James Gordon
Career Highlights
(I'll save the lowlights for later...)
RECORDINGS: 37so far!
Solo albums: 16 and counting! Looking For Livingstone, 1987; Farther Along, 1991; Hometown Tunes, 1994; Dim Lights, Small City, 1995; More Hometown Tunes, 1997; Soundtrack recording; The Spirit of Shivaree, 1990; Songs From Basic Black, 1999; Pipe Street Dreams, 1999: More Songs From Basic Black, 2000; Mining For Gold, 2000; Road Kill Hat, 2001; One Timeless Moment, 2002; Song Of Our City, 2002; Out On A Rural Ramble, ( Songs from Northumberland County), 2002; Tune Cooties, 2002; One In Five, 2002( yes, it's been a busy year). Healing Embers, 2003,( special project with the Spark of Brilliance Troubadours about mental health issues; Endomusia, 2004; The Song The River Sings, 2004; Songs of the Lost Villages, 2004
With TAMARACK: Music of Canada, 1980; A Pleasant Gale, 1983; Ontario: 200 Musical Years, 1984; The Tamarack Collection, 1986; Shave The Bear, 1989; Fields of Rock and Snow, 199l; Frobisher Bay, 1993; On The Grand, 1993; On the Prairies, 1993; The Fifteenth Anniversary Concert, 1995; Leaving Inverarden, 1996; Muskoka'sCalling, 1996; Thirteen, 1997; Blankets of Snow, 1998. ( 14 in all)
Solo children's albums- No Grownups Allowed, 1985; Bouncy Bouncy, 1987; Songs For Kids, 2000
With David Archibald: Jim and Dave's Awesome Environmental Adventure, 1990; Jim and Dave's Awesome Search For the Golden Toad , 1992; Jim and Dave's Awesome Supernatural Camping Adventure, 1993.
FILM: - my song "Mining For Gold" is featured in the new John Sayles film "Silver City" (2004) starring Kris Kristoferson, Daryl Hannah, and Richard Dreyfus
TELEVISION:
"Song of Our City"- CTV regional television special, 2002
with Tamarack- Guests on CBC Superspecial, 1985. Frequent guests on Global series TROUPERS- 1986 . Produced, wrote and starred in TAMARACK ONTHE RIDEAU, CBC network special, 1989. Global Television special "TAMARACK'S ONTARIO"1992. TAMARACK ON THE GRAND, CBC, 1996. Global news. CTV's LIVE IT UP and W5.
Wrote and performed theme music for CTV series THE LAST FRONTIER.
Wrote, produced and directed "WE BUILT ONTARIO", documentary educational video, 1988. Wrote and recorded soundscape for numerous other educational videos, 1988-1995.
JIM AND DAVE'S AWESOME ENVIRONMENTAL ADVENTURE, educational video, 1991.
Composed and performed soundscore for "THE RIVERLANDS", educational video, 1992.
Composed and performed soundscore for Communities in Bloom Video, City Of Guelph, 2001
Produced "Breaking the Mask: Exploring Mental Illness through the Arts" 2001
RADIO: host of own weekly radio show on CFRU, 1987-1990. Many appearances on national CBC including MORNINGSIDE , VICKI GABEREAU, FRESH AIR, PERFORMANCE, THE ENTERTAINERS, TOUCH THE EARTH, FROM THE FESTIVALS, SIMPLY FOLK, PRIME TIME , Murray Maclachlan's SWINGING ON A STAR.
Regular contributor to CBC's ONTARIO MORNING, BASIC BLACK as resident songwriter , 1998-2002
LIVE CONCERTS- singer/ banjo player with MAPLE SUGAR, 1975-1980- toured across Canada and throughout the U.S. .
Singer, instrumentalist, ( guitar,banjo, keyboard, penny whistle, recorder, trumpet, bodrhan, harmonica, accordion) with TAMARACK- 1977- 1999. Many national regional and Americantours. Tour of Great Britain, 1998.
Hundreds of solo children's concerts across country since 1985.
Baritone soloist with numerous Ontario choirs, 1974-1977.
JAMES GORDON BAND- many appearances since 1987.
Toured with MUDDY YORK, 1986.
800 nation-wide performances of JIM AND DAVE"S AWESOME ADVENTURES since 1990.
Composed "GREMLINS IN THE STEEPLES, a children's symphonic work with story by Robert Munsch- debuted by Manitoba Chamber Orchestra in 1993 at Guelph Spring Festival.
Appeared with Tamarack in a special concert with the Thunder Bay Symphony, 1995, and arranged three original works for the orchestra.
Solo performer since 1999--and as a duo with Sandy Horne, many appearances across North America. and Great Britain.
"Songs Of Hope" tours... USA - 2002-2004-- Over thirty U.S. cities with a special concert dealing with mental health issues.
Name a place.... yep, he's played there.
Theatre and Dance Work:
actor /director/ producer/ composer with Eden Mills Theatre Inc. , summer theatre company , 1972-3. Robin Hood in Le Jou de Robin and Marion, University of Guelph Opera production. 1974. Gabriel Dumont in WIND ON THE PRAIRIE- national folk opera tours, 1975-1985. Actor/composer/ musical director, GRAND THEATRE PROJECTS- 1981-1984.Composer/ musical director LA THEATRE LISA DuFRESNE 1986-1988. co-author/ performer in JIM AND DAVE'S AWESOME ENVIRONMENTAL ADVENTURE- national tour- 1990-91, three other "JIM AND DAVE" plays toured extensively 92-95.
Composer/ performer LIFESPIRAL, Guelph Spring Festival Fringe 1989.
Composer/ performer THE SPIRIT OF SHIVAREE, Eramosa Community Play 1990.
Composer for "ALL OVER THE MAP", regional theatre production, 1998.
Composer/ performer DENALI, Sandbox Dance Theatre, 1984.
Composer/ Performer BAERE: A CELTIC ODYSSEY, Alan Norris Dance Company, 1987.
Assistant to Conductor, SEABIRD ISLAND, national opera tour, 1978.
Composer/performer "HOME"S WHERE THE HEART SINGS", River Run Centre, Guelph, 1997.
Composer: A Rose In Snow: 40-minute dance work, River Run Centre, Guelph, 2001
Composer: "Surface Song" - 40-minute dance work, River Run Centre, Guelph, 2003
Composer/Performer "CJOY Old-Tyme Radio Hour" One hour stage play... River Run Centre, Guelph ON 2003
Composer/Performer "Hardscrabble Road" Folk Opera, River Run Centre, Guelph 2003
Arts Administration:
board of directors, Guelph Spring Festival, 1975-1981.
Artistic Director, Hillside Festival of Guelph, 1985-1988.
Artistic Director, Canadian Songwriter's Festival, 2000-2001
Board of Directors, Ontario Council of Folk Festivals, 1999-2001
partner in SGB PRODUCTIONS, 1980-1999
proprietor of Pipe Street Publishing, 1999-
BOOKS:
JIM AND DAVE'S AWESOME ENVIRONMENTAL ADVENTURE, Golden Books, 1991
by James Gordon and David Archibald
The Tamarack Songbook- 1996 - by James Gordon and Alex Sinclair
EDUCATIONAL: Numerous songwriting workshops for elementary and secondary schools. Four appearances at AUTHOR AUTHOR conference in Guelph. Songwriting course for Eramosa Community Players, 1992. Several Artist in the Schools programs; 1990- Rockwood Public School, 1991 - Ottawa Crescent Public School, Guelph, Ont. 1992- Priory Park Public School, Guelph, Ont., Minto-Clifford Public School, Harriston. Gateway Drive P.S. , Guelph, 1995. McGregor School. Aylmer On, 1999. Highland Public School, Cambridge ON, 2000. Laurine Ave. School, Guelph, 2000., Gibson School, Maple ON, 2000.; Miami University, Middletown Ohio, 3 week song-writing residency- 2000. Mono- Amaranth School, Orangeville On 2000Musical Theatre Residency program, Eden Rose Public School, Peel Board, 1995. Residency: Ministik School, Moose Factory, 1997, Gooderham School, 1998 ,