The CFL Sessions
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The CFL Sessions

London, Ontario, Canada

London, Ontario, Canada
Band Folk Singer/Songwriter

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"Life is Like Canadian Football: The CFL Sessions"

Every time I want to throw in the blogging towel (which, as you can probably tell by the eradic posting schedule lately, is often) something comes up that I just can’t help but write about. The most recent musical firecracker-up-my-butt is The CFL Sessions, the latest project from Henry Svec.

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Henry’s (Peter Mansbridge and The CBCs, The Boy from ET). He’s one of the most charismatic live performers around (see here) and his song writing is top notch. In fact, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been salivating in anticipation of the release of The CFL Sessions since I heard him perform these songs last year at the Tranzac. That’s saying a lot, as I’m far from a sports nut and don’t know much about the Canadian Football League at all. These are just damn good tunes.

Of course, with Henry there’s always more to it than just individual songs. As the name would imply, this particular high-concept involves Canadian football. The official byline is as follows (from The CFL Sessions website):

“The original CFL Sessions were captured in the 1970s by the late Canadian folklorist Staunton R. Livingston. The tapes (of Canadian football players performing both original and traditional works) collected dust in the National Archives of Canada until the summer of 2008, when they were discovered by resident folklorist Henry Adam Svec. Now, with the help of ethnomusicologist and composer WL Altman, Svec has transposed the rough, deteriorating recordings into lush and contemporary orchestrations.“

Basically, these are meant as songs performed by CFL players, lost decades ago, but found and given new life by Svec. Whatever the case, they are astounding songs—“Song Written Upong Getting Cut By the Argos” has pretty much been a favourite of mine since seeing it live for the first time last year. They capture an honour and dedication to craft (football or otherwise) that is humble (it is Canadian football…), masculine and divine. All of this is exemplified by the wonderfully forthright admission in “On Discipline”:

“I’m a bad lover and I can’t dance, …but you should see me down in a three-point stance. I’m a terrifying machine. Some of you know what I mean.“

Perfectly unpretentious lyrics like that combined with Svec’s undeniably charming delivery combine to make some truly compelling moments throughout the album (“Linebacker Passing Through” is another prime example).

Another thing that adds to The CFL Sessions‘ overall capacity for repeated listens is that Svec went straight for a collection of songs this time out, unlike The Boy From ET (read about that concept here) which included a large spoken word component. The stories on that album were hilarious and very entertaining, but made for a far less casual listen. With The CFL Sessions you’re able to enjoy the excellent songs and impeccably convincing delivery simply as is or dig deeper into the intriguing overall concept.

Whatever the case I can’t help but count my blessings that people like Svec are out there pushing the conceptual envelope while at the same time delivering such an engaging listen. It’s either that or resent him for making me get off my lazy butt and write, but I’d prefer to choose the former and simply sing along.

Oh, did I mention the whole album is free? Get it here.

- Wolves, Hawks, and Kites


"Football folk's a fake, and a passing fancy"

So there was this folklorist, name of Staunton R. Livingston, who uncovered a long-lost bunch of songs written, by of all things, former Canadian Football League players from the `70s.

And there's this folk singer, name of Henry Svec, who's trying to bring to light these evocative songs detailing the lives of anonymous players in works such as "Song Written Upon Getting Cut By The Argos" and "Linebacker Passing Through."

Well, to be honest, Livingston never existed and, as far as we know, none of the thousands of guys who played in the CFL during its glory days ever wrote anything more than their names in autograph books.

But Svec is real and is still surprised that a lot of people still fall for his little musical-theatre hoax. In fact, he's stopped sending out press releases detailing how he's bring Livingston's discoveries to light.

People kept showing up, maybe expecting to hear words penned by their CFL heroes from 30 years ago. Maybe a league that once had two teams with the same name can make people believe anything.

"I've stopped trying to fake it," says Svec, a 27-year-old University of Western Ontario teaching assistant and part-time singer. "Most people got it, but too many were taking it seriously."

One night, shortly after a Moncton paper ran an article written by a reporter who fell hook, line and sinker for Svec's story, a couple of old CFL fans made a long and ultimately disappointing drive to hear their heroes' words.

It's all part of what the former Mount Allison University linebacker says is a mix of his three great loves: Music, theatre and football.

While working at the U of T's Robarts Library a few years back, he did research on some American song collectors who recorded music created by migrant workers.

"It occurred to me that it would be kind of a funny way to approach music," says Svec. "There's a lot of freedom in that kind of story."

It wasn't the first time Svec blended fact, fiction and music. An earlier performance involved him telling the audience that he was Henry Thomas, the actor who played Elliott in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, and that his songs were inspired by various aspects of his life, including growing up in Tillsonburg, Ont.

When that show died after the real Thomas, who was born in Texas, threatened to take action, Svec invented the football idea.

The CFL Sessions, available for free at www.thecflsessions.ca, are a quirky mix of football-inspired lyrics, for example:

"Life's like Canadian football, it's not always televised
So take those moments by the hand you can't rewind."

Svec plays the songs tonight at the Tranzac and tomorrow at Mitzi's Sister.

- Toronto Star


"Reviews: The CFL Sessions"

There is probably nothing as Canadian, or as confusing as Canadian football. Where to start with the CFL? The insane rules, incredibly huge field, medicine ball sized football, the fact two teams in an eight team league had the same name and, of course the distinct lack of talent (read more about my hatred here), let's just say the CFL is no friend of mine.

Even with my distaste for the tradition of Canadian football, it seems there is one area the CFL dominate their counterparts south of the border: music. Sure, we all got excited seeing the Fridge and Willie Gault freak the funk on the SuperBowl Special, and don’t get me started on Prime to the Hammer, Hammer to the Prime or the redneck charm of Hank Williams telling us about his rowdy friends, but for the most part there hasn’t been a huge amount of tracks coming from NFL-ers.

Now, thanks to the tireless work of folklorist Henry Adam Svec, we have a fully restored version of the legendary CFL Sessions that were captured in the 1970s by the late Canadian folklorist Staunton R. Livingston. The songs were the best of the best, with CFL players performing original tracks and spirited covers that were played in locker rooms and bars after the games. Svec retreated to the House of Miracles and with the support of Canadian notables WL Altman, Laura Barrett, Andy Magoffin and Jeseka Hickey, he recreated the efforts as best he could. The result is an interesting glimpse into the past freshened with a new coat of paint. More importantly, musically this record kicks it like Lui Passaglia.

Without the large contracts and stardom of other professional sporting leagues, Canadian football is a seasonal occupation akin to tree planting or landscaping. The stark honesty of simple admissions like, "in the offseason I work at the mall. I sell shoes" or "I could drink all night in this city, if we had any money" really hammer home the fact a lot of these players play simply for the love of the game.

Central theme and cohesion aside, the songs are enjoyable even out of context. The songs focus on the sadness of the CFL athlete, but could just as easily be about the working class. I think Svec made a smart choice using lighter melodies and not letting depression dominate the recordings. The quick burst of pace on Life is Like Canadian Football or the jangle-y guitar that dances along in surprisingly catchy, Song Written Upon Getting Cut by the Argos keep you listening. Another uptempo ditty, On Play lets Svec show off his more playful side and even the campfire feel of CFL Seasons in the Sun is more enjoyable than you'd expect. Long story short, while the CFL sessions may not get me excited for the upcoming season, it is an enjoyable listen (especially considering it's free).
- Herohill


"Folk Music Inspired by Football"

Football and folk music probably sound like an unlikely combination to most people, but the two will come together in harmony for one night in Sackville this week.

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PHOTO CONTRIBUTEDHenry Adam Svec will perform in Sackville Wednesday. PHOTO CONTRIBUTEDW.L. Altman is a composer, scholar and instructor at Mount Allison University in Sackville. Songs first written by Canadian Football League players in the 1970s will be performed during the CFL Sessions at the Sackville Music Hall on Wednesday. Singer and guitarist Henry Adam Svec discovered the original reel-to-reel recordings in an unlabeled box while working as a part-time resident at the National Archives in Ottawa.

"They have stuff dumped off to them all the time. I was one of the grunts going through all that," he says with a laugh.

What he uncovered was a project from the late folklorist Staunton R. Livingston -- "kind of the nut bar in Canadian folk history," Svec says -- who spent several months in the '70s recording CFL players singing songs they had written about their lives as professional athletes. Svec wanted to remaster the songs to preserve their place in Canadian culture, but the tapes were so deteriorated that he decided to produce his own version.

A Mount Allison alumnus, Svec recorded simple tracks with just his voice and guitar and sent them to W.L. Altman, a composer and part-time music instructor at the university.

"Needless to say I was intrigued," says Altman, a devoted fan of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. "I think everyone finds it really compelling. Astounding really. I was just so taken with the idea. They could well have just disappeared, but they gave birth to this really touching project."

Wednesday's show will be the first time the pair perform the work together. Svec, also a football lover who played for the university's varsity team in his first year, says he was drawn to the songs because of the mystery behind the unmarked originals, which makes for a refreshing change from the image-driven modern scene.

"The performances are kind of shaky. I mean, these aren't seasoned performers. The songs are quite charming in their own right. It's not very ostentatious," he says.

"They're all anonymously written and anonymously performed. In today's world its almost unheard of to have someone give a gift like that, where no one's getting credit. This project is really just about passing the songs on."

Featuring titles like "Song Written Upon Getting Cut From the Argos" and "Linebacker Passing Through," the songs are undeniably sporty. In On Discipline, for example, the writer admits:

"I'm a bad lover and I can't dance/

But you should see me down in a three-point stance/

I'm a terrifying machine."

Yet the lyrics are unexpectedly personal and emotional at the same time, Svec says.

One suggests that:

"Life's Like Canadian Football, there aren't too many teams/

So just pick the one closest to your heart and scream for them/

Life's like Canadian football/It's not always televised/

So take those moments by the hand you can't rewind."

Although much of the music reflects to its creators' sporting background, Svec says the emotion and personal experiences it contains are part of the essence of folk music.

"Part of what I learned immediately was, of course, anyone can write a song. It's just people writing stuff about their lives, which anyone can do. As is a lot of folk music, it's really honest. It's just people singing about their job."

He says the instrumentation Altman added, including drums, piano, organ and ukulele, make the music accessible and will bring the unique blend of sports and music to more people.

Altman thinks the music has a broader appeal that will speak to people who don't follow sports.

"All these guys would have had big dreams. In a way, it's the disappointment of dreams that haven't been realized," he says, adding that the CFL is very reflective of its home country.

"I can't help thinking that's sort of a Canadian theme -- the huge distances and then the isolation at the same time and all these little teams so far apart."

- Moncton Times and Transcript


Discography

"Song Written Upon Getting Cut by the Argos" has been played heavily on CBC Radio 3. The CFL Sessions' self-titled recording reached #2 on the national folk/roots/blues charts (earshot) in the summer of 2009.

Photos

Bio

The original CFL Sessions were captured in the 1970s by the late Canadian folklorist Staunton R. Livingston. The tapes (of Canadian football players performing both original and traditional works) collected dust in the National Archives of Canada until the summer of 2008, when they were discovered by resident folklorist Henry Adam Svec. Now, with the help of ethnomusicologist and composer WL Altman, Svec has transposed the rough, deteriorating recordings into lush and contemporary orchestrations.

At least, that's the story told by the "The CFL Sessions," which came on the Canadian scene with a bang when a Moncton journalist took the project at face value in the summer of 2009. Since then, the strange performance project has delighted and provoked audiences across the country, blending virtual Canadiana, a bizarre approach to stage banter, and just plain good songs.

The "front" of the fiction is maintained throughout the performance -- I tell the audience I am a folklorist who discovered the songs, and I proceed to perform and briefly discuss the historical documents. "Ethnomusicologist" WL Altman occasionally helps me to recapture the vision of the original authors. A fun mix of stand-up, hoaxing, theatre, and Edith Fowke-style Canadiana (and Pynchon to boot!), there isn't really another artist -- or even genre -- that can be compared to this unique and entertaining project.

I began to play music, with WL Altman, in the Sackville, NB, band Peter Mansbridge and the CBCs. My next project was called The Boy from ET, in which I claimed to be Henry Thomas, the (Canadian, I claimed) songwriter who was formerly a child actor. I have performed these projects across the country, but especially in Ontario and Eastern Canada.

See www.thecflsessions.ca to learn more about the project or to freely download the whole recording.