Labels. Need a proven act to fill that special roster slot? Here’s a male, female and group—winners all. (L-R): Vocal Trio Doc Walker snagged five trophies in tribute to the act’s winning charisma and great harmonies; Inspired by Frankie Miller and Rod Stewart, CCMA’s Male Vocalist winner Johnny Reid, now Platinum, is pure Scottish dynamite and received one of the Award show’s few standing ovations; Breakthrough redhead Jessie Farrell won Rising Star, Top New Female and Female Vocalist honors after a powerful year during which she toured heavily and her debut album scored big at radio.
Canadian Country Music Week 2008
David M. Ross
(L-R) Top: Backstage before the show, Crystal Shawanda, newly elected CCMA Chair Jackie Rae Greening and Michelle Wright; Bottom: ole Chairman/CEO Robert Ott and wife Robin at the Post Awards Reception. Ole was named Publisher of the Year for the second consecutive time.
(Top-bottom): RGK Entertainment CEO Ron Kitchener accepted awards for Management Company of the Year and Record Company Person and thanked Brian Ferriman for “paving the way.” RGK has Nashville offices and its clients include The Road Hammers and Doc Walker; Byron Hill thanked the crowd for being named Producer of The Year; Brian Ferriman, honored with Induction into the Hall of Fame, praised his wife’s role in his success. Ferriman manages Michelle Wright who had Nashville success on Arista Records during the ’90s; Louis O’Reilly accepted a Record Company of the Year trophy for 306 Records. O’Reilly recently moved to Nashville to expand his artist management company and is a partner in Grand & Gee Music.
Canadian Country Music Week took place Sept. 5-8 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The annual 4-day event attracts both industry and artists. Attendees—newcomers and experienced professionals—participate in panels, showcases, evening gatherings and even an outdoor FanFest concert created each year as a way of saying “thanks” to country music fans in the host city. Industry executives get time to mix and mingle with each other at the numerous breakfasts and award banquets, but they also make themselves available and share their expertise with the rookies. Capping the festivities each year is the CCMA Awards TV show.
Nashvillians are not especially well represented at CCMA in terms of numbers, but those executives that do arrive to immerse themselves in its warm culture usually leave much richer for the experience and are greatly appreciated for being part of the process. Not surprisingly, as the world seems to get ever-smaller, Canadian artists and executives are navigating toward Music City in larger numbers.
Friday, Sept. 5
Plugging In and Powering Up, the first scheduled meeting is designed to explore the weekend’s agenda. All panelists and moderators briefly take to the stage and introduce themselves, plus offer a brief description of what they will cover. For attendees it proves a valuable experience that helps them identify priorities for the weekend. The early evening Kick Off Party was at Winnipeg’s McPhillips Street Station Casino. Video screens, ice sculptures, a chocolate fountain and buffet trays circled the casino’s mezzanine while the gentle ringing of slot machines provided a soundtrack for folks to “work the room.” After the party, the Casino’s Concert bowl venue showcased new artists from 9p.m.-1:00 a.m.
Saturday, Sept. 6
The Industry Brunch & Awards is always highly anticipated despite its 10 a.m. start time. Artist Deric Ruttan hosted the ceremony which featured award presentations and artist showcases. CCMA Board Chair Heather Ostertag welcomed the crowd noting, “Our family reunion is off to a good start.” She reminded the crowd, “It’s important that you stay involved. We want your comments, good and bad.” Nashville’s Byron Hill won a Producer of the Year trophy for his work with Gord Bamford and commented, “Gord brings to the table one of the most important things needed to produce great records, a unique and recognizable voice.” Songwriter/artist Victoria Banks, who co-wrote “Come On Over” and “Remember That” for Jessica Simpson, rocked the house and made it clear that she can when she performed, “I Can’t.” Saturday afternoon’s Fan Fest at The Forks enjoyed blue Manitoba skies and warm breezes, until a late afternoon shower scattered the large crowds. One song pull session featured Jessie Farrell (with All Star Band Award nominated guitarist Jesse Tucker), Gord Bamford, Canadian Idol runner up Jaydee Bixby, and Michelle Wright. After a few rounds of songs and stories, the artists obliged the crowd moving over toward the autograph line. Back in the convention center Saturday’s educational seminars included a special songwriter critique session, a DIY panel dedicated to “grabbing the reins and guiding your own career,” plus a panel featuring strategies for moving a career to the next level.
After an intimate invitation-only dinner at Sydney’s at The Forks to honor the CCMA Board members, past and present, it was time to head to the clubs and catch some sounds. Jessie Farrell was headlining at the Casino Bowl with her band, and spiced up her set of originals with some unexpected covers such as “9 to 5” and “Every Little Thing.” Over at the Pyramid club we saw Will Mimnaugh slam the strings of his acoustic guitar in a duet to the death with his drummer. Mimnaugh punctuated his lyrics with tribal screams. His performance artfully combined modern, primal and melody. Later Beverly Mahood, presently a Nashville resident, delivered a full band set which ended with Randy Bachman coming up to trade vocals and guitar splashes. Mahood’s vocal complexities poured into the club like a premium bottle of single malt scotch.
Sunday, Sept. 7
At Sunday morning’s Annual CCMA General Meeting new Board members were elected and it was announced that the organizataion now had over $1 million in the bank, a welcome change from a few years ago when its balances were in negative territory. CCMA also worked a deal to drop its longstanding Kraft Cheese Whiz Award sponsorship, [also good news]. Sunday’s panel agenda included a State of the Industry gathering which featured Emerson Drive manager Gerry Leiske, touring icon and CMA Board member Ron Sakamoto, artist George Canyon and others. Leiske noted that there were many more opportunities in today’s industry, but success was still not any easier. “Majors are in a pinch, because the 10% can no longer support the 90%,” he added. Sakamoto talked about building a star system through international touring to grow and expose Canadian artists. Sunday evening’s Gala Dinner & Awards was another opportunity to honor excellence and share the community’s successes.
Monday, Sept. 8
Monday’s highlight was the award show telecast live. Nashville-based artists who performed included host Terri Clark, Kellie Pickler, and Crystal Shawanda plus a duet with Dierks Bentley and Sarah Buxton. Especially compelling were performances by Johnny Reid and Jessie Farrell, winners of the Male and Female Vocalist of the Year awards. Each commanded attention in a unique way. Farrell floated across the stage with a calm confidence as she delivered her current single, “Best Of Me.” Her eye contact and vocal expression created a personal yet powerful emotional bond with the audience. Conversely Reid moved little, instead spending his energy carefully shaping each phrase with the care and precision of a surgeon. His song, “Thank You,” ended on a high note that rang like the trumpets that toppled the walls of Jericho. But instead of walls falling, the audience was standing.
Next year’s CCMA Week will take place in Vancouver, British Columbia from Sept. 11-14. Add it to your calendar.
All Photos: Grant W. Martin
The CCMA Great Guitar Pull lived up to its billing with the legendary Bill Anderson, producer Buddy Cannon, new writing sensation Victoria Banks and Winnipeg’s own Randy Bachman, from the Guess Who and BTO. Moderator Ralph Murphy also sat in after Bachman had to leave for TV rehearsal. The packed room was all ears as the crowd enjoyed great songs and the stories behind them. (L-R): Bachman, Anderson, Cannon and Banks.