Spirit of Rasputin's

Terry Gillespie & Vince Halfhide

Saturday, September 26 at 8:00 pm
Westboro Masonic Hall,
430 Churchill Ave.N., Ottawa

Tickets: $25

Online ticket sales close at noon on Saturday

Over the past four weeks we’ve shared a bit about Terry, Vince and Heaven’s Radio. Since this is our final week before their concert, we thought it’d be fun to dive into what the critics have had to say about their music over the years.

Let’s start with Vince Halfhide:

Vince is viewed by critics as a central, highly respected “master of the Ottawa folk and acoustic blues scene”. He is consistently praised for his technical guitar mastery and deep authenticity. Listen to a few of the tunes on his CD and you’ll understand what we’re talking about. Whether performing as a standout sideman or leading his own solo projects, Vince is frequently celebrated for his raw, stripped-down emotional delivery that allows his acoustic guitar skills to shine.

Critics heavily praised Vince’s solo album, describing it as a “beautifully crafted collection rooted deeply in folk, ragtime, and delta blues traditions”. Prominent roots music critics have unanimously highlighted his masterful guitar work and skillful storytelling. Reviewers have frequently singled out “Teizo’s Song”— a powerful ballad about Japanese-Canadian internment during World War II — and the poignant love song “Cobalt Miner’s Daughter” as examples of his songwriting depth.

Reviewers of Vince’s on stage, live performances have praised his captivating, soft-toned presence, noting that his solo sets carry “a distinct layer of raw emotion and powerful lyricism”. “Halfhides’ long-standing collaborative live sets with fellow blues veteran Terry Gillespie are celebrated as high-caliber staples of the Canadian roots music landscape.”

Wow! That is high praise indeed.

And what is it that critics say about the musicianship of Terry Gillespie?

Critics consistently describe Terry as a “groove-first roots musician” rather than as a flashy technician.

The most quoted assessments of Gillespie’s musicianship so far have come from none other than Holger Petersen of CBC’s Saturday Night Blues and Richard Ludmerer of the New York Blues and Jazz Society. Petersen called Terry “a soulful groove-master…who has honed in on a distinctive hybrid of intelligent material”. Petersen goes on: “…like Mark Knopfler and JJ Cale, his comfortable voice perfectly suits his deep guitar grooves. Nothing is wasted, nothing is missing.” How’s that for high praise?

Ludmerer raises the bar higher when he writes: “Terry Gillespie possesses a magic that seems to occur right in the middle of each song. It’s what causes the hair to stand up on the back of your neck.”  He’s “laidback but powerful” with “no showboating, no over the top pyrotechnics”. At different times and by different admirers Terry has been called “a musical shaman”, “Canada’s king of roots music” and “Mr. Groove”.

What more can I say? On Saturday, September 26, these two home town masters of music are going to fill the Westboro Masonic Hall with the “raw, stripped down authenticity and emotion” of Vince Halfhide and the “magic’ and “laidback power” of Terry Gillespie.

These are two terrific performers that you just don’t want to miss. Reserve your tickets now and we’ll see you on Saturday evening.