Last Sunday evening I donned my glad rags to attend a private Laura Smith House Concert in Marriet’s Cove, organized and hosted by Don and Lorraine Burch and friends. Mary, Peter, hubby and I piled into the car and headed down the road to bear witness to a spectacular performance. Her latest CD, "Everything Is Moving" was playing on the car stereo, a prelude to the real thing.
Laura is a Canadian treasure, singer/song writer, performer extraordinaire, who is a familiar face to the residents of Mahone Bay where she hangs her hat when not on the road. We’ve known her for years and being a fan I include her repertoire in the music we play at the shop. When one of her pieces queues up on the player I always pause whatever I’m doing to fully take it in. Up until now, I believed I was having the full Laura experience, knowing her songs inside and out, sometimes singing along to the ones I love most….but I’ll tell you, hearing her live changed everything.
There is no way to describe Laura’s voice, because there’s no one like her past or present, although one gets the feeling you’re in the presence of a master of the blues, folk and jazz. Without a microphone, the strength of her projection is astounding, reaching the far corners of the entire downstairs of the house we were in. I’ve heard Laura’s songs many times, the hauntingly beautiful to the whimsical anecdotes we all love, but listening to her intros brought a deeper meaning and a whole new appreciation for each song. The voice you hear on the CD is amazing, but hearing her in person causes the hair on your arms to stand at attention and tears to mist the eye. I reveled for days after; basking in the afterglow of her talent.
Laura is a Canadian treasure, singer/song writer, performer extraordinaire, who is a familiar face to the residents of Mahone Bay where she hangs her hat when not on the road. We’ve known her for years and being a fan I include her repertoire in the music we play at the shop. When one of her pieces queues up on the player I always pause whatever I’m doing to fully take it in. Up until now, I believed I was having the full Laura experience, knowing her songs inside and out, sometimes singing along to the ones I love most….but I’ll tell you, hearing her live changed everything.
There is no way to describe Laura’s voice, because there’s no one like her past or present, although one gets the feeling you’re in the presence of a master of the blues, folk and jazz. Without a microphone, the strength of her projection is astounding, reaching the far corners of the entire downstairs of the house we were in. I’ve heard Laura’s songs many times, the hauntingly beautiful to the whimsical anecdotes we all love, but listening to her intros brought a deeper meaning and a whole new appreciation for each song. The voice you hear on the CD is amazing, but hearing her in person causes the hair on your arms to stand at attention and tears to mist the eye. I reveled for days after; basking in the afterglow of her talent.
Laura Smith and Paul Buchanan. I love that she says “When I made this song”, not “I wrote this song” and I pondered that for a bit. A song has way more parts than just words and notes on a page. Like any recipe, a song is the sum of many ingredients. Laura pours passion on the words and music, whipping them into a delectable feast, satisfying the listener’s appetite for her music and artistry.
Laura is a genuine soul. Her life story has hills and valleys but good or bad; she draws on these experiences to spin her tale. She holds you amazed and amused, you laugh and cry. In front of an audience she appears as comfortable as sitting with you around a dining room table. She is an animated and a very physical entertainer, with joyful stomping, hand gestures and facial expressions that add titillation and fulfillment for the audience.
Laura is a genuine soul. Her life story has hills and valleys but good or bad; she draws on these experiences to spin her tale. She holds you amazed and amused, you laugh and cry. In front of an audience she appears as comfortable as sitting with you around a dining room table. She is an animated and a very physical entertainer, with joyful stomping, hand gestures and facial expressions that add titillation and fulfillment for the audience.
Paul Buchanan played backup keyboard and guitar for the performance.
Her voice is commanding; not a whisper was uttered when she sang. Nothing was more important than the sweet melodies flowing from her lips, a sound that most assuredly radiates from deep within her heart and soul. She said many times how much she loves her work and it showed. You need only to look into her eyes to see the love and passion for her craft. It drew you in, held you tight, and you barely breathed for fear of missing a second of the beautiful heartfelt and passionate performance.
Thank-you Laura for sharing your amazing gift with us all. My husband and I particularly enjoyed your very bluesy rendition of “My Bonny” and I’m so happy you performed my personal favourite “I’m A Beauty” in the evenings selection. At this intimate concert there was definitely “A surprise there….you are a beauty!”
Thank-you Laura for sharing your amazing gift with us all. My husband and I particularly enjoyed your very bluesy rendition of “My Bonny” and I’m so happy you performed my personal favourite “I’m A Beauty” in the evenings selection. At this intimate concert there was definitely “A surprise there….you are a beauty!”
From left to right....Lorraine our host, Laura, and Juanita Weber, a long time friend who helped organized the concert and the arranger of these beautiful flowers.
 Don and Lorraine Burch, our hosts for the evening. |  Laura and yours truly. |
 Linda Ruth, Don and Lorraine, three of the organizers! |  We were greeted by a picture of Laura's latest CD in lights. A sign of wonderful things to come inside the door. |
Wine bucket trophy presented to Laura, "Artist of our Hearts".
Mariotts Cove Music Society
Friends surprised me, big time. They asked me to do a house concert last night (because of the ECMA awards in PEI that I wasn't at...). The place was full of friends who wanted to celebrate me and my work. They gave me a beautiful bouquet in an ice bucket (smart friends) engraved with "Laura Smith, Artist of our Hearts". I was so very moved by their thoughtfulness. The effusive Tom Gallant made me blush with his glorious introduction. I am truly blessed. Thank you all for your loving kindness. Laura Smith
Friends surprised me, big time. They asked me to do a house concert last night (because of the ECMA awards in PEI that I wasn't at...). The place was full of friends who wanted to celebrate me and my work. They gave me a beautiful bouquet in an ice bucket (smart friends) engraved with "Laura Smith, Artist of our Hearts". I was so very moved by their thoughtfulness. The effusive Tom Gallant made me blush with his glorious introduction. I am truly blessed. Thank you all for your loving kindness. Laura Smith
Note: Paul Buchanan is the owner of Buchanans Music Centre in Mahone Bay. http://www.buchanansmusiccentre.ca/
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