Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday February 9, 2021

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU in Ottawa on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also for on-demand streaming.

CKCU can be heard live at 93.1 FM in Ottawa and https://www.ckcufm.com/ on the web.

This episode of Stranger Songs – Episode #1 – was prerecorded at home and can already be streamed on-demand by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/50779.html

Today’s show was inspired by the book, Leonard Cohen Untold Stories: The Early Years by Michael Posner, the first of what will be three volumes of Leonard Cohen’s untold stories. The Early Years covers Leonard Cohen’s life from childhood until 1970 and the songs and poems of Leonard Cohen on this show were all written during that period. Click here to read my review of Leonard Cohen Untold Stories: The Early Years. 

Leonard Cohen- fragment of The Stranger Song
Songs of Leonard Cohen (Columbia/Legacy)
Martin Simpson- The Stranger Song
Vagrant Stanzas (Topic)

Nina Simone- Suzanne
To Love Somebody (RCA)
Leonard Cohen- Warning
Six Montreal Poets (Folkways)
Kate & Anna McGarrigle and Martha Wainwright- Winter Lady
Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man (Verve Forecast)
Leonard Cohen- Stories of the Street
Songs of Leonard Cohen (Columbia/Legacy)
Perla Batalla- So Long, Marianne
Bird on the Wire: The Songs of Leonard Cohen (Mechuda Music)

Leonard Cohen- fragment of The Stranger Song
Songs of Leonard Cohen (Columbia/Legacy)

Tex König- Sisters of Mercy
Königsblende (Music Cellar)
Laura Love- Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye
Pangaea (Octoroon Biography)
Leonard Cohen- One of Us Cannot Be Wrong
Songs of Leonard Cohen (Columbia/Legacy)

Reid Jamieson- Bird on the Wire
Dear Leonard (Reid Jamieson)
Leonard Cohen- The Sparrows
Six Montreal Poets (Folkways)
Judy Collins- Story of Isaac
Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy (Elektra/Rhino)
Leonard Cohen- A Bunch of Lonesome Heroes
Songs from a Room (Columbia/Legacy)

Perla Batalla- Seems So Long Ago, Nancy
Bird on the Wire: The Songs of Leonard Cohen (Mechuda Music)
Leonard Cohen- Les Vieux
Six Montreal Poets (Folkways)
Crowes Pasture- Tonight Will Be Fine
Edge of America (Crowes Pasture)
Leonard Cohen- The Old Revolution
Songs from a Room (Columbia/Legacy)

Judy Collins- Dress Rehearsal Rag
Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy (Elektra/Rhino)
Laurie MacAllister- Famous Blue Raincoat
The Things I Choose to Do (Laurie MacAllister)
Jennifer Warnes & Leonard Cohen- Joan of Arc
Famous Blue Raincoat: The Songs of Leonard Cohen – 20th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)

Leonard Cohen- fragment of The Stranger Song
Songs of Leonard Cohen (Columbia/Legacy)

Next week’s show falls on Mardi Gras Day (February 16) and the show will feature songs from or inspired by New Orleans – including some Mardi Gras songs.

Find me on Twitter. www.twitter.com/mikeregenstreif

And on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif

Reid Jamieson – Dear Leonard: The Cohen Collection

REID JAMIESON

Dear Leonard: The Cohen Collection

reidjamieson.com/dearleonard.htm

There are many tributes to Leonard Cohen that have been recorded over the years. Some have drawn on various artists while others have been by specific artists. Among my favorites are Famous Blue Raincoat by Jennifer Warnes, Bird on the Wire by Perla Batalla and Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy by Judy Collins. To that list add Dear Leonard: The Cohen Collection by Vancouver-based singer-songwriter Reid Jamieson.

In this seemingly too-brief, 33-minute set, Reid offers sublime versions of seven Cohen classics and the title song, his own tribute – written with his wife, Carolyn Victoria Mill – to the master songwriter and poet. The arrangements – mostly just Reid’s vocals and guitar and Anne Lindsay’s always-exquisite violin – serve to focus attention on Cohen’s sublime lyrics and melodies. And while each of the Cohen songs is so very familiar these interpretations make them sound new again.

Among the highlights here are haunting versions of “Dance Me to the End of Love,” so beautifully enhanced by Anne’s violin, “Tower of Song,” Cohen’s homage to the art of great songwriting, and a version of “Suzanne,” THE great Montreal song which features a lovely lead vocal by Carolyn.

The CD cover, by the way, is a homage to the cover of The Best of Leonard Cohen, Cohen’s first compilation LP released in 1975.

Find me on Twitter. twitter.com/@mikeregenstreif

And on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif