Journey is steeped in emotion
Gary Fjellgaard is in the Okanagan this week with folk legend Valdy to support the George Ryga Centre. The Contenders take the stage in Armstrong tonight, and will be in Lumby and Vernon Wednesday and Friday, Nov. 6.
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West Coast singer/songwriter Gary Fjellgaard’s long-lasting (40-plus years) career is tracked in the tone of his voice and moods of his songs.
His 14th album, All in the Journey, is steeped in Western themes and atmosphere.
A true B.C. treasure, Fjellgaard, who’s often compared to Gordon Lightfoot, is at home and relaxed enough with his muse to write and sing about themes from dead pets, sexy Mexican senoritas, outlaws and First Nations residential schools (I Apologize).
Fjellgaard keeps the strains of sincerity near to his heart and is a singer who is touched by his own music. This is easy to hear in his emotion-cracked voice ––– a smooth vibrato and warble that brings him close to the listener.
He understands delivery and the simplicity and clarity of his vision connects to an often overlooked sense of B.C. culture and history. His folk-country sound is firmly rooted in the traditional camp and he conjures up images from the region’s past (Back When Billy Robbed Trains, Old Western Story) and present (Falcon and the Cowboy, I Apologize) with honesty and a clear storytelling style.
In Fjellgaard’s range of themes, his photographic imagery can move from sepia to digital at the urging of his friendly voice and gently-picked guitar.
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