The Canadian music scene has evolved its share of supergroups, revered artists of star caliber who come together and share in the delight of each other's song craft. The vaunted Lunch at Allen's featuring 70s icons Murray McLaughlin, Ian Thomas, Marc Jordan and Cindy Church. Nineties power pop moguls the Trans Canada Highwaymen with the talents of key members from Sloan, The Pursuit of Happiness, Barenaked ladies, and The Odds.
The latest such offering is a trio of roots performers grounded in blues and folk stylings, travelling across the prairies, bringing a new sound to their established works. Add a virtuoso bass player and vocalist, and you've got the Ramblers Choir, making a stop in Watson on Saturday, November 23rd.
There's an overlap in their musical sensibilities, and even in their names. Scott Cook, Scott Nolan and Joe Nolan, along with Pamela Mae, form the Vagabond quartet through encounters on the road.
We talked to Rambler Scott Cook currently on a U.S. tour with partner Pamela Mae in advance of their return to hook up with their choirmates and the western Canadian swing. Their final dates in Toledo, Ohio and Detroit led them back toward the border for their reunion. Cook talks about the origins of the foursome.
“First it was Joe Nolan and Scott Nolan touring together. They’re no relation – they share a last name, but there is a musical affinity there. So, they were doing a run last year. Their last date was in Edmonton, and we all decided to do the show together, the four of us. It ended up being a really magic night, and the kind of thing that we felt we should repeat.”
The homeward leg of Scott’s and Mae’s tour will be the Ramblers Choir performances in 11 different venues on their way back to Edmonton from Winnipeg. Cook describes the performances like a Canadian style festival workshop, the kind that fans of the Regina Folk Festival will be familiar with – tunes interwoven with stories and audience engagement revolving around each other's songs. Cook calls it “a beautiful synergy.”
Each one of the artists deserves a listen to their solo work in advance of the show. Joe Nolan brought his blues inflected guitar driven songs to the Carlton Trail Ski Club on a previous visit. Cook’s masterful song writing leans to the folk side with plaintive vocals and vivid lyrics.
“Scott Nolan has some really cinematic, kind of Tom Waits styled interesting stuff. All of us have a variety of styles, but it’s all acoustic roots music – guitars, banjo, bass and harmonies. We liked the idea of a ‘ramblers’ choir’, learning to sing on each other's songs.”
The structure of the show allows for different songs and different approaches, so Cook feels audiences will have a different experience every night, and the tour will evolve with time over the 11 nights of performances.
The door is open for a Ramblers Choir recording, and even the possibility of some collaborative song writing.
“Scott and Joe already wrote one together on their last trip called “Six Inches of Snow” in Edmonton. Scott (Nolan) himself is a record producer out of his studio in Winnipeg, so who knows what the future holds.”
Pamela Mae helps connect the music together with the bass, her vocal harmonies and her own song contributions. She and Cook have been touring together since 2022 and Cook revels in the joy of being able “to spend some road time with his life partner.”
This amazing music coalescence comes together for a show in Watson at the New Horizons Centre on Main Street. Doors open at 6 pm; the show starts at 7 pm. For tickets, contact Jim at (306) 287-7130.
Enjoy our full conversation with Scott Cook.