Spanning three days, Frostbite is like spring training. Having survived the January blaaahs we are headed towards the majestic sun of March and...spring! It sounds good just to say the word. Spring. However, this year's Frostbite lived up to it's name by offering daytime temperatures in the ­25 C range.

Frostbite offers local musicians an opportunity to perform on home turf, and meet, mingle, and play with major up and comers as well as veteran musicians from OUTSIDE. This influence on our musical population is tremendous. Any chance to sit and play with, and learn from, more experienced players and writers in a familiar environment benefits artists.

Offering up three onsite venues, the Arts Centre, College Gym, and Cafe Degele with satellite stage and workshop space at the Guild Hall, Frostbite delivered a great weekend of culturally diverse performances.

The Folk Alliance Conference held recently in Vancouver was a great opportunity to network and perform for many industry representatives. With all the hard work to develop artists from RAIYA and YWIM this past year, it was no surprise that over forty Yukon performers took part in Yukon showcase events.

The 'really big night on the drive' attracted many interested folks to the Croatia Centre where Yukoners put on a terrific show. There were also four or more rooms at the Hyatt Hotel used for various sized venues. All in all it sounded like a real adventure for many artists who haven't experienced that type of industry (schmoozy) gathering. With over a thousand performers from around the world, it was a challenging prospect to turn heads and figure out the game in three short days.

The opportunity to play in front of festival artistic directors, bookers, agents, managers, and industry press is always welcome, especially since our location doesn't often lead to such contacts. Some of the sessions offered seemed to have great merit for artists to learn more about their careers and the business angle of managing music industry life. Mostly, it was great for the Yukon to make a strong showing at Folk Alliance.

Caribou artists, the Undertakin Daddies, launched their debut CD Post Atomic Hillbilly at Folk Alliance. Also in attendance were Kim Barlow, Joe Bishop & Kendall Sullivan, Manfred Janssen, Barb Chamberlin, Daniel Janke, and Anne Louise Genest. Hope you got to check them out!

Joe Bishop and Kendall Sullivan in Ontario

Invited to play at the Ontario Federation of Folk Music Festival, this duo showcased in October. An unprecedented opportunity, no Yukoners have played to this gathering of artistic directors before. Taking advantage of their location, Joe and Kendall got out to the open mic nights which provide emerging voices with their connection to listeners, and opens the doors to gain access to performing at other venues.

Look for Joe and Kendall at North America's Folk Alliance Conference in Vancouver this February. Summer tour info updated as it is available.

Kim Barlow

Recently returning from a trip to Vancouver and Calgary where Kim was touring Still Life with Cello with WET (Women's Experimental Theatre). This collective featured collaborative efforts involving music, dance, and theatre. Written by Leslie Hampson and directed for stage by Raymond Milne of Vancouver's Jumpstart Dance Group. Music composed and performed by Kim Barlow, with Gail Lotenberg, and Trace de Jaray.

This past summer Kim Barlow took part in the 'Yukon Journey Project', sponsored as part of the Yukon Arts Centre's View from the Top Millennium season. Five Yukon artists and five outside artists from the fields of music, dance, theatre, acting, and writing were taken into some of the most remote, splendid regions of the vast Yukon wilderness. Travelling on rivers, hiking, flying in helicopters, and camping all with the intention of inspiring them to create a commissioned piece in their respective fields. The trip was rounded out with a stop at the Dawson City Music Festival and began the week of Whitehorse's Streetfest, both venues at which Kim Barlow played.

Coming March 9th at the Yukon Arts Centre: Big Yukon Night II, featuring three Yukon artists from the journey including Kim Barlow.

Summer 2000 also saw Kim play at the Regina, Ottawa, Peterborough, and the Edge of the World Festival on the Queen Charlotte Islands.

Packages have been sent out to festivals around western Canada for summer touring. More details as they emerge.

Undertakin' Daddies: Post Atomic Hillbilly
February 2001

The Undertakin' Daddies are set to release their album, Post Atomic Hillbilly at this year's Folk Alliance in Vancouver. A year in coming, this producer's project has been taking a back seat to all the other projects going on at Bob Hamilton's Old Crow Recording studios. He joked good-naturedly earlier this fall about the reality that producer's projects always come last. Well, it's finally time and it's almost here. The Daddies' release is set to reflect on the impact the atomic era of the 50s had on each of the Daddies, their upbringing, and interest in hillbilly music.

Barbara Chamberlin: Sanctuary
November 2000

Joe Bishop & Kendall Sullivan: Back to You
Summer 2000

Various Artists: The Yukon Collection Volume II
Summer 2000

Valle Son: Son de Cuba
Spring 2001

Kim Barlow
Spring 2001

Kim Barlow is back in the studio recording her much-anticipated follow up to 1999's Humminah. Looking to feature her versatility as a songwriter and talents as a musician, Kim has laid down bed tracks for about 12 songs. Solidly supported by Lonnie Powell on drums and percussion and Don Benedictson on bass, this recording is full of her playful imaginings and honest, emotional delivery. The recording will have a more acoustic style, easily reproduced for touring.

Valle Son is a seven piece Cuban group that plays the traditional Son music of their country. With enticing Latin rhythms and fabulous vocals by lead singer Lazaro, this group also features bassoon, stand up bass, saxophone, rhythm and tres guitars, and hand held percussion. Valle Son was recorded over three days in a 'live off the floor' condition while they were touring the Yukon last summer. Awaiting final mastering and graphics work, Caribou plans to release this album later this spring. It will mark the first international recording released by the label.

In celebration of it's fifth anniversary, Caribou Records released The Yukon Collection Volume II in August of 2000. A compilation featuring eleven different artists, the collection is a great way to sample a diverse cross-section of Yukon recording artists.

A 5th Anniversary Concert was presented at the Yukon Arts Centre last November. An intimate evening, this cabaret style show was highlighted by performances by Kim Barlow, Kendall Sullivan, and the Undertakin' Daddies. A great gathering shared by the community, the show was a sold out success!

Caribou Records continues to forge ahead with the creation and distribution of new music. The expansion of Bob Hamilton's studio is underway, and with Caribou looking outside of the Territory for artists, there seems to be an upswing in the output. Launching about five projects per year is no easy undertaking, but we continue to break new musical ground while continuing to spread the wealth of talent this Yukon Territory has to offer.