Lynn Harrison is not only used to flying below the radar, as are most indie musicians, she’s used to playing below the ground.
The longtime Beach resident, who is married with two children 10 and 12, was a licensed TTC subway musician until this fall when she didn’t re-audition.
In the past, East York musician Paul Grady has had his songs covered by some prominent artists, namely Anne Murray, Emmylou Harris and the late John Allen Cameron, whom he became friends with.
Grady, who lives in the Mortimer and Greenwood avenues area with his wife, Cheryl, obviously wouldn’t mind if his third and most recent CD also attracted attention.
Produced and recorded in Toronto by well-known local musician-producer Ken Whitely and titled A Song For Paddy Clarke, it is a belated followup to his first two CDs, Little Things in 1998 and Almost Memphis in 1997.
“I met Ken years and years ago and when this batch of tunes was coming along it just seemed that it had that folky, bluesy quality that Ken would click with,” said Grady in an interview at a Danforth eatery.
Released in late fall, Grady, who was born in Peterborough and grew up in Lindsay and then Oshawa, bypassed the hectic Christmas holiday season and has just solidified plans for a CD release at Hugh’s Room, Toronto’s mecca of folk and roots, Tuesday, April 24.
At least two area residents are up for honours at this year’s Juno Awards which will be held in Saskatoon April 1 and broadcast on CTV.
Longtime Riverdale resident Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo gets the nod for his solo album, The Light That Guides You Home.
It’s up for alternative adult album of the year and a single from that album, Pull Me Through is up for single of the year, against some high powered Canadian talent including Promiscuous by Nelly Furtado, Sunday Morning by K-os, All I Can Do by Chantal Kreviazuk and Devil in a Midnight Mass by Billy Talent.
Also, back in the mix is long-time Danforth-area resident Roberto Occhipinti. He didn’t release his own album last year, but handled bass for an album by his good friend Hilario Duran, From the Heart, which is up for best contemporary jazz album. Occhipinti was a Juno award finalist last year for his own album Yemaya.
The west end of Danforth Avenue is all set to host a huge music festival this weekend.
Winterfolk, which involves five venues all within easy walking distance of the Broadway subway station, kicks off Friday at 7:30 p.m. and continues throughout Saturday and Sunday.
In its fifth year (and third straight on the Danforth), this is the first year for free admission.
