Album Backgrounder

After having his songs recorded by a variety of Canadian performers, Island singer/songwriter Steve Sharratt has released his long-awaited first solo CD, Steve Sharratt, featuring some of his best known songs as well as several new ones.

Sharratt brings his own unique touch to songs audiences have enjoyed for many years, from the hauntingly beautiful "Lantern Burn," previously recorded by Rita and Mary Rankin of Cape Breton and performed here by Kerri Wynne MacLeod, to a new version of his "PEI Shanty," a favourite of fiddler Richard Wood, and soon to be published in a book of Canadian folk songs.

Also known as an excellent musician, Sharratt handles vocals, guitar, mandolin and banjo parts on the CD, while fiddler Roy Johnstone, who engineered the project at his Argyle Shore studio, contributes, along with Brad Fremlin, (accordion and percussion), Deryl Gallant (bass) and Albert Kays (drums).

The new recording features such favourites as "Worm Forgives the Plough," "Sugar from Trees" and "One Less Boat." The album includes new songs "Canoe," "Emerson Wightman," and "Old Strings."

Steve says he's in the process of distributing his new CD to "all fine record stores" across the province and will have them available at all live shows as well. Sharratt and Johnstone, who just returned from their second musical tour of Scotland, perform regularly with at the Hot Plaid show every Sunday night through the summer at the Benevolent Irish Society in Charlottetown.