When Bruce Cockburn strides onto the stage at Kingfest Music Festival on Sunday, June 24, he will be doing so as a Canadian musical icon at the height of his career. It is a
career that has spanned 40 years, the globe, and the political, spiritual and emotional concerns of humanity. Citizen of the world, he also has a York Region connection.

Cockburn’s 29th album, Life Short, Call Now, was recorded at National Treasures’ Studio located at Frazier Mohawk’s Pucks Farm, near Schomberg.

Cockburn recalled, “When it was decided that Jonathan (Goldsmith) would produce the album, he suggested that I go with him to have a look. It was the middle of winter. Everything was covered with snow and there was this farm, a real working farm. We enter a barn, walk down a corridor and suddenly enter this amazing studio – a reconstruction of a state of the art 1970s studio.”

Cockburn was impressed with the juxtaposition of realities, which had for him“almost a James Bond quality to it. There was the technology inside and the oddness of going outside and having to avoid being run over by a flock of geese”.

“It was a great place to work,” said Cockburn. “It has a warm sound and is appropriately live, but not too live.” He was referring to the musician’s term which describes the ability of a space to handle sound. Dead spaces absorb sound and are musically difficult to play or record in. Live spaces allow the sound to voice all its intricacies Constructing a sound studio is an art in itself, and apparently, Frazier Mohawk is a master of sound studio construction, among other things.

His acumen comes from a lifetime of experience in the music business which flows back to the early 80s in Southern California where he began working for Bob Eubanks, promoter of The Beatles Hollywood Bowl concert held on August 23, 1964. Mohawk was the publicist for the event. His career from that point to the present is too rich and varied to summarize in this space, but his name has
been associated with every aspect of the music business from producer, songwriter, to discoverer and promoter of“new” talent, many of whom are musical icons of today. To name just a few with emphasis on “few”: Ike and Tina Turner, Stephen Stills and Neil Young (Mohawk came up with the name Buffalo Springfield), Jackson Browne, The Monkees, Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The list goes on and on. For the complete story, access his bio at www. pucksfarm. com. It’s an amazing read.

Mohawk’s lifelong devotion to music and its production guided him to see the possibilities of turning his barn into a unique sound studio. According to his website, “about a year into arriving at their current location, (Mohawk) built a little four-track studio above the main barn. Eventually it was up-graded to a 24- track, the cows were moved out, and it took over the main barn on the farm to make music.”

Mohawk constructed the room ”mostly so my friends and I can play” but the studio occasionally is used by others for recording purposes.

The materials of the barn contribute to the good sound. “We used woods available to us which happened to be old, and were in the barn.” The 150 year old Elm in the barn has a tighter, closer grain than more contemporary elm. “It resonates if you put it in the right places.” Like a good guitar does.

In addition, the studio features ancient drumlin stone and 28’ ceilings which makes it good for “in concert” recording. “In concert” was the flavor that Cockburn and Goldsmith wanted for Life Short, Call Now. Many other Canadianartists joined in such as Ron Sexsmith (Mystery), Hawksley Workman (Mystery and Slow Down Fast), Damhnait Doyle (Mystery, Life Short, Call Now, and Life Short, Call Now) and American Ani De Franco (See You Tomorrow).

A Salvation Army Band sound was wanted on the song Mystery. Kevin Turcotte was playing an antique alto horn, according to Cockburn, that was “so old that there were no springs in the valves. We actually gaffer taped his fingers to the valves so they would come back up.” The result lends a unique sound to Mystery, which speaks to the spiritual and personal pilgrimage that Cockburn has made in his career.

Cockburn will be playing solo on the Sunday night, June 24 of Kingfest at approximately 9:15 p.m.

For more info on Bruce Cockburn’s performance, as well as
Sarah Harmer, Jim Cuddy Band, Prairie Oyster, Sloan, The Trews, Joel Pleskatt, go to www.kingfestmusic.com.
For tickets go to the Ticketmaster website or call at
416 870 8000.