It is now almost two years since Joe Brownrigg last came and performed at the shop, and that was a memorable evening. My 2014 introduction about his music is still true even this year, and brings a perspective that we may not live in but which enriches our understanding of what makes a community, and the Gaia Java philosophy is very focussed on our community.
We are lucky to have some amazing songwriters in the shop to perform, and it is always interesting to sample their insights into the world. Some speak from suffering, or from joy or other personal experiences. Joe Brownrigg comes from a direction that most of us have not experienced first hand. He describes his early musical experiences as being influenced by the Beatles – I can resonate with that! But then a few years ago, with the help of a grant from the Ontario Arts Council, he recorded an album of songs about his life as a street cop in and around Ottawa.
That CD “The Wild” joins his repertoire of other CDs in giving a very professional sounding ensemble of songs – interesting structures, well-harmonized and clearly recounted. And rolling around in there are some messages that make us think about our own circumstances, and in many cases highlight our good fortune relative to some of the folk Joe has to work with in his day job.
Check out Joe’s website at: http://www.joebrownrigg.com/
-Paul Jay