Edmonton based troubadour Scott Cook reflects on the past 10 years making a living as a musician on his brand new CD “ Further Down the Line.”
Cook and core Second Chances band mates bassist Melissa Walker and Bramwell Park recorded it on Mayne Island south of Gabriola Island, with a few other friends including Jacquie B, Matt Blackie and Dana Wylie over four days in July.
“It was beautiful. We were only five minutes away from the ocean and we had deer walking through the yard,” said Cook.
“This is the album I always wanted to make. It was just the band playing together ,live off the floor with our buddy Adam Iredale -Gray who runs Fiddlehead studios,” he continued.
The CD also includes a colourful 132 page colour booklet including Cook’s biography and reflections over the past 10 years playing music for a living, his respect for songwriter Corin Raymond and Woody Guthrie as well as his time teaching in Taiwan. There is also an album of photographs plus song lyrics including chord changes.
“It is a bit hard to believe it’s been 10 years,” Cook said.
“So it was a good time to reflect and look back. I paid for this CD myself so that felt pretty good,” he said.
“I was really inspired by Woody Guthrie. We could all benefit from something positive and hopeful,” he noted, adding only three of the songs on the CD are political.
“I wrote and recorded it before the election.”
Scott Cook has an exciting year already lined up.
He will be going to the Folk Alliance in Kansas City in February where he will be opening for Billy Bragg and he will be opening for one of his musical idols John Gorka.
And he will be returning to Australia in March.
“I’ve been there before, but it will be the first time for the band,” he enthused.
He also has some excellent festival dates lined up including the Kerrville Folk festival in Texas and the North Country Fair.
Scott Cook and the Second chances play the Lethbridge College Cave for the Lethbridge Folk Club, Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. sharp. Local duo Burning Bridges (Steven Foord and Megan Brown) will be opening the show.
Tickets are $25 for members, $30 for non-members (includes a $5 membership) and $20 for students ($15 with membership)