Dave Gunning is coming to the Salmon Brook Music Series. He is a master songwriter and musical storyteller who has earned the respect of his fellow Canadian songwriting legends: Ron Hynes, Dave Francey and James Keelaghan. The Guardian wrote, “… what makes Gunning so remarkable as an entertainer is his rare gift to be able to befriend the audience as a whole from the stage throughout the course of the concert.” And he’s bringing that gift to Granby!
His latest release, Lift, is Gunning’ eleventh album. And in true folk music tradition, some numbers could be considered protest songs. He said “this album has more personal and introspective songs than my past recordings. I do still love songs that are about things and tell a real story, like the songs of Stan Rogers. They inspire me.”
A fine example of that here is I Robbed The Co. Store, which tells the true story of a group of British settlers in Nova Scotia in the 1770s forced to steal from a storehouse reserved for troops just so they could feed their families.
Another song, Sing It Louder, is actually a tribute to Pete Seeger. “My goal was to write a song you could imagine him singing,” says Gunning. “As folk singers we should all aspire to carry the torch of Pete Seeger and his message of social justice.”
Gunning’s recording career is now approaching two decades in length—his debut album, Lost Tracks, came out in 1996. Along with richly deserved peer respect, he has also earned a shelf full of music industry awards. That tally now stands at eight East Coast Music Awards and two Canadian Folk Music Awards, plus a 2012 Juno Award nomination in the Roots and Traditional Solo Album of the Year category for his album …a tribute to John Allan Cameron, a compelling homage to another of Dave’s Maritime musical heroes.
True to Pete Seeger’s outreach spirit and love of young people, Dave will also be doing workshops in the Granby schools courtesy of a grant from the Granby Education Foundation.
Give yourself a Lift and check out the work of an authentic artist at his creative peak. Come to South Church Granby, 242 Salmon Brook St. on April 27. Tickets can be purchased online at salmonbrookmusicseries.com for $15 or by calling Arlene at 860-916-5066. If not sold out, tickets will be available at the door for $18. The venue is cozy but small, so buying tickets in advance is the best way of ensuring that you can attend this remarkable show. Proceeds go to support the mission of South Church.