Straker Up the Band! …and Pour me a Brandy: Time to Enjoy Rich Prairie Music!

Last weekend was a musical treat for me, indeed. I attended a Jeffery Straker house concert, and later, a Brandy Moore public concert. Wow…is there talent on the prairies, or what? Believe it or not, it was the first time I heard Brandy; her voice is quite flexible and spans an impressive range. She is not afraid of tackling lots of material from Adele to “Autumn Leaves,” (a jazz standard), to her own repertoire. For me, Brandy seems to easily win over an audience with her simple authenticity; she seems herself on stage. In this way, she reminded me of Rita McNeil with her trademark humbleness. I bought her CDs, “Real Good Love” and “Christmas.” Both are delightful!

I also purchased Mr. Straker’s new Live CD with CBC Radio, produced by Bonnie Austring-Winter and Shauna Powers at the house concert. Jeffery’s voice remains rich and evocative live in the living room and LIVE on CD. One forgets what a LIVE re-telling of a singer/songwriter’s repertoire can do. There are added strings on some tracks and a few other surprises that enhance the original recordings. One can “feel” the excitement, the extemporaneous edge. For this concert goer, this CD has its own place in Jeffery’s evolving body of work. Its heart runs a little closer to Mr. Straker’s sleeve….and that’s a very good thing, indeed!