From coffee house to concert hall

This generous collection of concert performances has been eagerly awaited by Stan Rogers' devoted cult following, and it will be especially welcomed by those who never got to see the legendary Canadian folk singer in person before his untimely death in 1983. The majority of the songs are originals, most of them dealing with themes of family, friendship, and life in the Maritime provinces of Canada; the seafaring plaint "Take It from Day to Day" and the aching "Love Letter" are typical, both in their tone and in the sophisticated simplicity of the writing. There are a few traditional numbers as well, most notably a superb and moving rendition of "Leave Her, Johnny, Leave Her" recorded at a benefit concert in Chicago, on which all of the other performers contribute harmonies on the chorus. Other performances feature Rogers alone with his own guitar, or, more frequently, accompanied by his brother Garnet and two or three other musicians. The sound quality is generally quite good, but even where the source tapes are in less than ideal condition, the musical quality more than makes up for the subpar sound. ~ Rick Anderson