“We had 185 people at last night’s concert with lots of rave reviews as expected,” Joanne Weiss from the Assiniboia Arts Council said, as she portrayed the performances at the Jeffery Straker and Friends show at the Prince of Wales Cultural and Recreation Centre on Wednesday, October 23.
Singer-songwriter Jeffery Straker was joined onstage with Annette Campagne (originally of Willow Bunch) and Jack Semple of Regina on Wednesday night. This concert was presented by OSAC along with a group of dedicated volunteers from Assiniboia’s Art Council, who are committed to making culture a fundamental part of life in this region of south central Saskatchewan.
Straker, originally from the rural community of Punnichy, is said to typically perform 100 and more shows each year stretching across three continents, including Canada, Europe and Latin America. He’s a gifted pianist and balladeer, who has drawn comparisons to Harry Chapin, Jim Croce and other singer/songwriters. Straker’s music had a way of tugging at the listener’s heart. His numbers were thoughtful and humorous with an occasional hint of melancholy. Between songs, Straker frequently interacted with his audience. At one point, he talked about a song he had written for his mother, asking the spectators how somebody could write a composition about one parent without mentioning the other, meaning he was clearly obligated to write a piece about his father after composing lyrics about his mother.
Jack Semple’s bluesy sound enraptured the audience at the Prince of Wales. His interpretation of Classical Gas on the guitar was especially daunting. Semple had even managed to outclass Eric Clapton’s version of the song originally released by Mason Williams with powerful and focussed strumming.
Annette Campagne was the standout vocalist of the evening, with her clear and lilting voice echoing across the auditorium. “I grew up in Willow Bunch. When I was a child, I could see the lights of Assiniboia and now I know I’ve made it because I’m here now,” she joked in her introduction. Campagne’s music was distinctive for its folkish sound with traces of pop and blues. Also, her songs were peppered with cryptic and inventive lyrics. One of Campagne’s most interesting tunes of the evening was I Am – a melody she described as being about self-affirmation.
