Good Pinsent Keelor @ Glenn Gould Studio tonight

Although some misinformed journalists have characterized Down and Out In Upalong – Gordon Pinsent's recent recording collaboration with Travis Good of the Sadies and Greg Keelor – as the Canadian screen icon's "musical debut", Pinsent actually had a brief career as an East Coast singer/songwriter during the mid-60s folk scare. None of the other Canadian stars of the time felt particularly threatened. Never once did Gordon Lightfoot think about changing his name in deference. But then. considering Gord's middle name, performing as Meredith Lightfoot probably wasn't an option.

And as you can see from the sleeve image at left, our man recorded an album called Roots for the Arc label in 1968, five years before Michael Budman and Don Green founded their popular clothing and lifestyle products enterprise of the same name. From the way Pinsent was styled for the album cover photo shoot, it appears he was already a proponent of Roots' summer camp chic. Oh the celebrity branding opportunities missed!

Check out Pinsent's sensitive reading of the old Newfoundland folk tune She's Like The Swallow from the album (below) which I'm guessing you probably won't hear him perform tonight with pals Good and Keelor at the Glenn Gould Studio. Show time is 8 pm. Tickets range from $19.50 through $39.50 and are momentarily still available at the Massey Hall / Roy Thomson Hall online ticket office. Better grab 'em quick.