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Sep 29
Concert in the Harbour: Gordie Tentree and Hill Country News
Sunday, September 29 8:30
$20 Call for tickets or take a chance at the door.
GORDIE TENTREES
Born in Hamilton Ontario, and raised on his family farm in Bancroft, Ontario, Gordie Tentrees has spent the past 15 years working on his craft while hiding out in Whitehorse,Yukon.
After spending most of his young adult years dealing with the effects of being reared in a violent home, Tentrees put most of his energy into sport, theatre, and dance, channeling every negative into a positive, and excelling as an amateur boxer (Three-time Golden Glove champion). I realized I was going to carve my own way early on, and the only person deciding where I ended up was going to be me. Honing his determination, Tentrees became a school teacher, youth worker, counselor, coach, and mentor for at risk kids. It never felt like work, and I feel grateful to call these kids my friends.
At age 25, Tentrees wrote his first song, learned his first guitar chord, eventually graduating to dobro and harmonica, touring and recording. His first three albums were story narratives chronicling his difficult past the gritty characters of his life, relationships with the dark,
His music is his own blend of folk, roots and blues sounds, and Tentrees counts Rick Fines and Fred Eaglesmith as heroes and strong influences in his songwriting,
Tentrees earned a Western Canadian Music Award Album of the Year nomination for Mercy or Sin performed at the Best of Canada Vancouver Olympics concert, and was also named a Finalist in the International Song Competition out of 15,000 entries in the Americana category. Competition judges included Tom Waits, Loretta Lynn and Jerry Lee Lewis. The rave reviews starting pouring in and Tentreesreputation as one of Canada's hardest touring musicians began.
Tentrees delivery is so relaxed and unpretentious it's impossible to not get drawn into his world, sounding like a young John Prine.
NO DEPRESSION
In the rough cut vein of Kelly Joe Phelps or Fred Eaglesmith,Tentrees is gifted.
- THE GLOBE & MAIL
Never one to give less, Tentrees started booking his own tours, averaging 200 concerts a year, all while promoting his own shows, tracking his own records, and acting as his own publicist. Tentrees learned the business while growing as an artist, pushing himself to continue to succeed. I know I am not a musician, writer or performer yet, that I am just starting. People assume I am or have done something, but that's not even close.
However, over the past three years, Tentrees has accomplished much:
-Released a live album recorded in Finland
-Released North Country Heart (Top 20 most played album in Canada)
-Signed to Continental, a European record label
-Secured a US publishing deal with Bluewater
-Has had songs featured in the CBC Series Arctic Air and Space Channel Ring of Fire
-Toured and shared the stage with Mary Gauthier, Kelly Joe Phelps, Danny Michel, James Cotton, Rick Fines, Fred Penner, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, and Fred Eaglesmith.
-Capped off 2012 with a world tour that spanned 140 concerts in 148 days in Canada, US, Europe, UK and Scandanavia, including the infamous Fred Eaglesmith Tin Can Caravan Tour along historic Route 66 from Chicago to LA.
These days he is performing solo or with his band, Hill Country News, featuring Fabian Brook (Fiddle, Guitar) and Aiden Tentrees (Upright Bass), gaining a reputation for both his dynamic solo shows and full band concerts, which range from storytelling folk rants to swampy high energy dirges. I feel so damn lucky every night that I am allowed to do this, and am more motivated than ever to learn from it.
Tentrees is a talent on the move, and moving in good company.PETERBOROUGH EXAMINER
