In a way, The Gift: The Words & Music of Ian Tyson is about to make a homecoming
On Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10, the star-studded tribute act will perform in Longview, not far from where Canadian Country Music Hall of Famer Tyson had his ranch. As producer Peter North explains, it’s about time the show made its way to Tyson’s old stomping grounds.
“It sort of blows my mind that we’ve been doing this show on and off for 24 years,” he says. “It’s going to be a really good time in Longview.”
John Wort Hannam, one of the featured singers in The Gift, points out that Tyson’s music and lyrics tend to resonate because they’re catchy and sometimes simple.
“Ian was a great songwriter. He came up with unique chord progressions and melodies that are iconic because they’re catchy as hell. When I sing the first phrase of a song, the audience sings back the rest because they know those songs,” he says.
It was North and Stewart MacDougall who put The Gift: The Words & Music of Ian Tyson together in the early 2000s. They wanted to organize a tribute while Tyson was still around, and they received his blessing to carry on with it.
“Too many tributes come after somebody’s passed,” North reflects. “We thought we’d just get a bunch of acts together and go through his whole catalogue. All of a sudden people were asking if we’d do some more shows, and here we are more than two decades later.”
Hannam adds that while Tyson’s songwriting is simple, there’s considerable depth and breadth to his songs.
“I think sometimes Ian is referred to as a Cowboy songwriter and a Western songwriter, but if you look closely you realize that, yes, this is country music, the songs stand up on their own,” he says. “They’re amazing. There’s jazz influences in there. You don’t have to be a country music band to come to this show and be blown away by the musicianship.”
Alongside MacDougall and Wort Hannam, The Gift features the New Chinook Arch Riders and Tracy Millar.
Tickets for both concerts, which will be held at East Longview Hall, can be purchased through Eventbrite. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.
“It’ll be a real back-to-the-grassroots gig,” says North. “We’re probably going to feel the presence of the old man in that venue.