NEWS ARCHIVE:
NEW YEAR, NEW ALBUM, NEW TOUR
Bernie Finkelstein to recieve the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award, Review from the Bambi Meets Blackie show, and Shakin" All Over



News Index

17 January 2006 - Thanks to Daniel Keebler of Gavin's Woodpile fame, for doing an interview with Bernie Finkelstein, Bruce's long time friend and manager, we now know that Bruce is going into the studio 30 January 2006 with Jon Goldsmith to record his next album which is to be released 11 July 2006. Bruce will also be touring before and after this albums release. Check our Tour Dates Section for all the latest info.

Check out Daniel's full interview at www.brucecockburn.org/media.htm.

"After nearly 20 years, Bruce Cockburn is teaming up again for his next studio album with producer Jon Goldsmith, the man behind the boards for the singer-guitarist's biggest-selling album to date, 1984's "Stealing Fire," which spawned such hits as "Lovers In A Dangerous Time" and the MTV-regular "If I Had a Rocket Launcher."

"We hope to finish in April," says Toronto's Bernie Finkelstein, Cockburn's long-time manager and president/founder of True North Records. "We've already set the release date for July 11 and then he's going to go on a full tour with a band right across the world."

While Goldsmith went on to produce Cockburn's "World Of Wonders" (1985) and "Big Circumstance"(1988), and is called in to play keyboards from time to time, the pair haven't worked together in that capacity since the '80s, "I would say that it will be classic Bruce Cockburn," says Finkelstein. "It's going to be a great record. It's going to be his 29th record and it will be his second one this (past) year, so that's very productive for him."

For more of this article go to Jam.Canoe.ca.



CARAS Pays Tribute to Founder of Canada’s Oldest Independent Record Company

TORONTO, January 10, 2006 – With over 35 years in the Canadian music industry, True North Records founder Bernie Finkelstein has been chosen as the 2006 recipient of the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award. The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) made the announcement today, honouring Finkelstein with the prestigious award that recognizes individuals who have contributed to the growth and development of the Canadian music industry.

"As we celebrate the 35th year of the JUNO Awards, we can’t think of a more fitting recipient to be honoured with this award,” said CARAS President Melanie Berry. “Throughout his career, Bernie has continually been pivotal in bringing Canadian music and artists to Canada and the world."

"I am greatly honoured to be receiving this award. When I look at the illustrious company I will be joining as a recipient of the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award, it leaves me humbled to be in their presence," said Finkelstein.

Finkelstein began his career managing two of Canada’s earliest internationally known groups, The Paupers and Kensington Market. In 1969, he undertook the project of starting a Canadian recording company – True North Records. His mandate was to find lasting Canadian recording artists, make records and sell them around the world. Since its inception, True North Records has had over 400 releases, 38 JUNO Awards and 39 gold and platinum records to its credit, and today stands as Canada’s oldest independent record company. True North’s current roster includes such great Canadian artists as: 54-40, Bruce Cockburn, Lynn Miles, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, The Golden Dogs, Joel Kroeker, The Rheostatics, Howie Beck, Tom Wilson, Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing, and NOJO.

A Canadian success story, Finkelstein is also one of Canada’s top talent managers. His management roster has included such artists as Bruce Cockburn, Murray McLauchlan, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, Dan Hill, Stephen Fearing, and Barney Bentall.

In addition, Finkelstein heads The True North Publishing Group where he oversees a repertoire of songs, copyrights on various film and television soundtracks (Going Down The Road, Waterwalker, Franklin), and covers by a diverse roster of artists such as Anne Murray, Barenaked Ladies, Jimmy Buffett, Judy Collins, Dan Fogelberg, Jerry Garcia, k.d. Lang, and The Rankins.

In addition to being Founder and Chairman of VideoFACT, Finkelstein is one of the original founders of the Canadian Independent Record Production Association (CIPRA), where he is currently a board member. He is also a former Chairman of the Ontario Film Development Corporation.

A special tribute to Bernie Finkelstein will be made in Halifax, Nova Scotia during the 2006 JUNO Gala Dinner & Awards ceremony on Saturday, April 1, 2006. In addition, Finkelstein will also be honoured during a special segment featured at the 2006 JUNO Awards that are scheduled to air on Sunday, April 2, 2006 on CTV.

~from True North Records.

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Bambie Meets Blackie, 2005
One of our long time readers, Nancy Bouwma, sent this review of the 28 December 2005 show at the Horseshoe Tavern.

The Horseshoe Tavern has an ... ambience, shall we say... all its own. From the strange small "Ring Bell for Food" window at the front bar to the long list of proper pool etiquette rules posted in large letters that I'm sure are carefully followed by all patrons. The pictures of past performers, some from days long gone, still line the entrance where we all wait anticipating another unforgettable night.

The line-up included the usual suspects one would expect for a Bambi show. Colin Linden (Guitar, guitar and guitar) Tom Wilson (Guitar), Stephen Fearing (Guitar), Richard Bell (Keys), Gary Craig (Percussion), John Dymond (Bass), and of course Bruce Cockburn on his Gretsch guitar.

The dance floor and seating area were packed as usual but we did manage to find our way up front. I've given up writing notes at these shows, you just miss to much of the interaction that takes place on the stage. Here is a sampling of some of the songs we were treated to in no particular order.

Anything Anytime Anywhere
Coldest Night of the Year
Waiting for a Miracle
Let's Frolic (brand new Blackie and the Rodeo Kings...also the name of their next CD)
Crown of Thorns (brand new Blackie)
Stolen Land
Feel Good Music
I Give Up (Colin Linden from Southern Jumbo)
Little ol' Wine drinkin' me (Basil Donovan from Blue Rodeo)
Tie me at the Crossroads
White Line (Willie P. Bennett)

There were more new BARK tunes in there, but the titles escape me. One of the most amazing things about this evening is that Bruce Cockburn played on every one of these songs with a single guitar. We watched as he would listen to a few bars of these brand new songs and find his way along the neck to fit in perfectly with the rest of the guys. Bruce and his fellow cohorts also accompanied a new up and coming Blues singer, Roxanne Potvin from Ottawa, Ontario on two songs. She has a powerful voice and a lot of courage to stand up on stage surrounded by Canada's best as she sang her heart out.

The mood is always light and the atmosphere leads to some experimenting with rhythms and solos by everyone. I especially loved the slowed down pace of "Coldest Night of the Year". It's one of my favourites so I was allowed to savour it that much longer.

This show went on for almost three hours with a short break in the middle. No one in the audience wants the show to end and it's always difficult to wind down afterward, but we must bear in mind that the guys must live to play another day. We all leave hoping that the Bambi meets Blackie phenomena will return to rejuvenate us once more. ~submitted by Nancy Bouwma.



SHAKIN' ALL OVER-CANADIAN POP MUSIC IN THE 1960S
ON CBC TELEVISION, MONDAY, JAN. 30 AT 8 P.M.

The flower-power decade gave the world a wealth of great music, from England's mods to America's psychedelic rockers. But the hippie era also gave us cool sounds from the Great White North. It started with the folk music of Ian & Sylvia and the rhythm 'n' blues of Ronnie Hawkins and quickly evolved into a sonic revolution, as literally hundreds of bands and singer-songwriters from coast to coast began making noise. SHAKIN' ALL OVER captures all of those freewheeling sounds, from such legendary stars as Joni Mitchell, The Guess Who, Neil Young, Anne Murray and The Band to cult heroes like David Wiffen, The Collectors and Mashmakhan. The two-hour special airs on CBC Television, Monday, Jan. 30 at 8 p.m.

SHAKIN' ALL OVER takes viewers on a trip back in time to Vancouver's 4th Avenue, Winnipeg's community centres, Montreal's dance halls and the clubs and coffeehouses that sprang up along Toronto's Yorkville and Yonge Street. There, in the absence of a music industry, a brave new sound began to emerge. The special is full of candid interviews with more than 60 iconic figures like Gordon Lightfoot, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Bruce Cockburn, who offer illuminating stories about each other. And, the show features an abundance of rare performance clips from the period, from Early Morning Rain to Oh What a Feeling.

But SHAKIN' ALL OVER also features some of Canada's brightest younger stars, including Blue Rodeo, Barenaked Ladies and Sarah Harmer, who pay tribute to the period. Hawksley Workman tells of being inspired by Ian Tyson, who wrote his first song, Four Strong Winds, after hearing "this punk named Dylan." Matthew Good fondly remembers cranking the volume on Steppenwolf's Magic Carpet Ride. And Sloan's Jay Ferguson draws a connection between the Canadian bands of the '60s and current garage-rock favourites. Said Ferguson: "If you listen to records by The Ugly Ducklings or The Great Scots, they could almost be a hit in this day, because it's so contemporary with the revival of that sound by The White Stripes and The Hives."

Along with vintage archival footage from a variety of sources, including the CBC, SHAKIN' ALL OVER mines contemporary material to present recent covers of classic Canadian songs, including Diana Krall's spellbinding performance of Joni Mitchell's A Case of You and Margo Timmins' and Tom Cochrane's stunning rendition of The Guess Who's American Woman. This is a music lover's dream: a TV show with non-stop performances, including more than 60 classic songs.

SHAKIN' ALL OVER is based on the book Before the Gold Rush - Flashbacks to the Dawn of the Canadian Sound by Nicholas Jennings. Directed by Gary McGroarty, and produced by Nick Orchard, Randolph Eustace-Walden and Pierre L. Touchette. Executive producer is Luc Châtelain. Produced by Soapbox Productions and Amérimage-Spectra.

Support photography is available at www.cbc.ca/imagegallery. For further information, contact: Helicia Glucksman, Media Profile Toronto (416) 504-8464, helicia@mediaprofile.com

~from www.cbc.ca.

~bobbi wisby


News Index

This page is part of The Cockburn Project, a unique website that exists to document the work of Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Bruce Cockburn. The Project archives self-commentary by Cockburn on his songs and music, and supplements this core part of the website with news, tour dates, and other current information.