Ron Sexsmith

Hi Ron,
I just heard that you'll be part of a Neil Young tribute at the Olympics this year! Yay!
I didn't catch the details though. What day will it be?
Planning to take a detour on the way back to Toronto, and visit Calgary? (please say yes!)
Hope all is well.
Cheers,
Jen

...can't wait for the new album!!!

Neil Young is already a winner at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

No, the Canadian folk-rock hero hasn’t taken up the luge. Rather, a star-studded tribute next Thursday to his music will serve as the centrepiece of the Games’ Cultural Olympiad.

Make that another star-studded tribute.

The Neil Young Project is the second high-profile show in as many months dedicated to the Winnipeg-raised singer-songwriter’s work. It’s also the latest in a long line of tribute events organized by American music producer and Saturday Night Live musical director Hal Willner.

“They asked me to do it two years ago,” says the 52-year-old Willner during a busy day in his New York office. “We had done a Neil Young Project in 2004, so I thought, why not. The material is really cool to work with.”

And he means all of Young’s material. To program the event — which features more than 24 artists from Canada and the United States, including Lou Reed, Broken Social Scene, Ron Sexsmith, Iron and Wine and Teddy Thompson — Willner began by reacquainting himself with Shakey’s entire catalog.

“The way I prefer to do it is to go listen to everything the composer has written,” says the veteran producer, who has also helmed tributes to Leonard Cohen (I’m Your Man), Kurt Weill (Lost in the Stars and September Songs) and others. “Then I put the show together just from the material. I want something that balances the well-known and unknown, and covers all styles and approaches.

“After that, I start approaching artists that I think would be cool. Basically, I cast it like a movie. But the trick is to have a very well-thought-out, very tight script ahead of time.”

It’s somewhat remarkable — and perhaps a testimony to the respect Willner commands — that the artists he casts are usually happy to check their egos and go along with his suggestions.

“If somebody comes in and has a particular song that they’re attached to, we’ll try to fit it in, or take out something that was similar — or sometimes we try to talk them out of it. But that doesn’t happen very often.”

Besides, surprises are welcome, he claims.

“You never know what’s going to click or not. The worst thing that can happen is that you’ll see something that can never be repeated. And usually you can be guaranteed to see stuff that’s incredible and magic, and you’ll be talking forever about how you were there. Sure, there’s stuff that doesn’t work. But when it does, 90% of it is great.”

Among the stuff Willner expects to work: Broken Social Scene, who will serve as one of two house bands; avant-garde guitarist James Blood Ulmer, who will team with Reed on “some good noise”; and Canadian troubadour Sexsmith, described by Willner as a “risk-taker (who) could have written some of these songs.”

That’s high praise, Sexsmith says. But for him, just being invited is a bigger compliment.

“Neil is part of that old guard,” he says. “There’s Leonard and Gordie and Joni and Neil. They’re four of the most influential songwriters in the world. Whenever I’m writing, it’s so daunting when you think of the history you’re up against. I’m always conscious of the work that they did, and I always try to walk in their footsteps.

“I used to do a lot of Neil Young songs when I started out in the bars. I could play Neil all night and nobody could complain. That’s probably still the case.”

It was last month in Los Angeles, when Young was honoured with a concert as MusiCares Person of the Year on Grammy Awards weekend. But Willner doesn’t feel he’s playing second fiddle to that event.

“I didn’t even think about it,” he claims. “That was a superstar show. That’s not what we do. We’re the kooky people; we’re taking the material and trying to do something new with it. I’m not saying Neil purists will necessarily dislike the show. But we’re not going for them.”

Another difference: Unlike the L.A. show, Young is not expected to be in attendance. “I would really doubt it,” Willner says, laughing.

The Cultural Olympiad continues until March 20, with concerts by a wide range of artists including City and Colour, Feist, Billy Talent, K’Naan, Martha Wainwright, India.Arie and more.

Hal Willner’s Neil Young Project

Featuring Lou Reed, Ron Sexsmith, Joan as Policewoman and others

When: Thursday and Friday, 8 p.m.

Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Hamilton Street at West Georgia

Tickets: $74.50, $67.50, $59.00 at www.vancouver2010.com

VANCOUVER — Like most singer-songwriters, Ron Sexsmith considers fellow Canadian Neil Young to be the consummate craftsman. And Sexsmith, himself rarely lost for lyrics, says he was playing Young’s tunes long before he ever crafted his own.

“I used to play [his] songs when I was starting out, before I was writing my own songs,” he says. “I used to play the bars in my hometown [St. Catharines, Ont.]. And you can play Neil Young songs all night and no one will complain. He’s just got so many. I don’t know how many records he’s put out, probably around 50 by now. And he’s still very relevant.

“It’s very inspiring.”

Sexsmith, along with a large cast of musicians – including Lou Reed, members of Broken Social Scene and Joan as Policewoman – will, under the guidance of producer Hal Willner (also the longtime music supervisor on Saturday Night Live) be delving into Young’s massive catalogue for a two-night tribute that promises plenty of musical surprises.

But Sexsmith isn’t making any promises when it comes to the song – or songs – he’ll be performing.

Because he still hasn’t been told.

“That happens a lot in this business,” he says. “But we do have a few days to rehearse before the actual show and I’m assuming before I head out there someone will send me [some songs]. And there’s quite a few more performers than when we did it last time, so maybe I only have to learn one song.”

Sexsmith participated in a Hal Willner-led Young tribute in Brooklyn in 2004, where he performed Like a Hurricane and a few others he “never even heard before,” he says.

So maybe Willner will assign him the same songs and Sexsmith won’t have to learn any new material. Regardless, he says, he’s happy to perform at a tribute to a living legend.

“Neil, obviously … his catalogue looms large in rock-and-roll history,” he says. “I’ve been plugging away for years and I don’t have any songs that resonate that way. There was a time when you could be someone like Neil Young and be really uncompromising and yet still kind of break through and have songs on the radio.”

The 64-year-old Young – who won his first Grammy this year for best art direction on a boxed or limited-edition package, and was named by Grammy producers as Musicares 2010 Person of the Year for his philanthropic work and broad musical influence – was present for a star-studded tribute in Los Angeles that took place the weekend of the awards show.

So does Sexsmith expect to see the famous rocker with the heart of gold in the Vancouver crowd?

“I can’t imagine he would come up to Vancouver to see it,” he says. “I’m sure he’s been invited. From what I’ve heard, he’s the kind of person, you know, that’s the last thing he wants to sit through. People throwing all this praise on him, it must be kind of uncomfortable.

“But it would be exciting if he showed up.”

Sure. Be nice, so to speak, to see the old man look at his life and lyrics.

I have no doubt that one day there will be similar tribute concerts organized to pay tribute to Ron's incredible contribution to modern music!

 Cheers

Ian 

 

 

 

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"Where's the crime in wastin' time with you?"

 sounded like an interesting evening!

http://www.theprovince.com/Neil+Young+still+does+Young+best/2587357/story.html

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"Where's the crime in wastin' time with you?"

Ron performed two songs Thursday night, "New Mama" and "Star of Bethlehem"

Is there any way we can see these performances?!?!?

Sorry to have missed this.... lucky for me I live close enough to the border to catch Ron next time he comes to B.C. (soon I hope).

Click on 105 for "New Mama"

Click on 212 for "Star of Bethlehem" (available 3/19)

 http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=436

THANKS Daryl!!!  Awesome!!!!

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"Where's the crime in wastin' time with you?"

Daryll:

Click on 105 for "New Mama"

Click on 212 for "Star of Bethlehem" (available 3/19)

 http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=436

I'm with Ian, Daryll! Your generosity is a milestone of smiles!Thank you, Brother! Maria

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"Well, to find, not the meaning of life because I believe in mysteries, I believe that there is a mystery that goes far beyond our understanding." Paulo Coelho

Daryl, amazing, thanks! For some reason they've de-linked 212, but "New Mama" gave me goosebumps...excellent performance from Ron and some great backup singers.

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I'm, like, on facebook & twitter

Well, it was scheduled to play tomorrow, but, "New Mama", is available to listen to now and the music, Ron's voice, the poetic power of the song, and accompanying vocals, are true to the magnificent nature of the song.

Cheers, Maria

Bonkers! Daryll was right about disc 2 being available tomorrow and disc 1 today.  Still lovin' what I heard(New Mama) from disc 1!

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"Well, to find, not the meaning of life because I believe in mysteries, I believe that there is a mystery that goes far beyond our understanding." Paulo Coelho

What an incredibly beautiful performance to an incredibly beautiful song!  I just listened to Ron and Jenni Muldaur sing, "Star of Bethlehem."  Ron's voice was gentle, strong, and just right to carry the sentiments that are not hidden and to rise or fall with them in a moving harmony with Jenni Muldaur.  The music sounded great and it took the song to such a sweet, innocent, hopeful, comforting, and powerful ending to the song.  Touched by the love of it.  Thank You. Maria 

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"Well, to find, not the meaning of life because I believe in mysteries, I believe that there is a mystery that goes far beyond our understanding." Paulo Coelho