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James Gordon Press Kit
“This fine Canadian songwriter is still on a roll. A mature, astute observer of the human heart in all its conditions. Unhurried personal narratives that anyone can share- songwriting on a conversational scale with universal relevance.”” - Rock And Reel Review
James Gordon has been there. He’s done that. He has had a remarkably diverse and resilient career in the Canadian cultural sector. As a solo singer-songwriter and with the ground-breaking trio Tamarack, he’s recorded 40 albums and toured relentlessly around the world. He’s written for symphony orchestras, musical theatre and dance works, scored films, and for more than ten years was heard on CBC radio as songwriter-in-residence for the ’Basic Black’ and ‘Ontario Morning’ programs. Between tours, James is a record producer, playwright, community activist, theatre director and currently has a part-time ‘side hustle’ as a Guelph City Councillor. These days he’s perhaps known as the composer of the viral internet hit “Crybabies Caravan”, about the so-called ‘Freedom Convoy’ in Ottawa. It’s received more than a quarter of a million views and stimulate a lot of inspiring discussion.
His songwriting-in-the-schools program “Rhyme Capsules” has brought him all over the world, creating songs with students of all ages, and it earned him a place of honour on the “Wall of Fame” in Guelph’s Youth Music Centre.
His song ’Mining For Gold’ was featured in the John Sayles film ‘Silver City’, and was included on the classic Cowboy Junkies album ‘The Trinity Sessions’. Gordon’s iconic ‘Frobisher Bay’ has been recorded by more than 100 different acts world-wide, has become a standard in choirs everywhere, and is in ‘Rise Again’, the sequel to the legendary ‘Rise Up Singing’ songbook. Well known for his songs about social justice, heritage and environmental issues, he recently concluded a covid-safe virtual tour of his 6th full-length play ‘James Gordon’s Emergency Climate Musical’.
After a long break because of you-know-what, Gordon is touring again either solo, with his two musical kids Geordie and Evan, or with his band consisting of Jeff Bird from the Cowboy Junkies, Katherine Wheatley, Anne Lindsay from the Jim Cuddie Band and Randall Coryell on drums if the situation allows!
His last album, ‘The Heritage Hall Sessions’ on Borealis Records charted internationally in the roots, singer-songwriter, and Americana categories. His newest album “When I Stayed Home” is just out, as is his unique ‘musical novel’ “The Ark Of The Oven Mitt” which includes a downloadable recording of 36 original songs that move the plot along. Jamesgordon.ca james@jamesgordon.ca
“A remarkable Canadian performer. His body of work is truly original” – Penguin Eggs“A confident artist with important things on his mind.” – Toronto Star
“Rootsy sound, strong songs, with a poet’s eye for telling details and a picket-line singer’s passion.” – Sing Out Magazine
“Der Kanadier James Gordon ist so etwas wie die graue Eminenz der kanadischen Songwriter-Szene.” (“James Gordon is the Eminem of the Canadian Songwriter scene”) – A Fan in Germany
Selected Achievements
*Wrote Frobisher Bay, which has been covered by over one hundred artists world-wide and many choirs.
*Mining for Gold was included in the John Sayles film Silver City and was recorded by Cowboy Junkies on their breakout album The Trinity Session.
*Released children’s music album No Grownups Allowed, which has sold 50,000 copies and counting.
*Well known for his songs about social justice, heritage and environmental issues, he toured for two years with his hugely successful political theatre piece Stephen Harper: The Musical. (It worked. You’re welcome.), and has more recently been virtually offering his one-man multi-media production "James Gordon's Emergency Climate Musical"
*Gordon has produced albums for many Canadian folk artists, and his popular Rhyme Capsules songwriting-in-the-schools project has resulted in over two dozen recorded collections of songs by young composers.
*Created the full-length folk opera Hardscrabble Road which debuted live in the fall of 2003.
Completed his first novel “Ark Of The Oven Mitt”, published by Pipe Street Publishing, in 2021
*His newest album “When I Stayed Home” was named #1 in a top ten list from Australia for Green Left Magazine of “Ten New Albums that Protest Against Climate Change” coming in just ahead of Barnaked Ladies and Jackson Browne.
*His viral hit about the so-called 'Freedom COnvoy' "Crybabies Caravan" has received more that a quarter of a million hits on social media and YouTube
Recent press: https://www.comoxvalleyrecord.com/entertainment/james-gordon-to-play-two-shows-in-the-comox-valley/?fbclid=IwAR2SV5BKhA1xLCrc23dcE01YSHipWlacsnNVoTRWWlcN4ZXO-Y6OJscV-xw
Press Photos-by Trina Koster-hi res Downloads
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