Three talented Canadians

These three quality Canadian musicians, all living in Ontario, have differing styles but all offer the listener an exciting experience. Glen Soderholm and Bec Abbott have both chosen Roy Salmond, a top quality musician in his own right, as producer. Rest and Shine Like Stars are their first albums. Jacob Moon’s Landing is his third album. Recorded live, it was produced by Glen Marshall. All three are distributed by Signpost Music of Winnipeg.

Glen Soderholm: Rest. Signpost, 2003.

Rest is a beautiful acoustic worship CD. The lyrics are deep, moving, scriptural and highly poetic. I was brought to the feet of Jesus. The musicianship is superb and the instrumentation varied. Soderholm’s voice is smooth and lyrical. All his music is original, with the exception of one song, and varied in style. The mix is slightly eclectic with a folk, Celtic and even country flavour in one song. I highly recommend this CD for a wonderful worship experience.

Bec Abbott: Shine Like Stars. Signpost, 2003.

Bec Abbot is a skilled musician with a beautiful soulful voice and personal, moving lyrics. Her honest emotion and heart’s cry speak deeply in her words as she leads her listeners to draw closer to God. Her songs are prayers to God. The music has a wonderful rhythmic sense, high quality musicians and beautiful backup harmonies. The style, though mixed, holds a light rock/folk feel. Even with my first listen, I was tapping my feet and singing along. It was fun and yet touched my heart. Also highly recommended.

Jacob Moon: Landing. Signpost, 2003.

Jacob Moon brings us soulful and rich folk music. He is a top-quality musician with a passionate voice, a skilled guitarist and award-winning songwriter. This third CD, recorded live, has mostly original music, but he does perform a few remakes of gospel and even Paul Simon music. He has performed in a variety of venues, sharing his music, which consists of secular and gospel.

Moon is an amazing guitarist, allowing the instrument to make a great variety of sounds, especially because of the use of the JamMan, a live looping device. His lyrics are sometimes akin to the laments of the Psalms, relating the depth of his raw, gut-felt feelings. Some songs relate to relationships; others are spiritual quests. If you enjoy high quality eclectic folk music, with deep soulful lyrics, this album is for you.

Carol Riediger is a music teacher and attends Central Community Church, Chilliwack, B.C.