James Gordon

Event Description

Join us for a live performance from esteemed musician James Gordon!

$15 in our main bar. Come for the Sunday roast, stay for some of the best live music our province has to offer!

James Gordon has been there. He’s done that. He has had a remarkably diverse and resilient career in the Canadian entertainment business. As a solo singer-songwriter and with the ground-breaking trio Tamarack, he’s recorded at least 40 albums, (he’s lost track), and toured relentlessly around the world. He’s written for symphony orchestras, musical theatre and dance works, scored films, and for more than ten years was heard on CBC radio as songwriter-in-residence for the ‘Basic Black‘ and ‘Ontario Morning‘ programs. Between tours, James is a record producer, playwright, author, community activist, theatre director and just-retired City Councillor in his hometown of Guelph Ontario.

His song ‘Mining For Gold’ was featured in the John Sayles film ‘Silver City’, and was included on the classic Cowboy Junkies album ‘The Trinity Sessions’. Gordon’s iconic ‘Frobisher Bay‘ has been recorded by more than 100 different acts world-wide, has become a standard in choirs everywhere, and is in ‘Rise Again’, the sequel to the legendary ‘Rise Up Singing’ songbook. Well known for his songs about social justice, heritage and environmental isssues, he’s just debuted his 6th “One-person musical” called ‘Smashing The Oligarchy’, about the impact of extreme capitalism on our climate crisis. (Performed recently in Washington DC!) His popular ‘Rhyme Capsules’ songwriting-in-the-schools project has resulted in dozens of albums of songs by young composers. He mentors adult songwriters too with his ‘Song Doctor’ program and his annual songwriting retreat weekends.

On the Arts administration side, James was the first Artistic Director of Guelph’s famous Hillside Festival, as well as the Canadian Songwriter’s Festival, and he currently directs the “Praise The Ward” festival in his own Guelph neighbourhood. He founded the Carden Street Café in Guelph, which lasted for 35 years and was a musical destination for a generation of songwriters and folk performers.

Main Stage in the Dawson Restaurant
All Ages Event