The Night Before Christmas

Keith Glass is ready to roll for the Night Before Christmas 2008 food bank fundraising dance.

Keith Glass has been on the Canadian music scene for the past couple decades, a founding member of award-winning group Prairie Oyster, and in recent years also dabbling in ‘side bands’, The Twisters and Main Squeeze. Through it all Keith Glass has been a guitar player (Canada’s reigning Guitar Player Of the Year), a songwriter, and a vocalist…and he makes use of all the talents on Straight Ahead, his first solo disc.

Vocally, Keith Glass struts his stuff here in a melting pot of musical styles, successfully blending some blues, bluegrass and country sounds, with touches of jazz, Cajun and rockabily…it all comes together in the mix, and you come away knowing that you’ve just been treated to one of the most exciting and innovative records in some time.

There’s a bunch of high spots. Blue Blue Blue is a bluegrass flavoured tune that simply begs for repeated listens; Louisiana Rain is a country / rockabilly item that is equally infectious to the ears; while It Happens combines a jazz / Tex Mex feel to great effect. On One Kiss there’s a Raul Malo & The Mavericks influence and Watch Your Step gives hint of some Jim Cuddy & Blue Rodeo (obviously Glass’ musical tastes were not limited to Prairie Oyster discs).

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Our Night Before Christmas foodbank fundraiser held on December 22nd at the Perth Legion was a huge success! Thanks to all the efforts of all of the volunteers and the extra support of local media at The Humm, Lake 88 and CBC radio, over 200 people attended this local event and danced all night long!

Because of everybody’s extreme efforts the foodbank will receive approximately $3000 after expenses. Also, the design and management of a web page which will allow the group to fundraise all year long has been donated by local business, Strategic Media Solutions . Planning and design for this site will begin in late January and will be in place with plenty of time for next year’s event.

Steve Tennant, Onsite Coordinator for Stewart Park Festival, has been involved since it’s beginning – this year’s festival being their 17th Annual. An advocate for adults with developmental disabilities by day, Steve’s love of live music has caused him to spend much of his spare time, when not playing old timer hockey and darts, attending live music events far and wide. He, with his far better half Susan and family, host house concerts under the banner “Music on McLean” in their home in lovely Perth . They’ve recently hosted concerts by The Laws, John Wort Hannam, Kim Beggs, Katherine Wheatley, Wendell Ferguson, Brock Zeman, Corrin Raymond, Andrew Neville, Doug Cox and Sam Hurrie. Steve also pens a music column in the Perth Courier entitled “Musical Musings”.

Sue Foley is considered one of the finest blues/roots artists working today. She is internationally known as one of the best and most original artists working in her field. She is an accomplished guitarist, songwriter and vocalist. Although only in her thirties, she has been writing and playing for over twenty years. Sue is about to release her tenth studio CD called “New Used Car” due out in April 2006, which promises to take her even further down the road of an already very successful career.

She has nine other CD’s out; five from legendary Austin based blues label Antone’s, three on New York independent Shanachie and the most recent live acoustic CD ‘Change’ on Ruf Records from Germany and Justin Time in Canada. Also coming in spring 2006 is the live DVD “Sue Foley, Live in Germany” also on Ruf Records.

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Keith is totally stoked about coming out to this year’s event. As long as his newly formed group isn’t booked for the night he will be coming out and ready to rock!

Keith Glass has been on the Canadian music scene for the past couple decades, a founding member of award-winning group Prairie Oyster, and in recent years also dabbling in ‘side bands’, The Twisters and Main Squeeze. Through it all Keith Glass has been a guitar player (Canada’s reigning Guitar Player Of the Year), a songwriter, and a vocalist…and he makes use of all the talents on Straight Ahead, his first solo disc.

Read more…