Stephen Fearing

Recorded by Scott Merritt at The Cottage in Guelph, ON, Fearing’s latest folk foray is yet another masterpiece of intelligent songwriting. Fellow Blackie and the Rodeo Kings’ carouser and blues guitar-slinger extraordinaire Colin Linden aids some delicate Dobro on "The Man Who Married Music,” a touching tribute to Fearing’s love and her commitment to putting up with his other "wife” — music. With some soulful backing vocals by Linden, Fearing paints a portrait of the balancing act of these two loves. The disc opens with Fearing’s other partner-in-song Tom Wilson co-writing the title track. This song is a metaphor for the flight of the bee as the journey of the musician and captures this songwriting saga in a poetic way that Fearing has a flair for doing. With keyboard wizard Richard Bell helping guide Fearing’s muse on "One Flat Tire,” the songwriter pays homage to Bernie Finkelstein, recalling that chilling moment when the True North Records founder found himself in hospital following heart problems: "Bernie went to hospital, he said there wasn’t much pain/But I couldn’t sleep that night in case he didn’t wake again.” Overall, Yellowjacket is a reflective disc filled with Fearing’s feelings of friends and confidantes.