“The odometer broke last year.” He writes, “Briefly, though, the ’83 Volvo went over 600,000; the ’91 went over a million. I’ve got a used ’92 that I’ve put about 175,000 on since I bought it a year and a half ago. It translates into several times around the planet if Volvos were more waterproof.”
The old Volvo will add a few more kilometers when Rogers visits Kiju’s at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre for a show on Thursday, June 23.
At 18, Garnet was on the road as a full-time working musician with brother, the late, revered Stan. Together they formed what has come to be accepted as one of the most influential duos in the history of North American folk music.
Garnet acted as producer and arranger for his older brother from 1973 to 1983, when Stan died tragically in a plane crash. Since then, Garnet has courageously established himself as a formidable solo artist, as anyone who has seen his rare performances in Cape Breton can attest. A show twenty years ago at Saint Andrews Hall saw Rogers leading the audience in an encore performance of his brother’s “Barrett’s Privateers”, as he played fiddle.
His extensive discography includes “Get A Witness”, a live album that the Boston Globe chose as one of their Top Ten Folk CDs of 2007, saying: “…even his torch songs feel like tours de force, sung in a glorious bass that shimmers with danger and grace..”
Resolutely independent, Garnet Rogers has turned down offers from major labels to do his music his own way.
Rogers appearance at Kiju’s features two sets of tunes beginning at 7:30 pm. There will be a $10 entertainment service charge and patrons are advised to book their dinner reservations early by calling Kiju’s at 562-6220.
