Concert Review: Canadian musician visits Logan
Canadian musician Jory Nash played at Chapter Two Books on Saturday. Nash was invited to play by Blair Larsen and Nadra Peragallo, producers for the Bridger Folk Music Society Concerts.
The BFMS hosts concerts about once every month, bringing in artists from around the world.
Larsen said that for a while BFMS has had a difficult time finding venues but eventually Chapter Two Books offered them a performance place that was also an easily accessible location.
“The house concert originated actually in people’s houses because we didn’t have a place to really hold performances,” Larsen said. “Then, Chapter Two offered their space and it gave us not only the chance we were looking for to promote folk singers/songwriters but also to promote small businesses in town and bring awareness to the community about them.”
One of BFMS’s visiting musicians this month is Jory nash.
Nash, a Toronto native, has been playing guitar, piano and banjo since he was young. He produced his first CD in 1998 and hasn’t stopped making music since. Nash graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in biogeography with honors. But Nash decided he didn’t want to wear a tie and work nine to five so the last two years of his life have been devoted to touring and sharing his music.
Nash describes touring as a working vacation and said he drives to whatever gig he can. And the man puts a lot of miles behind him touring all over the United States and Canada.
Nash smiled and caressed his guitar as he sang “Let it snow” and blended it into an original song called “Prisoners Lament.” He made the audience feel warm in the cold November night as he rocked back and forth singing soulfully to the group of small supporters. Nash easily made what seemed like a normal concert into an intimate conversation of heart and soul.
Nash continued with “Fly me to the moon” and “Love no more”. His voice was like that of a cool autumn breeze, invigorating and comforting.
Nash has the makings of an incredible musical storyteller. He has the potential to join the great folk musicians of our time. Between songs, Nash would speak to his audience like they were old friends, telling stories of his childhood and personal experiences.
He takes inspiration from himself and others and, even though he is not a particularly religious man, from time to time he turns to the Bible to find inspiration. Joking, he added also that you don’t have to worry about copyright laws when you use the Bible.
Nash is a humorous observer of life and he a holds a certain love for his fellow man that all folk singers seem to posses.
Through “Waiting for animals to come,” “Calm It Down,” “Along the Oblong,” “The Robbery,” “Under the Boardwalk,” “I Want You Back” and “Ballad of the Easy Chair” Nash made his audience think, he made them laugh and ever so slowly allowed his audience to fall in love with him and his music.
He let us look into his life through songs and stories and smile at the memories we didn’t know we had.
With a song called “Spaz loves Weezey” Nash wove a magical spell that combined his love for music and words into a spell that will steal your heart away.
With “Early Morning Rain” “In the Evening,” “Sweetness,” “The Enemy” and tributes to Paul Simon and Sam Cook, Nash conveyed a message of old fashioned love, of good living and fast learning.
Nash said some of his musical influences include Paul Simon, Gordan Lightfoot, Jonie Mitchell, the Grateful Dead, Wilco and Pete Seeger.
Along with these people and groups, he said he’s also been influenced by genres such as gospel, bluegrass, appalachian and jazz.
For a country famous for hockey and Mounties comes a young man with curly blonde hair and a voice full of passionate wisdom. His thin glasses frame a face that conveys knowledge and a truthful life.
You know as soon as he sings that first note that this man loves what he does. He is so animated and so in love with life that you can’t help but smile and tap your foot to his songs. They are down to earth, but they hold something seriously magical, something that seems to almost be secret between him and his audience and you must hear Nash to believe what he has to tell you.
Kassie Robison is a sophomore majoring in print journalism. Comments may be sent to kassrobison@cc.usu.edu.