‘Roots Ramble’ concert series to bring top Canadian singer-songwriters to Stratford

Barry James Payne (left) and Tim Harrison have united to present the ‘Roots Ramble’. Fall Concert Series to be held in Stratford. Five concerts featuring premiere Canadian singer/songwriters are planned.

Barry James Payne and String Bone Presents!, in collaboration with Tim Harrison and Onrush Music Festival, have launched a new concert series to be held in Stratford this fall.

The Roots Ramble Fall Concert Series runs from Oct. 11 to Dec. 5 at Revival House and The Bunker Performance Lounge and Café. The series will feature five premiere concerts showcasing Canadian musicians of stellar pedigree.

The name Roots Ramble is partly inspired by hometown legend Richard Manuel, who embodied roots music with his soulful voice and musicianship with The Band, often credited with pioneering folk-rock Americana. The “ramble” portion nods to Manuel’s bandmate Levon Helm, who hosted the barn series The Midnight Ramble in Woodstock, N.Y., which continues to this day.

Payne said The Band was a heavy influence on his career, beginning when he received his first cassette player and two of the group’s albums as a child.

“They’ve been a passion of mine that started my music career in roots music. They were essentially the forerunners of Americana/Canadiana roots music,” Payne said. “Over the years I’ve read Levon Helm’s book and Robbie Robertson’s book, which was interesting because they talk a lot about London, Ontario, which is my old stomping grounds, so there’s a connection there. Roots music covers a wide swath, a huge umbrella from folk to bluegrass to jazz. I wanted a title that really spoke about the music which is roots. So, Roots, Ramble, seemed like a really good combination.”

Genres featured in the series include folk, blues, country, R&B, soul, rock and jazz.

“Blues, folk and country are the pillars on which rock and roll is based. There’s a huge, shared lineage in all that,” said Harrison. “Stratford has a long history of that; The Revols, Perth County Conspiracy, and those that went on to be part of The Band. There’s a significant history and development of that music within this community. So, it’s wonderful to bring that to the forefront, and have people recognize not only these independent artists, or artists that are of that genre, and of the area, and to support it here in Stratford is fantastic.”

Several musicians in the lineup have performed in Stratford before, including Zachary Lucky and three artists who appeared in the acclaimed Songs of Nick Drake concert last year. Payne said after that show he encouraged fellow performers to reach out if they ever wanted to put together another concert in Stratford.

“I got contacted by Kevin (Kane) from Grapes of Wrath, Suzie (Ungerleider) and Michelle Willis and everything just landed in my lap. We were able to make all the dates work with the venues and I thought then, let’s make this something special,” Payne said. “I’ve had this idea, this roots series, and I’ve had the Roots Ramble in my sights for about three years, so I thought this was a great opportunity to kick it off. I got a hold of Tim and so we are doing this together.”

The intended audience is as varied as the lineup, Payne said, from youth through to seniors — anyone who loves music and stories about it.

The first concert, Oct. 11 at Revival House, is a triple bill featuring The Stevie T Band, Barry James Payne & String Bone, and Ginger St. James.

“The one I’m really looking forward to is Michelle Willis, who comes to Stratford after working with David Crosby (formerly of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young) for 10 years. She was David Crosby’s right-hand person musically; she was his musical director, his bandmate and his co-writer. We’re talking about someone who is working at the top of the food chain musically. And she’s coming here to play her music and tell her stories,” Payne said.

The second concert, Oct. 17 at Revival House, features The Grapes of Wrath acoustic duo with original members Kevin Kane and Tom Hooper. On Oct. 24, Suzie Ungerleider (formerly Oh Susanna) will perform an intimate evening at The Bunker Performance Lounge and Café for a record release and birthday concert. On Nov. 21, Michelle Willis and Lori Cullen will take the stage at Revival House. The final concert is Dec. 5 at The Bunker, featuring Zachary Lucky with Barry James Payne.

“We were super fortunate to have had the Songs of Nick Drake experience here,” said Harrison. “There’s a lot of people who brought incredible talent. The quality and presentation that they had was a wonderful preview of the kind of talent that wants to come to Stratford and believes in Stratford and what it has to offer for music and musicians. So, I’m thrilled that they are coming.”

For showtimes and tickets, visit onrushfestival.ca or stringbone.ca