January 4, 2008

DAN MACDONALD
The Cape Breton Post

Welcome to 2008! The holidays are over, the parties have wound down and (hopefully) all the hangovers have been cured. All thats left now is to see how long those resolutions last.

2007 ended with a great flurry of music and entertainment and several great flurries of snow. It also ended with a nice selection of books and CDs for me to enjoy and talk about. Lets start with a new CD from Pictou Countys Dave Gunning.

Dave has made his mark across Canada in the past few years and is particularly known and loved in Eastern Canada. He is as gifted a storyteller in person as he is in song, with a real knack for weaving a tale that is often based on fact. His writing skills are not lost on his fellow singers as he often combines with others to give a song a special finishing touch.

House For Sale is Daves newest CD, an 11-cut recording that combines Dave with his longtime friends and with a longtime hero. Several of the cuts were co-written with Jamie Robinson, Daves guitarist and the producer of the CD. Two of the cuts were co-written with Steven Bowers, a friend and protege of Daves. There is a song co-written with his musical brother George Canyon (who used to work for Dave) and another with his good buddy J.P. Cormier (who Dave used to work for). There is even a song with his songwriting hero, Ron Hynes, who also shares the vocals on the cut.

This is a lovely CD, relaxed and laid-back, mostly folk in styling but sometimes with strong country overtones and the occasional touch of Celtic. There is enough up-tempo material to break it up nicely, particularly the spirited Colleen Malone. Dave has gathered an interesting and eclectic group of musicians for this project, including Capers Kim Dunn and Ed Woodworth, as well as a guest appearance by Great Big Sea drummer member (and fellow Pictou County native) Kris MacFarlane.

With House For Sale Dave Gunning has a CD that he can be proud of, something that displays both his vocal and writing skills to their best advantage. He has consistently progressed through the past few years and now, with the release of his sixth CD since 1996, he should be in line for the recognition that he deserves.