Andy Kim Hits all the Right Notes

I stumbled upon Andy Kim's web site a while ago and have

come to appreciate a forgotten gem in Canadian rock. About

a month ago, I even took in one of his concerts.

The one thing that struck me during Andy Kim's Christmas

Special, which took place at the Mod Club Theatre in

Toronto on Friday, December 2nd, 2005, was the sheer

diversity of the guests who took part. And not just in style, but

in age as well. Is this a renaissance of sorts for Andy Kim?

You bet it is.

Let me begin with a refresher in the school of Andy Kim. At

the tender age of 16, with nothing but desire and raw talent

in his pockets, Kim left his native Montreal for New York City

in the late 60s in search of stardom. Many Canadians found

themselves in the same predicament as Kim, as there was

no Canadian music industry to speak of. In this light, Andy

Kim is a true Canadian rock trailblazer.

Along with Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, The Guess Who and

The Band, Andy Kim was part of a small but dynamic

Canadian contingent that found fame in the United States.

All have left an undeniable mark on the rock' n roll

landscape. Not bad for Crazy Canucks, eh?

With 30 million records sold, countless tours in the United

States and a rock anthem under his belt - "Sugar, Sugar"

was recently inducted into the Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame -

Andy Kim has returned.

While Toronto and New York have welcomed him back, his

native Montreal has ironically remained cool to his

comeback. Far from keeping Andy Kim down, he will force

people to notice him as he did when Jeff Barry discovered in

him over 35 years ago.

This brings us back to the concert. In a sleek black suit, Kim

kicked off the evening with a rousing rendition of "Rock me

Gently" - a song that brought him a Juno Award in 1974.

From that point forward, the tone and mood of the night were

set. If there were any among the 550 plus people in

attendance who were skeptical, he quickly made them a

believer.

This set the stage for an impressive list of Canadian artists

to showcase their music. The group included Esthero,

Hayden Neale of Jacksoul, Shaye, The Hidden Cameras,

Andy Stochansky, Danny Michel, Blair Packham and Jully

Black.

Ron Sexsmith who performed and co-wrote "What Ever

Happened to Christmas" alongside Kim also treated fans to

a special guest appearance.

There was nothing formulaic to the evening. This much was

clear as musicians moved on and off the stage with a flair of

what I would call slight unprepared coolness. Whatever it

was, when the music started, each of them brought with

them a unique element to the concert. It was a magical night

that reminded us how Canadian music continues to thrive

and evolve.

Above all, for 2 1/2 hours, many of Canada's musicians,

who were barely in existence when Andy Kim began writing

music, had a chance to perform with a rock legend. It had to

be gratifying for Andy Kim - who influenced so many

musicians - as he watched people of another generation

connect to his music. Not only that, all are self-professed

fans.

Of course, all good things must come to an end, and what

better way to end the night than with "Sugar, Sugar?" With

everyone on stage performing it in a jam session, it was

reminiscent of The Band's Last Waltz or whenever great

musicians congregate to perform a colleague's song. It was

an awesome spectacle that was free of any tackiness that

can dangerously make such things ghastly to watch.

As I listened, I observed a young punker pass by and look at the stage. She turned and walked away, though not before

giving her opinion to no one in particular, 'This is so cool.' I

thought two things to myself after hearing this. This is

exactly how Tony Bennett revived his career when he

connected to a crowd outside his genre. Indeed, Andy Kim

had the aura of a rock'n roll crooner.

The second thing that came to mind, and probably more

important in the larger scheme of things, is that Andy Kim

belonged. He did not seem displaced artistically or

technically with this group of outstanding musicians. This, in

my mind, is the greatest accomplishment of the night. Well,

that and the fact that proceeds went to charity.

"Sugar, Sugar" was the perfect climax for an excellent show.

Or was it? Not wanting to call it a night, the performers

debated with which song they should continue? They settled

on "Rock me Gently", the song that began the whole affair.

This was, for those who pay attention to such things,

symbolic of Andy Kim's career, which has come full circle as

he connected with a whole new generation of musicians. If

anything, he can watch with pride the vibrancy and brilliance

of Canadian music he helped spawn.

Anyhow, check out his site - which includes his personal

diary - and you may even be moved to purchase some of

his music. His impressive latest EP 'I Forgot to Mention'

includes contribution from Ed Robertson of the Barenaked

Ladies, Timothy B. Schmidt of The Eagles and Kenny

Aronoff among others.

http://www.friendlymisanthropist.blogspot.com - The Commentator

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