Country Dave Ryerson

Well, I didn't get to see the yachts when I was down at the Inner Harbour (see yesterday's post) but I did get to sit down and listen to one of my favourite causeway performers, Country Dave Ryerson. Country Dave has been entertaining visitors and locals for many years now and I never tire of listening to him.

Spring Music

Another sunny day today and much warmer brought loads of people out to stroll around the Inner Harbour Causeway. And there was lots to enjoy - refreshments, art and crafts and music. For perennial performer, one man band Dave Harris (above) it was his first outing this year and I enjoyed sitting in the sunshine once again and listening to his music. Later another veteran busker/musician, Country Dave Ryerson joined Dave for the photo below. The contributions these musicians make to the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the Causeway year after year cannot be too highly appreciated.

Country Dave Ryerson

I went down to the Inner Harbour Causeway this afternoon to catch one of my favourite performers, Country Dave Ryerson. Country Dave plays country and western music and is always a pleasure to listen to.

Country Dave Ryerson

On Saturday I went down to the Inner Harbour Causeway and was happy to encounter veteran busker Country Dave Ryerson. As his nickname implies Dave plays mostly country music but lots of folk and some pop classics as well. His rich voice and ready smile make him a causeway favorite and it's always a pleasure to hear him perform. It was a bit windy on Saturday so the recordings I made are too distorted with wind noise to share. However, next time I post a photo of Dave I'll be sure to include a video of one of his songs.

Dave Harris - One Man Band

The Inner Harbour Causeway is humming with the vitality usual at this time of year. There's lots to eat and drink and interesting things to look at and buy and the whole scene is enlivened by music performed by our resident buskers. Above is a photo of Victoria's famed one man band, Dave Harris, performing on the Causeway. Below is a video of Dave doing a song written by another of our veteran causeway performers, Country Dave Ryerson. Country Dave is pictured to the right. The song is called "Now That You're Gone."

Country Dave Ryerson

Country Dave Ryerson and I were sitting chatting one afternoon and the subject of yodeling came up - don't ask me how - anyway, the upshot of that was that I met him a few days later down on the Inner Harbour Causeway to record him doing a little of what he calls "basic" yodeling. It's a fascinating vocal skill that is seldom heard any more. The video below is a song made famous by Jimmy Rogers, "When It's Peach Pickin' Time in Georgia", sung by Country Dave Ryerson. Country Dave is another veteran on the causeway artists' roster, having entertained Victorians as well as visitors to our city for over twenty years. As his nickname implies, he specializes in country and western music and it's always a pleasure to hear him.

Swan Song

			The musicians pictured here gathered together on Thursday afternoon to hold a concert on Victoria's Inner Harbour Causeway. The concert was to bid farewell to a long-time musician on the Causeway, Swan Walker. Swan is moving to Toronto and the proceeds of the concert were aimed at helping to defray his moving expenses. Swan's energetic reggae and calypso influenced music will be much missed here.

The video below captures some of the session, which ran for two hours.

Country Dave

A combination of inclement weather and transportation problems have contrived to keep me housebound for the last few days so that I have been forced to look into the archives. But it's an ill wind, as they say - I have recovered some photos that got passed over in the wealth of summer and recollected some people who should be mentioned. Today's photos are of Country Dave Ryerson, who brings good country music tunes to the causeway. Dave's been busking a long time and he also contributes one way or another to a lot of the other entertainment you see on the causeway. If you've ever wondered how those causeway performers all manage to spread themselves out and not be in constant competition for the best spots or times, you should talk to Dave, who facilitates the weekly schedule and posts it on the Causeway Artists Website, where he is also the webmaster. And, for those of you who wonder what it's like to be a busker, there is no better source of insider information than Dave's blog, Country Dave's Acoustic Routes, where you'll find fascinating in-depth interviews with many local buskers. While Dave usually performs solo, here's a very short clip of him in a duet with another great causeway performer, Dave Harris. They're singing Country Dave's version of Merle Haggard's Okie From Muskogee, entitled, Proud to be a Busker.

And, while I'm picking up loose ends, here's this year's picture of a kid leapfrogging over one of those distinctive causeway mushroom lamps.

Causeway Artist #10 - Country Dave Ryerson

It may seem that there are a lot of musicians playing on the Inner Harbor Causeway because so many are appearing on this blog. However, there are usually not more than three or four at any time and they are generally widely spaced enough so that they don't interfere with each other. This doesn't happen by chance. Entertainment on the causeway is controlled by the Harbours Board and the space is divided up into locations that artists can "book" for certain times of the day. This ensures that it is not necessary for artists to defend their "spot" and also that there is a reasonable distribution of artists in the space that is available. A musician can play in a certain spot for about two or three hours then must give up the space to another performer. This arrangement also means there is a good variety of music at any given time, including everything from a dulcimer to a didgiridoo.

It's all good and I like the variety but I must confess to a special fondness for country and western music. On the Inner Harbor Causeway that means Country Dave Ryerson. From Hank Williams to Kris Kristofferson, Country Dave can play it so just sit yourself down and enjoy those sweet melodies and down home strumming. If you've got a favorite, feel free to make a request. If it's country, Dave probably knows it.

Country Dave's music is available on a CD entitled "Country Dave Ryerson: The Millgrove Sessions" produced by another causeway artist, Dave Harris, who also performs on the CD.

You can find out more about the CD and Country Dave Ryerson by clicking HERE.