Gordie Tentrees
Mercy or Sin
Feb 2, 2010
DIY – Distributed by Burnside
Gordie Tentrees is from the cold and rustic Yukon Territory and writes like a disciple to preeminent Texas storytellers on his third album, Mercy or Sin. “Alfred” leads off the record, a darkly poignant acoustic tale -“Walks with a hitch, right side hip, reads a dirt palm, right before he spits, thinks on the rain, hollers for the end, Alfred is old his blood ain’t thin.” But don’t settle in for a mellow country/folk album, because he brings his 50s-era resophonic guitar and stomp board to a roaring “No Integrity Man” for a decidedly blues-rock feel—and a hint of rockabilly on “Same Old Blues.”
He brings Mercy or Sin to the US in February (released in Canada in 09) with a detour to perform at the Olympics in Vancouver Feb. 15-17, for the New Songs New Voices Show — selected as the best of Canada’s songwriters. “Ironically, I am a former Golden Glove amateur boxer who spent 10 years trying to represent Canada at the Olympics, and now 10 years after retiring from the sport I am finally going to sing.” On the other side of that coin, Tentrees also quit an 8-year full time teaching job with special needs kids and teens 3 years ago, to concentrate in touring. Since then, Tentrees and band do over 200 dates a year.
EPK video – http://www.youtube.com/tentrees74
Listen –
“Tunes, carried by his resonator guitar, and aided by pedal steel, banjo, fiddle and blow harps, are often darker than a Whitehorse winter- yet never remorse, not even close. In the rough- cut vein of Fred Eaglesmith or Kelly Joe Phelps, Tentrees is gifted.” Globe & Mail
“Coming from the singer songwriter tradition with his roots in country blues and sounding like a young John Prine, Tentrees and his band play seductively with guitars licking and curling around his lyrics. At times they play dirty as on “Devil Talks” with ferocious guitar and stinging dobro but again the best is in the quieter moments where Tentrees and the band swing with a lazy nonchalance with a hint of menace in the tale.” Round Up- (UK)
“He is a phenomenon…He does create a unique sound that dips in and out of folk and acoustic blues. His use of the Dobro and crafting of songs is wonderful. For instance, the song Farm Boy opens with some bluesy slide guitar work to be immediately accompanied by banjo and harmonica. It is great to listen to a record that oozes talent from the songwriting to the playing.” Maverick Magazine (UK)
“Tentrees delivery is so relaxed and unpretentious it’s impossible to not get drawn into his world. The title track Mercy or Sin with Jennie Sosnowskiwould not sound out of place on John Prine’s wonderful In Spite of Ourselves album.” No Depression
US Tour Dates
Feb. 1 Great Falls, MT @ House Concert
Feb. 2 Bozeman, MT@ Filling Station
Feb. 4 Kansas City, MO @ Knuckleheads Saloon
Feb. 5 Norman, OK @ The Deli
Feb. 6 Denton, TX @ Dan’s Silverleaf
Feb. 7 Plano, TX @ TBA
Feb. 8 San Marcos, TX @ Triple Crown
Feb. 9 New Braunfels, TX @ “Live on KNBT” w/ Ray Wylie Hubbard
Feb. 10 Beaumont, TX @ Courvilles w/ Ray Wylie Hubbard
Feb. 11 New Braunfels, TX @ Gruene Hall
Feb. 12 Conroe, TX @ Corner Pub
Feb. 13 Dallas, TX @ Bills Records 3pm Matinee
Feb. 13 Princeton, TX @ Cuervos Acres Concert 8pm Show
Feb. 14 Little Rock, AK @ Whitewater Tavern
Feb. 15-17 Vancouver, BC @ Olympic Games- New Songs-New Voices Performance
Feb. 18-20 Memphis, TN @ North American Folk Alliance Showcase
Feb. 21 Fort Smith, AK @ Kralick Concert Series
Feb. 22 Oklahoma City, OK @ Baileys House Concert
Feb. 23 Tucson, AZ @ Nimbus Brewing Concert
Feb. 24 Phoenix, AZ @ Fiddlers Dream Coffeehouse
Feb. 25 Altadena, CA @ Coffee Gallery Backstage Concert
Feb. 26 San Luis Obispo, CA@ The Clubhouse
Feb. 27 Eugene, OR @ TBA
Feb. 28 Portland, OR @ Papa G’s
Mar. 1 Bellingham, WA@ Green Frog Acoustic Tavern
