Cd Isle...CDs by BC island recording artists

Horses and Hills, Allen Dobb's debut solo CD, takes us into a rich musical heartland, spanning folk, country/rock and soul. From the first raw, swollen bars of "Mirage", to the liberating pop refrain of "Magnolia", Dobb’s textured and expressive voice carries the listener over an earthy, but varied musical terrain. The acoustic guitar based arrangements are salted with mandolin, banjo, electric slide guitar, piano and haunting percussion.

These songs reveal Dobb’s highly detailed and often poetic sensibility: "Horses are standing all bunched in the corner/Steam riding their backs like ghosts in the morning," he sings in the moving "Forty-Five Years". Horses and Hills is a landscape of broken farms, wild west shows, travelling salesmen and backwater spirits. These are honest songs about living, loving and leaving.

This Rock Band has a 10 year history and evolved into 3 bands, comprising of some of Nanaimo's best musicians.

Ann Mortifee's music of exquisite beauty for those wrestling with issues of life and death, as well as anyone in a profound life transition.

The songs on this CD/tape, were created to be a loving support for anyone facing a major transition in life, whether it be the death of a loved one, the death of self, the death of a relationship, a dream, or a way of being. Serenade At The Doorway takes us on a journey that supports us in accepting the emotions that we experience as human beings and at the same time reminds us of the larger vision that brings wisdom, comfort and inspiration. The beauty of Ann Mortifee's voice, coupled with the passion and poetry of her music and words makes this a rare and uplifting recording.

Serenade At The Doorway is being widely appreciated as a powerful resource in the area of hospice care. Hospice and medical personnel have found that the music opens up a depth and poignancy of communication when it is shared by a grieving family or a family dealing with the life-threatening illness of one of its members.

The tape/CD proceeds as a dialogue, with songs alternating between the voice of the personal self, dealing with matters of loss and mortality, and a voice calling to the eternal wisdom that dwells in each of us. This ageless voice provides guidance for working through the core issues stirred by the fact that even though we are mortal, we love, and are wounded. Healing is possible, and occurs, when we are able to see and understand our crises from a larger context.

"We are forever at a doorway, going through endings and beginnings, always being born or dying to a relationship, a dream, a way of being, or to life itself. Those who have gone before us through the doorway must yearn to send word to those of us who linger awhile." Ann Mortifee

When Becky Bernson died of cancer in February of 2000, the community and the world lost a great musician and creative spirit. Becky wrote songs that celebrated the natural world and our relationship with it, and with each other.

Becky's music is being preserved in "Ramblin' Woman", a book that includes all her songs and fiddle music. All this music will also be in a soon-to-be-released CD, which was recorded March 4, 2001 at the Victoria Folk Music Society Coffeehouse.

Songs included in both the songbook and CD are: Sagebrush and Lilies, Tree-Planting Song, Save a Piece of the World for Me, Willamette River Song, Munchkie Rag, Give Yourself Love, Reign of Love, Ramblin' Woman (Backpacking Shanty), Moss on the Ground, This Wild Land, Environmentalist's Shanty, Everything Gonna Be OK, Cowichan River Song, Lady of Light, Violet Jean Waltz, Song For Gordon, and Gaia's Grace.

Becky's original fiddle tunes included are: Denis Donnelly's Favourite, Gene's Rocky Mountain Hornpipe, Buttle Lake Paddle, Over the Glacier, The High Rocky Peaks, Genna's Jig, Wolf Island Waltz, Winter's Turning, and Dance of the Big Trees.

Cd is in Like New condition. Long out of print and hard to find!!

Personnel: David Foster (keyboards), Dean Parks (acoustic guitar), Dave Boruff (saxophone), Simon Franglen (Synclavier).