Fall Adventures… ⁵

Having too much fun at Ontario Contact

What an amazing past few months it’s been.  I spent all of September and early October overseas touring the UK.  I feel like it is my second home… so many amazing fans and friends and communities of folks — people who put on concerts, drive long distances for concerts, tell their friends about concerts, feed me, drive me to and from airports, take me in for a night or 2 or 3…  When I got back to Canada I battled the flu (ah those overseas flights are always a joy) and then zipped off to perform at two different showcase events (Edmonton and Parry Sound).  My dear friend, teammate and photographer extraordinaire Julie Vincent joined me for both conferences and we had a blast.   I then spent several weeks giving some Teaser Concerts throughout Ontario.

How cool is this? Finding my own CD in the best indie record store in the UK (Coda Music)

Some highlights from the past several months:

– driving my oh-so-lovely rental BMW (a free upgrade! what’s up with that!??!) along the west coast of Scotland with my dear friend Matt Morrow. First time in Glen Coe!
– all the gigs in Scotland… from the Bute Guitar Fest to shows with the fabulous Rob Ellen up in Strathpeffer, to Live at the Star in Glasgow, the Leith Folk Club, and the Kirkcaldy Folk Club.  Most awesome!
– seeing my dear friends James and Anna Hill and having a return house concert in Coventry (thank you Jeremy and Anne!)
– meeting Miriam Jones, an awesome Canadian artist living in Oxford, and doing a show together
– re-conneting with JJ in London and the great show he put on for me!
– sharing a meal with Johnny and Anna in London (from the Whitstable Folk Club)… All we needed were some banjos!
– staying with my various UK “families” (Bruce & Nicola, Andy & Pam, Tom & Dawn, Caroline & Toby)
– doing a show at The Chapel with Andrew McCrorie-Shand on hurdy gurdy!  I thought the banjo was hard to tune  🙂

The Reverend James with the Reverend James 🙂

– meeting so many great musicians in the UK and at the various showcases back home in Canada
– being asked to sing on a new album with Songs From The Blue House (love you guys!)
– driving around Lake Superior as the leaves were changing, and then after the first road closures (thank God for snow tires!)
– staying with my Toronto “family” the Weeds!
– such amazing concert hosts in Ontario… thank you all so much!
– having members from a community choir in the audience during the concert in Kingston… heavenly!
– reconnecting with all my Ontario friends and fans
– lino-cut art therarpy day with Lynne McIlvride Evans, and getting to see Grant in his element (actor extraordinaire)
– first time to St Jospeh’s Island (near the Sault)… amazing people, great coffee, and awesome maple syrup!

Valdy and the beautiful Julie

Thank you all for your support, I can’t wait til this new album is ready to go.  I so want to share it with you!

I’ll sign off with attaching a video of me playing “Black Water Side” in honour of Bert Jansch.  Bert sadly passed away this October.  He was one of the finest guitarists around.

Peace, love and hope to you all —  Cara