Post Description

Op Verzoek.

Heartstrings is a stunning album, and, consequently, it was awarded the 1999 Juno, the Grammy of the Canadian music industry. It is a collection of songs that manages to be down to earth and somewhat otherworldly at the same time, giving this album its unique flair. The songs are mostly Willie P. Bennett's own compositions, with the exception of the title track "Heartstrings," written by producer Tony Quarrington, and "Waltz Time Medley," a medley of traditional folk songs. There are many brilliant moments on Heartstrings, which are put to life by many excellent musicians on an interesting variety of instruments: Check out the sparkling playing of the Byelorussian cymbalon player Vladimir Gorodkine in the bizarre prairie ballad "Restless Wind" sung by Bennett in an almost frighteningly low bass voice. The beautiful "Azure" shines by the ardent playing of Bennett's own Rodeo King String Quartet. "(Who's Gonna Get The) Last Word (In)," a sharp-tongued reflection on politics, features Bruce Cockburn on guitar. At the finale of the album, all musicians assemble to perform the good-humored love song "Heartstrings" containing such lovely lines as "you can play me like a violin/you are plucking on my heartstrings." There is not one weak song on this album, and Heartstrings stands out as a landmark of Canadian folk music in the '90s. 


Canada
Folk / Country
Label: Bnatural



1. "Sunset Pendulum"
 2. "High Park Feeders"
 3. "One Vessel"
 4. "Waltz Time Medley" (Bennett/Trad)
 5. "The Last Word"
 6. "Happy on the Moon"
 7. "Restless Wind"
 8. "Blue Valentine"
 9. "Azure"
 10. "Billy and Jenny"
 11. "Brave Wings" (Bennett/Fearing)
 12. "Caney Fork River"
 13. "Dismantled Angel"
 14. "Heartstrings" (Tony Quarrington)



WPB - vocal
 206 Strings, aka: 
 Tony Quarrington - guitar, tenor banjo & 2nd dobro
 Graham Townsend - fiddle
 Ken Whiteley - mandolin & mandocello
 Paul Bailie - percussion
 Vladimir Gorodkine - cymbalon
 Michelle Joseph - tambourine
 Bruce Cockburn - guitar
 Rodeo String Quartet, aka 
 Sandy Baron - first violin
 Liz Johnston - second violin
 Nancy Kersaw - viola
 Zoltan Rozsnyai - cello
 Rick Fielding - autoharp
 Ed Hutchison - first dobro
 Daisy Debolt - harmony vocals
 Tannis Slimmon - harmony vocal
 Jeff Bird - bowed psaltery



 Produced by Tony Quarrington
 Mainly recorded & entirely mixed by Ed Hutchison at The Recording Service, Toronto, Ontario
 Additional recording by: 
 (11,13) Scott Merritt at The Cottage, Guelph, Ontario
 (15) Tanis Slimmon at The Emporium, Guelph, Ontario
 (6) Dwain Sands at The Loft, Black Diamond, Alberta
 (1) The folks at Current Sounds, New York City, New York
 (8) Joan Bessen & Mike Poole at Kleenex Box Head Studios, Nashville, Tennessee