One of the most intriguing aspects of the music business is the hold that a particular style or era of music has on its followers. It is a subject that comes about often among musicians who have come to know each other as friends and are meeting on those rare occasions when they are in the same city at the same time. The anecdotes will cover a range of subjects – dishonest promoters, defective sound systems, good hotels, etc – but always in the mix are the stories we hear from our various fans in various places that reveal – sometimes humourously, sometimes touchingly – their connection to the music of that particular artiste. It is a widespread revelation, and while it is more common with the more popular performers, it touches anyone who performs music professionally. A veteran music producer in Toronto told me with a laugh years ago, “Don’t get too caught up with the praise you get from the public. Every performer, even the guy playing two spoons as percussion, will have somebody tell them they’re the greatest.”
Ironically, I took that advice so much to heart that in my early days with Tradewinds I was very cavalier about accolades from fans – the producer’s remark was always at the back of my mind. (Of course, I can see now that my own insecurity was obviously in play in my reaction to the praise, but that’s a separate story.) Suffice it to say that over the 50 years of Tradewinds existence I have come gradually to understand the significant impact of music, particularly popular music, on people’s lives, and that understanding has come essentially from the folks themselves. It is a fascinating condition, particularly to someone like me, who is by nature shy, and uncomfortable with compliments, and I am often amazed, even shocked, to see how strong the feeling is; people come up to you, almost as if they can’t help themselves, in fact sometimes apologizing for the approach but making it anyhow. Indeed, over time, they have taught me, from the obvious urgency in them, that what was coming to me was a genuine expression, and