Album Notes

John Hanson is one of those musical talents who suddenly emerges later in life and people sit up and go, "Hey, this is really great. How come I've never heard of him before?"

Good question! John's been playing music since the age of 12 when he got his first guitar, James Taylor LP and accompanying songbook. He started composing music almost from day one.

Forty years later John's first major commercial release, It's a Sin to Tell a Lie, still taps into those early James Taylor roots but tempered with the swing and love of the dixieland music he acquired from his father Malcolm, still an impressive jazz pianist at 82 and a guest on the CD.

And those Be-Bop and southern swing influences that draw you in to It's a Sin's delectable smorgasbord of toe tappers are courtesy of John's mentor for many years, the Great Scott Cushnie (aka Professor Piano and the Rockin' Deltoids) pianist for rockers Aerosmith and Ronnie Hawkins.

John's release is a joy to listen to - original takes on traditional jazz and swing with multi-talented sidemen on every track, including Canada's own Bill McBirnie (jazz flutist extraordinaire) and Scott Poll from the well known CBC favorites The Pollcats.

"I'm told I sound like Canada's James Taylor which is a huge, huge compliment," says John, "But my musical goals have never been to emulate someone else. If I can channel the positive influences in my musical life - James, my father Malcolm, Scott Cushnie - into a distinctive and personal sound that brings people enjoyment, that's my definition of success."

As to long-term aspirations, John is already working on a second CD for release later in 2010. "My dream would be to play a duet with James Taylor some day." In the meantime, John is lining up a series of CD launch events in Toronto, Ottawa and Ancaster Ontario.

Unfortunately a recent diagnosis of throat cancer means those events will now have to wait for spring 2010 while John undergoes the rigors of daily radiation treatments, chemotherapy and possibly surgery.