The lovely and talented Miss Tannis Slimmon is gracing Edmonton with her presence once again after far too long away. The popular songbird comes all the way from Guelph to play the Blue Chair Cafe on February 18th, and the show sees her return to a city she has an obvious connection to, judging by the track entitled “Edmonton” on her recent release. Contact reso@bluechair.ca for reservations to what promises to be a spectacular sold out evening of acclaimed folk roots music in the City of Champions!
Tannis Slimmon’s extensive musical career is populated with a swath of critical acclaim. The sweet sounding songbird brought home Contemporary Vocalist of the Year at the 2008 Canadian Folk Music Awards for her album ‘Lucky Blue’ and that barely scratches the surface of her professional career. Coming from generations of musical talent Tannis situated herself in Guelph, Ontario in 1980 and started writing, recording and touring regularly, including eleven years with the acclaimed trio The Bird Sisters. She struck off on her own in 2001 with her solo debut ‘Oak Lake’, and followed it up with 2007’s award winning ‘Lucky Blue’.
Both albums have been met by critical acclaim. In addition to the Folk Music Award, ‘Lucky Blue’ garnered the Independent Music Award for Best Folk/Roots Song for “Ernest, Charlie & Allan”, a nomination for Best Folk/Roots Album from the same, a spot in the Top 10 Critics Albums of the Year by Penguin Eggs; Canada’s Premier Folk/Roots Music Magazine, a Porcupine ‘Golden Quill Award’ for songwriting, and was 16th on the Galaxie Folk/Roots Channel’s Top Spins of 2008. Lewis Melville was nominated for Producer of the Year for ‘Lucky Blue’ as well at the 2008 Canadian Folk Music Awards. Tannis’ 2001 album ‘Oak Lake’ won the Porcupine award for Favourite Album of 2001 and the Orillia Folk Society’s ‘Songs for Living Rooms’ for “There’s A Lift”.
Tannis Slimmon’s beautiful voice has been featured on more than 74 albums, contributing harmony vocals for fellow musicians like Willie P. Bennett, Valdy and Rheostatics, and added her voice to the chorus on the Barenaked Ladies hit ‘If I Had A Million Dollars’. Broadening her horizons even further, Tannis also traveled to Mali, West Africa in 2004 with a quartet of musicians exploring the role of music in development and appears in the documentary of the trip ‘Road To Baleya’, by Bay Waymen (Close Up Films). Picking up a the travel bug Tannis again went exploring to Matansas, Cuba and has subsequently hosted Malian musicians in her home for two summers. Keeping a steady pace in the music scene, Tannis continues to tour and is kicking off spring 2010 with a Home Routes Tour of Manitoba.
“A breathtaking vocalist with a bright, angelic disposition, Slimmon is a favourite folk attraction whose harmonies are as warm as her smile.” – Exclaim Magazine
“…one of the most beautiful voices I have had the pleasure to listen to.” – David Francey
Tannis at OCFF 2009 with Maddy Rodriguez
