First of all, we've lowered our prices - CDs and DVDs now cost $12, and that includes shipping. And sometimes we throw in a little gift just to make your day. And we've re-released Fields of Rock and Snow, Music of Canada, and A Pleasant Gale (the last two formerly only on vinyl) on CD.
On the other hand, we've cancelled our subscription to Mastercard, so if you want to buy anything, we now only accept cheques, cash, and compliments.
There's another Tamarack band floating around Ontario. They're young enough not to worry about copyright, they're from Peterborough, and they don't sound like us at all.
We've come back to our old website, because somebody borrowed our sgbproductions domain.
Alex got a commission awhile back to write a song for the website Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History - it's an intriguing way to examine a number of events in Canadian history. Alex' song was for the launch of the Tom Thompson site. http://www.canadianmysteries.ca/
And Tamarack's song Aultsville, about the Lost Villages of the St. Lawrence Seaway, was used (at least the lyrics were used) in a theatre production at Upper Canada Playhouse in Morrisburg.
Last year I was contacted by Karolyn Smardz Frost. She won a Governor-General's award for her book I've Got A Home in Glory Land: The True Story of Two Runaway Slaves Whose Flight
to Freedom Changed History. It's a marvellous book - painstakingly researched and very well written. If you're interested in the Underground Railroad, early Toronto history, or just like good books, you should pick up a copy of this one.
http://www.homeingloryland.com/
A couple of years ago SGB Productions released Coastline of Our Dreams, a tribute to the songwriting of Ian Tamblyn. Many of you will have noted Tamarack's love of Ian's music - we've recorded Days of Sun and Wind, Campfire Light, and North Vancouver Island Song, and we perform Wind Through the Tuckamore at concerts. Coastline of Our Dreams does not feature Tamarack in any way, but it does have the following line-up of stellar artists and wonderful songs:
Hart Rouge - Bay of Sails
Rodney Brown - Black Spruce
Lynn Miles - One Horse Town
Aengus Finnan - Ballad of Mark Jarareuse
Sugar Sticks - Boy on an Island
Gwen Swick - Days of Sun and Wind
Betty & the Bobs - Take Me Home
Susan Crowe - Angel's Share
Valdy - Long Lost French Café
Brent Titcomb - Dangerous Doorway
Fred Guignion - Chasing the Sun
Fig For A Kiss - Heart of the Run
Sneezy Waters - Moose Tracks
Ken Hamm - A Guitar Man Is a Lot Like a Truck Driving Man
Rita Chiarelli - Hollywood Parade
Ken Whiteley - 25th Hour of Day
Georgette Fry - Boxes
The CD is in our hands, and we're accepting orders. $12.00 will get it to you - all taxes and postage and handling included. The simplest thing to do is e--mail us at pmsinc@interlog.com - we take cheques and Mastercard.
TRIBUTE ALBUM ANNOUNCED:
TRIBUTE ALBUM ANNOUNCED:
Seventeen
artists including folk legend Valdy, Juno Award winner Lynn Miles, and gospel
guru Ken Whiteley, sing their praises and the songs of Canadian songwriter and
multi-instrumentalist Ian Tamblyn on a new and loving tribute album. Inspired
by five friends who set out to celebrate the creative work of a friend,
colleague and mentor, "Coastline of Our Dreams" is more than a
collection of songs, it is an inspired and affectionate reflection of the quiet
but potent legacy of one man's journey as a song-smith, artist, and adventurer.
Originally
from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Ian attended Trent University in Peterborough before
moving to Ottawa in the early 70's. Co-founder of North Track Records, he was
one of the first Canadian songwriters to release an independent recording, and
later helped establish Ottawa's Acoustic Waves concert series and the Writer's
Bloc songwriting collective. An accomplished lyricist, vocalist and instrumentalist
(as well as playwright, environmentalist, explorer, producer, and expedition
guide) Ian has 21 albums to his credit including natural sound and instrumental
recordings. His most recent, and perhaps most ambitious project, is entitled
"Machine Works", and marries industrial sound samples with original
musical compositions.
Winner
of a Juno, the Jackie Washington Award, the Ottawa Council for the Arts' Victor
Tolgesy Award, The Helen Verger Award, and the prestigious Estelle Klein Award
from the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals, Ian is also the recipient of a
Japanese Folk Award and an Honorary Doctorate from Lakehead University, and has
received nominations for an additional Juno, a Dora, and a Jessie Award.
When
not on stage or in the studio Ian regularly leads adventure travel and
scientific expeditions, with trips that range from the Arctic to the
Antarctic. Inspiration from these voyages often find their way into song,
soundtracks, stage productions, and multi media presentations.
At
a time when most record companies and commercial DJ's are striving for
maximum sales and listener-ship based on mass appeal and familiarity, 17
artists have come together to truly reflect, explore, and present the work of a
maverick, and unsung Canadian artist. Funded
entirely by the friends, fans, and artists who conceived the project,
"Coastline of Our Dreams" provides a dynamic and diverse view of
Ian's catalogue of work, spanning over 35 years and 20 albums. Each track is a
brave and revealing rendition of his work, presenting intimate interpretations
of small town ballads, classic travelling tunes, instrumental musings, affairs
of the heart, and high arctic dreamscapes.
All
royalty proceeds from this project are being donated to the David Suzuki
Foundation (www.davidsuzuki.org) at the request of Ian Tamblyn. To
purchase this CD use SGB Production's Order
Form, or E-Mail:
pmsinc@interlog.com
Label: SGB Productions / 123
Walpole Ave. / Toronto ON M4L 2J4
Phone: 416-405-8768 /
pmsinc@interlog.com
Distributed by: Festival
Distribution Ltd.
-30-
Tamarack has published the definitive songbook of its long and illustrious career, Some 89 songs - almost all of the original songs that we have recorded so far - along with some memoribilia and anecdotes. It's big, it's fat, it's heavy, and it costs more, but it's worth it.
We have also decided to move up one small step in our technology. We're putting our two videos (On the Rideau and The Grand, Story of a River) onto one DVD and getting rid of the VHS tapes. You can have the DVD (one disk, two shows) for $20.
Just Like Blood. Written by Ottawa author Jamie MacKinnon,
and illustrated with linocut prints by his daughter Genevieve
MacKinnon, Just Like Blood brings a
marvellous new voice to the world of Canadian literature.
Ask for it at your favourite
independent bookstore, or order it direct by e-mail from
pmsinc@interlog.com. Take a quick preview of it here.
As with
all of our products, we'll sell it to you for $17, but we'd
rather you support your local independent bookstore. Ask
them to order it for you.
Although
Tamarack has not recorded anything recently, Alex Sinclair
has recently released Flights of Fancy, a CD of songs about
the Welland Canal. The songs were mostly composed to celebrate
the 175th Anniversary of the Canal, which occured in 2004.
You can order it by e-mailing us and asking for it; like
all of our products, the CD costs $17 Cdn including taxes
and shipping.
Click here to check out Flights of Fancy, Songs of the Welland Canal.
Clearcutting
in the Tamarack Forest
We are
now officially out of Frobisher Bay CDs, T-shirts, Muskoka CDs, 15th Anniversary CDs, and all of our cassettes
are gone. However, Folk Era Records in Naperville IL. USA
has just acquired a duplicator which will allow them to manufacture
short runs of CDs. They will now re-introduce Frobisher Bay to their catalogue, so if you
want one, give them a call or e-mail them:
Folk
Era Records
705 S. Washington St.
Naperville IL USA 60540-6654
(630)637-2303
fax: (630)416-7213
We have
now placed a couple of re-release packages on the order page.
They cost $17 just like all our other CDs, even though they
come with minimal packaging. We've combed through our pile
of out-of-print albums and salvaged a collection of traditional
songs and tunes that we're calling Au Canada:
1. Long Green Chain - traditional - B.C.; featuring James Gordon, Jeff
Bird, Alex Sinclair
2. Un Beau Matin - traditional - Quebec; featuring James, Jeff, Randy Sutherland
3. Bold General Wolfe - traditional - UK; featuring James, Jeff, Randy
4. Ferryland Sealer - traditional - Newfoundland; featuring James, Jeff, Randy
5. Davey Lousdon - traditional - New Zealand; featuring James,
Jeff, Alex
6. Lord Franklin - traditional - UK; featuring James,
Jeff, Alex
7. The Old Ragadoo - traditional - Newfoundland; featuring James, Jeff, Rand
8. Le Sergent - traditional - Quebec; featuring James, Alex,
Molly Kurvink
9. Peter Emberley - traditional - Prince Edward Island; featuring James, Jeff, Randy
10. Hangin' in the Barn - traditional - Alberta; featuring James,
Alex, Gwen Swick
11. Sunset - traditional - Alberta; featuring James, Alex,
Gwen
12. Far From Home - traditional - B.C.; featuring James, Alex,
Gwen
13. Julia Delaney/The Bold Deserter - traditional - UK; featuring James,
Jeff, Alex
14. Les Raftsmen - traditional - Quebec; featuring James,
Jeff, Alex
15. Tarbolton Reel/The Backwoodsman -traditional - Ontario; featuring
James, Jeff, Rand
A second
collection, this one of songs about Eastern Ontario and the
Rideau Canal, is called Between the Rideau and the St. Lawrence:
1. Loyal She Remains - (Sinclair) - featuring James Gordon, Alex Sinclair,
Gwen Swick
2. Shantyman's Life - (traditional)- Ottawa Valley; featuring James,
Jeff Bird, Alex
3. Excavating on the Rideau -(Sinclair) - featuring James, Alex, Jeff
4. Swamp Fever - (Gordon) - featuring James, Alex, Jeff
5. Black Rapids Girl -(Gordon) - featuring James, Alex,
Jeff
6. The Kitty Friel - (Sinclair) - featuring James, Alex,
Jeff
7. Billy Boy - (Sinclair) - featuring James, Alex , Jeff
8. Bait, Bass, and Beer -(Sinclair/Gordon) - featuring James, Alex,
Jeff
9. Battle of the Windmill - (traditional - Ontario); featuring James,
Jeff, Randy Sutherland
10. The Banks of the Nile - (traditional - Ontario); featuring James,
Jeff, Alex
11. Les Raftsmen - (traditional - Ottawa Valley); featuring James,
Jeff, Alex
12. The Hangman's Eyes - (Sinclair) - featuring James, Alex,
Gwen Swick
13. Aultsville - (Sinclair) - featuring James, Alex, Gwen
14. Saturday Night Up the Gatineau - (Mac Beatty - Ontario); featuring
James, Jeff, Randy
15. Lake of the Caogama - (traditional - Ottawa Valley) featuring ; James, Jeff, Alex
Other
news
Here's a review of the Tree CD from the Orillia Folk Society
A Tamarack is a Tree (Tree is a Tamarack CD)
For nearly a quarter century, Tamarack have crisscrossed the
continent telling Canadians our own stories with a unique blend
of traditional and original songs, tight harmonies, and masterful
musicianship. Tamarack originals such as Frobisher Bay and
Maple Syrup have quietly snuck into the canon of classic Canadian
folk songs.
Tamarack's most recent CD ... is a collection of songs about
Trees prepared in conjunction with Tree Canada, a charity dedicated
to planting trees in urban areas, and caring for the forests
within our communities.
The lineup for this album was Alex Sinclair on guitar and
vocals, Molly Kurvink on vocals and bass, and Shelley Coopersmith
on violin, mandolin, mandola, and vocals. As usual with a Tamarack
album, the musicianship is superb with guest appearances by
Tamarack founders, James Gordon and Jeff Bird, as well as other
Canadian Folk notables such as Steve Briggs, Steve Fruitman
and Terry Tufts.
The CD is a collection
of original, traditional and cover songs which explore the
theme of humanity's relationship to
trees - - past present and future. I've long been an admirer
of Alex Sinclair's songwriting and he is at his best here.
The album opens with an upbeat folk-rock tune, Plant a Tree.
Molly Kurvink takes the lead vocals in Made From Trees, a catalogue
of all the things we use day-to-day which are made from trees.
City Trees laments the hard and short life of city trees. It
exclaims, "City trees get old before their time." Alex shows
off his humorous side in Keep the Brown Side Down, which answers
the question, "How do you plant a tree?"
My Grade Two students' favourite classroom song last year
was Maple Syrup. This album contains version of the song in
both official languages. Both arrangements are arranged in
a traditional folk style, the English version as an English
folk song, and en francais in the French Canadian style. Tamarack
has a long history of performing and leading workshops at schools
(including my own school later this winter) . The album contains
the students of Gooderham Elementary School singing The Gooderham
Loggers, a collaboration with Tamarack during a songwriting
workshop at their school.
The traditional songs on the Tree CD include, The Firewood
Song, and The Ash Grove. To round out the album, they have
chosen several tunes from respected Canadian singer-songwriters,
Ian Tamblyn, and Don Freed. The final song on the CD, The Trees
Came Back, was written by Peter Murphy, a long-time forester
and technical advisor to Tree Canada. It recounts the ongoing
work and success of Tree Canada sung to the tune of The Cat
Came Back, a song near and dear to my heart.
The album succeeds in exploring its theme of mankind's dependence
upon trees, and of our responsibility to ensure we replenish
this vital resource. Kudos to Tamarack for undertaking such
an ambitious project to benefit such a worthy charity as Tree
Canada.
Our CD
Spirit and Stone features 12 new nuggets of Canadian routes
music. A bit of canoeing, some French (with simultaneous
translation), a soupcon of entropy, a reference or two to
the War of 1812, an old Temptations favourite, and a bunch
of songs inspired by our travels in Scotland and England.
Our newest
CD, Tree, features 15 songs about trees and how they contribute
to our quality of life. All the proceeds go to further the
work of the Tree Canada Foundation, which specializes in
the renewal of Canada's urban forest.
Canadian
customers wherever they live now pay only $17 including postage.
Taxes are also included in the price so you don't have to
bother figuring how much the various levels of government
are actually getting (we'll do all the figuring for you).
American
customers can now pay $15 cheque or money order. That'll
cover the postage too. Or send us your Mastercard number
and we'll charge you $17 Cdn plus postage.
Customers
in the UK can use their Mastercard and let us charge $17
Cdn plus postage, or else send us a cheque or money order
for £12 and we'll cover the postage. Boy, this global economy
is getting awfully confusing.
We've
got a nice little order form sitting on our website so you
can order at your convenience.
So if
you're starting to wonder what you can put in the car CD
player to while away the kilometres - check out the New
Album, Catalogue and Mail
Order Form.
