News and Views

Hi Friends,

Today is the celebration of Malanka!

Malanka is one of the oldest surviving celebrations/traditions from the land of my ancestors: Ukraine.

The Malanka recalls a time Mother’s Earth’s daughter (often called “Lada” or “Malanka”) was captured by the Evil One and taken below the earth. Because of this horrible capture and deceit (brought on largely by greed, envy, and lust), the earth had fallen into a perpetual winter of suffering, silence, and cold.

Various versions of the story have differing details of her escape and release from the underworld. One of the most common is that her Brother, Basil or Vasil, descended into the underworld, defeating the Evil One (who often is identified as Malanka’s Uncle) and returning Malanka to the surface of the Earth.

With the return of the beautiful Earth Mother’s daughter, the endless winter was defeated, and the spring could once again return.

During the Soviet Communist subjugation of the Ukrainian Nation and people following the Marxist/Leninist Revolution (roughly 1921-1991), much like in the legend, the Malanka celebration was mostly forbidden–and certainly not officially sanctioned as it is now that Ukraine is free!

In our recent years, I am sure that many of us can relate to the “endless winter” of what has become of our joys, happiness, community, and general health and well-being. Indeed, Malanka was (officially and even officiously) cancelled last year and this year as well–as are so many aspects of our lives a darkness/coldness has fallen hard on our lives.

So, this year, I hope for a real Malanka, to reappear and happen: the beautiful daughter of Mother Earth will be set free from her dark, cold prison, so that we can once again dance, sing, plant crops, laugh, celebrate, and otherwise enjoy the beauty of our too-short lives on this wonderful planet.

Happy Malanka 2022, friends. Do what you can to keep the life-force of hope, goodness, and freedom in your hearts. The winter will end; spring will return; music and dancing will again return to bless our lives with sunlight, joy, love, and liberty.

The Present is a Present

My Baba’s parents

Look upon me from a restored photograph

From a time and place

So different from my own.

Yet I see myself (and so many of my family members)In their eyes, faces, and hands.

I somehow know these people–and love them:

These hardworking and noble ancestors

Who rose to the challenge of life,

Never gave up, and pushed

On and onward

Conquering despair–and all the “slings and arrows”of “outrageous fortune”

To remind me of my own place, time

And responsibility

To keep carrying on and onwardIn spite of uncertainty, fear, and sorrow

With a hopeful heart

And deep, abiding faith

In purpose, truth, and love.

Article in the Alberta Report, 1997

Sweet Alberta Memories. I often miss the aspen parkland of North Central Alberta where I grew up and lived most of my life. The resonant musical sound of the breeze through the poplar leaves will never leave my heart. This spot (my backyard acreage in Sherwood Park) was my home for ten fabulous. years. Grateful! Have a great day everyone! Make the most of each moment. Our moments go by quickly. Life is good.

This guitar of mine is now over 50 years old! My parents bought it for me from Geovanni’s Music in Edmonton in the fall of 1970 when I was entering grade 3. Its very first performance was at the School Christmas concert that year when I played a few Christmas songs. I will never forget the night that my parents and I brought it home: how it smelled! how it looked! So many possibilities! And now there are so many memories tied up with this guitar…sigh. I’ve been so blessed! Thank you Mom and Dad; Thank you Universe!

I have to thank a life-long friend of mine who recently sent me this picture of myself and my guitar taken sometime after performing at our grade 6 Christmas Concert. Yes, I was serious about music from the start…and by grade 6, I had already been playing guitar for three years. This looks says, “Bring it on!…I got this.” I still have that Yamaha guitar, but not the plaid pants that were all the rage back then. And yes, I still feel the same way about music: Bring it on! …I got this. Have a great day, friends.

Hi Friends,

Just sharing a post that I recently put up on the Ovation Guitar Group on Facebook. I still call this guitar my “Canada Special” because 1867 is the year Canada became Canada!My 1867 Ovation Legend that was my main gigging and playing guitar for a few decades. I bought it at Lilo’s Music in Edmonton. It was one of the first thin backs. And at the time, one of the first acoustic guitars that could be amplified so beautifully.

I was playing a lot of single bookings at that time and was always frustrated by trying to put a pick up in my other acoustic guitar (a Yamaha), so this guitar was a game-changer!I remember the day I first picked it up and brought it home! 1985? I had just started teaching full time and could not afford the $1800.00 price tag (I think it was something like that.) but I was in love and I did not care if I had to eat wieners and beans for the rest of the year. I recall trading my Fender Rhodes keyboard as part of the deal and likely a few other things, so I could just take this beauty home. It was a good day!

This guitar has never let me down. It has been through so much and so many gigs. And while I do not play it much any longer, it is still wonderful and solid. Amazing. I LOVE IT, STILL.

Hi Friends!

Here’s the link to the video for my new release, “On the Road To Toronto”. Thanks, in advance, for watching/listening. I had a lot of fun putting this together! This project allowed me to look back on so many years of playing music professionally (44 years now, by my count) and just following my own dreams and somehow being compelled to keep on playing and writing songs and performing in spite of all the changes and all the millions of things that can get a person down in this business of music. Of-course, I am a long way away from the much younger man who nearly did exactly what the principal character in this song did (go to Toronto), but I can still feel that feeling and hope that I have captured it here in this song and video.

My thanks to all the wonderful players who I have performed with over the many years. It would be a book-length saga to get into all that and impossible to put into this short video.

Hi Friends!

It has been a while since I have been back to Alberta (due mainly to our travel restrictions). And while I love where I live (Vernon, BC), one thing I miss seeing is the sight of a massive grain train pulling across the prairie and wide open blues skies of the “Princess Province.” This song came to me one day as I was watching one of these very common sights and it remains one my most requested songs. Enjoy friends! The world can always use another train song! Cheers! (Photo of VIA Rail train at Jasper Station. A few years back, I entertained the passengers travelling across Canada on this particular train. That was very cool trip!) Thanks also to my friend and colleague, Les Sawyer who made this video of this song for me. Follow this link to see the video!

Hi Friends!

A big part of my music is rooted in the rock, soil, and identity of my Western Canadian home. This is why I have put words and music to many historical events and narratives that shape my identity. One of these songs is “The Manitou Stone.”

This song tells the story of this remarkable object that is now in a place of honour in the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton. However, when I wrote the song, recorded it, and created the video, the Manitou Stone was still being called the “1866 Meteorite.” I am working on an update to my song given the new developments in the story of this invaluable piece of our history and identity.

The photo here shows how the Manitou Stone is on display today in its own room (still far away from its original location that you can see in my video.) Here is a link to my 2010 video release. Thanks to Gary Koliger who produced the song for me at the legendary Beta Sound Studios. Have a great day, friends. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana