Whitehorse, Yukon based blues/ folk musician Gordie Tentrees may have called his brand new CD “Less is More,” but the more songs to choose from made for a better album.
Tentrees plays the Slice with the D-Ranger’s Jaxon Haldane, April 24.
“I really wanted to record a strong albums. So I wrote 30 songs for it. I decided I wanted to do a really good album or not at all. We said let’s make it really tough to choose which songs don't make it onto the album, ” Tentrees said from his kitchen in Whitehorse.
He spent the most part of a year working on the new album.
“ It took a long time. But most of the songs I’ve played for audiences before,” he said.
“ I wanted to choose songs that I wanted to perform every night for the next 20 years. I’ve recorded albums where I only perform one of two of the songs,” he continued taking a breather from another busy year of touring.
He noted the title of the new CD reflects his desire to slow down a little.
“ The last time I was in Lethbridge, I was doing 140 tour dates in 148 days. it was crazy. This year, I’m still doing 140 tour dates, but we’re playing three weeks on, three weeks off. Though some things you have no control over. i wanted to spend more time at home,” he continued.
“Deadbeat Dad” is one of the highlights off the CD.
“ “That’s a show stealer. It takes the focus off the show. People were always coming up and asking me if it is on an album. And I told them ‘It will be,’” he said.
“ I’ve got a couple of kids. There’s a lot of different descriptions of modern families. I wanted to write a song about what makes up a family. Whether there’s two dads or two moms or step-sisters,” he said.
While some of the songs are personal stories. Some of them are old fashioned style story songs.
“Love In Ink” mentions hockey players Gordie Howe and Maurice, the Rocket” Richard.
“But it‘s really about a really good friend of mine who inherited a fourth generation farm. He wasn’t interested in farming it. He lives in the city but he didn’t want to sell it either after his dad passed. But we sat around talking about memories of the farm and put it into the context of the time, so it mentions the Rocket and Gordie Howe,” he described.
His CD also has one cover— Mary Gauthier’s “Camelot Hotel.”
I don’t usually play other people’s songs, but I loved this one. So I asked her if I could record it. She said ‘Sure, record all of them,” he laughed.
“I’m a big fan of hers. And she’s so sweet,” she continued.
Tentrees will be joined by Jaxon Haldane , of Winnipeg punk bluegrass band the D-Rangers, who now makes his home in Oklahoma City.
“ I’ve been a fan of his ever since I heard the D- Rangers and we’ve become friends. I wondered if he would want to tour with me. So I asked him and he did. We toured the United States ,” he enthused.
“ We’ll both be flying into Calgary, then we’ll go to Twin Butte and rehearse for a few days. Then we’ll begin the tour in Lethbridge,” he said.
They will have a show at the Twin Butte Store first on April 23 before the official beginning of the tour.
The duo will also be touring Europe and the United Kingdom for three weeks in the Fall and then Australia for a month
“ I’ve been friends with him a long time. He’s a great player. I met him when he was the banjo player for the D Rangers, this loud, fun, rip your shirt off good times punk bluegrass band. But he’s been working on a new solo album. It’s amazing. People don’t know him now, but they will,” he enthused.
He said the new music was designed to be played live.
“it is very stripped down. We each play three instruments live. He’ll be playing banjo, mandolin and musical saw,” he said adding he will be playing dobro, bass, harmonica and acoustic guitar for his part of the tour.
“He opens all of the shows and we’ll play together. It’s really cool,” he said.
“ It’s pretty easy. A good song is a good song, whether Im playing it for you on the couch or if there’s 10 people on stage,” he said.
It will be fun. I’m excited to play the SLice again, it’s my favourite place to play. And it]s a Friday night, so I’m excited about that,” he continued.
The Less is More tour hits the SLice, April 24 at 9 p.m.
