Join us for a 60s themed Lovetsream this Sun April 4 @ 4pm pst / 7pm est Admission by donation. Pay before or after, nobody turned away for lack of funds. https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/reidjamiesonmusic e-transfers to reidjamiesonband (at) gmail (dot) com – with much gratitude.
LOVESTREAMS 2021https://www.reidjamieson.com/lovestream 60s – Sun April 4 / Old Country – Sun April 18 / 80s Sun May 2 / Leonard Cohen Sun May 9 all shows 4pm pst / 7pm est
60’s LOVESTREAM SETLIST
Get Together Young & Innocent Days Lay Lady Lay Everybodys Talkin I’ve Been Loving You Never My Love Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright Both Sides Now I’ve Just Seen a Face In My Life Here There & Everywhere Nights in White Satin I Just Dropped In (to see What Condition my Condition was in) Will You Still Love me Tomorrow? Natural Woman Kathy’s Song The Sound of Silence God Only Knows Unchained Melody
This March 14, 2021 our beloved island luthier turns 80 years young, and we just couldn’t let this milestone go by without a little fanfare….
Rufus Stewart has been building and repairing guitars for over five decades now. He has been looking after instruments for professional musicians such as Valdy, Jesse Winchester and Reid Jamieson for as long as some folks have been in the business. Back in the day Rufus also toured as a guitar or audio tech for numerous acts such as Supertramp and The Tragically Hip. Now located in Parksville on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, over the years Rufus has started shops in Halifax-Nova Scotia, Kingston-Ontario, and Montreal-Quebec. And yes, the shop in Vancouver is named after him. An authorized Martin repair guy for many decades, folks should consider bringing their precious vintage guitars to him for a tune up while they still can as he has yet to find a replacement.
Sharing a birthday with Einstein and Quincy Jones, Rufus was born March 14, 1941 in Buckinghamshire, England, and came to Canada as a child. His mother was French-Canadian and he considers himself an Acadian, East Coaster, West Coaster, and road warrior always in search of new vistas and communities. About as humble as a man can be, Rufus has never been one to seek center stage. Always learning, he is as comfortable tinkering with boats and trucks as he is with stringed instruments. Known to enthusiastically lend a hand to anyone who needs the help, he has been doing an annual ‘repair tour’ to see to the needs of remote communities as far east as PEI. Tho the tours are on hold for now, Rufus continues to work at his craft, and currently lives happily with his weaver wife Charlotte in Parksville BC. Rufus’ Island Guitar Shop https://www.rufusguitars.com
Vancouver’s Reid Jamieson has broken a year long pandemic induced songwriting paralysis – and he has Rufus to thank. It’s not the first time this hardworking luthier has had an impact on this particular artist’s musical life. When Reid and his songwriting partner and wife Carolyn (who incidentally shares a bday with Rufus) first moved to BC back in 2005, they connected with Rufus immediately as the best person to tend to Reid’s jumbo Taylor steel string. However, that big beautiful guitar soon found its way to Craigslist. It was after trying a cheap well worn second-hand nylon string guitar in Rufus’ shop (back when it was in Cook St. Village) Reid’s musical output was changed forever. Something about what happens to an instrument after this luthier has made his adjustments left it feeling like a long lost friend. Transformed now into a nylon string player, Reid adapted to a whole new way of playing and has since toured North America, with the likes of Stuart Mclean and the Vinyl Café, and the little beaten up guitar that could. Written by Reid and Carolyn the week before Rufus’ 80th, ‘The Ballad of Luthier Rufus Stewart’ is a tip of the hat to someone who has touched many and isn’t done yet. Our elders bring wisdom and knowledge, and sometimes much needed inspiration. Happy birthday Rufus – long may you run!
THE BALLAD OF RUFUS STEWART
Written by Reid Jamieson & Carolyn Victoria Mill
Here’s your story,in all its glory, thoyou’ve never been onefor center stageBombs in your backyardLosses taken hardGone forever,turn the pageFound a broken wingSet it right, made it singClaimed a callingand a wageFrom Montrealto the Maritimes where mermaids callYou rise, you fallin Kingston and its music hallsTo Vancouver islefrom the Valley to Victoria
In every songthere is a note for us thatmust ring trueYou made a life out ofkeeping all of usin tunePart of every song that we create well it was made by youTinker, sailorMartin, Taylor boat or bow the wood will bendSongwriter's saviorCracked neck, failureFret not my friendfor bridges mendAt your bench nightlywith strings wound tightlySecond-handis new again From Montrealto the Maritimes where mermaids callYou rise, you fallin Kingston and its music hallsTo Vancouver islefrom the Valley to Victoria
In every songthere is a note for us thatmust ring trueYou made a life out ofkeeping all of usin tunePart of every song that we create well it was made by youFound your weaver wifeHer web a happy lifeAnd still the sea and highway callFrom Montrealto the Maritimes where mermaids callYou rise, you fallin Kingston and its music hallsTo Vancouver islefrom the Valley to Victoria
In every songthere is a note for us thatmust ring trueAnd you made a life out ofkeeping all of usin tuneA part of every song that we create well it was made by youHere’s your story,in all its glory, thoyou’ve never been onefor center stage...
We filmed this video with Bruno on a chilly day in November in Stanley Park…tiny crew of 2…using a VHS camera to capture and pay tribute to the classic home movie videos of John and Yoko back in the day. Took some courage to release this…no fancy sets or costumes, no big budget or stylist, just a day in the life…and some very REAL LOVE. Please let us know what you make of it. thanks, eh? xocvm+reido
REAL LOVE Written by John Lennon. Performed by Reid Jamieson. From the album JOHN 20:20 more at https://reidjamieson.com/john2020/ Filmed (on VHS) and directed by Bruno Martin del Campo https://imvisuals.ca . Filmed in Stanley Park Vancouver BC. Supported and made possible by the fine folks at Creative BC and the Province of British Columbia
We are celebrating 19 years together this Valentines and want to share our anniversary with YOU! Singing the bitter and the sweet, this will be our first ever livestream concert – so don’t miss it!
LOVESTREAM SETLIST FOR FEB 14, 2021
At Last Timing Is Everything * Only You Waltz Across Texas Drive * When Doves Cry Honeysuckle Rose Brilliant Disguise I Dont Care If The Sun Dont Shine Summer School Of Blue * Just The Two Of Us Beautiful People Beautiful Problems Real Love Unchained Melody This Much I Know * Until Its Time For You To Go Fall * Harvest Moon Slow Motion Kiss * Enough * My Green Thumb * Dance Me To The End Of Love Hallelujah The Book Of LoveEvergreen * In Dreams
TRICK OR TREAT! new video for DOMINOES – on fake news, mental health, and the sleepwalking sickness that is social media at it’s worst. Follow the money, don’t take the bait. Written by Reid Jamieson & Carolyn Victoria Mill (filmed and directed by CVM) more at https://www.reidjamieson.com
Vancouver’s Reid Jamieson returns with his most daring record to date! ME DAZA Recorded in Schull, Co. Cork Ireland with producer Kieran Kennedy (Maria Doyle Kennedy), the new all original record is titled ‘Me Daza’ which is Cork slang for ‘most excellent’, – tho the direct translation is ‘I’m dying’ – but aren’t we all? www.reidjamieson.com/me-daza/
DOMINOES This is the story Hear how it goes We get to worry Dogs on a bone Be in a hurry Be all alone Fall on each other like dominoes This is the story Hear how it goes We judge each other Fish in a bowl Follow the leader Go with the flow Fall on each other like dominoes We fall like dominoes Just doin’ what we’re told We’re sellin’ what we’re sold We fall like dominoes This is the story Hear how it goes We hurt each other And no one knows Birds of a feather Thorn on a rose Fall on each other like dominoes We fall like dominoes Just doin’ what we’re told We’re sellin’ what we’re sold We fall like dominoes We fall like dominoes Just doin’ what we’re told We’re sellin’ what we’re sold We fall like dominoes
CREDITS Recorded and Produced by Kieran Kennedy in Schull, Co. Cork Ireland. All songs written by Reid Jamieson and Carolyn Victoria Mill, except ‘Don’t Go Down’ by Fergus O’Farrell and Glen Hansard. Mixed at home in Vancouver, BC Canada by Reido. Artwork by CVM. Vocals by Reido. BG vocals and Gin-infused glockenspiel by CVM. Improv piano parts by Vincent ‘The Chancer’ Collins. All other instruments / sounds by KK and Reido. Mastered by Elisa Pangsaeng at CPS.
ISOLATION is the first single and video from the new record JOHN 20:20. Due out Oct 20, 2020 (Reido’s bday) want to hear it sooner? Become a patron or make a donation and we will send you a link to listen/download. reidjamiesonband (at) gmail (dot) com for e-transfers.
This is not a greatest hits – this is a prophetic love letter from the past. From one of the world’s best known artists, by one of Canada’s most underrated singer songwriters. A uniquely tender tribute to honour what would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday (Oct 9), and the 40th anniversary of his murder (Dec 8) – as if 2020 wasn’t hard enough to take. This project began as a prescription from Reid’s wife and creative partner, to help him stave off intense depression as his career hopes were crushed by a global pandemic. Reid found solace in the hauntingly relevant words of one of his greatest influences – not just in music – but in his commitment to love. Maybe you will too. Stripped naked with only nylon string guitar, uke, harmonica and heartbreakingly pure vocals, it includes 7 solo John Lennon songs, 1 Beatles, and one eulogy by Elton John. Amore Solum Opus Est.
Nothing like a pandemic to help us realize just how much we need each other. I can tell you that Reid and I never would have thought that his day job as a unionized hotel server and his career in the ever crumbling music industry would be considered eggs in the same basket – but here we are. Hard not to fret with both careers very much out of commission… Speaking of ! Back in May, a real keeper of a fan and husband; Neil Guernsey commissioned us to record this old Tin Pan Alley tune to celebrate his sweet Marie on her bday. Since this was our first Covid Commission we doubled down and filmed them a super sweet video to match! Living next door to Vancouver’s Stanley Park provided the perfect backdrop, where we find Reido frolicking in the floral wonder. Oh boy did we need this project to lift our spirits. Hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.
This recording and video simply would not exist without folks like Neil and Marie. They brought the song to life, and that’s pretty danged amazing. At a time when artists can’t really sell muisc or even play live anymore, we need an army of Patrons of the Arts more than ever. Maybe you would like to help create something magical for someone special while supporting Reido?
Honeysuckle Rose – Performed by Reid Jamieson. http://wetcoast.org/rjdev Written by Andy Razaf / Thomas Waller Commissioned by Neil Guernsey for our sweet Lemon Marie, May 2020. Video filmed and directed by Carolyn Victoria Mill.
Juniper Sessions EPS #1 The first in a series we are calling THE JUNIPER SESSIONS. These will be three tunes at a time, live in one take, from wherever we are. Mostly home but in this case we were in Metchosin BC on Vancouver Island…hiding out at Juniper’s Nest. Huge thanks to our pals Gaynell and Lisa for giving us a quiet slice of their paradise while they are trapped in Texas. Too noisy in our wee one bedroom on a laneway in downtown Vancouver…this perch by the sea was a much appreciated escape to somewhere we could get excited about creating again. Admittedly we were well into our cups and faint from heat stroke when we did this…CVM in a caftan, Reido in a hammock…its a wonder we made it through! We are posting on Patreon before sharing publicly, cuz y’all deserve good things. Let us know your fave… with any luck the summer fun continues so stay tuned for more. xo https://patreon.com/reidjamieson
BLUE by Lucinda Williams BLUE by The Jayhawks PAPERBACK FANTASY by Reid Jamieson
Making music is no longer sustainable. And there is little we as artists can do about it. Here is the hard truth as we see it. In 2020 computers and cars are shipping without a CD player. iTunes has closed shop. Downloading music (paid for or otherwise) is no longer in vogue as most folks are enjoying the convenience of streaming services like Spotify that they can access from anywhere on any device. We stream too, so we get it. Sadly these streaming servies pay so poorly that our revenues barely cover our own subscription. Terrestrial radio is mostly inaccessible to indie artists, and on the way out, while satellite radio pays less, if anything.
Due to a lack of recorded music income all artists are encouraged to get out on the road and play more shows to make up for it. This has created a glut of artists on the market and venues are overwhelmed with requests to play. At the same time many venues are closing due to rising rents. Booking a tour with or without a booking agent has become increasingly difficult. Not to mention that touring is an unhealthy and often unsafe way to make a living, and unsuited to most women and many an introverted recording artist . And then came COVID-19 and the end of live music for the forseeable future. It will take years for cancelled shows to be resheduled, meanwhile 90% of small venues will close.
What about Live Streaming? Everybody’s doing it! and some really well (go Jill Barber! Danny Michel!) but after waiting a year until we had our tech up to speed…we found it to feel a lot like virtual panhandling, and hard to get inspired without the all important audience ya know?
On the licensing in film and TV front, music supervisors are inundated with artists looking to find a place for their music, and so can offer lower fees – if we could reach them in the first place.It’s very much a who you know biz, and we don’t know them (introduce us!). Slightly more accessible Sync brokers require half of our licensing fees in exchange for being a conduit to the music supes (not the traditional agent fee of 15-20%). And now there is a move by the streaming services like Netflix and Discovery to buy out the composers work and deny them any residual royalties moving forward -which they must accept if they want to work.
It is more challenging than ever to get press. Quality music journalists can no longer find work as papers go online and turn into glorified advertising mechanisms. Making music is no longer sustainable. And there is little we as artists can do about it, despite being represented by multiple organizations committed to supporting and protecting us. The industry has failed artists.
A move towards more conservative governments mean that grants and other funding for the arts is shrinking in most cases. That said, we are incredibly fortunate to live here in Canada where our music orgs like CreativeBC are stepping in and stepping up their support.
The Good News….
You can step up your support too. Despite all this grimness, it might still be worthwhile making music…if only we can be heard. It is heartbreaking to make your very best music only to have it heard by very few people. We are keen to continue making the very best music we can (it is what we do). But how to get folks to press play? YOU can help. Your choices matter. As listeners, fans, supporters, you have never been more important to an artist’s ability to be heard and to continue making music. Please consider our Fanifesto below. Tag your posts and playlists with #fanifesto to keep the actionable goodwill movement going.
Still a work in progress, but if yer keen to support us you can become a patron of Reido on Patreon, or make a one time donation https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/reidjamiesonmusic or e-transfers to reidjamiesonband (at) gmail (dot) com. Y’all are keeping us alive, body and soul. With extreme gratitude… xocvm+reido
#FANIFESTO – How to be a super supporter in the streaming age.
LISTEN to the music when you have a moment, repeat for best effect.
SHARE what you love! Adding to playlists is huge, post to pages, send an email or video.
REVIEW on your chosen platform. You read reviews, so do others.
REQUEST at your local station / festival. They will listen to you.
ATTEND concerts, buy advance tickets, let others know about gigs in their area.
CONNECT artist you love with folks you know in Media, Film & TV, Radio, Fests, Venues. It’s all about who you know. Introduce us.
LIKE, FOLLOW, COMMENT on social media. We are slaves to the algorithms. Help boost us. Liking is great. Commenting is a an even bigger help in getting our posts seen.
FEEDBACK and tell us your fave tune, show, moment. We need to know someone is listening.
HOST A HOUSE CONCERT. Do you throw a good party? Invite your fave artist to entertain and become the star of your neighbourhood. By cutting out the middle man between artist and audience we all win.
COMMISSION A RECORDING. Have a big birthday, anniversary or memorial to celebrate? Hire your fave artist to cover or create a song that will be enjoyed forever and is easy to share when you are miles apart.
JOIN the mailing list. This is the single most affordable and effective way for independent artists to reach their audiences. Most social media now charge us to promote posts. Include your location to cut down on emails. We will always keep your info safe and sound. Sign up here.
Is there something you would like to add to the Fanifesto? Have a suggestion for us? Can you help us get heard? Please email, we would love to hear from you.