“Father’s Day” is a collection of songs we love but more importantly, a collaboration of love between myself and my father, who was in his eighties when we recorded this album. In a narrow sense, it’s a tribute to my father because he is someone who has added real value to my life and has also stayed true to his passion, which is music. In a broader sense, it’s a tribute to all fathers who provide support, love, inspiration and encouragement to their children and see this as a legacy of honor and selflessness that transcends the generations. My father has always been a musician at heart and I fondly remember a house filled with piano playing and singing at a very young age. Of course, piano lessons were not optional, and while I complained about the practicing, it was an important foundation for my own development and love of music which I’m thankful for. The making of this album was not an easy path for me, a fifty-something retired banker; sometimes arguing, or should I say collaborating, from opposite ends of the country! I spent many sleepless nights with lyrics etched in my brain wondering if I was even going to survive the recording sessions. I now understand how challenging the recording business can be. Competence and confidence is everything in this business and no amount of sound engineering magic can make bad singing good. The economics of recording are even more perplexing, and I have great respect for the multitude of talented musicians who put themselves out there every day for a craft that is tough or close to impossible to make a living at. The motivation for doing this album was simple…..my father would not be living for much longer and this was an opportunity for me to do something together with him. When it came to the music business, my father was a pro, and I a neophyte. Not wanting to let him down, I lived and breathed this project for well over a year with the help of a great vocal coach and recording studios in Vancouver and Toronto; all the people involved in this process were gracious with their time and advice. It was a great ride and I’m proud to have achieved this milestone, which has been a daunting but rewarding experience for me. Too often we miss the opportunity to do something meaningful with people we love until it’s too late, and then we carry regret for the lost moments. I’m hoping that in some small way I can be a catalyst for encouraging others to take a small step or even a big leap to create something, anything, with a parent you love. It is an introspective, heart-warming and rewarding journey that will remain with you forever. The Makings of a Medley My father is a pack rat and would bring new definition to 1-800-You’ve Got Junk. I remember helping him clean out one of his numerous storage sheds and coming across four plastic tent pegs, which I promptly threw in the garbage to his utter horror and dismay. I asked him when he thought he would be camping next and where the decades old tent was, which of course had been thrown out years ago. Before I knew it, the tent pegs were back on the shelf (right next to the slide projector), because you never know when you may need tent pegs! That being said, we did come across two old 78’s that were 1940’s recordings of my grandmother singing “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and my father playing trumpet to “Blue Skies” when he was fourteen. How serendipitous that these recordings took place so many years ago. I prayed they would still be intact which they were. These recordings gave us the wonderful opportunity to create a medley which included three generations of our family and something we will always cherish.