Author: Shari Campbell

Ken Whiteley’s newest album, Long Time Travelling, reinvigorates 11 old folk songs and takes them out of the sonic wallpaper they are sometimes confined to. Drawing on his decades of musical immersion and exploration, Whiteley is on a path to deepen our experience of well known classics like the Water Is Wide, Shenandoah, Michael Row, Farewell To Nova Scotia and others.  His versatility shines as he combines traditional instruments like autoharp, dulcimer and fretless banjo with electric guitars, lap steel, vibraphone and Hammond organ while singing up to four part harmony himself. He is superbly assisted by his son Ben Whiteley (The Weather Station, Julia Jacklin, Basia Bulat, etc.) on drums, percussion and bass.

Long Time Travelling, is distributed internationally by DistroKids and is available now on all major streaming services and download sites as well as directly from here on Ken’s Store. The cover features a drawing from 1510 by old master (and mandolin player) Leonardo da Vinci. Ken has been making 21^st century extensive liner note video introductions to songs on the recording and those can be seen here on his YouTube channel.

I’m excited to be playing for the 50th anniversary of Northern Lights Festival Boreal in Sudbury and going to back to Nova Scotia and the wonderful Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival. At Northern Lights I’ll have a special edition of the Beulah Band – Rosalyn Dennett on fiddle and vocals, Gord Mowat on string bass and Ciceal Levy on vocals and percussion. Gord will also be holding down the bottom end out in Lunenburg.

Amazing if you hung with this long post and scrolled all the way to the bottom. That means you can get to the Free Song of the Month Download which is the classic Shady Grove!

I’m looking forward to getting back on the Summerfolk stages for 2 concerts this summer. I hope you’ll join Sharon Riley, Pat Patrick, Gordon Mowat, Bucky Berger and me for the Sunday Gospel Matinee along with the delightfully talented Coco Love Alcorn at the Kelso Ampitheatre Stage on August 22 from 1pm to 2pm. Then I’m heading over to the Sutacriti Stage for my concert from 3pm to 4pm. Please remember to bring a mask. For tickets and more info, call 519-371-2995 or go to https://summerfolk.org

It’s with a heavy heart (but not total surprise) that Hugh’s Room Live has cancelled all their remaining shows, including the gospel matinee. We hope to reschedule at the new Hugh’s Room Live venue. The screening of Liz Marshall’s Midian Farm documentary on April 5th at Heartwood Hall in Owen Sound has also been cancelled! We’ll let you know when we have the rescheduled date.

Back by popular demand! Sacred Steel guitarist Nikki D Brown and the Sisters of Thunder will join me at my Sunday Gospel Finale on March 22nd at Hugh’s Room Live on Dundas St. Sacred steel is one of the most exciting forms of music today and Nikki D. Brown and her sisters are some of the most amazing proponents of the style. I first met Nikki through Toronto’s jazz luminary, Jane Bunnett. After that encounter I invited Nikki and her sisters to join me on my Sunday Gospel series last year and they sang and Nikki played on my brand new album Calm In The Eye Of The Storm.  You’ll have to hear them tearing it up on Moving Up The King’s Highway! That was so much fun that I took them to with me to the inaugural Freedom Fest in Perth last summer.  I’m delighted to have Nikki and her sister Gloria Brown (lead guitar) and cousin Tomika Webb (bass guitar) back for this final show as we explore a unique afternoon of original and traditional gospel and blues.