Shadows and Light

Daniel Heikalo is a musician whose concert we had been anticipating with great excitement and we were in no way let down by this wonderful musician! Fundy Folk is a traditional yearly event that features various performers in ‘open mic’ spots during the night. This time there was a change in the format in that after the open mic spots, a feature musician of note, Daniel Heikalo played a set that lasted the entire second half. He also accompanied the accomplished and talented Sarah Pound during her set. For those who want to go directly to the photographs, quick link to Daniel Heikalo’s gallery with his track “One Long Wave” playing over it. and to Fundy Folk gallery with Sarah Pound, Nat Fulton and Vince O’Reilly playing a track by Sarah Pound entitled “I know a Woman, I Know a Man”.

Daniel Heikalo

Daniel Heikalo is an exceptional composer and musician and a person of great warmth, colour and light. His unique and exquisite musicianship has a precision which is combined with a passionate exhuberance and excitement that will keep an audience enthralled. My personal favourites of the night were “Madokoro”, the “Study in E Minor” composed for his students, a beautiful ballad he wrote in 1975, a Latin Jazz composition “Why Not Brazil?” and the wonderful “Gaspereau Delta Blues” which he performed on slide citern.

During the evening Daniel played an interesting little African instrument which delighted the ear and tickled the senses. (See the photo gallery to get a glimpse of this instrument.) He brought out a banjo at one point in the concert which elicited a (predictable) groan from a few audience members. However, I am sure, after having heard this banjo played as they had never heard before, they were as delighted as we were with the potential of this instrument that he revealed. As Daniel said “It’s all music, it’s all notes.”

This concert was a CD release for Daniel, of his new album with musician Hugh Blackmer “Horton Landing Improvisations Volume 1”. Thank you, Daniel, for a great night of music.

Sarah Pound

The Fundy Folk part of the night opened with Vince O’Reilly (aka Vinny, our able sound man) singing accompanying himself on the guitar. It was great to see him change roles and handle the performance side of things with such apparent relaxed ease. When he launched into the Cat Stevens classic ‘Another Saturday Night’ he had the audience ready to sing along and they did so until he finished with his cover of the Jimmy Buffett classic “Margaritaville” – we were almost there… in Margaretsville.

Vinny was followed by Nat Fulton whom I now think of as ‘being the expert in ‘North Mountain Flamenco’ a genre I was completely unaware of until that night! As always Nat was highly entertaining and instructive as I now know ‘THE’ make of washtub to be used for a washtub bass. (I now secretly think of Nat as “Manitas de la Montaña al Norte” (translated as hands of the North mountain after the famous “Manitas de Plata” I saw many years ago.) He played a variety of implements and instruments as Nat always does and as always was very popular with the audience.

Sarah Pound is a performer that I am really looking forward to seeing again. And I know I will. This accomplished singer songwriter has the rare talent of giving everything in her performance with a power and control that is impressive in one so young, while at the same time leaving you with an impression of intimacy and confiding delivery that makes you feel that she has reached into her heart and is singing just for you. A beautiful singer songwriter with beautiful material. A couple of favourites of mine that night were “Moons Loons” and “I Can’t Keep you Alive” as well as the lovely and touching “I know a Woman, I Know a Man”.

A great night of excellent music along with the spice of local Fundy Folk performers.

LInk to Daniel Heikalo’s gallery with his track “One Long Wave” playing over it. and to Fundy Folk gallery with Sarah Pound, Nat Fulton and Vince O’Reilly Playing “I Know a Woman, I know a Man” by Sarah Pound.

Ellie