The only thing better about discovering a new artist is discovering a new artist that you didn’t know you already know.
I was in Brandon last fall for the Western Canadian Music Awards, and I heard a set by the JD Edwards Band. I was impressed by their performance – a tight group, very musical, with lots of energy and a gifted lead singer. I heard from a few people that JD was a great guy with a bright future, and I made a mental note to learn more about him when I got home.
About a month later I was in a hotel lobby in Ottawa at a conference, and I saw JD standing a few feet away. I walked over to introduce myself to him, and was shocked when he said “Hey, you used to work at Fort Henry! I was a rookie in the Drums during your last summer”.
I was totally unprepared for that greeting, and was a bit embarrassed because I couldn’t remember a Private Edwards in the Guard. It was also entirely likely that the last time I had seen him, I’d probably yelled at him while he stood at attention and called me Sir (the Fort was kind of a unique place to work, with power imbalances that would strike most outsiders as odd). My first instinct was to apologize for any aggressive outbursts on my part back in 1998.
In any case, it turns out JD is short for Jonathan Dyck, which cleared up some of the mystery. I clearly remember Private Dyck (no, I will not make a joke at his expense – one with the last name “Dearlove” should not poke fun at such things), and was very happy to see he’s become such a talented singer-songwriter.
If you can find a copy, I highly encourage you to check out his album JD Edwards Live at the Gas Station Theatre. Here’s a clip from the concert – a song called Morning Sparrow. I love the guitar part, and JD makes it sound effortless.
You can also listen to tracks on the usual sites:
dearlove.ca 