| With the release of her long-awaited first CD Anything But Blue, distributed nationally by Festival Records, Gayle Ackroyd has established herself as one of the most compelling artists on the Canadian roots music scene. A gifted songwriter and accomplished vocalist and guitarist, Gayle's music encompasses blues, country, folk, zydeco, southern soul, and rock 'n 'roll influences, filtered through a distinctive personal style that Lenny Stout of the Toronto Star has described as "a whole lot of tender, and a little bit tough." |
| Gayle's country born, city-bred sound
comes naturally. As a young teen growing up on a southern Ontario
farm, she learned a few guitar chords from her sister, so she could
emulate her musical heroes- Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Leonard
Cohen. At age 17 she enrolled in Sheridan College's Musical Theatre
program, where she gained command of her strong, expressive voice.
Gayle's first professional job was singing back-up for Cliff Edwards
(of the Bells), followed by tours with various country bands. A top
40 duo gig deepened her understanding of song structure, and also
gave her an appreciation of the value of consistent vocal technique
and solid meter.
Eventually tiring of performing other people's music, Gayle set about developing her songwriting skills through determined self-study. Respected as a lyricist with a finely honed ability to catch the subtle emotional nuances of life's ups and downs, Gayle has hosted numerous songwriting workshops, including the TV series "It Started with a Song" on Graham Cable. Awards include a Top Ten placement for "Train of Love" in radio station Mix 99 FM's songwriting competition, and Toronto Arts Council and FACTOR grants that allowed her to spend time writing in Nashville. An engaging performer who embraces her audience, Gayle has appeared on festival and night club stages across Canada, including the Calgary Stampede, Mariposa Music Festival, Harbourfront Center's Water's Edge Cafe, the Toronto Blues Society's Women's Blues Review, the C.N.E., Manitoulin Island Folk Festival, the Hamilton Blues Festival, Albert's Hall in Toronto, and Lucille's in Dartmouth. Radio and television highlights include CBC Radio's Later the Same Day, The Dini Petty Show, and "Shades of Blue", a documentary on Canadian Blues artists seen nationally on CBC-TV. Gayle's past discography includes the single "Don't Mess up a Good Thing", which made the charts in Europe and North America, and her critically acclaimed 1994 release Hard Luck Town, featuring "Hot Breeze Blowin", which received airplay in 17 European countries. On Anything But Blue, the thirteen tunes producer
Mark Fournier chose from a pool of forty Ackroyd originals display
the full range of Gayle's creative force. The recording features
Ed Kopala on guitars, Mark Mariash on drums, Drew Birston on bass,
and Gayle on acoustic guitar, with guest musicians Chris Whitely,
Dennis Keldie, and producer Fournier adding spice to this potent
musical brew. With any luck Anything But Blue will bring this passionate
and original artist the national audience she deserves. site designed by MACMedia @ michaelcoady.com |