words, as unrecognized troubadours "on the endless hundred-bucks-a-night-and-all-the-pride-you-can-swallow tour."

Stewart's unsentimental treatment of his subjects' real and undervalued talent more than compensates for the absence of "name" draws, a condition that almost kept CMT's owners, Corus Entertainment, from green-lighting the series. In the end, the director's passion for his material won over the skeptical suits.

"I wanted as few edits as I could get away with," Stewart says. "And with each profile I tried to recreate the circumstances under which the artist lives and performs — honest and organic. The audience has to be drawn into the songs ... they're what it's all about."

Rankin embarks on solo tour

Several of her musician friends join in the fun

April 17, 2004 - Halifax Herald

By Andrea Nemetz / Entertainment Reporter

THE TITLE of Raylene Rankin's solo debut, Lambs in Spring, has nothing to do with Easter - which her six-year-old son Alexander celebrated last Sunday with a giant chocolate bunny that was half eaten before lunch.

"It's the name of a tune my brother John Morris wrote," says the sweet-voiced member of the Rankin Family clan.

"It's about innocence lost, the transition of moving from innocence to experience," she says joking, "Some call that puberty."

The last few years have indeed been a time of transition for Rankin, who embarks on her first solo tour tonight at 8 p.m. at the Keating Centre in Antigonish, then plays Glace Bay's Savoy Theatre on Tuesday at 8 p.m. and Halifax's Rebecca Cohn Auditorium on Wednesday at 8 p.m.

"The voice" of Rise Again, the ode to Cape Breton, the Rankin Family signature tune, Raylene left the Mabou-raised group in 1998 to devote herself to raising her son.

But she joined her sisters Cookie and Heather in 1999 for Christmas tours with symphony orchestras coast to coast, and has continued the Christmas tour every year since, including last December's Atlantic Canada tour which brought smiles to the faces of concertgoers with its warm mix of heavenly Christmas carols and humourous tales of Rankin Family Christmases past.

She also faced personal challenges - the deaths of her mother and John Morris, and a two-year battle with breast cancer.

"It's been a hard go for the entire family," Rankin concedes. "But I've never felt better and I'm happy to say my life is moving forward. Every family has its trials and tribulations. It's part of life to be going through this.

"I hope what I've learned helps me communicate and if that's through music that's great."

Releasing her own CD - at a concert at Strathspey Place in Mabou during last fall's Celtic Colours International Festival - and this solo tour are more new challenges.

"I'm the type of person who needs a challenge and having made an album it's time to get out and promote it. It's a coming out of sorts, a continuation of what we started last fall."

She'll be comfortable on stage backed "by a great band of veteran Rankin Family players" including Bruce Jacobs on bass, Scott Ferguson on drums, Howie MacDonald on fiddle, Clarence Deveau on guitar and pianist Steve Amirault, who first played with the Rankins on the Christmas 2003 tour.

And she promises the set list for the Lambs In Spring tour will be a nice combination of old Rankin favourites, songs from her solo album and songs people won't have heard before.

Opening the show is David Francey - the fan favourite at last year's Lunenburg Folk Festival.

"My husband (Colin Anderson) had heard of David Francey a few years ago and sent away for the couple of CDs he had out. I fell in love with his stuff and really identified with the lyrics.

"Then I saw him perform in Lunenburg last year and he really comes across well in person. He writes good songs, well-crafted with good melodies. It was natural to invite him to be a special guest."

Rankin includes her own versions of Francey's Highwire, which compares love to a circus turn on a tightrope, the hard ground waiting below, and Flowers of Saskatchewan about the Prairie boys who died in the D-Day assault in Normandy on Lambs In Spring.

Also on the 12-song disc are Alasdair Beag, a lullaby for which she wrote the lyrics and some traditional Cape Breton tunes

With the awards being handed out on Sunday night, The Herald's Stephen Cooke predicts the winners

Band returns to Rock roots to gather up five ECMA's

Fresh from two ECMA wins, Mabou's tunesmith heads out on tour

Jimmy Rankin performs March 23 at Cowboys Dance Hall Rankin a Handmade man

Hip-hop rubs shoulders with Cape Breton fiddles

Several of her musician friends join in the fun

Jimmy Rankin performs March 23 at Cowboys Dance Hall
Rankin a Handmade man