Singer-songwriter releases second CD

Throughout her life, Nancy Johnson has had a love of music. Growing up on Caldwell First Nation, her home was often full of music, and she developed an appreciation for all styles, including folk, rock, blues and old time country. She counts Buffy Sainte Marie, Bruce Cockburn, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and the Beatles among her musical influences.

Johnson would often perform for family and at community events, but it wasn't until after a car accident on an Ontario highway in 2000 that she decided to take her music to the next level and record an album.

"It ended up in the papers as I almost died. It was only a close call," she said. "After that happened, it really just made me think, 'You know what? We don't know how much time we have in this life. If I can't do anything else in my life, one thing I have to do is get the music down because everybody loves these songs. And that's why I do what I do.'"

In 2001, the singer-songwriter released her debut CD, Pretty Good Sign. She admits the album was an experiment, but it proved to be a good one, earning her a nomination in the Best Female Vocalist category at the 2002 Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards.

The CD garnered a lot of attention, in part because of the lyrics in songs like Cover Up, which Johnson wrote about the 1995 death of Dudley George at Ipperwash Park.

"When I recorded that one I had to wait a couple years from the time it came to me to the time I recorded it because there was too much anger," said Johnson. "I couldn't even sing it to people without getting mad. I think it was good because I wanted it to raise awareness and I was supporting the inquiry into Ipperwash when I did that. I was pleased about doing that."

The songs on Pretty Good Sign were a blend of folk, blues and contemporary Indigenous music. With her second CD, Water Song, Johnson has created something quite different from her inaugural offering, she said.

Johnson describes Water Song as a more in-depth production with more layers compared to her first CD-more instrumentation and more background vocals, producing a sound that incorporates reggae, Latin, jazz and Cajun vibes into her original music.

"I was able to bring in a lot of fantastic musicians to the studio with me and do it as a professional endeavor," said Johnson.

The CD features Mark Keels on drums and percussion, George Kola on bass, violinists Ann Lindsay and Rick Hyssop, Carlos Del Junco on harmonica, Denis Kelley on keyboard, Wendy Solomon on cello, Anne Werbitsky on dobro, Sameday Ray and KK Walsh of Loco Zydeco on accordion and rub board and Neil Paraffin and Yashushi on piano.

"The calibre is unbelievable of these musicians," said Johnson.

Johnson's only struggle with creating the new album was when it came time to write a duet called Take You Gently. In the end, the song proved to be well worth the effort once she brought in Hector Sturgeon, a young artist from Chippewas of the Thames First Nation.

"He's sensational," Johnson said. "He's got a George Jones quality in his voice. His voice is just beautiful and he writes his own stuff."

Johnson said a lot of the credit for the quality of new CD has to go to Eugene Boyer of Batchewana First Nation, who produced and recorded the album.

"I have to give him a lot of the credit because he sat me down and we worked out our arrangements together for each track and I tell you, he's a genius," said Johnson. "It's thanks to him that I really took the time to do it well. I'm really pleased with how it turned out."

Johnson said she wants Water Song to be inspiring to the listeners and to show them that Aboriginal people do many positive things.

"The whole purpose of the CD, of the music, for me is to share something positive with people because we have so much negative history and so much heavy stuff that we carry around with us as Native people, and there's so many good things, many wonderful things that go in ou community," she said. "That's what I try to do, is share the good stuff."

Water Song can be purchased from the Cedar Basket gift shop at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto.

For more info about Johnson, visit her Web site at www.nancyjohnsonmusic.com.