One of the highlights this fall season for the Cochrane Valley Folk Club (CVFC) is the Oct. 20 performance by Steve Dawson at the Cochrane Alliance Church, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
The second act of the season, Dawson is one the better-known roots-blues artists to shine out of Vancouver the last decade; known perhaps best for his work as a Juno-winning producer (the likes of Jim Byrnes, the Sojourners, Old Man Luedecke, Kelly Joe Phelps, The Deep Dark Woods…) Dawson is also a multi-instrumentalist with a penchant for rare, collectible instruments led by his impressive abilities on fingerstyle and slide guitar.
“I just finished recording an album of solo guitar, instrumental stuff — getting back into fingerstyle and slide,” said the music man. “Touring as a duo (Keith Lowe, bass) has allowed me to explore a lot of what I’ve been into the last five or six years…a little bit of Hawaiian, blues and even some psychedelic.”
It looks as though the remainder of 2012 is mostly centered around his own work — a rarity for the bustling producer, who just finished three major production projects including albums for Byrnes, Phelps and a pop album with Christa Couture.
“I like a balance in my life, so one thing doesn’t take over,” said Dawson of the see-saw between writing, recording and touring his own albums versus producing the work of others in his Vancouver recording shack, the Henhouse. “The whole act of being a singer/songwriter is why I got into this in the first place.”
Much of where Dawson’s passion for music lies is in live, off-the-floor recordings; a roots warrior, he loves mixing old, antique sounds with the modern.
“At the heart of things, I like to keep a live performance rather than a layered, modern approach,” he explained, adding that he usually plays several instruments on an album — albeit his own or the work of another artist.
“I definitely collaborate a lot with the artist…I feel like I’m not an invisible producer, like I make an audible stamp on the record.”
With five full-length albums in the bank, Dawson said he will be officially releasing his newest, instrumental cut in the spring of 2013; his most recent release, Nightshade (2011) was more of a straight-ahead, full band compilation, which he plans to shake up with a future project for a big band, folk ensemble collaboration, infused with strings and horns.
“The one thing that sticks out for me is that I enjoy going off in different directions every time,” he said. “As long as the root is still identifiable for me as a guitarist.”
Performing both acoustic and electric guitar, Dawson usually carts four or five guitars to each gig — and additional instruments when need be.
Must-haves?
His Weissenborne acoustic lap steel guitar and Larrivee acoustic.
“(My Larrivee) is the one I always go back to and the one I couldn’t get by without in my solo shows.”
This weekend, Dawson is performing as an acoustic duo with long-time running mate, Lowe on bass.
Opening up for Dawson is Calgary’s acoustic country-blues artist, Erin Ross.
Tickets are $25 for those who didn’t purchase season tickets and are available at cochranefolkclub.com, at Cochrane Coffee Traders or Phantoms Music.
