courtesy of The Buzz.
In February, Island singer-songwriter-guitarist Scott Parsons will be releasing his new album, Darkie’s Hollow.
This album continues Scott’s musical storytelling of Black Island history which began with his debut album Jupiter Wise and continued through his recent release, The Old Stock.
The album title refers to the location of the Shepard family homestead and local gathering place on the Seven Mile Road. While visiting with Stella Shepard, Scott collected stories and sayings ended up as song lyrics. For example, “He has the colour washed out of him, but the history lives inside of him still,” in reference to one family uncle.
Stella’s own story is told in “Stella’s Dream,” where the abduction of her baby by nuns to be sold into the US was thwarted by a conscientious Island doctor. Scott consulted Stella’s book Ashes of My Dreams for this account.
In another true story, Scott sings “Hattie’s Prayer” based on Hattie Hughes telling of when her father told the children to hide in the cornfield to escape “adopting out” by family services. Hattie died recently at the age of 88 but not before Scott played her his song and received her blessing on it.
Scott says that it is important to tell Black Island history based on the people and lives lived as opposed to relying only on court records which give a distorted view of what life was actually like for black residents of PEI over the years.
“Old Chocolate” is a musical portrait of PEI’s Black boxer George Godfrey who fought bare knuckle in Boston and was reportedly poised to defeat John L. Sullivan in a bout when authorities shut down the fight because racial laws wouldn’t allow it.
The album also mixes in songs of other subjects, delivered in folk, blues, reggae and country styles. Songs such as,”Bright Sun” after a trip to Jamaica “Little One” for a young girl Scott cared for in a treatment centre in Calgary and “Right From The Start” written for Scott’s nephew. There is also a recording of “Fish Bar,” a song by Scott’s long-time friend Peter Morrison. It’s the first time Scott has recorded another writer’s song on one of his albums.
To make the album Scott brought his friend Dennis Green to the Island from Vancouver to spend a month laying down guitar parts. Scott and Dennis played as a duo in Calgary but had been out of touch for 20 years. Dennis has a remarkable musical resumé which includes playing as a sideman on tour with Ike and Tina Turner, Al Wilson, Mary Wells and other Motown artists. In all, he spent about 25 years on the road, including time spent in Dallas, Texas where he worked with bassist Chuck Rainey. Dennis brings r ‘n’ b, and funky jazz licks to the tracks.
When contacted for his comment on the recording Dennis said, “I play what I hear in the song and Scott has written some great songs. He needs more than just Canada to hear him.” Sadly, Dennis Green passed away in January at his Vancouver home. His most recent recorded guitar playing is now preserved on Darkie’s Hollow.
Darkie’s Hollow was recorded at Barking Dog Studio in Blooming Point by Laura Powell and Peter Morrison. Mixing was by James Carrier. Debbie Misener painted the cover illustration. Other musicians were Mike Peters (guitar), Jason Furness (bass), Peter Richards (bass), Leona Carmichael (vocals), Elise Moher (vocals), Colin Campbell (harmonica) and Johnny King (drums).
The album launch will take place on February 23 at 7 pm at the Haviland Club in Charlottetown. The evening will include remarks from Stella Shepard and Linda Wigmore and a screening of The King Versus Jupiter Wise by Ryan Gallant.
Darkie’s Hollow is available at Back Alley Music in Charlottetown and from scottparsons.net.
New albums, films, and more to go here.
The nine original songs on this recording were all written by Island songwriter and performer Scott Parsons, seven of them expressly for the play The Old Stock, first performed at the Carrefour Theatre, Charlottetown, on February 27, 2009. Parsons sang these songs as the character Anansi.
The Old Stock tells the story of the Black history experience in Prince Edward Island, from the 1780s, when Loyalists came here with their slaves, to the present time. The Black community was never a large one, numbering no more then 500 people at its peak, living in “the Bog” district in Charlottetown and various rural areas. Through assimilation and out-migration, the Black Island population gradually disappeared as a visible community.
Today there are thousands of Islanders with Black ancestry, many of them unaware of the fact. Gradually, however, the legacy of Black Islanders is becoming known, and this important part of our history is growing visible in memory and celebration.
Scott Parsons has based his lyrics on solid historical research, primarily from Jim Hornby’s book Black Islanders, published in 1992. One song, “Dembo Suckles,” tells the story of a man who was captured by slavers in his native Africa, and died in 1845 as head of a large farm family in rural Prince Edward Island.
The Byers family figures prominently in this CD. John and Amelia are the Island’s earliest known Black couple, arriving here in the early 1780s with Loyalist Joseph Robinson. Two family members, Peter and Sancho, were hanged for petty theft, within a month of each other, in 1815. The title of the play and CD was provided by Roger Byers, a descendant of John and Amelia. Roger recalls how his father Frank used to take him on walks around Charlottetown, and point out individuals and dwellings as belonging to the “old stock” — from Africa.
Scott Parsons named his band and his first CD after the slave Jupiter Wise, whose personality was as large and original as his name. Jupiter had problems with the law, and was fortunate to be deported from the Island and not hanged. In those days, imprisonment – at public expense – was not an option.
The most prolific Black family on the Island is the Sheppards, residents of the Cardigan area since about 1820. Based on information provided by Linda Hennessey, Scott has written two songs about this family, one tragic, about the death of a boy who was helping his father cut wood, the other celebrating the successful return to the Island of two Sheppard brothers from the Klondike gold mines.
— Harry Baglole, liner notes from The Old Stock
Live at Mahogany Hall 2011
Recorded from a live concert in Bern, Switzerland in 1996. A musically diverse CD that captures Parsons’ unique talent in a live atmosphere.
Nice To Wear 2003
On Parsons’ long overdue third album, he proves once again that he’s got all the right stuff to go the distance. This ought to be the album that takes him there.
— Doug Gallant, The Guardian
Featuring drummer Reg Ballagh, bass player Wayne Dunsford, keyboard player Aaron Collier, guitarist Mitch Schurman and singer-songwriter Bonnie LeClair who provided background vocals. Songs include “Faces and the Names,” “Before Your Very Eyes,” “Nice To Wear,” “Girl With a Guilty Heart,” and more.
Jupiter Wise 1993
Running the stylistic gamut from the warm, relaxed, Harder They Come reggae grooves to blues to country to jazz, Jupiter Wise is an astoundingly mature realized work. Parsons is a distinct and compact songwriter and an understatedly soulful vocalist; the man has to be seen as the most talented performer on PEI.
— Kirby Ferguson, The Buzz
This isn’t just a good first album, this is an outstanding album.
— Nils Ling, CBC Radio
Featuring George Antoniak on lead guitar, Reg Ballagh on drums, John Johnston on bass, and many others. A landmark CD. Songs include “What I Am,” “Lighthouse Keeper’s Dream,” “Low Flyin’,” “Joe’s Cafe,” “Jupiter Wise,” and more.