GRIT - RESILIENCE - HEART = GORDIE TENTREES
 

GRIT- Born in Hamilton, Ontario the product of a broken home raised on a family farm before bouncing around in foster home homes finding focus in sport even becoming a golden glove boxer. From the ring to the stage with stops in between as a school teacher and youth worker grateful for every moment.
"I feel fortunate to have had such unfortunate moments that have enabled me to become who I am today”
 

RESILIENCE- Penned his first song at the age of 24 after moving to the Yukon. "I was always felt comfortable putting words together inspired by a family of writers led by my grandmother 70's west coast Canadian poet Rosemary Hollingshead, my evolution as a songster & musician is directly related to my focus as a boxer. I knew it would take 10,000 hrs to learn finger style guitar much like it took to throw the perfect hook in the ring" He explains. "Breaking down each process then building it up over endless repetition hooked me on music." After his first 3 records Fred Eaglesmith took him on the road to Europe/UK and even a historic tour of Route 66 in the US from Chicago to Santa Monica offering helpful advice and support with an early introduction to the reality of the business of music while encouraging him to make his own way. He has since shared the stage with Mary Gauthier, James Cotten, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Steve Poltz, Fred Penner, Danny Michel, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings and Kelly Joe Phelps studying every sound they made on and off the stage

 

HEART- He is the proud father of 4 kids and is greatly inspired by his wife. When not on the road he works as a member of a land based after recovery team Shawthan Nazhi writing healing songs with indigenous families on their journey towards reconciliation. The program won the 2023 Arctic Inspiration Prize given out to members by celebrating and providing seed-funding to Northern teams with innovative project ideas they want to see in their community. “As a non-indigenous Canadian I am grateful to live in place where the opportunity to help build capacity and support my community is possible”

His song EVERY CHILD won a 2023 International Acoustic Music Award inspired by his journey as a parent to indigenous children while working with families for 25 years.
Gordie has recorded 8 records, performed over 3000 concerts in 14 countries, signed a publishing deal with Bluewater Music (Nashville), nominated for Western Canadian Roots Album of the Year Award, and Americana category finalist in the International Song Competition judged by Tom Waits, Jerry Lee Lewis & Loretta Lynn. Tentrees is just getting started.

“Tentrees’ delivery is so relaxed and unpretentious it’s impossible to not get drawn into his world, sounding like a young John Prine”  
NO DEPRESSION

   

“Very superior songs on a terrific album, heartfelt and hysterical” R2 MAG (5 Stars)

“Sounds like an album Woody Guthrie or Bob Dylan might have done if they were starting out today”
IRISH POST (4/5 Stars)

Gordie Tentrees & Jaxon Haldane 

2023 International Acoustic Music Award (IAMA) winners Gordie Tentrees (Yukon) and Jaxon Haldane (Manitoba) met in 2005 (Fred Eaglesmith Picnic, Ontario) and swapped records before hitting the road with disparate musical aspirations. Gordie performed over 3000 concerts around the world, often touring as Eaglesmith’s opening act, learning about the music business, and leveraging his previous experience in the boxing ring (3x Golden Glove champ). Tentrees also toured with James Cotten, Mary Gauthier, Kelly Joe Phelps, Steve Poltz, and Ray Wylie Hubbard, to name a few.  Jaxon was meanwhile tearing up stages from Churchill to Belfast (D.Rangers bandleader/banjo player), producing records for his indie label (Dollartone), and touring with the likes of Petunia, The Sadies, Jon Spencer, and Romi Mayes.  His close relationship with lifelong musical hero and mentor Willie P. Bennett led to Haldane recording Willie’s last record, Sharpen The Plow, just prior to Bennett’s passing in 2008.  Haldane founded the Willie P. Bennett Legacy site to pay tribute to his deceased friend. Interestingly, Bennett and Eaglesmith spent 25 years performing and touring, setting an example of camaraderie and excellence that still guides the way for Tentrees and Haldane.

Fast forward to 2014 in Beaumont, Texas. Gordie and Jaxon made their stage debut and quickly realized their friendship off the stage made for something special on it. Armed with an arsenal of instruments (Fiddle-Saw, Harmonica, Resonator, Cigar Box Guitars, Foot Percussion, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, and Mandolin), they have performed over 1000 concerts in 11 countries, creating an unscripted, dynamic electric/acoustic show built on brotherly harmonies and masterful storytelling. In 2018, they released GRIT, their debut live album recorded over 5 nights in Western Canada by Scott Franchuk (Corb Lund, Old Reliable, Mariel Buckley, Del Barber), propelling feature appearances at major festivals such as Celtic Connections in Glasgow, UK, the National Folk Festival in Canberra, Australia, and the Woody Guthrie Festival in Okemah, USA.
 

Recently, they have each released solo records. Tentrees’s Mean Old World was inspired by his journey as both a foster child and foster parent. For the past 3 years, Gordie has also been the sole non-indigenous male member of a land-based healing team operating on a horse ranch, writing songs with families in treatment and reconciling trauma. The Yukon based program, Shawthan Nazhi, recently won the $500k Arctic Inspiration Prize. Haldane dropped On The Other Side in 2023, a concept album celebrating the unpredictability of life and his coming to terms with a return to living in Canada after years of being based in Oklahoma. The music of Tentrees and Haldane draws from a century of North American music traditions and is rooted in truth, social justice, and the human condition.  Their performances are heartfelt and honest, seldom shying away from challenging topics and tough subject matter. Catch Gordie Tentrees and Jaxon Haldane sharing their stories and songs in your town.
 

"Organic & holistic folk, this is the wild sound of freedom and the freedom to fly"  MIDWEST RECORD, USA

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