Michael Jerome Browne — Gettin’ Together

Label: Stony Plain Records

When folk/roots artist Michael Jerome Browne says he’s “gettin’ together” with a few other talented folks, he means it. For his latest release, Browne has invited some of the best to come and play: Harrison Kennedy, J.J. Milteau, Eric Bibb, John Sebastian, Mary Flower, Colin Linden, Stephen Barry, John McColgan, Teilhard Frost, and Happy Traum. It’s a highly satisfying collection of songs, each of which clearly resonate for Browne. He is a multi-instrumentalist/songwriter/performer who shows his appreciation for his own personal history of the blues by breathing life into each song in his own way, and by sharing the fun he has while doing so.

What else would you expect from a three-time Canadian Folk Music Award winner, recipient of the Blues With A Feeling Award at the 2020 Maple Blues Awards (with 35 nominations since 1999), five-time Juno Award nominee in both the Roots/Traditional and Blues categories, and Kerrville New Folk Finalist? Throughout, the emphasis is on virtuoso musicianship rather than dramatic interpretation. It allows the songs to stand on their own. These performances are a celebration that they have endured.