(Malagash, NS) – Devonian Coast Wineries launched their inaugural Jost Maritime STOMP Music Festival featuring J.P. Cormier, Lenny Gallant, Bruce Guthro, Heather Rankin, The Andrew Doyle Band and the Celtic Trio Darren McMullen, Rachel Davis and Brad Davidge.
The brainchild of Devonian Coast’s CEO and Owner, Carl Sparkes and well-known pop, jazz and folk musician Bruce Guthro, the festival was held on the vineyard’s newly renovated patio and deck at 48 Vintage Lane in Malagash, Nova Scotia. The festival took place on Saturday, September 19, 2015 from noon to 8 p.m. Guthro hosted the show, introducing the musicians throughout the day as well as playing a set himself.
“We’re passionate about celebrating the talent in our region,” said Sparkes. “We have paired Maritime musicians with our wine and vineyard experience before, but working together with Bruce has given us the opportunity to take the experience we’re offering our visitors to a whole new level.”
“An event of this magnitude in this location is long overdue,” said Guthro. “It is a great way to encourage visitors to the North shore with its scenic coastline, warm waters, great golf, and of course vineyards. Wine and song in one of the most beautiful locations in the world—sounds like a great day out to me.”
A cash bar offered award-winning wines by Jost, Gaspereau and Mercator Vineyards, as well as local beer. The Seagrape Café also offered Chef Maggie’s locally-inspired Maritime STOMP menu.
I arrived at the festival grounds at noon to be greeted by the owners and a very friendly staff. The site is located in the heart of Malagash, NS, one of the most beautiful areas around. The music started off with “The Celtic Trio” Darren McMullen, Rachel Davis and Brad Davidge who played a foot stomping Cape Breton style of music.
They were followed by P.E.I’s Lennie Gallant. Lennie Gallant is a native of Rustico, Prince Edward Island. This renowned Canadian singer-songwriter has recorded ten albums (eight in English and two in French), which have won him a host of awards and nominations from the JUNOs, the East Coast Music Awards, and Les Prix Eloizes. He was recently honored with the Canadian Folk Music Award for Artist of the Year for his latest recording “Live Acoustic at The Carleton”. Lennie is also celebrating the launch of a new book titled “Peter’s Dream” – a collaboration with visual artist and sibling, Karen Gallant. All of this comes hot on the heels of his summer–long run at Charlottetown’s Mack Theatre with his show “Searching For Abegweit -The Island Songs & Stories of Lennie Gallant”, a runaway hit that was extended to an incredible 57 sold out shows! An international touring artist who has represented Canada on songwriter events in Nashville, London and Texas, entertained our troops in Kandahar, performed at Canada Day events in Washington and London, and on the world stage at the XXI Winter Olympics. Lennie has had his songs recorded by many artists and they have been featured in films, stage productions, and on television.
For me, the most anticipated singer of the day, Heather Rankin. I’ve known Heather since the famous days of the Rankin Family. Heather Elaine Rankin (born October 24, 1967)[1] is a Canadian singer, songwriter and actor. She is most well known as a member of the multi-platinum selling musical group The Rankin Family.[2]
Between 1989 and 1999, the family band released five full albums, a five song EP and two compilations of their most popular songs. They toured extensively in Canada, the U.S, the U.K, Australia and New Zealand and won six Juno Awards, three Canadian Country Music Awards, an American Country Music Television Award and fifteen East Coast Music Awards. Combined sales of their recordings exceeded 1.5 million copies. As an actor, Rankin has performed on stages in Toronto and Halifax and has appeared in a number of films. She is also co-owner of The Red Shoe Pub in Mabou, Cape Breton. Rankin’s first solo record, featuring seven co-written songs, is set to be released in 2015.
Next up was J.P. Cormier. J.P. (John Paul) Cormier is a Canadian bluegrass/folk/Celtic singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. To date he was won thirteen East Coast Music Awards and one Canadian Folk Music Award.[1]
Cormier was born in London, Ontario in 1969 and began playing guitar around age five. As a child he displayed an unusual ability to play a variety of instruments by ear and won a guitar contest at age nine. Appearances on Up Home Tonight, a television show devoted to bluegrass music, followed at age fourteen.
Cormier has stated that he learned to play guitar by listening to such noted country / bluegrass musicians as Chet Atkins and Doc Watson. Other instruments J.P. has played on his albums include fiddle, twelve string guitar, upright bass, banjo, mandolin, drums, percussion, synthesizer, cello, tenor banjo and piano.
By age sixteen Cormier had recorded his first album (a collection of bluegrass instrumentals and he began working the U.S. festival circuit. This led him to move to the United States and to begin working as a session musician. He continued to perform live on the festival circuit and at the Grand Ole Opry[3] with country artists Waylon Jennings, Marty Stuart, Earl Scruggs, Bill Monroe and others.[In 1989 he attended the now-named Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville, Mississippi, where he majored in music education. At the time it was one of only three colleges in North America that offered a specialty in bluegrass instruments. During his stay at Northeast he began playing the dobro and piano. It was also during this time he first had the idea for the song “Northwind”.
Cormier was involved in a serious truck accident in 2009, resulting in a fractured vertebra and a halt to his touring in 2012. He went back into the studio, focused on his singer-songwriter abilities, and released Somewhere In The Back of My Heart in the same year.
In April 2015 Cormier released a new album, The Chance, which included the previously released single Hometown Battlefield, about soldiers experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder. The song, inspired by Cormier’s 2007 Afghanistan tour and news about soldiers’ suicides, went viral, with millions of Facebook visits and 800,000 YouTube views (July 2015).
Bruce Guthro is an artist who has captivated audiences around the world with his honest, straight-to-the-heart songwriting and live performances that are as engaging and personal as the man himself. Troubadour and storyteller, Bruce’s music gets to the heart of the matter, and his success can be attributed to his ability to connect with his audience.
His songs cross the boundaries of pop, folk, and jazz and showcase his vast abilities as a songwriter. Bruce’s record, titled “Beautiful Life”, was released in Denmark (October, 2005), Canada (October 2006) and Germany (October 2007).
“Beautiful Life” is the 3rd solo recording by Bruce and marks another evolution in the talents of this songwriter from Sydney Mines, Cape Breton. Clearly his most personal work to date, Bruce was involved in every level of production on this recording, and stayed true to his convictions and artistic vision.
Along with his solo career, Bruce has also been, for the past ten years, lead singer for the Scottish super group Runrig, which has a strong following in Europe and continues to grow internationally.
The Andrew Doyle band closed the festival. Andrew Doyle has been performing for the past 15 years all over Eastern Canada. Starting in Cape Breton and beginning to branch out to the rest of the country playing to full houses and enthusiastic crowds.
Andrew’s much anticipated sophomore CD will include more great original songs that relate his experience of growing up in a hard working coal town in Cape Breton, evolving as an artist and incorporating his own vision of life and music.
His debut CD “LIV” (2001) was well received critically and commercially and featured the number 1 hit “Doing Alright” on MBS radio’s listener voted top 9 at 9. The song was voted number one on 3 separate occasions and stayed in the countdown for over 8 weeks. Several other cuts placed high in the countdown and also received regular rotation on Maritime radio.
For the past 6 years Andrew has had a schedule of more then 220 shows a year, has opened for bands like the The Guess Who, April Wine, and Bruce Guthro just to name a few. His touring band consists of 3 other experienced musicians from Cape Breton. Cory Keeping on bass, Jeff Stapleton on keyboards and organ, and Shaun Paris on drums. At lead vocals and guitar Andrew’s extremely diverse and adaptable musical style guarantees something for everyone and promises and entertaining show for all in attendance. Approachable and interactive, wherever these guys are performing it is sure to be a memorable and great experience.
SHARE THIS POST:
