Joe Stanton and the Precious littles
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Press
CD of the week:
The Precious Littles: Sometimes You Win
Based on the songs of Joe Stanton, Sometimes You Win is an easy, laid back brand of roots-rock. Stanton has a sense of humour and notes in one song that the prospective label to which he has sent his songs have a John Prine soundalike already. It's true that The Precious Littles are a little like Prine (and a little like JJ Cale, too, though not as bluesy) but also might be because there is warmth and personality at play.
Tom Harrison, The Province
Published: Tuesday, May 19, 2009
- Vancouver Province
Joe Stanton - some past performances
Festivals
The Islands Folk festival - Duncan B.C.
Sechelt Arts festival - Sechelt B.C.
Harmony Arts Festival – West Vancouver B.C.
In Harmony Festival - White Rock BC
Festival of the written arts - Sechelt BC
Forget Summer music festival - Forget Saskatchewan
Billy Barker Days - Quesnel B.C.
Sechelt Wooden Boat festival - Sechelt B.C.
Golden Nugget Festival - Quesnel Forks B.C.
Desert Music Festival - Osoyoos B.C.
Coffee Houses/Folk Clubs
Nanaimo Folk connection - Nanaimo B.C.
Sechelt Artesia cellar coffee house - Sechelt B.C.
Hamilton Folk Club - Hamilton Ontario
Clayburn Gallery - Abbotsford B.C.
Competitions
Kerrville folk festival - Kerrville Texas
Walnut Valley Festival - Winfield Kansas
Bars/Restaurants/Pubs
The Club - Gibsons Landing B.C.
The Crescent Beach Legion - Crescent Beach B.C.
The Main - Vancouver
The Railway Club - Vancouver
The Garden Bay Pub - Garden Bay B.C.
The Karma café - Calgary Alberta
Spinners - Fort McMurray Alberta
Rasputin’s - Ottawa Ontario
The Winchester Arms - Dundas Ontario
The Dancing Bean - Chemainus B.C.
The Sundance Java Bar - Campbell River
The Old Boot eatery - Sechelt B.C.
The Roadhouse Eatery - White Rock B.C.
The Arts Club Lounge - Vancouver
The Blackfish Pub - Gibsons B.C.
Silva Bay Resort - Gabriola Island B.C.
Sweitzerhof Hotel - St. Moritz Switzerland
Concerts
Heritage Playhouse - Gibsons Landing B.C.
Sechelt Seaside Centre - Sechelt B.C.
Lowry Olafson House Concerts - Mission BC
The Roberts Creek Hall - Roberts Creek BC
The Arts Club theatre Lounge - Vancouver
The White Rock Playhouse - White Rock B.C.
Williams Lake Concerts in the park - Williams Lake B.C.
Chemainus Fairweather concert series - Chemainus B.C.
- The Precious Littles
Reviews
Joe Stanton "Passenger Stanton" Self-Released
In all my years as a DJ and music critic, I've heard songs about many, many subjects. One never came up before: a sleeping bag! "I was thinking I should have told ya, on the phone the other night, just how much I'd love to hold ya, in my sleeping bag tonight." According to Joe Stanton, folksinger and superb guitarplayer from Sechelt, BC (Canada). Also known as "Passenger Stanton", very inventive songtitle: "Passenger Stanton pick up any white telephone". During the same song ("Sharon's Back Door") the sleeping bag even reappears again! In other words, the man writes witty lyrics, one more quote: "So now I sit alone and howl, I'm just her dog in the rain" from "She Gone And Went", which also stands out because of the catchy arrangement with drums and percussion. Yes, the music (semi-acoustic folk with a somewhat bluesy feel) including production is flawless and fascinating too! There are four instrumentals, great compositions, between the eleven tracks. "Susan In The Garden" is featured in quite different versions with and without lyrics, while "Banks o'Loch Lomond" turns out to be a traditional. Besides the guitars, we can feast on the sound of instruments like bass (5-string and acoustic), bodhran, pedal steel, mandolin, hammond organ, e-bow, violin and cello. Joe, looking like the typical folksinger with beard and ponytail, wearing jeans and t-shirt, plays already since the late 70's, developing his own distinct style on the acoustic guitar: lots of fingerpicking in alternate tunings. He made an album as half of the bluegrass-duo Stanton/Jensen and his first solo-CD "There You Go" was released in 1997. Joe's voice, sounding like a warm, just slightly ragged James Taylor is very pleasant to listen to. After the last melodic summery sounds disappear, you will push that repeat-button once again and then once more!
www.joestanton.com
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Written by Johanna J. Bodde
Insurgent Country
- Insurgent Country
There a few artist that are able to capture the essence of musical expression. Joe Stanton is one such artist. Passenger Stanton is a beautifully composed album rich with depth and passion. Taking his experiences in life and fusing them with his expertise of the guitar, Joe gives Folk music a gift that is his music. From the moment I pressed play, I was awestruck by the talent of Mr.. Stanton and his band mates. Joe's love for the guitar is shown by his excellent picking skills, and are enhanced by his heart felt lyrics and powerful voice. The instrumental is absolutely
beautiful, the vocals are full and vibrant, and the overall production of this album is flawless. I strongly recommend a listen to Joe Stanton's Passenger Stanton.
By Wayond Digges Roots Music Report
- Roots Music Report
Passenger Stanton a hit
March 6 2004 The Coast Reporter
CD RELEASE
By Carol Upton/Contributing Writer
Reporter
Joe Stanton sauntered onto the Heritage Playhouse stage, looking as though he was about to strum a few tunes for family and friends in his own living room. The moment we heard the opening chords of Banks o’ Loch Lomond, we knew we were listening to an expert contemporary folk musician in action. This was Joe’s CD release concert for his third CD in eight years, Passenger Stanton.
We were immediately introduced to Sharon’s Back Door and the source of the CD’s title. It is the universal ballad of the traveller “never really knowin’ am I comin’ or I’m goin’,” waiting in the airport for the loudspeaker to call “Passenger Stanton, pick up any white telephone.”
Stanton was backed by his band (Simon Paradis on electric guitar, Gerry Millar on bass and Tom Neville on mandolin and violin) during much of both sets. Nicholas Simons came onstage for a few songs at the end of the first half to play cello.
With first class sound mixing from Ken McBride and atmospheric lighting by Kerry Mills, Sunday evening was a treat for Stanton’s fans, who heard all the songs from the new CD and a number of older favourites.
We felt the Kansas rain in Gettin’ to Know You, and many in the audience were tearful when they heard I’m Not Very Far, a pensive personal song dedicated to Joe’s sister, who died of cancer. From lyric to lullaby, we tasted the prairie dust and saw Susan in her garden, the songs a curious mix of desire to hit the road and to know there is a home and family waiting.
Stanton’s comfortable sense of humour was apparent throughout the show and he carried the audience good-naturedly through numerous guitar tunings between songs.
Accomplished musicians all, the band deftly handled a range of genres, from the stomping blues of She Gone and Went and a jumping fiddle number featuring Tom Neville, to the sad sweeping strings on New Year’s Eve. At the centre was Stanton, whose song writing and guitar playing just keep getting better.
- Coast Reporter
Discography
Joe Stanton - Passenger Stanton released 2004
Joe Stanton - There you go released 1997
Stanton/Jensen - Tomorrow this time 1995
The Precious Littles - Sometimes you win 2009
Photos
Bio
Joe Stanton has been writing and performing for 30 years, with stops in Europe, across Canada and the Southern States, playing his fingerstyle acoustic guitar.
After taking a gig as house band at the Blackfish Pub in Gibsons Landing B.C., Joe got on the phone and the Precious Littles were born.
Guitarist Simon Paradis, Bassist Gerry Millar, drummer Jay Johnson, and Tom Neville on the fiddle and mandolin.
Since then the Littles have been playing festivals, pubs and parties around their home on the Sunshine Coast, in Vancouver and the Cariboo country of B.C.
And now they've recorded their first disc of original music, Sometimes you win. Slated for release in January 2009.
Taking influences from their heroes,
The Band, Vassar Clements, The Rolling Stones, Vivaldi , Merle Haggard, to name a few.
Joe Stanton
Joe plays fingerstyle acoustic guitar, and is the chief songwriter and lead singer for the band.
Joe has performed in the U.S. national fingerstyle guitar competition, and was a finalist in the Kerrville Folk festival's new folk songwriting competition.
Simon Paradis
Simon was born in Montreal Quebec; Holding a music degree from Concordia University Fine Arts program, he studied recording at Fanshawe college in London Ontario as well as playing with numerous bands of many styles including Allan Fraser and Sue Leonard.
Gerry Millar
Gerry is originally from Rossland B.C., where he started out playing R&B in Kootenay clubs with The Covers, and country with Tom T.J. Jones.
Gerry went on to study the double bass with David Brown, the principal bassist with the CBC orchestra, and has performed with The Pacific Chamber orchestra, Baroque in Blue, and is in demand as a studio musician.
Tom Neville
Tom's playing offers up a wide variety of musical tastes; folk, celtic, blues, popular, jazz, country , and plays violin/mandolin and backup vocals for the band.
In 2001 he released his first solo CD, "Highly Strung", a collection of original and traditional material featuring many of the finest musicians and singers from British Columbia.
Some career highlights include a command performance for the Duke and Duchess of Kent at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa (backing Joelle Rabu), performing with Danny Kaye and the Peking Pops Orchestra at Expo 86, and recording and performing with Juno Award winner James Kellaghan
Jay Johnson
Jay started playing drums in the 1980’s with new wave underdogs The Bonus Boys and one hit wonders Maurice and the Clichés.Through the 90’s he hitched his talents to Billy Cowsill and long time bassist Elmar Spanier. They eventually morphed into The Blue Shadows, receiving much critical acclaim while touring Canada and parts of the Excited States.
After touring, Johnson put down his sticks to study sculpture at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. His work is shown and collected in Canada, Europe and the States (http://underthewonder.blogspot.com/)
It was country blues legend Herald Nix that got Johnson back to the drums; you can hear him on Nix’s last three albums, What a World, Soul of a Kiss, Everybody Loves You.
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