The Happy Camper: You Have to Listen to Jerry Vandiver’s New Paddling Album
Singer/songwriter Jerry Vandiver has a new collection of paddling songs out—Paddle On—and it is awesome!
All 10 songs have Jerry’s regular country twang, but with a twist. This time he’s taken a different approach with instrumentals—instead of the regular session musicians he’s used in his Nashville studio on past albums, Jerry has fiddler Amberly Rosen and bass Ashleigh Caudill adding to his guitar and lyrics (with one exception of an accordion in “The Bear Barrel Polka”).
It’s simpler, but it works to perfection; Amberly’s fiddling is amazing, and just cause for Jerry’s song “Pay the Fiddle Player.”
Paddle On is a more fun collection than serious. There’s “The Milky Way Waltz” and “This Quiet Place” that highlights the beauty and solace one gets while paddling in the wilderness, but song such as “She’s in A Kayak” and especially “Kevlar is Light” are definitely a whimsical look at the paddling culture:
I paddled for years with Aluminium
Struggled to get those portages done
Picked up my permit one summer night
Outfitter told me Kevlar is light
Kevlar is light, Kevlar is light
No more straining with all my might
Hernia won’t send me home the second night
Praise DuPont Kevlar is light
My favourite song is definitely “Canoeing With Daddy.” I’m a bit biased of course; my daughter wrote the song with Jerry. What a huge honour.
Kyla performed together with Jerry’s band last year at Canoecopia and the audience loved it. It’s nine-year-old Ava Delgado from Nashville that sings the song on the album, and she’s a superstar—a least that’s what my daughter said when she heard the song from the album the very first time.
Once again Jerry, you hit a home run!
Watch the Video Here:
Read Previous Blogs:
The Happy Camper: Four Amazing Camp Recipes from Cobi Sharpe
The Happy Camper: Explore the Nova Scotia Wilderness in 360 VR
The Happy Camper: Winter Camping on Crown Land in Ontario
