Heather Ferris
Ties that Bind
© 2006 Heather Ferris
CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.
Bluegrass done Canadian style. Features nine original songs and an 11 year old picking mandolin on the instrumental. From a beautiful waltz to a good old murder ballad there's something for everyone here.
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MUSICIANS: John Reischman (mandolin/mandola), Jim Nunally (guitar), Trisha Gagnon (bass/harmony vocals), Nick Hornbuckle (banjo/guitar), Greg Spatz (fiddle), Dylan Ferris (mandolin on Nesser).
PRODUCER: Nick Hornbuckle
Heather lives in Vanderhoof, BC with her husband Bob, daughter Lindsay and son Dylan. Music is very important to this family and it shows when you walk in their house and find instruments in every room! Heather, Bob and Dylan form the family band called The Rusty Bucket Pluckers, and keep very busy playing music at local venues. Heather appears on guitar/bass, Bob on banjo and Dylan on mandolin, banjo and guitar. In her real life, Heather is a registered nurse , working in the Home Care Nursing division of Northern Health.
Songwriting has become a bit more serious for Heather in the past few years after having started purely by accident. She gets inspiration from life experiences, listening to other people’s stories or just by being “in the moment” and a song comes out of nowhere. By performing her original songs for over seven years at local festivals she has developed a bit of a fan base and receives requests for certain songs everyplace she goes. This was part of the reason for making an album. Her hope is that the people who listen to the album will be happy to hear some of their favorites and excited to hear a few that she has never performed before.
Dylan is a major force in Heather’s continuing love affair with bluegrass music. Playing since before he was two (he would sit with a banjo propped up against him and do finger rolls) he is a natural musician who is comfortable with nearly any instrument you give him. His preference is the mandolin and that is where he shines. He’s had the opportunity to learn from and play with John Reischman and has performed with members of Special Consensus as well as being thrilled to take the stage with Marty Stuart in August, 2006 at the Peace Country Gospel Festival in Beaverlodge, Alberta. Dylan appears on the album in the instrumental “Nesser” written by John Reischman. He starts off this tune and then he and John play twin mandolins in the last break. Dylan just turned 13.
ALBUM REVIEWS
"It is a sheer pleasure to play your CD on the show. It is not often that we receive a CD from a "new" artist with such a fine talent for songwriting, and the back up band is not too shabby either. The CD has solid musicianship and good spirit. There are a variety of moods with excellent pacing. Fine work." Arthur Berman, "Pacific Pickin" - CITR 101.9 FM, Vancouver
This is an excerpt from a review that appeared in the Feb 2007 issue of BLUEGRASS NOW magazine: "Blackbird, Beneath the Willow and Hearbreaker are very strong songs featuring dynamic performances by all participants, with Lovers' Fate possessing all the elements of a bluegrass classic. What she (Ferris) has in abundance is conviction in her lyrics, and the home-hewn vibrancy essential in this acoustic music. Worth tracking down." Donald Teplyske, "That High Lonesome Sound", 97.7 CK-FM, Alberta
"I consider Heather Ferris right along the likes of other up and coming female Bluegrass artists like Donna Hughes and Becky Buller, both of which also write and perform their own songs. The instrumentalists on this album are stand up musicians, including her young son Dylan who is one of those kids that can pick up anything and make music with it." Uncle Billy Dunbar, "Country Unplugged Bluegrass Radio", K-107 FM and KG98 FM, Central Iowa and on World Wide Bluegrass.
"When I get CD's in the mail, there's always one that stands out from the others I get every week. When I got Heather's CD, I put it in the machine and from the very first word and note on the CD a smile came to my face. A debut CD for Heather, she has gathered some of the finest musicians the west coast of Canada could ever want to have. John Reischman and the Jaybirds back her up on this first effort and I can say the band compliments her singing thru the whole album. A gem to anyone's collection and a must for people who like fresh new songs done with style." Kickin' Canadian Grass With Your Host, Terry Poirier "It's Canadian, it's American, it's World Wide, but most of all, it kicks grass!!"
The following review appears on MusicNewsNashville "Canadian songbird and songwriter Heather Ferris will tie you up in good solid bluegrass for an enjoyable experience. Starting with an original Blackbird - Heather's refreshing clear voice - sounds authentically bluegrass - and most tunes on this project are penned by her personally. She is a singer as well as songwriter - all wrapped into one loving and beautiful person. Her homespun lyrics - are exceptional and she knows how to round out a good tune. This project is her heart poured into songs that you will want to learn to play yourself.
Heather's son Dylan is just 12 yrs old and a mandolinist - his gift would make most adult pickers envious. Not only on the mandolin but just about anything with strings. His maturity belies his young age. Heather's husband Bob also plays banjo with their family band - the Rusty Bucket Pluckers. Dylan accompanies John Reischman on the song Nesser. I really love the tune Ridin' the Dog and Nesser, as well as Blackbird and the title track - Ties That Bind. She is hotly requested on internet radio - as the internet audience is one of the first to discover this great original music collection.
John Reischman - (friend of Heather's) and his band guests on her debut project and make this offering really something special. John and his Jaybirds really help Heather's lyrics, sparkle, under their magical weave of old time bluegrass strains. Heather has woven ties into your heart - with her raw talent - lyrical sensibility, and good old fashioned fun. Hers are certainly "Ties that Bind" your heart."
Gracie Muldoon ~ Muldoon in the Afternoon
World Wide Bluegrass
With 9 of 10 songs from the pen of Heather Ferris this is a unique CD of bluegrass music. Heather has excellent songwriting skills with imagination and depth of feelings.Heather gets together with John Reischman and the Jaybirds to produce a fine mix of music and vocals.Heather and 'Jaybird' Trisha Gagnon blend vocal harmonies with great compatibility and a good example is on the cookin' bluegrass tune Heartbreaker. Heather's sense of humour comes out in force on the novelty tune "Kiss My Attributes Goodbye"..putting a spin on the heartbreaker-he-done-me-wrong tradition.A special added bonus of the CD is an instrumental tune written by John Reischman, Nesser, played by Heather's teenage son Dylan Ferris on mandolin..very tasty.Ties that Bind is a terrific project with a top-flight back up group "The Jaybirds" and original songs adding to the bluegrass genre.
George McKnight~ Uptown Bluegrass