The Oppenheimer Report - 3/30/15

Jon Brooks - Photo by Shauna Leigh Taylor

Now four shows into this radio host experience, I find this challenge both exhilarating and humbling. Not only have I gained a great deal of respect for all the other volunteers who host their own unique music shows on Hunter’s Bay Radio, but I have also begun to accept and begin to address my relative ignorance on the subject of songwriting. As I begin to research artists – and really only North American artists so far – I have come to realize how little I know about so many great writers. People are coming out of the woodwork to edify me, and I am learning a great deal from my musical friends. That includes Bob, my best friend in Buffalo, who early on exposed me to some of my favorite bands, and who seems to know as much if not more about Canadian artists than I do. So many good songwriters are not receiving the attention they deserve, perhaps because the field is far greater than it was thirty years ago. This became ever clearer Friday night when Shauna and I drove up to nearby Sundridge to hear Toronto singer-songwriter Jon Brooks perform. We went largely because our friend and songwriter, Gina Horswood, was opening up for Brooks, and we had no idea who he is. Brooks is a remarkable wordsmith with a distinctive percussive guitar technique, and his set left me so “gob-smacked” that I bought all four of his CDs. His songs are edgy, and clever, and just plain intelligent, and I now find out that he is no secret to the international songwriting community. I left the venue reminded of all the talent I have yet to discover. Brooks is a refreshing antidote to so much of the mindless, homogenized, synthesized, auto-tuned pop crap that passes for music and lyrics today, and his talent puts my songwriting skills waaaaay down the list. Here I want to touch upon two points.

In last week’s show I discussed my aspirations for my radio show. I hope that I might learn something, or be pleasantly surprised by something unfamiliar learned about an unexplored songwriter. Admittedly, some of the songs I air are not for everyone, but if I can open up a mind or two, then I will have succeeded. I spoke about the hundreds of open mics I’ve played over the years. What I finally took away from all those open mic nights is that, not only are there a LOT of people who do this well, and certainly better than me, but if I actually got my head out of my ass and listened to some of these artists, I could improve myself. The more I listen, the more I open myself up to new styles, and the better I get. In the recent concert I attended, Brooks eloquently stated another important point about songs and songwriting: they can touch on the human condition, and they can unify. To explore the human condition in song is one way to chip away at the cynical, divisive direction our cultures and governments are heading. Brooks eschews “protest songs”, and instead uses dark humor and sarcasim in his songs to convey his messages. He’s not telling us what to believe – he’s just opening up the dialogue and asking us to think, to believe something. As polyanna-ish and naïve as this may sound, I believe some music can improve the human condition.  I want to be one cog in that wheel. In my opinion music should not be about fame or celebrity, it should be meaningful, and insightful, and it should implore us to examine our lives in some pro-active way. Ever my biggest supporter, Shauna wants me to toot my own horn more, and to use the show to promote my music. Thanks to Hunter’s Bay Radio, I am getting plenty of exposure, perhaps more than I deserve. I am plenty full enough of myself, but when I see a guy like Jon Brooks sing his songs, I am reminded that I am still in the foothills. This radio show is causing me to open my eyes and ears a bit.

 

Early last week a Germanwings airbus crashed in the French Alps, killing all 150 aboard. We are force fed news paranoia about the omnipresent terrorist threat, but to this phobia we can now add suicidal pilots to the list. It’s disturbing enough when someone in crisis snaps in public and “goes postal”, but what about the mental health of the people who routinely ferry large amounts of people around the world? Look at the mess the incompetent captain of the Costa Concordia caused.

 

Like me or not, I leave a good story,

The women are busy, and the men are boring,

And the only good thing, the only good thing,
The only good thing, is an old dog.”

 

The reader can have no idea what this song is about from the above four lines, but If you want to find out why I love this song, you should check out Jon Brooks’ latest album The Smiling and Beautiful Countryside. Excellent song writing in my humble opinion.

 

Written by Jamie Oppenheimer  c 2015  All Rights Reserved