After time off to focus on his health and well-being, Tim Harrison is ready to get back in the proverbial saddle.
“I’m hankering to record again,” Harrison said. “I’m working my way back slowly through an acoustic jam on Gabriola every week.
“The things I’m working on are coming from that.”
Harrison built his name and reputation in the music business in Eastern Canada, recording with such people as Daniel Lanois, who produced U2’s album The Joshua Tree. He also founded several folk festivals across the country, including Summerfolk in Owen Sound, Ont., and the Mariposa Folk Festival in Orillia, Ont.
But he left that behind when he relocated to the West Coast for rest and relaxation. Music took a back seat while his focus diverted to other things.
But a brush with death put that focus squarely back on his first love: music.
“I needed to do some growth in that direction,” Harrison said.
He didn’t quite know what to expect from his new community on Gabriola, but quickly found acceptance once he made efforts to re-emerge on the music scene.
“I didn’t really know what to expect,” Harrison said. “It’s not like other communities. People here are really open to art.”
The community – Gabriola and Vancouver Island – is home to some unlikely people, which Harrison learned when he ran into a world-class mastering guy. He said he hopes to collaborate on an album.
“It’s funny what can be unearthed,” Harrison said.
The rise of digital technology allows musicians to record from pretty much anywhere, and Harrison brought his gear from Ontario.
Harrison describes his music as a blend of traditional folk and R&B, usually presented in ballad form.
“Whatever you’d call that,” he said.
He performs Monday (Aug. 6) at Diners Rendezvous in a Gabriola showcase with Amber Handley and Brad Shipley. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the concert at 7 p.m.
Tickets $8. Please call 250-740-1133.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com