Homage to the prairies

Russell deCarle doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone, least of all himself.

Dubbed ‘the voice of Prairie Oyster’ he is a founding member of this multi-platinum, Juno award-winning Canadian band. Through Prairie Oyster’s on-and-off 37-year tenure, deCarle helped stamp the Canadian country roots scene as second to none.

But in September 2010, the Ontario-based singer-songwriter branched out, releasing his first solo album, Under the Big Big Sky, on the Fontana North label.

Unlike the homogenized music playing on commercial radio stations today, Under the Big Big Sky reflects deCarle’s personal taste, which runs to a mix of blues, jazz and R&B tinged with Western Swing.

And he’ll be giving a sampling of his expanded style at an Arden Theatre concert on Friday, Oct. 14. Joining him is Steve Briggs (guitar) and Denis Keldi (accordion/keyboard).

Speaking in a telephone interview from his Janetville farmhouse where he excels at sawing lumber and growing organic vegetables, deCarle said: “The warm bottom end, the bass, is disappearing in modern records. I just wanted to make a lush record.”

Some pretty heavy guns are backing the solo 11-track effort, including long-time friend and producer John Sheard (The Guess Who), and engineer L. Stu Young (Ronnie Hawkins/Guns ‘N’ Roses), who also worked on Prairie Oyster’s 1991 breakthrough album Everybody Knows.

What fired deCarle up to eventually write and record a solo record was spending some quality time at the farm with his guitar several years ago. At around that time, he received a call from Merle Haggard to open the American country legend’s 2004 Canadian tour.

“He’s been one of my biggest influences,” deCarle said. “To me he really transcends the genre. He’s always fresh and even though he’s in his ’70s he still writes great songs.”

The tour was inspirational and the result was a body of songs including the peppy, self-titled Under the Big Big Sky with a brassy Latin groove.

“A huge part of my early career was travelling through the prairies. I love the light. I love the air. I love the open country. It definitely is an homage to that part of world,” he said.

Certainly not lost in the shuffle is the tender ballad East of the Sun, West of the Moon and the trumpet driven Chicago-style blues song Baby Don’t Come Here Anymore.

“I actually recorded Baby years ago with Prairie Oyster. I wanted to make it sound like the Perry Mason theme or Cab Calloway.”

At the stripped-down Arden concert, deCarle is planning a mix of his newest solo songs and Prairie Oyster material.

“Dyed in the wool Prairie Oyster fans will love it as much as new fans,” he said. “People that thought they knew me will see a new side and the guys I’ll be with are just great.”

CBC will record the concert to be aired at a future date.