You'll get a live, sneak sample of multi-Juno Award-winning Canadian folk artist Valdy's upcoming album at the Brackendale Art Gallery (BAG) on Saturday (Sept. 21) at 8 p.m. The singer/songwriter and guitarist shares the BAG stage with acclaimed New Zealand finger-style guitarist Graham Wardrop, with whom he'll soon be releasing a live concert album.
"He's a brilliant player," said Salt Spring Island-based Paul Valdemar Horsdal (otherwise known as Valdy). "After the show in Brackendale, Graham and I are going to Alberta to record a live album together."
Wardrop is not only acclaimed in New Zealand as the best in his genre, but in his 30-year career he has also toured or worked with performers such as Leo Kottke, and teaches advanced finger-style techniques for steel string guitar. He also builds his own instruments.
"It was a buddy of mine in New Zealand who told me I should meet Graham, and told Graham about me," said Valdy, who already has 14 albums (four of which went certified gold) under his belt, and is known for mainstream hits like 1972's Rock and Roll Song.
"We met, but it took a few years for us to start playing together. He's toured with me four times in Canada now, and I've toured with him three times in New Zealand. For the show in Brackendale, Graham and I will each play sets, but we will also do some songs together. I really just want as many people in Brackendale and Squamish to hear him play."
Brackendale has a special place in Valdy's heart. He drops by the BAG to play the occasional show, and was even at this month's Brackendale Fall Fair, although playing incognito as bassist for other groups during the event.
"I'll also be playing a bit of acoustic bass for Graham," he said.
In addition to the forthcoming concert album with Wardrop, Valdy is working on a solo studio offering of love songs.
"It will be some new originals and also some covers," he said. "One of my new songs is called Woo You, and is about my wife. We've been married for 27 years, and it's about still courting my wife all these years."
His years of wooing Canadian music lovers, as well as advocating for literacy, earned Valdy the Order of Canada last year.
"That was a huge honour," he said. "I'm still pinching myself. I'm glad to see someone in the arts earn the award, especially in these times of fiscal conservatism under the government of Stephen Harper."
There's also a biography currently being written about Valdy, and he's penning his own songbook for the public.
"A Vancouver Island writer is writing a book on me, kind of a biography with songs and stories of our country," he said. "And I've been working for about four years on a song book of my own."
You can listen to some of those songs, and a few choice new compositions, Saturday at the BAG. Tickets are $20, and available at Xocolatl or the gallery.
