Hear the sounds of Fortune's Gale (aka Gale B. Gardiner) on Forever & Always (F&A - D.C. area producer Jim Houck’s push for her to enter Sweetbriar College’s '02 Singer / Songwriter Fest). Groton, MA's Stagecoach Inn 5- Star Friday Showcase awarded Gale it's '06 songwriting challenge trophy, & she was chosen 3/07's CT Live Music Local Spotlight. She was invited to perform Forever & Always, (& Timeless Love), songs for CT&Cox Cable Access Music/talk Shows "Solly's Friends" ('07 & Fall '08 in Winsted, Granby, Simsbury, Enfield (CT) Cox cable towns & Westfield (MA) cable area), as well as "Did You Know?" ('08 Wethersfield & greater Manchester,CT).
She was asked in Jan. '09 by Guy Gilchrist (Nashville hit) to split bill-fine turnout Feb. 13th at Pineloft Cafe Berlin, CT. She was asked by Mark Pollard of Cold Sweat, to join in some songs at Margaritas in Canton July 4th. Bass player Cliff' complimented ~ Gordon Lightfood's 'Beautiful' harmony duo with Mark should have been recorded (& he wanted to buy a CD :-).
Her 1st full length CD TIMELESS LOVE: Old, New, Borrowed, Blue, Strong & True is at www.cdbaby.com/cd/galebgardiner2
Check there for Bio, 10 CD discography, highlights of her performing experiences & most recent news.
Liner notes & reviews follow monthly schedule:
All events in CT & accessible unless noted) (P)=piano (NA)=no alcohol
All events in CT & accessible unless noted) (P)=piano (NA=no alcohol venue)
NOVEMBER 2009
Sun. 15th-Middletown-South Green Coffeehouse, 20 Church St. Methodist Church 7-10pm $3 (P) (NA)
Tues. 17th-Hamden-The Space, Open Mic, recording final songs for Welcome Home 7-11pm $5 (P) (NA)
Treadwell St.
Wed. 18th-Hartford-McKinnon's Irish Sesson- 7-10pm Asylum St. FREE
Sat. 21st-Hartford, CT- People's Action for Clean Energy (PACE) event 5-8pm FREE (NA)
Fortune's Gale 5-7pm Unitarian Meeting House 50 Bloomfield Ave.
Mon. 23-Canton-Roaring Brook Nature Center Open Mic 7-10pm $5 (NA)
70 Gracy Rd. Stan Sullivan Hosts
Sat. 28th-Bristol, CT-Recovery Club -Fortune's Gale Open Mic Feature 7-11pm Donations welcome (NA)
67 West Street
Sun. 29th-West Hartford-Fortune's Gale Student Holiday Music Fest -Sunrise Living Bloomfield Ave. 3pm FREE (NA)
Hear piano, autoharp, voice & guitar offerings by talented students of all ages.
DECEMBER 2009 (partial)
Thurs. 3rd - Middletown -Buttonwood Tree- Acoustic Open Mic-Bob Gotta Host Main St. $3 (P) (NA)
Tues. 8th- Hartford - Wreaths Across America - Hartford Armory 6-7:30pm FREE (NA)
Tribute to Families of Fallen Heroes and Gold Star Mothers (of those who have given the ultimate
sacrifice for our freedom). CT Holiday Tree will have gold ormaments with names of all the fallen.
Sat. 12th-West Hartford- Holiday Tea- St. James's Episcopal Church 19 Walden/corner of Farmington Ave. 2-4pm $8 (P) (NA)
Harney Teas, lovely desserts, live music (including Fortune's Gale)
Sat 12th- Southwick, MA-Red Riding Hood Basket - Mike Companick & Tom Sheely, Fortune's Gale special guest 7-10pm
FREE - Sharing CT folk/blues heroes Mike & Tom across the border!
Thanks to Univ. of Hartford artist, Josh, who created 3 works about my music for the 9th Annual Women's Composer Fest art/music collaboration (15 artists portrayed 15 composers). The exhibit was at Tisane Tea & Coffee Bar, Hartford, CT. The major piece was inspired by Forever & Always ( liner note below 'tossing child in the air'), a 2nd by the Dalmatian Suite 1st movement Creation (discography on Timeless Love CDbaby site below), a 3rd by "Strands of Hair" not recorded yet...
Specific track info (not on CD insert):
#1 How Can I Say I Love You? - It was originally, How Can I Say I'm Sorry. Gale's mom said 'can't you write anything upbeat?'...so she kept the melody and wrote new lyrics,singing it at her 1st gig. It was requested by a couple the next week when they returned.
#2 Right Person, Place & Thyme - Written during Augusta Festival Autoharp Workshop in '99, Gale's neighbor asked her to record it for a May wedding. Gale brought a blank tape to sounding board at Tortilla Factory (Herndon (VA) Folk club, and that is where Jim Houcke heard her (& asked her to sing ballads on his next CD, wanted her to submit to Lileth Festival, & encouraged her submission to Sweetbriar College 2002 Singer Songwriter Festival...
#3 Mother, Baby & Me - Lyrics were written by Gale's brother Randy for he & wife Kathy's first daughter Joy. Melody came to her on OH to CT flight after seeing her six week old niece. Producer of Forever & Always, Larry Cooper insisted it be included after Gale picked up her guitar to sing it as a way to calm his one year old daughter while they tried to record. Larry said people would 'stop and listen' - it was the song chosen by West Hartford Cafe (CT) to play overhead...
#4 Rose of Allendale - Gale 1st heard this in Norway done by Harvey Reid & Joannie Maden (Cherish the Ladies) with exquisite harmonies at the '99 Vikedal Roots Festival. Gale had been in Europe for work & visited friends in Bergen 60 miles from festival that weekend. Most beautiful drive of her life (60 miles but 5 hours & 2 ferry crossings over fjords)! Gale learned the song from Mary Black's CD & considers it one of the most challenging & rewarding vocals she's ever done.
# 5 - Forever & Always is an example of how new music often falls from the sky during Gale's travels - this one came in Oslo, Norway '99, on a Sat. walking down Kierkevein (Church St.) after seeing a father 'toss' his infant into the air, both laughing - a pure moment of unconditional love & unconditional trust between parent & child. She 'heard' a fiddle playing, but no time to include one for this EP. She hopes you 'hear' the fiddle somehow during the vocal interlude...
#6 - Sea Fever - Masefield's 1909 poem (UK Poet Laureate) was the inspiration for this melody, Gale's 1st foray into shanty-writing. It was on the Final program of a York, ME Waterways '95 Songwriting contest where she went when her submission wasn't a 'top 10' (she'd sent Brook Waltz, now on her Dalmatian Suite CD). They wanted shanties, not waltzes! It's enjoyed by others like Gale with 'sea fever'!
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