3 yrs

Posted January 18th, 2013 by Anna

Kate at the old upright, Caffè Lena, Saratoga Springs N.Y. circa 1970

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Posted December 21st, 2012 by Anna

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Merry Noël!

Posted December 20th, 2012 by Anna

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CBC Radio – Inside the Music-My playlist – Sunday Dec 9 2012

Posted December 5th, 2012 by Anna

Last Summer I was kindly invited to compile a playlist for the above show. I thought about it a while then made the decision to play only music by family and friends, rare cuts, demos or live versions of songs I really like. You’re not really supposed to play your own music but I did sneak in a very early Kate and Anna live from 1963 long before we became Kate and Anna. Frank Opolko taped the show here in Montreal at Maison Radio-Canada. He humoured me throughout. I was so hoping to channel Terry Gross or Peter Mansbridge, to come off sounding like a real pro. But I’m afraid it’s just little old me to paraphrase Judith Hearne she of the lonely passion. Thank you Frank!

Schedule:
Inside The Music is heard Sundays on Radio 2 at 3:00 p.m. ET, 3:30 p.m. in NL and on Radio One Sundays at 9 p.m. in Ontario, Quebec, Central, Mountain and Pacific; 10 p.m. in Maritimes; 10:30 p.m. in Nl as well as Sirius Radio Saturdays at 12 midnight ET, and Sundays at 6:00 ET.

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Blackfly & Mouches noires by Christopher Hinton

Posted November 13th, 2012 by Anna

Blackfly and Mouches Noires (Fr. version of Blackfly) are animated films by Christopher Hinton inspired by Wade Hemsworth’s famous song that Kate and I did music for back in the early 90s. Both are from the NFB site.

It saddens me to mention here that Christopher’s beloved daughter Emma, only 19, died tragically in a road accident out near Fort McMurray Alberta a couple of weeks ago. In memory of Emma, please consider a donation to the Frontier Animal Society, a cause to which she devoted so much time and love. (PO Box 2505, Stanstead, QC, J0B 1E0) Our heartfelt condolences to Chris, Katherine, Max and Paul.

Blackfly by Christopher Hinton, National Film Board of Canada

Mouches noires by Christopher Hinton, National Film Board of Canada

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Radio Star – Martha Wainwright

Posted October 31st, 2012 by Anna

Watching the news tonight, my heart goes out to all you poor NYorkers and New Jerseyites. I pray for you all and wish I could do something. Come to Montreal if you can. It’s a great place. There’s lots of room here. We need some serious immigration to Canada!

This video was inspired by Martha’s song Radio Star on her latest CD Come Home to Mama and the amazing full-Moons we’ve had lately that I’m in the habit of filming from our front porch. Sounds a bit grand. I use an old Flip videocam that I put on a tripod then go back in the kitchen and make supper while the Moon rises. The problem is the Moon is small and moves so slowly that I had to figure out ways to make it bigger, manipulate it and make it do silly stuff. I worship Steve Jobs (and proud of it) and everybody at Apple for making it the most innovative company that ever was/IS for us the artist/individualist/musician. Thank you Martha, Moon, Nessie, albino squirrel and cute dogs from Montreal’s Plateau, and Sylvan L. for putting it together for me in Final Cut.

Radio Star by Martha Wainwright from a. lanken on Vimeo.

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Martha Wainwright’s new CD ‘Come Home to Mama’

Posted August 30th, 2012 by Anna

MARTHA’S NEW WEBSITEMartha has a new CD. It’s got lots of great new songs beautifully produced by Yuka C. Honda. Here’s a video of Martha doing Kate’s Proserpina. This is the last song Kate wrote. It was around mid-October 2009. She sang it in the Royal Albert Hall Christmas show on Dec 9. This was to be her last public performance.

Martha Wainwright: Proserpina on Nowness.com.

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Rufus de Montréal

Posted June 29th, 2012 by Anna

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, UNE SUPERBE FÊTE

Rufus June 28/2012

Alain de Repentigny
La Presse
Sur les deux écrans de la place des Festivals, un enfant cravaté chante de sa voix de canneton dans un Complexe Desjardins désert. C’est Rufus Wainwright, l’artiste précoce, dans le Conte pour tous Les aventuriers du timbre perdu tourné quelque part dans la préhistoire.

L’instant d’après, dans la pénombre, la voix du Rufus adulte émerge de la grande scène, sans autre appui que les ou-ou de ses choristes. C’est Candles, l’émouvante élégie funèbre pour sa mère Kate McGarrigle, fière ambassadrice montréalaise dans l’univers du folk et de la chanson de qualité.

Puis la scène s’éclaire et on découvre, sous une demi-douzaine de lustres, Rufus tout de rouge vêtu, chandail à paillettes et verres fumés compris. Une tenue de star flamboyante qui se veut dira Rufus un défi à Liza Minnelli, autre invitée du festival, en même temps qu’un merci aux étudiants avec qui il sympathise… et qui ne perturberont pas sa fête.

Du Rufus tout craché, capable d’autodérision, mais très conscient de sa valeur comme en témoignent les huit chansons de son nouvel album au programme. En plus de la chanson jazzée de circonstances, The Man That Got Away, empruntée à Judy Garland. On ne pourra pas l’accuser d’avoir joué de prudence!

Mais c’était surtout une fête de famille et, par extension, la fête de Montréal qui renouait de la plus spectaculaire des façons avec l’un de ses enfants surdoués. Quand les tantes Anna et Jane, la soeur Martha, les cousins Lily et Sylvan et le violoniste Joel Zifkin, un autre membre du clan, se sont amenés rejoindre Rufus, on a eu droit à la version la plus belle qu’il m’ait été donné d’entendre de la chanson des McGarrigle Entre Lajeunesse et la sagesse. Et que dire de Je reviendrai à Montréal de Charlebois chantée magnifiquement par Rufus et Martha, sinon que ce fut un grand moment d’émotion. Comme le fut la Complainte pour Sainte-Catherine chantée en famille ainsi que l’Excursion à Venise de la tante Jane que Rufus a chantée seul pour la toute première fois.

Ce fut ce genre de soirée, unique, impossible à reproduire, dont se souviendront longtemps ceux qui en ont été témoins. Ce n’était pas une fête où l’on danse jusqu’à s’étourdir, mais je n’avais encore jamais vu une mer de monde sur la place des Festivals captivée au point de garder le silence depuis la Candles a cappella jusqu’à Montauk que le chanteur a dédié à sa fille Katherine Viva Wainwright Cohen.

«C’est pas mal Montréal ça» a dit le papa du nom de sa fille. Pas mal Montréal en effet, comme l’Hallelujah de Cohen que Rufus a chantée seul au piano en guise de rappel. Pas mal Montréal comme l’ensemble de ce mémorable spectacle.

UN CARRÉ ROUGE NOMMÉ RUFUS

Sylvain Cormier 29 juin 2012 00h04 Musique

Ce n’était pas la première fois qu’André Ménard essayait d’obtenir Rufus Wainwright pour son FIJM, apprenait-on hier midi. « Pas question de gravir les échelons », a-t-il badiné: le « big stage » ou rien. Pour SON événement d’ouverture et SA place des Festivals, l’enfant chéri a promis mer et monde. Et il a tenu promesse.
À un moment du spectacle d’hier soir, Rufus Wainwright s’est exclamé: «I’m giving you everything tonight, Montreal!» Et c’était vrai.

Oui, il a tout donné, à commencer par lui-même, tout de rouge attiffé. Pantalon de velours rouge, souliers rouges, et pull rouge. Magnifique. Un pull de fille, j’en jurerais, le haut pudiquement couvert de paillettes, le bas quasi transparent, révélant l’estomac (c’est lui qui l’a dit). Hommage à feu Guilda, reine des nuits de Montréal? Non! Défi à Liza! Oui, la Minnelli, qui sera au FIJM le 5 juillet. C’est bel et bien la fille de Judy Garland que notre Rufus a mis en demeure d’oser un chandail plus spectaculaire: «Game on, Liza, game on!»

Rouge comme dans carré rouge, faut-il ajouter. «Merci à tous les manifestants pour vos actes, et pour rien faire ce soir…», a lancé Rufus à mi-parcours, soulignant que la couleur du costume n’était pas fortuite: «Je suis un grand carré rouge!»

Tout donner, c’était aussi partager la scène. La famille McGarrigle-Lanken a été appelée rapidement en renfort, tantes Jane et Anna, soeurette Martha, oncle, cousin, cousine. Et toute la smala a chanté Entre Lajeunesse et la sagesse et Rufus rayonnait. «They’ll be back!», a-t-il promis, et c’était vrai aussi, le temps de La complainte pour Ste-Catherine, avec la Catherine à l’autre bout de la place des Festivals qui valsait de plaisir.

Tout donner? C’était plus encore. C’était tout le nouvel album et d’abord Candles, donnée a cappella, avec les deux choristes, dans le noir, presque chant religieux. C’était One Man Guy, une chanson de papa Loudon Wainwright III, jouée très folksong avec le guitariste Teddy Thompson (fils de Richard) et la choriste Charisse Goodwin.

Tout donner? C’était un morceau jazz pour l’événement d’ouverture du FIJM: divine lecture pour voix et trio d’une belle du répertoire de Judy Garland, The Man That Got Away. Liza Minnelli, deux fois défiée, lui dira-t-on?

Tout donner? C’était l’inattendu, les cadeaux: Excursion à Venise, chanson d’Anna McGarrigle, que Rufus interprétait pour la toute première fois. C’était la plus belle version jamais entendue de Je reviendrai à Montréal, en duo arrache-coeur avec Martha. C’était Montauk dédiée par Rufus à sa fille Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen. Et… Hallelujah, hymne à la beauté du monde du grand-papa de Viva Katherine, un Montréalais nommé Leonard. Oui, même lui est dans la famille que Rufus célébrait hier: la sienne, la nôtre.

LE RUFUS GLOBAL COMES TO TOWN

BY MARK LEPAGE, SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE JUNE 29, 2012

MONTREAL – Last night, the Montreal International Jazz Festival unveiled its latest mass artiste movement: Le Rufus Global.

Rufus Wainwright’s TD Grand Opening Event performance was many things – confirmation of interesting global stature, homecoming, apotheosis, mass event, rococo crowd-pleaser. It was also, very specifically, so very Montréal.

Because there are not many cities where the son of two folksingers, resplendent in a tight red spangled Liza number and red-rimmed shades, has the balls to open a jazz festival with an a capella Candles – no big screen visuals, no lights – for 100,000-plus. A stirring opener that had even jaded media folk rapt, on a night that meant something different to many. “Some say that no one ever leaves Montreal, for that city, like Canada itself, is designed to preserve the past, a past that happened somewhere else,” said another Montreal songwriter exile. This, though, was very much in the moment.

“I’m giving you everything tonight, Montreal, because you gave me everything,” Rufus would later say, and he was slightly camp and very serious; the entirety of his popera cabaret sophistication and ability were on offer, in piano, guitar and confident voice, from the slippery Rachida to the memorably blithe Out of the Game, the almost self-consciously groovy version of a Leonard Cohen motif in Perfect Man through the big vocal in a stripped jazz trio format for The Man That Got Away. There were hommages to his cities – Ste Catherine for this one, Montauk (maybe) for NYC – and a very Québécois element throughout, including a Charlebois tribute with sis Martha, and Rufus on spoons.

Festival v.p. André Ménard had opened things by cheekily introducing a video of a grade-school aged Rufus singing in Complexe Desjardins. And there was indeed a proprietary aspect that assembled the generations in the crowd.

Lise Bourgon, 52, had come “for both the artist and the Festival. We’re spoiled.” And Rufus is “completely one-of-a-kind. A smooth, creative artist.” Did the Montrealer angle matter? “No, but tant mieux.”

Elsewhere, there was Pride in the name, and Love. Genevieve Quevillon, 24, has been a fan since she was 15. “I have every album. And I’m proud that he’s a Montrealer. I love his songs, his lyrics, his voice. I love that it’s always different, mixing up genres. It’s not what you always hear everywhere else.”

Laurance Grenier, 25, has been “A big fan for 7-8 years. I love the baroque elements.”

Although Isabelle Chang, 26 added “I’d like to see him in a more… intimate place.”

Yes. Well. The Place des Festivals was intimate in the sense that everyone else was in your back pocket. Packed, under perfect weather, but very much a sit-down event, in mood, for the standing masses. Wainwright (we should call him by his surname at least once) was on best behaviour early in the set. Best Behaviour meant referring to his stage get-up as Liza-inspired (hence the comment above) and challenging her to a fashion throw-down. Later, he would thank the student protest movement and declare “that’s why I’m in red – je suis un grand carré rouge!”

But intimacy – well, there was the mid-set moment when the entire family – Martha, Loudon, Anna – joined him and his flexible band for Entre la jeunesse et la sagesse under his lovely chandeliers.

Art Teacher drew cheers, as did his very timely tribute to Obamacare and cheery dis of “Newt Gingrich – no, he’s not in the campaign! Mitt Romney” – in Going to a Town.

Lest it need be said, this went beyond the super-unbreachably-firm 11 p.m. curfew, because after the boffo ending, there was still one matter to settle, one last solo invocation of the soul of the city, just a One Man Guy in red spangles at the piano singing Hallelujah in a city of churches and hopes.

Much earlier in the set, he’d gone way back. “Remember that one?” he asked after April Fools. Well, I do, but the remarkable thing about this show was how large and in charge Rufus was on the TD stage, without ever having scored what we would normally credit as a world-owning hit single. This space is usually filled with quotations from Americans. So give ‘er: offering some comic relief even Rufus might appreciate, there were Nirasha Kunna, 21 and Eugene Tan, 24, from University of Michigan.

“I really like the city, it’s really beautiful, and I feel very welcome,” Kunna said. “But it was a complete coincidence, we’re just on a road trip,” she added.

“We don’t really know who he is,” Tan added sheepishly.

Fair enough. But all us locals know him by one name.

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: MONTRÉAL SOUS LE CHARME

VANESSA GUIMOND
JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL, PUBLIÉ LE: JEUDI 28 JUIN 2012, 23H05 | MISE À JOUR: VENDREDI 29 JUIN 2012, 6H11
Rufus Wainwright a présenté les chansons de son plus récent album Out of the Game, hier soir, sur la place des Festivals.

Montréal attendait Rufus Wainwright de pied ferme. La place des Festivals, bien avant que ne s’amorce ce concert d’ouverture, était pleine à craquer. Devant eux, les festivaliers ont pu admirer une scène magnifique, au-dessus de laquelle flottaient sept majestueux chandeliers, ceinturés de rideaux de velours rouges.

C’est une foule captivée qui a bu les paroles de la chanson Candles, interprétée a cappella avec choristes, en ouverture. Il faut dire que celui qui a été qualifié de « héros local » par André Ménard était attendu au festival depuis une quinzaine d’années déjà.

Ce n’est qu’au moment d’interpréter Rachida, également tirée de l’album Out of the Game, paru en avril dernier, que le public a pu admirer la star de la soirée qui brillait de mille feux, littéralement. Vêtu d’un pull orné de paillettes rouges, celui qui a confié appuyer la cause étudiante, quelques heures avant son spectacle, n’a pas eu besoin d’épingler un carré rouge à sa tenue.

« Je vous donne tout, ce soir, Montréal, mais c’est parce que vous m’avez tout donné. Je vous retourne la faveur », a-t-il déclaré, entre deux chansons.

Bien entouré

Question de souligner en grand son retour à la maison, Rufus Wainwright s’est entouré de sept complices : deux choristes, un batteur, deux guitaristes, un bassiste et un claviériste.

Parmi les beaux moments de la soirée, on compte l’interprétation de One Man Guy, pièce que l’on doit à son père Loudon Wainwright III. À cette occasion, le chanteur était accompagné du guitariste et chanteur Teddy Thompson, ainsi que de Charysse Blackman, l’une de ses choristes. Ce moment à saveur folk (Rufus a d’ailleurs blagué à ce sujet, puisqu’il inaugurait un événement jazz), était d’une grande beauté.

Le chanteur a ensuite enchaîné avec Entre la jeunesse et la sagesse, une pièce de sa regrettée mère Kate McGarrigle. Pour son interprétation, il a invité plusieurs membres de sa famille à le rejoindre sur scène. Sa soeur Martha et ses tantes Anna et Jane, les soeurs de Kate, comptaient parmi eux.

Polyvalent

En cette soirée spéciale, Rufus Wainwright a flirté avec plusieurs styles musicaux. Après une petite touche folk, un côté plus rétro (que l’on doit à ses nouvelles chansons) et une parenthèse presque traditionnelle avec Excursion à Venise, le chanteur a présenté sa version de Je reviendrai à Montréal, grand succès de Charlebois.

Même si ce concert s’est révélé inégal, il aura néanmoins été des plus authentiques. Ce sont, évidemment, les morceaux qu’il signe qui lui collent le plus à la peau, mais les clins d’œil comme Complainte pour Ste-Catherine, autre chanson de Kate et Anna, interprétée en famille, ont été grandement appréciés par la foule.

Pour notre part, nous avons grandement apprécié les Going to a Town, The Art Teacher et Montauk, interprétées par Rufus au piano avec beaucoup d’intensité. C’est, d’ailleurs, sur cette note que s’est conclu ce spectacle retrouvailles, puisque Rufus a offert au public sa version du classique Hallelujah, irrésistible.

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Matapedia – newly re-mastered CD and downloads info.

Posted June 20th, 2012 by Anna

Here is the itunes link for the newly re-mastered downloads. MATAPEDIA – 2012 RE-MASTERED DOWNLOADS AT iTUNES They are also available through Amazon and a myriad of other stores and music service sites.

Matapedia CD cover - photo Diane Dulude 1996


There’s a newly-remastered CD of Matapedia now available from Outside Music Toronto. For the moment it is only available on CD. We’ll have downloads on itunes in the Fall when the earlier version that’s up there will be replaced by this newly remastered one. It’s a great sounding recording and because it was done later in Kate’s and my career (1996) it didn’t get that much notice but it is now generally considered to be among our very best work. Notable songs: Matapedia, Jacques et Gilles, Why Must We Die?, Bike Song, I Don’t Know. Actually they’re all pretty amazing. I’m sounding like Rufus now!!!!!! Accentuate the positive, yeah.
MATAPEDIA – KATE & ANNA MCGARRIGLE

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I Am A Diamond

Posted June 17th, 2012 by Anna

Kate McGarrigle - photo by Kevin Head circa 1980


The Kate Tribute Concert at Massey Hall was a resounding success. Some are saying it’s the best of the 3 Tributes. I’d have to agree. Of course it would have been even better had Kate floated onto the stage and picked up a banjo. At least she left us her songs. Rufus and Martha were the most charming and gracious of hosts and they sang like archangels. All the musical guests* more than did justice to her work as each successive one revealed yet another facet of the beautiful diamond that is Kate. The platinum band was exquisite. Thanks to all the fans for the wonderfully warm Toronto reception. The press was generous and overwhelming. Check for youtube postings of the event. Special thanks to Jörn Weisbrodt and Luminato, and producers Joe Boyd, Teddy Wainwright and Catherine Steinmann and the sound and stage crews. The concert was a benefit for the Kate McGarrigle Fund for Sarcoma Research, a charity she started 2 yrs. prior to her death.

While in the Queen City, I did a lunchtime Illumination chat with 2 old friends, Michael Ondaatje and Thom Mennier, piano, & surprise guest Lily Lanken, vox. The focus was Kate and creativity. The audience was very appreciative and Thom finally performed his lovely, crazy Gardencourt Waltz composed for Martha and Brad’s nuptials back in Sept 2007 for which he got a standing ovation. He’ll have to record it soon. As soon as it ended I went straight to Ben McNally’s and bought Michael O.’s latest The Cat’s Table which I highly recommend. Sat night at the Hub Rufus gave a fabulous concert featuring songs from his new CD Out of the Game. He’s in the middle of a World Tour. His show was preceded by the Rufus W. Songbook, an homage to his work. His songs are so tuneful and accessible and the renditions by a multitude of very talented Toronto artists were terrific. On Sun. some of us lucky folk got to see the 4.5 hr long Einstein on the Beach, mothballed for the last 20 yrs. Why? It was stunning and it holds up well. Wed night was the screening of Lian Lunson’s filmed homage to Kate, Sing Me the Songs That Say I Love You, part bio part live concert (NY Tribute), occasionally joyous but pretty grief-stricken and a bit voyeuristic but Kate was a big fan of Grey Gardens, so..

Campbell Hendery, the St Urbain Oarsman (or in his own words ‘I am a Diamond Taxi’**) not only ferried instruments and Daddy Dane up river but most graciously opened his Sheraton digs+balcony with waterfall and birch forest view to late-night revellers. Thanks Campbie and thanks to Linda Read for making sure we all had fun. Cleo Seminic-Zifkin very kindly cared for Arcangelo bringing him to rehearsals, parks and the big show. Arc thanks you Cleo. Maybe one day he’ll write you a song like Paul Anka did about his babysitter.

On our way home yesterday we heard the awful news about the collapsed stage at Downsview Park. Our hearts go out to the family of the unfortunate stagehand who died and to those injured. Those stagehands, roadies, and techs choose this business because they love the music. The work is hard and schedules killing. The musicians work like hell too. I hope Radiohead can make up the concert at a later date and on a secure stage.

** longtime Montreal cab company.

* Rufus Wainwright
Martha Wainwright
Bruce Cockburn
Peggy Seeger
Calum MacColl
Emmmylou Harris
Krystle Warren
Ron Sexsmith
Teddy Thompson
Robert Charlebois
Chaim Tannenbaum
Ariel Engel
Andrew Wightman
Amy Millan
Kevin Drew
Jane Siberry
Mary Margaret O’Hara
Lily Lanken
Anna McGarrigle
Jane McGarrigle
Sylvan Lanken
Dane Lanken
Joel Zifkin
Brad Albetta
Thomas Bartlett
Michel Pepin
Michelle Joseph
Anna Catherine Dow
Michele Mercure

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© 2012 Kate & Anna McGarrigle, All rights reserved.