PORT SYDNEY - The Port Sydney Community hall was jumping on Wednesday night as three great musical performers, including Canadian folk icon Valdy, kicked off the winter carnival.
The night opened with Huntsville’s own Tina Turley performing her unique brand of electrifying new country. Turley had the crowd hooting and hollering as they tapped along to her acoustic licks to songs from her CD This Could Be It.
Next up was another local artist, Linda McLean, performing with husband Andy wailing on guitar, session bass player John Switzer and Gary Craig on drums.
The award winning singer songwriter performed emotionally charged tunes from her repertoire, including cuts from her CD No Language, which has been called an indie masterpiece.
McLean has been hailed on CBC radio as part of a holy trinity of Canadian singer songwriters keeping the best of company with Sarah Harmer and Kathleen Edwards.
The talent of our local women was so outstanding that the concert could have ended there, but the audience was still to be treated to the main act.
Valdy, born Valdemar Horsdal in Ottawa, has been part of the fabric of Canadian pop and folk music for over 34 years. A man with a thousand friends, from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island, he’s a singer, guitarist and songwriter who catches the small, but telling moments that make up life.
Play Me a Rock and Roll Song is one of his biggest hits but the relaxed and amiable story-teller has sold almost half a million copies of his 13 albums, has two Juno Awards (Folk Singer of the Year and Folk Entertainer of the Year), a total of seven Juno nominations and four Gold albums to his credit.
The crowd of about 200 enthusiastic listeners warmed up to his relaxed performance immediately and grooved to his conversational style as he sang, strummed and chatted as though they were his closest friends.