STAN ROGERS

NORTHWEST PASSAGE

Stan Rogers' untimely passing would give his third studio LP the sad distinction of being the last recording released by the artist during his lifetime. He was working on an ambitious concept that involved writing entire albums around the theme of specific regions in Canada. His first two sets dealt with the socio-economic concerns of the Atlantic Provinces in the mid 70s, blending nautical tales with topical fare and good old fashioned songs that addressed love, loss and everything in between. Rogers was a wordsmith, possessed of a rich baritone voice and the soul of a poet who crafted intelligent music that continues to inspire anyone lucky enough to be introduced to it. The title track, once hailed as the alternate Canadian national anthem, details the futility of the quest that early explorers undertook to find a route across Canada to the Pacific ocean. His work had diverse roots in folk, country and English traditional styles. "The Field Behind the Plow" is one of the most eloquent and heart wrenching tributes to the men and women who toil quietly to help provide the food on our tables that we take for granted. Equally beautiful is the metaphor deployed in the lyrics of "Free in the Harbour" which compares the extensive whale hunting in times past to ongoing oil exploration and how these creatures are no longer pursued in favor of extracting an entirely different type of "oil from the sea". It ranks as one of his finest tunes.

Regardless of the subject matter, he infused the characters that populated his writing with a wonderful accessibility. You knew them or at least had a sense that you did. Skipping an afternoon of work to escape a few hours of drudgery, the protagonist in "Working Joe" steals some time to relax. Managing to balance light hearted fun with a touch of pathos, the tune also swings. "The Idiot" takes up an all too familiar tale of young Maritimers heading west to seek work in the oil patch, daydreaming about returning to their home town. Stan wrote for everyone and he captured the cultural touchstones of the western region as masterfully as he did in his earlier paeans to the east coast. When it came to the music itself, he surrounded himself with top class players. Brother Garnet Rogers brought his talents to the mix on violin, while Paul Mills (who also produced his recordings) added his nimble fingers on lead guitar. In performance, impeccable musicianship and spot on vocals from everyone were punctuated with entertaining, frequently hilarious stories.

Northwest Passage comes highly recommended, though all of his output was of very high caliber. Anyone with a love for clever, well-constructed and heartfelt music will connect with these compositions. He was the genuine article, living and breathing his craft.

Brilliant, outspoken, opinionated and on the cusp of greater notoriety as an artist, Rogers perished in a fire aboard Air Canada flight 797 on June 2, 1983. He was just 33 years old. Such promise, of new music to be made, stories yet to be told, all disappeared in an instant.