kichard Reigh

Six of One...

Atthe end of August of this year, Charlottetown singer- Songwriter Richard Reagh launched his six-song CD, Half Dozen of the Other. This release was the culmination of a year and a half of playing the local bar and coffee-house Circuit, and the future looks bright.

Reagh is just twenty-four years old, but he sees his youth as being nothing but an asset. He has worked among much older adults for years now and is therefore quite comfortable 'n those situations, but his actual age allows him to be on Par with students when necessary. ‘‘Besides’’, says Reagh,’’youneed the energy to keep going in this business.’’

Now that he’s got his start in the music business, he has his future to consider. When asked about this, Reagh becomes houghtful. He loves the sound quality and energy brought to his music by a full-band backup (his performance at the -IMN New Music Festival on September 26 was the first ime in over a year that he’s played with a full band and he’s

that he won’t be able to hire on a permanent band. ‘‘There just aren’t enough places to play my style of music in the Maritimes that I can get bookings for six nights in a row,”’ says Reagh.

Ona flight of fancy, Reagh says that someday he would like to work with David Kirschenbaum, who produced Tracy Chapman’s firstalbum. Kirschenbaum preserved Chapman’s essence, yet produced P.T.O., analbum that got airplay, and Reagh admires that. Reagh would also love to get together with U2’s the Edge and ‘‘just pick his brain.”’

On the album Half Dozen of the Other, Reagh worked with local talents Chris Corrigan, Roy Johnstone, and Chas Guy. On guitarist Chris Corrigan, Reagh comments, ‘‘Chris can do anumber of different styles, yet he has his own style, which comes out of his work. He really knows himself.’

On fiddler Roy Johnstone, ‘‘Roy brings a percussive, rock and roll attitude to his playing...what we have (of Roy on the album) is perfect...no one else could have done that.”’

On bassist Chas Guy, ‘‘ Working with Chas was areally rewarding experience. He came in on such short notice, and he was so relaxed...it was perfect...you can feel the sound here [pointing to his heart].’’

Reagh has, at present, a repertoire of nine original songs, but he’s trying to write more. His music is complex, social commentary, but he doesn’t consider himself to be a politi- cal songwriter. However, ‘‘Ifyou’re alive and you breathe, there are political overtones to what you do,’’ he adds.

Richard Reagh plays Wednesday nights at Baba’s Lounge (over Cedar’s Eatery downtown), and his CD Half Dozen of

' the Other is available at most local record stores, and can be heard on CIMN. :

Still raving over it), but feels that economic realities dictate

Liove Te? SMELL 7% ee ra.

OF NEUTRONS AT ffi os Ge } 6:35 IN THE eee ? xyZNINO a

Se

—f} . LX Mi

—KENE FROM “APOCALYPSE AJow, PARTI”