Last night In the company of my husband, I listened to a gifted song writer––Gordon Lightfoot. Accompanied by his back up band, he sang songs that remain relevant to concert goers. Gordon Lightfoot reflects a period in music history where artists built their careers on writing talent, a singer’s raw voice, the slide of a string guitar, a bottom drum beat, and hard work. In the year 2014 too much attention is often paid to artists that provide more theatre than voice. It’s refreshing to watch a humble man share his musical passion, and in the doing remind an audience that the naked beauty of easy listening music can still take the listeners breath away, as proven by the music shared.
The lyrics to Gordon Lightfoot’s songs such as The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and Sundown are intricately woven. They beat a comfortable rhythm, rhythm that moves neither too fast, nor too slow, as if to shine a light on lyrics that cry out to be heard. As he sang my favourite song, “If I could read your mind,” his gentle voice lulled me away to tears. A day later––I bought the song, trying to understand the emotion the song weaves inside me. But it’s not the ending that matters. What matters is that the artist still connects to the listener and by doing so brings pleasure. At 74 years of age, that’s pretty amazing.
Sometimes, I noticed that when Gordon was about to finish a song, he would gaze at the audience as if to sense if the listeners appreciated what they had just heard. There would be a pause, and then as if satisfied he had made a connection, he would smile. At one pause, an audience member completed the song. This interaction made him smile too! Thank you for your music Gordon Lightfoot and Band. My husband and I really enjoyed your show!