Welcome to grantsimpson.net - the website for promoting the music of Grant Simpson, Musician/Songwriter/Vaudevillian.

I'm in full out Vaudevillian mode these days as the Frantic Follies is in the middle of its 40th season. It's one of my favorite things to do.

Aside from the full-time schedule of the show, I’m performing at the odd other gig.  One of the local hotels “The Capital” is re-opening and is featuring some stride piano.  I’ll be there on Friday, July 3rd from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Then on Saturday, July 4th I’m playing bass with a little group at Kevin Barr’s new festival, Fest Fest at 7:00 p.m.  The music at FestFest is going to be going on all weekend.

Any News......

Well - I turned 50 this year - New Song - "I'm 50 - 50 Years Old"

More of my recently written songs here: www.grantsimpson.net/new_songs/

Other stuff:
2009 I have decided to slow down on the amount of touring I am doing and will try to keep a sane pace to my life. I intend to try to forge ahead with a more balanced way of taking my music outside of the Yukon and that only on occassion. For as much as I love to travel, and as much as I enjoy playing music for people, I find that I miss the Yukon more and more as I get older - and I'm 50!

In November 2008 I played in China as a duo with Don Ogilive in Shanghai for a week, and then was joined by the rest of my band and we performed a week at various Arts Centres, Universities and Clubs as part of the Nanjing Jazz and World Music Festival. It was a lot of fun and a wonderful experience being introduced to the life and culture of these two places in China. It certainly gave me the desire to travel and play more extensively in that beautiful country.

In early 2008 I played a wide variety of gigs across Canada and a couple in the U.S.A.

Of the highlights of 2008 was touring with the lovely Kate Weekes, a Yukon singer, songwriter and wonderfully unique talent. Kate toured with the Homeroutes Organization and I accompanied her on piano and banjo (for a couple of numbers) and we made our way around Saskatchewan from top to bottom.

Homeroutes is a wonderfully innovative organization that sets up tours of House Concerts in the provence then tours various musicians around. It is by far one of the most organized and fulfilling tours I've ever done - and my hat goes off to the innovative creative genius of it's founder Mitch Podolak. (www.homeroutes.ca)

I also toured Saskatchewan with my own band, New Orleans North this past year, so I got a LOT of time in Saskatchewan. What a wonderful Province and people we've got as part of this country! Beautiful!.

 

Other more personal stuff:

In June of last year I made a wonderful move to the country and now live 22 miles out of town (Whitehorse) in a small cabin with my two kids and a multitude of musical instruments. We mush dogs here and much of our day-to-day existence is spent looking after the 32 Sled Dogs. If you'd like to know more about it all - check out my blog - I'm sure I'll have something up soon about this aspect of my life............it's too big a part to lightly pass over.

When I'm not working with dogs (32 of them), chopping wood or a variety of other related activities, I've been writing and composing music and am looking at releasing a CD of my songs in late 2009.

Thanks again for stopping by. If you need anything - write me - email me - phone me. I'll be happy to help in any way i can.

- Grant

If you want to do some great listening and thinking - check out these two sites:
www.dancarlin.com and go to "Common Sense". His History Program is stellar - but his Common Sense Program is really something that makes you think.

Also - check out the Zeitgeist. Two wonderful and free movies that you can view online anytime.