PLAIN FOLK by Les Pearson He is whistle stopping Western Canada and if you miss this southern station, Alberta’s last chance stop is Festival Place in Sherwood Park on April 22. Miss him there and you miss the train! Three years ago Chuck was at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. He had an afternoon gig but failed to crack the evening stage line-up. The “people who know” said he was a “must see” act. At that time, his most notable songs were mostly about baseball. Brodsky has played folk festivals in Edmonton, Kerrville, and the Lincoln Centre. But he has been featured at the National Baseball Hall of Fame on three occasions since releasing his first recording in 1995. Is it mere chance that his Canadian tour coincided with the opening of the 2006 baseball season? Brodsky’s six CDs, spanning a full decade of songwriting, include Color Came One Day, The Baseball Ballads, Last of the Old Time, Radio, Letters in the Dirt, and A Fingerpainter's Murals. The Radio CD provided the cover song for a 2003 movie of the same name. While each CD has its memorable songs, the real bullet is Brodsky’s latest eclectic recording, Tulips for Lunch. If you doubt, listen to CKUA! This one gets play time as their featured recording of the week. It will be available as a special order item from local stores on April 19. Brodsky’s songs demand careful listening. It is no accident that he counts Mark Twain and Bob Dylan as important artistic influences. His melodies are catchy. But it is the story and words—yes, his lyrics!—that spellbind. If there is one defining difference between pop and folk music, it lies in the lyrics. First and foremost, most folk fans want to hear the words. Words weave the plot and convey the message. Words are the punch line, the wit, and humour. And nearly every Brodsky ballad has its ironic or comedic moments. Consider The Ballad of Eddie Klepp from Letters in the Dirt. This is the story of the first white baseball player in the Negro Leagues. Consider Brodsky’s quirky, Jackie Robinson, reversal! The song from Tulips for Lunch that gets the most air time is Liar Liar. In the best folk music tradition, this is a social protest song directed at a failing American Presidency. Each stanza is a scathing criticism. Feel the doggerel bite in this one: “Bend the rules, twist the facts/Make excuses, cover your tracks/Why won't you let anybody see/ The flag-draped coffins on tv?” Such serious words. But expressed in nursery rhyme idiom. What great satiric reduction! Brodsky is peaking as a folk singer. His career has not been American Idol. Folk careers seldom are. He has simply grown. Now he’s an American Flyer worth catching. Check his web site and get on board! |
It
isn’t often that I promo out-of-town shows. But tomorrow evening
in Fort MacLeod, Chuck Brodsky hits the platform at the Empress Theatre.