Anna and I are back home on the B.C. Coast after a very enjoyable tour of Ontario. Still buzzing with fond memories of our wolf howl finale with Piper and Carson in Hamilton, hanging with Steve Poltz in Grey County, rocking Durham with Our Shotgun Wedding, closing the 10th season of Dale's Coffee House in Leamington, and chilling with Tequila Mockingbird in Collingwood.
Time for a wee rest and a house move up the coast to beautiful Garden Bay...
We are so thrilled to be back in Ontario, free from the uncertainty that surrounded our travel plans! After performing at Dale's Coffee House in Leamington we drove to Hamilton for the 24th Anniversary Special broadcast of Jim Marino's Freewheeling Folk Show. Listened to the previously taped interview with Jan Vanderhorst at CKPC in Brantford last night before nodding off. We are now taking a few days off for friends and family, and rehearsing for our May 30 concert at Hamilton's Artword Artbar with Piper and Carson. 🎶☮😀
ENJOYING A LIGHTER MOMENT WITH ANNA AT DALE'S COFFEE HOUSE IN LEAMINGTON
Well, it's finally coming together- my Spring 2018 Ontario (Mini) Tour with Anna Green! Only one glitch- the possibility of a pilots' strike at Westjet, which would leave us grounded here in B.C. Now, I'm a Union member myself (American Federation of Musicians, Local 1000), so I sure hope this labour dispute gets resolved to everyone's benefit... fingers crossed!
Sending a big thank you to local arts and culture writer, Anna Nobile for the nice bio! And such a pleasure to perform with CBC Searchlight Winner, Desireé Dawson, and my sweetie, Anna Green... a long way from homeless on the streets of Toronto, and full of gratitude!
I first met Desiree when Anna and I performed in concert with her at the Sunshine Music Festival in Powell River, BC last fall. Blessed with a voice as pure and powerful as it is infused with sensitivity and soul, Desiree accompanies herself beautifully on baritone ukelele. Her songwriting exhibits a maturity and sophistication that belies her youthful demeanour. It is therefore easy to see why she was selected as CBC Searchlight's 2016 Winner over 2,000 contestants across Canada.
We are pleased to welcome Desiree for her very first performance on the lower Sunshine Coast, and the relaxed and comfortable Gumboot Cafe in Roberts Creek could not be a more fitting venue. As a special bonus, Desiree will be joined by another great young singer-songwriter Jody Okabe, also from Vancouver.
Anna and I will start off this special evening with a set of my original, folk-inspired songs. Of course, the fabulous cuisine and libations which the Gumboot Cafe is known for will be available for purchase.
Advance tickets can be purchased for $15 (plus service charge) ONLINE HERE, or for $20 at the door.
Check out the CBC Music Website for more info on Desiree.
Well, it's been a busy and enjoyable start to 2018! Catching my breath back here on the Sunshine Coast after a lovely two week tour of southern Vancouver Island, I am left amazed and inspired by the folk scene there! Promoting my first Victoria concert, I visited a number of folk clubs, playing open stages, and listening to some fabulous music, all the while making new friends and fans along the way.
In addition, Anna and I spent several hours fine tuning the setlist, and rehearsing for our joint concert at the funky Spiral Cafe in West Victoria. Thanks to the support of proprietors Joy Kruger and Mike Raymer, along with some great promotion by Sharon Hazelwood, host of CFUV Radio's "Sunshine Breakfast", we were able to pull together a wonderful audience on an evening sprinkled with fabulous musical events across the city, not to mention Bruce Cockburn! (Darn it, missed my hero again!)
And so, it's back to work on the new album, and prepare for our next show on February 15 here in our home town of Gibsons. We will be performing a two hour concert from 2-4pm at the Zocalo location of the One Flower One Leaf Gallery's Sensuality Art Exhibition. The theme? Romance, of course! A Valentine's Day after party, if you will. Hope to see all you lovers and Beachcombers out there!
I am thrilled to report that my new album "Wondrous Beauty" has been listed as one of the top Canadian folk albums of 2017, sharing the #44 spot with Amelia Curran's “Watershed", Oh Susanna's "A Girl In Teen City”, "Hobo Jungle Fever Dreams” by Corin Raymond, Jayme Stone's Lomax Project, and "The Newpart” by April Verch. Good company, indeed!
Many thanks to Richard Gillman for tirelessly compiling these reports for Folk DJ-L for so many years. I wish you a very happy and enjoyable retirement. And thanks to Vic Bell for continuing the hard work.
Of course, thank you to all of the Folk DJ's across Canada, the U.S., and abroad for playing the album, and to my wonderful team at Trespass Music in both Canada (Michelle Fortier) and the U.S. (Larry Ahearn).
Finally, none of this would have been possible without my bandmates, Anna Green, Tyler Beckett, Randy Martin, Mark Mariash, Ben Grossman, and Jacob McCauley. And to recording engineers Randy Martin, Sacha Fassaert, and Ron Chilton. And to the wonderful photography of Libby Hunter, which certainly had a role to play.
Happy New Year to one and all !! Here's hoping your 2018 is filled with Wondrous Beauty !!
Give the Breath of Life this Christmas! Help prevent lung disease and support the Canadian Lung Association by making a donation, or ordering your 2017 Christmas Seals here!
For almost a century, Christmas Seals have helped fund research on lung disease around the world, with the double-barred Cross of Lorraine a symbol of hope for those afflicted with tuberculosis and other lung diseases.
One of the leading research and treatment centers in Canada was Chedoke Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, where I was privileged to work for nearly two decades.
During that time, I wrote the song Cross of Lorraine to honour the patients and staff there, and the cross which once shone down so proudly upon Dundas Valley.
I made a little video of the song, which I hope you will enjoy. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
JOHN APICE AT NO DEPRESSION MAGAZINE HAS REVIEWED WONDROUS BEAUTY !! HERE'S SOME OF WHAT HE HAD TO SAY:
"Ken Dunn must have that song catcher soul to have such tradition in his musical mind. This new ten track LP brings you back to earth and cleans out your ears with moments of “Wondrous Beauty” for sure. Dunn’s very John Prine-influenced performance also forays into the stylings of folk-legends like Tom Rush, Tom Paxton, David Ackles and John Hartford. A stew of wonderful notes stirred perfectly, it sneaks into your feet, heart, and soul".
CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO CHECK OUT THE FULL REVIEW!
Ken Dunn returns to the "Music in the Landing" series with Anna Green to perform a one hour concert of original, folk-inspired acoustic music that "sneaks into your feet, heart, and soul" (No Depression Magazine, NY)
Ken Dunn will be among the performers at this year's Whitevale Porchfest in the hamlet of Whitevale, just north of Toronto. Porchfest is an annual free music event held on front porches across the country, in communities such as Ottawa and Belleville. The Whitevale Porchfest is a great opportunity to learn about and appreciate the hamlet's history, early architecture and friendly community! It is intended to bring residents and friends together through local entertainment.
Music is diverse and can range from country to pop, classical, reggae, blues, rock, jazz, Latino, R&B, or ethnic groups and takes place on several porches throughout the village from 12-6pm. Come join us for this unique celebration of music and community!
Ken Dunn returns to Folk Music Ontario! Stay tuned for showcase details 😀
Ken Dunn returns to the Pender Harbour School of Music as a feature performer at the monthly Coffee House Series. Other performers TBA. Suggested Donation $10. Coffee, tea, and baked goods for sale!
Ken Dunn will be at Folk Alliance International in Montreal. Stay tuned for conference details and showcase information!