Darrell Grant
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Darrell Grant

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Band Folk Acoustic

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"Various Review clips"

What the Critics are Saying:

Ø Simply stated, Grant is emerging as one of Canada's most impressive songwriters. Although literate in an effortlessly sophisticated way, his lyrics are broadly accessible... It is a tribute to both Miramichi artists to compare Grant to novelist David Adams Richard in the way they both express universal truths through particular experiences of ordinary people." (Robert Reid, "The Kitchener-Waterloo Record")

Ø "The soft-spoken singer brings to songwriting the kind of solitary grandeur that the film "A River Runs Through It" lent to fly fishing." (Tim Arsenault, "Words & Music, Society of Canadian Authors and Composers").

Ø "...a very clever tunesmith... brilliant piecing together of song material... the kind of stuff that fires up the adrenalin." (R.P.M. Magazine)

Ø "...what words. These are more than just words to sing. Darrell is a craftsman of his trade, able to weave the most wonderful stories and subjects into song." ( Robin Jones, "The Old Chestnut Song Circle Newsletter”)

"Listening to Darrell Grant's debut CD, "The Heart Is Like A Wheel, is much like being reunited with an old, dear friend after years of separation," writes Laverne Stewart, of The Fredericton Daily Gleaner.

The Heart Is Like A Wheel is
"... a superb debut recording," says Robert Reid, of The Kitchener-Waterloo Record. - Various


"From Live Performance"

[ Girls with Glasses ] were joined by opening act Darrell Grant, the former songwriter and lead guitarist of the award-winning, acoustic, power-trio Modabo.

He drove from his farm outside Fredericton, N.B., to make his solo debut in Kitchener. Modabo last appeared here a decade ago before disbanding after performing together for seven years. He also played an Old Chestnuts house concert yesterday, retracing the steps Modabo walked when they first performed in Kitchener by inaugurating Old Chestnuts house concerts in 1996. [ ... ]

He played a tiny selection of the 300 songs he estimates he has written since he last visited Kitchener during a 30-minute set Saturday and at yesterday's house concert. Some songs were drawn from his superb, debut, solo recording, The Heart is Like a Wheel, which is being released on Wednesday. [ ... ]

Grant is a gifted songwriter and he is a talented enough vocalist and guitarist to carry his impressive songs to a wide audience.

His thick catalogue of material needs to be recorded so more acoustic music lovers can either renew or make an acquaintance.
- The Record.com


Discography

Modabo, Modabo, 1997: nominated for ECMA album of the Year

The Many and The One, 1999

Handmade Instrumentals: Acoustic Guitar Recordings, Volume 1.

The Heart Is Like A Wheel, released February 2009

Photos

Bio

For seven years, Darrell was the singer / songwriter / guitarist behind the exciting contemporary folk trio, MODABO. Known in the 1990’s for their powerful live performances, heartfelt songs, and a quirky sense of fun, the lads were twice nominated in the East Coast Music Award Category, Group of the Year. Their enduring self-titled debut cd (produced by Garnet Rogers, penned by Grant) was nominated for an ECMA Album of the Year. After many performances coast to coast, and one more acclaimed release, MODABO disbanded in December 1999.

Since then, Darrell’s been working away, creating and recording music in a relaxed project studio he calls The Digital Pitchfork. Here he's built a catalogue of almost 300 songs, instrumentals, and experimental soundscapes. At The Fork, he has created, produced, and recorded music for three documentary / information films, and also one dramatic NB Film Co-Op production, Reading Tom Sawyer. He's just finished a gig as the Director of Music for an hour long social documentary, in which 11 original compositions were created and placed. Darrell's music publishing company, Turn Up That Music administers rights for his own music as well as the Modabo catalogue of tunes.

Darrell’s lyric sense of music lures the listener into the simple beauty of the acoustic guitar, and then into colourful splashes of electric and virtual guitar technology. Intricate finger picking and percussive right hand techniques span realms of alternate tunings, and explore partial capo effects. The deep energy of his verse is forged into sure melodies by a strong and distinctive voice; his phrases are infused with a “poet’s heart singing.” This strength is informed partly by his academic background: Grant is a summa cum laude English graduate of St. Thomas University. For his graduate work, he was awarded a Special Canada Council Masters of Arts Scholarship (awarded annually to Canada's top 100 students).

Darrell’s love of a lyrical story has led him to cast some beloved poems into song. On his debut solo album, "The Heart Is Like A Wheel," ("a superb debut recording" says Robert Reid of The Kitchener-Waterloo Record) there is a rockin' Yeats favourite, "The Song of the Wandering Aengus", and also Lord Byron's classic, "So We'll Go No More A-Roving." "The Weaver", A well-known poem of spiritual consolation, recieves a simple, uplifting musical arrangement. This well-crafted album ends on a whimsical note, with a story of human perserverance, "The Thing That Couldn't Be Done."

And then there is "A Musical Garden of Songs: Poems by Robert Louis Stevenson, Music by Darrell Grant", an altogether special project. Here are 17 poems selected from Stevenson’s outstanding children’s book, A Child's Garden of Verses, set to melodic and intimate folk-styled music. It is his favourite musical project to date, for the album is inspired by the witnessing and nurturing his own son’s growing love of music and rhyme. The creation of both new albums have been generously supported by ArtsNB, and the Province of New Brunsick.

In terms of his own craft with words, Darrell hopes to release Collected Lyrics and Poems, before too long.
Darrell lives on an old farm in rural New Brunswick (his home province) with his wife, son, cats, fish, and guitars. A gentle collection of compositions for acoustic guitar, Handmade Instrumentals, is also currently available.

Darrell is available year-round for festivals, songshops, special events, school programs, shows of all kinds.