Beth Tait

CBC Radio NB SHIFT
By Bob Mererereau

It's always good not to rush things...take your time, do it when you're ready, do it when it's right. But hey, come on, Beth Tait of Woodstock, I've been waiting a long time for your cd, which is finally here. Ten years back, in fact, you mentioned possibly recording some stuff some day, and that's after a lifetime of writing songs. So it was with great pleasure I received the debut disc from Beth called Smilin' Fool.

Let's backtrack...Beth's well-known, a longtime resident of Woodstock. She's a popular piano teacher, and performer, and was involved in the local group Pokey's Turn until a couple of years back. But there's always been something else to do, other than her own songs. Keeping company with lots of different players, the jam sessions were always lots of fun, and that meant playing songs everyone would know, instead of her own. Yet as more and more of her friends heard them, more and more the pressure was on for her to record.

That was accomplished a few months ago with a trip to Toronto. Her material was so solid, six tracks were done up by an arranger and local pros including Dave Aplin, guitarist for Lee Aaron and A Foot In Coldwater. These were all original tunes, that show the various sides of her writing, from ballads to flat-out rockers. There are newer tunes, and one, the title track, that dates back to when she was 16. Here she was, sitting on all these songs, all these years...and let me tell ya, they are good.

Beth Tait's songs have a whole lot of things going for them..the writing is interesting, and gives you lots of details about where the songs are set..for instance, in Roll Me Down, the action is set in a local bar, the kind you'd find in any Maritime town. You get the smell of beer on the faded rug... and my favourite line is "The music is loud, and it's not very good."

Beth's voice has lots of power and expression, and I can't think of another singer I'd compare her to. Again, her vocals push the story-telling, and you believe her, she takes you inside the song to understand the characters.

Tait has just started playing on her own again..a recent gig at Woodstock's Fusion Coffee she says was the first solo one "in ages".
What she plans to do with this disc, which she describes as a variety six-pack, is to create some buzz, to play out and around, try for some folk festivals. She has a ton of other originals just waiting to play, and record. The disc is already on its second local single, on Woodstock radio, and you can pick up the disc at Fusion Coffee and M.E.S. Music, both in downtown Woodstock, or you can order it from him at beth.tait@hotmail.com. Also check her out at her myspace website, bethtait.

So here we go with a tune: this one's from the Smilin' Fool disc, it's the one she wrote way back when she was 16, the title cut, Smilin' Fool:
- CBC Radio SHIFT

Beth Tait is a Woodstock Treasure! A great voice, that rivals the likes of Melissa Etheridge. Great talent like this doesn't come along everyday, so we're thrilled to have been a part of her CD launch in New Brunswick, and look forward to many releases from Beth! 104FM EZ Rock is always happy to feature new and upcoming artists!

- 104FM EZ Rock Woodstock

Ok it's not a press review but it's still great news!

I'VE BEEN ACCEPTED TO PERFORM AT THE “Mamapalooza Singer/Songwriter Showcase"
at The Cake Shop
152 Ludlow Street, NYC
212.253.0036/cake-shop.com
(A full night of Mama fun!)

See you there! - Mampalooza!